Learning about persuasive letter writing is important for both academic reasons (it will often crop up in English tests at ks2 and ks3 level) but also for life in general. At some point or another we all have to write a persuasive letter or e-mail and here’s how to write a great one.

The first thing to consider is the type of persuasive letter you’re writing (or being asked to write). How serious is the issue you’re trying to persuade the reader about? What is their stance on the situation? Are they in favour of the opposite to you and you must convince them otherwise or are they neutral and have no strong opinions on the situation whatsoever. If they’re neutral then it means you can start with a clean slate and don’t have to explain why their existing opinion is wrong. This means a far more straightforward persuasive letter.

In persuasive essays where students are asked to write a letter, it’s worth them taking a few minutes to logically think about what they’re being asked to persuade someone about in order to put together a solid structure.

Persuasive letters usually require the reader to act on something so it’s important that they’re powerfully written to evoke action. Strong points and valid evidence to support your claims are the pillars of success in any persuasive writing tasks. It’s also important to remember that when you’re writing a letter to someone, whether you know them or not, it’s imperative that you build a relationship with them through your writing. This counts double in persuasive letter writing, because if the person reading the letter actually likes you and appreciates the way you’ve approached the subject, then you’re already on the road to success.

Letter writing is nearly always a personal matter, meaning that the reader should always get a good impression of who the writer is and why they feel so strongly about a specific point. This is important information to include in any persuasive letter.

A solid persuasive letter will rely on four key snippets of information which all require at least a few minutes of serious thought before any actual writing. These are:

1. What you’re trying to persuade the reader about.

2. Who your reader is and their stance on the issue.

3. What exactly you want the reader to do (if they’re suitably persuaded by you).

4. The objections the reader might have and how you can counter them.

A good way to think about a persuasive letter is by imagining a triangle. The base of the triangle is the starting point of your letter. You begin by making the broad points i.e. what you’re writing about and your stance on the situation. Then you begin to focus in greater detail by presenting your persuasive evidence. Finally, at the top point of the triangle where it’s at its sharpest point, you finish with the action you want your reader to take.

By building this triangle using the four points of thought noted above, you give yourself every chance of crafting an excellent persuasive letter.