Cover Letters
- In business, you are often required to send information to a client, vendor or colleague. You might send multiple copies of reports, drawings, maps , letters, memos, instructions, or proposals. The reader may have requested this information. Maybe you are sending the data of your own accord. Whatever the situation, if you merely submit the data without a cover letter, your readers will be overwhelmed with information that they must wade through.
- A cover letter accomplishes two goals. First, it lets you tell readers up front what they are receiving. Second, it helps you focus readers’ attention on key points within the enclosures. Thus, the cover letter is a reader-friendly gestures geared toward assisting your audience.
Criteria of Writing a Cover Letter
- Letter essentials
- Maintain an effective technical style
- Avoid grammatical and mechanical errors
- Achieve audience recognition
- In addition, a well-written cover letter contains an introduction, a discussion, and a conclusion
1. Introduction:
- Tell your reader WHY you are writing and WHAT you are writing about.
- What if the reader has asked you to send the documentation? Do you still need to explain why you are writing? The answer is yes.
2. Discussion:
- You want to accomplish two things: Either you want to tell your reader exactly what you have enclosed or exactly what of value is within in the enclosures. In both the cases, you should provide an itemized list.
- Include the page numbers also so that these page numbers allow you to focus reader’s attention.
3. Conclusion:
- Your conclusion should tell your readers WHAT you want to happen next, WHEN you want this happen, and WHY data are important.
- The WHAT clarifies your intentions. The WHEN specifies the date. The WHY either sells the importance of this date, possibly hinting at the urgency, or suggests your conscientiousness.
Cover Letter Example
Dear Ms. Pascal:
Thank you for your recent request for your information about our specialized outpatient care equipment. American Healthcare’s stair lifts, bath lifts, and vertical wheelchair lifts can help you your patients. To show how we can serve you, we have enclosed a brochure including the following information:
Maintenance, warranty, and guarantee information————1-3
Technical specifications for our products, including sizes, weight limitations, colors, and installation instructions—————————————————–4-6
Visual and price lists for our products—————————7-8
An American Healthcare order form——————————9
Our 24-hour hotline for immediate service———————-10
Early next month, I will call to make an appointment at your convenience. Then we can discuss any questions you might have. Thank you for considering American Healthcare, a company that has provided exceptional outpatient care for over 30 years.
Sincerely,
Toby Sommers
Enclosure:Brochure
