Business to business letter of introduction in a business network

This is a very different type of business letter, written on a personal basis.

This type of letter should be used selectively, within a business network or in terms of business associations of colleagues.

The idea is essentially the Mutual Friend approach, with business relevance.

The letter acts as an identifier of the person, and as a de facto character reference:

It's addressed to a specific person, for a specific purpose.
The introduction includes the reason for the introduction.
The letter summarizes the person's role and character, similar to a letter of reference.

It's advisable to be very selective about use of these letters. Introductions can be tricky, particularly with business associates, who have to take the introduction on trust. In many cases, the letter of introduction is sent to the addressee, rather than delivered by the person being introduced.

Do NOT:

Be vague about the reason for the introduction.
Write an 'unsolicited testimonial' or extensive, time consuming, letter.

Style Tips:

Use personal slang, or some other meaningful personal element in the letter to describe things you'd prefer not to put directly in writing. This is a form of business security when introducing people on a personal basis, where only the recipient will get the real message.

Please remember: This is a real business letter, it involves your reputation with your friends, colleagues, and business associates.

Example:

Addressee

Our Reference
Contacts

Dear (Personal name of associate, like personal letter)

I'd like you to meet (name of referred person). He / She's a particularly talented person, and was involved as a consultant in the (name of business) I told you about, which was a major success for us. I think you two will find a lot of common interests.

He / She reminds me a lot of Archie, you know that sort of personal style, very sharp, and very knowledgeable.

I'm sure you'll find (name of referred person) a particularly good contact, very reliable in his/ her field, he / she has been a godsend to us.

Chug a Lug again,

Signed (personal letter style)
Dated

Analysis

You'll notice this isn't the normal format. This is really a personal letter, in a business context. The references, in this case, are for a personal file.

The first paragraph deals with the business role of the person, with a reference to a mutually understood business matter.

The second line refers to 'Archie', a mutual acquaintance, as a character reference. This is also a personal element, a sort of code, in this case referring to a positive character image for the reader.

The third line is another reference, this time to the person being referred as a good contact.

The sign off is a reference to college slang, with its own meaning.

The advantage of this approach is that it can't be used as a general letter of introduction. It's targeted to one person, and would be meaningless to anyone else.

Please note:

This text is intended for advisory and guideline purposes only.

Any business letter can become a legal document, so check your content properly before issuing.

Any executable or statutorily defined document should be checked for compliance with legal requirements, and you should seek legal advice regarding its contents.