The 4 C’s of an Introduction Letter

As we mentioned in our previous blog, “The Secret Ingredients to a Press Kit,” an introduction letter describes your company and indicates why the recipient should explore the rest of your material. We really want your recipient to know just how great your product/service is, so let’s show them your “wow factor” by adding in some media sparkles!

Just as a diamond has four important characteristics: cut, color, clarity and carat, so should your introduction letter. Your introduction letter should be concise, catchy, confident and complimentary.

Concise: Keep it short! You want the recipient to read and see everything in the press kit, right? Don’t deliver a snooze fest by presenting everything in the beginning.  Keep in mind that the letter shouldn’t be too long-winded. If you keep it short, the chances of your reader continuing on through the entire press kit are much higher than if you presented the recipient with a novel.

Catchy: Show the recipient that you thought about them! You know that feeling you get when your favorite department store sends you a letter saying, “Since you’re our valued customer, we want to offer you a 50% off coupon.” It may even matter that they sent this coupon with your outrageous billing statement, but it’s that feeling you get  because they thought about you enough to send you a coupon. By saying things like, “I love reading ______________  [insert name of media outlet].  My products would be such a great fit for your readers.” Not only are you telling the truth, but you’re also showing them that you didn’t mass-produce this letter and you specifically designed it for them.

Confident: This is where the idea of media sparkles really comes into play.  You can catch your reader’s attention by sharing your company’s show-off stats. This would include things like the number of customers you have, names of bran-name customers who use your product/service and brag-worthy facts from Compete.com.

Complimentary: Create an image for yourself that  will compliment your recipient’s current clients. You may want to  include: , “Since your beauty magazine loves XYZ product, our _____________ [insert your product/service] would be a great compliment or addition to ______________________________ [insert the product/service that it would compliment].” By doing this, you can impress your recipient by showing that your product/service is relatable to their current products/services.