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Five Tips for Writing the Perfect President’s Letter
Posted on August 20, 2010 by Erik Caplan
Presidents of trade associations are fearless, take-charge people—they delegate responsibilities, mediate discussions and initiate changes in their organizations. But when it comes to writing a president’s letter for their association’s publications, there can be struggles to put the words on the paper. Why does this happen?
Well, for many association presidents, time is a precious commodity, and, with a slew of important events on the horizon for most organizations, it’s just too difficult to narrow down these elements in order to create a cohesive president’s letter.
Generally speaking, creating an interesting, viable letter does not have to be an arduous chore. The key to this process is simplification.
1. Ideal letters are short. Oftentimes, one of the big obstacles for would-be writers is a fear of the blank page. Consider this—there is no real need for a president’s letter to exceed 700 words, which, in Word document terms, amounts to about one page of text. One page is an absolutely surmountable obstacle.
2. Stick to one basic concept. Focus on a single message, such as increasing member involvement on the association’s website or promotion of a mentorship program. Break the idea into smaller portions. Avoid redundancy—move on to the next sub-topic once the point has been made.
3. Be aware of the rest of the publication’s content. Things would definitely appear amiss if the magazine’s president’s letter lauds the use of certain procedures when there’s an article later in the issue decrying the same procedures. It may take a little extra time to find this information, but it spares the embarrassment of appearing out of touch with the rest of the group.
4. Be conversational. President’s letters, while certainly important, don’t have to be formal affairs. Avoid using $10 words (unless they’re common in the association’s usual group conversations) and write the letter as if addressing friends. It’ll make for an easier, smoother read, and, as an added bonus, the members will be more likely to actually read the letter.
5. Spell-check is your friend. Don’t skip this step—ever. Once the document is spell-checked, read it again to ensure the “fixed” words are correct. Watch out for misuse of “there,” “they’re” and “their” and the ever-popular “you’re” and “your.”
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