STRUCTURE:
- Greeting
- Purpose of the letter
- Body of the letter
- Professional closing
Open with a professional greeting
Writing a professional greeting, followed by a comma, is a friendly way to start your request letter. The word ‘Dear‘, followed by your recipient’s title and surname suits most letters of request. If your recipient is someone you know well, you may address them by their first name. Try to address your recipient by their name, as it makes your letter feel more personal. However, if your recipient is unknown, you may use a generic address such as ‘Sir/Madam’ or ‘To whom it may concern.’
State your purpose for writing
Stating your purpose for writing before your letter’s body prepares your recipient for your request. They can decide to keep reading now or file your letter and read it later. Leave a single space, then write ‘Re:’ (short for regarding) followed by three to five words summarising your request. For example, you might write ‘Re: Request for raffle prizes’.
Summarise your reason for writing
The first part of your letter’s body should summarise your reason for writing, expanding on the brief description you gave in the line above. Explain what you are asking for and the reason it’s important to you or your employer. Focus on being persuasive to encourage your recipient to read on.
Explain your request in more detail
Detail your request so your recipient understands fully what you’re asking for and how they should respond to your request. Use plain English to make your request very clear. If your request is complex, you may break this section into two paragraphs for clarity.
Conclude with thanks and a call to action
Close your letter by thanking your recipient for their time and considering your request. Include a call to action, such as contacting you for more information. If you intend to contact the recipient, let them know to expect your call or email.
Close your letter
Close your letter with a friendly phrase reflecting your relationship with your recipient, followed by a comma. ‘Yours sincerely’ and ‘Yours faithfully’ suit requests to unfamiliar recipients. If you know your recipient well, you might use ‘Best wishes’ or ‘Cheers’. Leave three or four blank lines for your signature, then type your full name. You may also include your job title on a new line.
Note any enclosures
You may enclose documents providing relevant information. For example, if you are requesting a donation for your charity, you might enclose a brochure about your organisation and its work. Listing enclosures at the bottom of your letter lets your recipient know what you’ve included at a glance. At the bottom of your letter, write ‘Enclosures’, followed by a colon. If you have a single enclosure, note it beside the colon. If you have multiple enclosures, note them in a bullet-point list. Or write “please, find attached/ enclosed….”
Tips on how to write a letter of request
Keep the following tips in mind when writing your letter of request:
- Begin with a clear polite statement of what you want to know or what you are requesting
- If it is the first contact, explain how you got it
- If appropriate explain why you need it
- State the specific response or action you need from your addressee/ reader
- Express your thanks or appreciation for any help you may get
- Avoid implying that you have a right to the information, service, etc.
- Be concise: Your recipient is more likely to read your letter if it is brief and to the point.
- Be polite: Maintaining a courteous tone improves your chances of a favourable outcome.
- Make responding easy: The easier you make fulfilling your request, the more likely it is that you’ll get the response you want.
Sample letters of request
Request for prizes sample
Dear Mr. Richardson,
Re: Prizes for upcoming trivia night
I am writing to ask whether your café may like to donate a voucher for the local primary school’s upcoming trivia night scheduled for 30 March. We hope to raise enough money at the trivia night to purchase new recorders for our school’s music program. We will give prizes to the top three teams and include other items in a silent auction.
Any donation would be gratefully received. It may be as small as coffee and cake for two or as generous as a $100 dining voucher that a family could use for lunch. In exchange for your generosity, we would place an advertisement for your business on our answer sheets. If you could provide a poster, we would also happily hang this in our school hall on our trivia night.
Thank you for your time reading this letter and considering our request. If you’d like to donate or need more information, you can call or email me using the contact details above. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Kind regards
Carol Williams
Request for media coverage
Dear Ms Henderson,
Re: Media coverage of salon opening
I am writing to ask for media coverage of my upcoming salon opening in Toowoomba. I have salons in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and can’t wait to open my latest branch on 1 May. I think Toowoomba residents would love to know about my salon’s high-end experience and hair, beauty and cosmetic services.
I’d love you to visit my salon on opening day and learn more. You can interview me and my employees and take advantage of a complimentary hair or beauty treatment. This will let you write a feature article on the Cuts by Dale difference using your firsthand experience.
Thank you for your considering my proposal and I hope to see you on opening day. I have enclosed a brochure so you can familiarise yourself with our services. If you’d like a treatment, please call me on the number above so I can book your appointment at a time that’s convenient for you. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours faithfully
Dale Arthur
50 letters of request topics
You could also write professional letters requesting the following:
- Copy of an official document
- Information about a business topic
- Change in agreement or contract
- Change in working conditions
- Change in an upcoming shift
- Annual or maternity leave
- Transfer to another department or location
- Change to official records
- Promotion
- Pay increase
- Reduced duties
- Additional shifts
- Response to a survey
- Interview for research
- Donation
- Sponsorship
- Endorsement or testimonial
- Personal letter of recommendation
- Character reference
- Business assistance
- Authorisation to take action
- An explanation for action taken
- Investment capital
- Additional funding
- Business loan
- Scholarship
- Grant
- Correction of an error
- Product discount
- Complimentary product
- Refund or repair of a product
- Employment
- Apprenticeship or traineeship
- Volunteer experience
- Confirmation of documents or payment received
- A quote or cost estimate
- Payment for outstanding invoices
- Permission to use someone else’s research or images
- Missing documents from an application
- Additional information
- Professional advice
- Project extension
- Cancellation of a membership or subscription
- Review of account
- Feedback from customers or employees
- Transcript of conversation
- Speaking engagement at a seminar or conference
- Appearance at a business event
How to Write a Request Letter
Award-Winning, Nationally Recognized Writer
- Be particularly courteous and tactful when writing this letter, as requests are generally an imposition on another’s time and/or resources or talents. Put the reader at ease, and help her or him feel that responding will not be burdensome.
- Be brief.
- Be confident and persuasive. Be assertive but not overbearing.
- Don’t hem and haw around the issue—be straightforward, and include as much detail as necessary to clearly convey your request.
- Don’t be manipulative.
- Avoid the temptation to apologize for your request. Strive to make the person feel complimented that you would ask the favor of him or her.
- Make only reasonable requests.
- Express your willingness to reciprocate the kindness or favor.
- Invite the person to contact you if he or she has any questions or concerns, and thank him or her for taking the time to consider your request.
- Make it easy for the person to respond—tell him or her exactly what can be done to accommodate your request, and do everything within your power so that the request can be granted (e.g., if you are asking for a letter of recommendation, include your résumé or a list of accomplishments and a stamped, addressed envelope).