How to Write a Letter Asking for Advice
Introduce yourself., State why you are writing., Be specific with what advice you want., Explain briefly why you are having trouble accomplishing the goal on your own., Keep it brief., Include closing remarks.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Introduce yourself.
If the person does not already know who you are, you will want to include a short paragraph introducing yourself at the beginning of the letter (after the salutation).
Include information about who you are, and any information that is related to the reason why you are writing.For example, if you are writing to an advice columnist to ask for parenting advice, you can say, “My name is Anna Smith and I am a 36 year old mother of two daughters.” In this case, you don’t need to say what you do for a living unless, for example, you were writing to ask about how to raise children well while also working full time.
If you are writing to someone you don’t know, briefly let them know how you found them.
For example, “I was referred to you by , who thinks you might be able to help me.” -
Step 2: State why you are writing.
After introducing yourself (if necessary), you will want to get straight to the point.
You should begin by explaining the purpose of your letter.
There are lots of ways that you can open a letter politely.
Examples include:”I am writing to ask if you could help me with…” ”I would appreciate if you could give me some advice about…” ”I am writing to ask for your advice.” ”I wonder if you could help me with a problem.” , You should come up with 3 to 5 questions that you want answered, and write them out.
Avoid writing a long list of complicated questions that would take hours of work to answer.
Keeping it short and to the point will increase your chances of receiving a reply., If you’re asking for advice for a problem or situation that you have been trying to solve on your own, but haven’t been able to.
Then briefly explained what you have tried, and why it didn’t seem to work.This can help the advice giver know that you’re not just being lazy, and that you really need their help.
Additionally, it can save effort and time because they won’t bother suggesting a solution you’ve already tried.
For example, if you would like advice about how to deal with bullying at school, you could say, “There is a big problem with bullies at my school.
How can I deal with them when they are bothering me? How can I help stand up for someone who is being bullied? What can I do to make bullying happen less often?” , The person you are asking for advice will be less likely to respond if you send them a very long and detailed letter.
This is because they will have to spend significant time reading and understanding your letter.
If and when they write their response, they will probably have to write a longer, more detailed response in order to address everything you have written.
Keeping it brief will increase your chance of getting a response, especially if you are writing to a well-known person.A general rule of thumb is to keep your letter between 300 and 400 words.
This length will give you enough words to introduce yourself and your questions without over doing it. , Before you end the later, you should include a “Thank you in advance.” You can also talk about a few different ways that you can be contacted to talk about your letter.
It is important to show your appreciation in the closing remarks.
Remember, this person does not have to help you, and if they take time to read your letter, you owe them a thank you.
For example, you could say, “Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
I understand that you are a busy person, and any advice you could offer me would be greatly appreciated.
If it is helpful, I would also be happy to discuss my questions over the phone or over a coffee.
My contact details can be found at the end of this letter.” -
Step 3: Be specific with what advice you want.
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Step 4: Explain briefly why you are having trouble accomplishing the goal on your own.
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Step 5: Keep it brief.
-
Step 6: Include closing remarks.
Detailed Guide
If the person does not already know who you are, you will want to include a short paragraph introducing yourself at the beginning of the letter (after the salutation).
Include information about who you are, and any information that is related to the reason why you are writing.For example, if you are writing to an advice columnist to ask for parenting advice, you can say, “My name is Anna Smith and I am a 36 year old mother of two daughters.” In this case, you don’t need to say what you do for a living unless, for example, you were writing to ask about how to raise children well while also working full time.
If you are writing to someone you don’t know, briefly let them know how you found them.
For example, “I was referred to you by , who thinks you might be able to help me.”
After introducing yourself (if necessary), you will want to get straight to the point.
You should begin by explaining the purpose of your letter.
There are lots of ways that you can open a letter politely.
Examples include:”I am writing to ask if you could help me with…” ”I would appreciate if you could give me some advice about…” ”I am writing to ask for your advice.” ”I wonder if you could help me with a problem.” , You should come up with 3 to 5 questions that you want answered, and write them out.
Avoid writing a long list of complicated questions that would take hours of work to answer.
Keeping it short and to the point will increase your chances of receiving a reply., If you’re asking for advice for a problem or situation that you have been trying to solve on your own, but haven’t been able to.
Then briefly explained what you have tried, and why it didn’t seem to work.This can help the advice giver know that you’re not just being lazy, and that you really need their help.
Additionally, it can save effort and time because they won’t bother suggesting a solution you’ve already tried.
For example, if you would like advice about how to deal with bullying at school, you could say, “There is a big problem with bullies at my school.
How can I deal with them when they are bothering me? How can I help stand up for someone who is being bullied? What can I do to make bullying happen less often?” , The person you are asking for advice will be less likely to respond if you send them a very long and detailed letter.
This is because they will have to spend significant time reading and understanding your letter.
If and when they write their response, they will probably have to write a longer, more detailed response in order to address everything you have written.
Keeping it brief will increase your chance of getting a response, especially if you are writing to a well-known person.A general rule of thumb is to keep your letter between 300 and 400 words.
This length will give you enough words to introduce yourself and your questions without over doing it. , Before you end the later, you should include a “Thank you in advance.” You can also talk about a few different ways that you can be contacted to talk about your letter.
It is important to show your appreciation in the closing remarks.
Remember, this person does not have to help you, and if they take time to read your letter, you owe them a thank you.
For example, you could say, “Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
I understand that you are a busy person, and any advice you could offer me would be greatly appreciated.
If it is helpful, I would also be happy to discuss my questions over the phone or over a coffee.
My contact details can be found at the end of this letter.”
About the Author
Evelyn Barnes
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in hobbies and beyond.
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