Your Slam Dunk Business Introduction Letter

It’s only a few words. But, holy mackerel, those few words can make or break your company.

It’s the business introduction letter. It’s the letter you send to venture capital firms, bankers, and angel investors. It’s the letter you send to companies that you want to do business with. It’s even the letter you send to potential customers.

And it is very short.

Few people want to read paragraph after paragraph waxing poetic about how great your company is. Truthfully, they really only want to know one thing: What’s in it for me?

So give it to them, in as brief a business introduction letter as possible.

First sentence: Establish a commonality, and tell them why you are contacting them.

For example, "Ms. Dumbledorf at Central Bank suggested I contact you concerning our redevelopment plans."

Or, "When I heard you speak at the QRL Conference, I knew you were someone I had to meet."

Or, "We have a common interest. We both want YY Company to succeed."

Okay, that last one is longer than a sentence. But you get the idea. As briefly as possible, tell the reader why he should bother to read any further.

That "commonality" issue can be a major stumbling block. Look for something – anything — that puts you both on the same side of the table. You want this person as a partner, not as an adversary.

Use the research that you have conducted on this company to provide insight on this first component. Did you, for instance, discover that your potential investor donated time to Little League? Well, so did you. Begin, "Little League taught my son about team work; it taught me how to channel a field full of excess energy into something constructive, a skill that comes in handy at my innovative engineering firm."

Hokey doesn’t work. Honest statements do. Remember the part about "business" in the business introduction letter.

Second sentence: What’s in it for him?

For example, "The redevelopment in San Gorgonia is the largest project in the region for a decade, and is certain to attract attention to all involved."

Or, "My company has been working for years to develop the missing link in your supply chain – and we have now succeeded."

Or, "You want YY Company to succeed because you have invested several million dollars in it; I want it to succeed because I will be one of its top customers."

Third sentence: Establish your credibility.

This can be tough to accomplish in one sentence, but it is essential. What is the one thing that distinguishes your company from all the others? That is what needs to be in this sentence.

For example, "MyCo has led just this type of development in three other regions, all with considerable success."

Or, "Our principals have worked at both ends of that supply chain and know well the requirements for this industry."

Or, "MyCo is the association of three very successful industry professionals."

The statement needs to focus on your team, not on you. A strong company is always comprised of a team. Investors may respect you as an individual, and may even want to recruit you for other projects, but they invest in a team.

And the fourth sentence of your business introduction letter: Tell them what you will do next.

Will you call them in a few days? Will you be in town next month? Will you wait for them to call you?

Be proactive. You do the calling. You initiate further contact. It’s nice to think that the recipient will be so enamored of this business that he will pick up the phone and call you. Realistically, this doesn’t often happen. More often, the letter, even if good, gets put into the "to do" pile. It will take your initiative to get it back on the active part of the desk.

Keep it short. Edit and re-edit. A short, sharp punch is a lot more effective than a long slow one. Remember, this is the introduction letter. All it is intended to do is introduce you to the recipient. It’s the handshake that gets you in the door.

Check out Business Plan Master for more top tips on writing and presenting your business plan.