Time is money in the business world. You need to grab the employer right away with the first sentence of your letter.
The point of your lead line is to engage the hiring manager — make her sit up straight and think, “Ah, here’s someone who has something to say!” If you can elicit that kind of response, you already have her wanting to meet you.
Here are some ideas for composing lead-in grabbers:
- Mention the name of a personal contact whom your reader knows. For example:
“Blaine Powell recommended I speak with you about your opening for sales manager.”
“My former associate, Ellen Fairbanks, spoke so highly of Tannen & Associates that I decided to send you my resume.”
“At a recent dinner party, Arthur Lewis told me the inspiring story about his mentorship with you.”
- Spring a question that pushes one of the reader’s hot buttons and pulls her into your train of thought. For example:
“When your customers need quick delivery to a foreign country, what’s the first thing that comes into their minds?”
“When you walk into a store as a customer, how do you measure quality service?”
“Remember the good ol’ days when sending an authorized purchase order meant using the U.S. Mail? With today’s communications systems, I can cut your investment risks in half. Here’s how:”
- Deliver a bold statement that makes the employer want to understand how you could fulfill such a promise or to find out what you’re talking about. For instance:
“Great article in the Sunday paper! As soon as I read it, I knew I needed to get my resume to you right away.”
“No home appliance store in New York should be without the Wilmington blender! I’m ready to make sure each dealer stocks it.”
“Franklin Insurance has come too far in the last five years to be missing the Oklahoma market! If you had someone like me in that state, you’d have a huge segment of the marketshare in your pocket.”
- Begin with a quote that will snag the reader’s attention. For instance:
“Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not.” — playwright George Bernard Shaw
“There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.” — Methodist minister and author Norman Vincent Peale
“Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.” — basketball coach John Wooden
More Sample Lead-ins
Coming up with the lead sentence for your cover letter is one of the toughest steps in writing a stellar cover letter. To help you think of an appropriate opener for your sales pitch, browse through the following lists (categorized in three levels: formal, friendly, and bold). Feel free to use any of these lines as is, mix and match more than one line, or just use them to get inspiration for your own award-winning approach.
Formal
“You may have a situation that requires (a skill I have).”
“As an experienced (whatever professional),”
“I recently read about (something relevant to the company).”
“Last fall at the (such-and-such) conference, I saw you…”
“For some time now, I have been looking for an opportunity to (do such-and-such).”
Friendly
“Last year alone, (x) people did (such-and-such related to the company).”
“Developing (such-and-such) is no easy task.”
“In some organizations, things move so quickly that (someone like me) is needed to…”
“Now that you have my resume in hand,”
“When you read my resume, you’ll understand how I fit into your program.”
“Immediate results are what you can expect from my performance as a (whatever).”
“At first glance, (such-and-such about my qualifications) may surprise you, but look closer…”
Bold
“Call me ambitious, or downright tenacious!”
“Here’s the catch:”
“If you don’t remember anything else after reading this letter, remember this:”
“People say I have the most exciting profession in the world. I couldn’t agree more!”
Cover Letter Template
50 Sample Cover Letters
Step 2: The Lead Line
Time is money in the business world. You need to grab the employer right away with the first sentence of your letter.
The point of your lead line is to engage the hiring manager — make her sit up straight and think, “Ah, here’s someone who has something to say!” If you can elicit that kind of response, you already have her wanting to meet you.
Here are some ideas for composing lead-in grabbers:
“Blaine Powell recommended I speak with you about your opening for sales manager.”
“My former associate, Ellen Fairbanks, spoke so highly of Tannen & Associates that I decided to send you my resume.”
“At a recent dinner party, Arthur Lewis told me the inspiring story about his mentorship with you.”
“When your customers need quick delivery to a foreign country, what’s the first thing that comes into their minds?”
“When you walk into a store as a customer, how do you measure quality service?”
“Remember the good ol’ days when sending an authorized purchase order meant using the U.S. Mail? With today’s communications systems, I can cut your investment risks in half. Here’s how:”
“Great article in the Sunday paper! As soon as I read it, I knew I needed to get my resume to you right away.”
“No home appliance store in New York should be without the Wilmington blender! I’m ready to make sure each dealer stocks it.”
“Franklin Insurance has come too far in the last five years to be missing the Oklahoma market! If you had someone like me in that state, you’d have a huge segment of the marketshare in your pocket.”
“Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not.” — playwright George Bernard Shaw
“There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.” — Methodist minister and author Norman Vincent Peale
“Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.” — basketball coach John Wooden
More Sample Lead-ins
Coming up with the lead sentence for your cover letter is one of the toughest steps in writing a stellar cover letter. To help you think of an appropriate opener for your sales pitch, browse through the following lists (categorized in three levels: formal, friendly, and bold). Feel free to use any of these lines as is, mix and match more than one line, or just use them to get inspiration for your own award-winning approach.
Formal
“You may have a situation that requires (a skill I have).”
“As an experienced (whatever professional),”
“I recently read about (something relevant to the company).”
“Last fall at the (such-and-such) conference, I saw you…”
“For some time now, I have been looking for an opportunity to (do such-and-such).”
Friendly
“Last year alone, (x) people did (such-and-such related to the company).”
“Developing (such-and-such) is no easy task.”
“In some organizations, things move so quickly that (someone like me) is needed to…”
“Now that you have my resume in hand,”
“When you read my resume, you’ll understand how I fit into your program.”
“Immediate results are what you can expect from my performance as a (whatever).”
“At first glance, (such-and-such about my qualifications) may surprise you, but look closer…”
Bold
“Call me ambitious, or downright tenacious!”
“Here’s the catch:”
“If you don’t remember anything else after reading this letter, remember this:”
“People say I have the most exciting profession in the world. I couldn’t agree more!”
Cover Letter Template
50 Sample Cover Letters