LETTER DEVELOPMENT

Before we start on techniques of your personal “letter for Him”, you may want to look at some sample letters that others have written. They are found on the Sample Letters page.

There are three letters and each is very different. Your letter will be different also. Although you may decide to use or borrow certain phrases or express yourself in the same way as some of the letters on the Sample Letters page, only you can write what the Lord has done for you. Pray about it. Ask the Lord to give you the right words. As you start mailing your letters, you may start making changes. That’s fine. That’s great! The Lord may impress upon you to make a change here or add something there. I changed my letter so many times I’ve lost count. The important thing is you are doing this “just for Him”.

Your Letter – Hand Written or Computer Generated? PROS and CONS:

If you do not have or use a computer, of course your letters will be hand written. Your writing must be legible and easy to read. For the first several years I chose to hand write my letters even though I had a computer and used it daily at work. Below is a list of Pros and Cons. Please contact us if you would like to have a sample of a hand written letter.

Hand Written Letter:

PROS:

  • The reader will be impressed you took the time to write by hand.
  • Hand written letters are considered a lost art.
  • The reader will be more likely to read a hand written letter verses a computer generated letter if it is not more than 2 pages in length. The letter will be read even if they do not agree with what you write.
  • You can send a hand written letter by itself. You do not have to dress it up by using a card.
  • It is less expensive

CONS:

It takes approximately 50 minutes to write your letter. Depending on the number of letters you write, this could be considerable. Since the return rate of undeliverable mail is about 10 - 20%, you need to use a single name salutation so you can resend the letter if it is returned. I learned by experience to only send hand written letters to common named males ... John, Peter, Michael, Robert, William, etc. It was painful to receive a 50 minute hand written letter back that could not be re- used. It hurt to throw it into the trash. If I received a “Dear Michael” letter back, I just looked in the phone book for another Michael or another John. The letter went out again, and I did not waste 50 minutes for the Lord!

Computer Generated Letter:

PROS:

  • The copy will be easier to read (depending on the font that is used).
  • It takes you less than a minute to print a letter, instead of 50 minutes to hand write it.
  • The letter looks professional, neat and clean.
  • For the same amount of time as writing one hand written letter, you can reach far more people.

CONS:

  • When you go to a computerized letter it needs to become more personal. A card does this. It shows that you are concerned enough about the person to put some money into it and dress it up.
  • The cost is more to send a computer generated letter due to the equipment, toner and Christian cards. The cards we recommend cost about $0.25 each. We do not sell these cards but we will tell you what has worked for us.

The Importance of GRAMMAR, SPELLING AND PUNCTUATION:

I cannot stress enough the importance of grammar, spelling and the use of correct punctuation. Remember, you are writing a letter that represents the King! You do not want spelling errors or run on sentences. The letters you send will be scrutinized by some. If you are not sure your letter is error free, take it to a friend or acquaintance that will correct any errors. You will want to make sure your letter flows, it is easy to read and understand. You are also invited to submit a copy of your letter to Letters for Him and we will read it for you also. Many of us are not proficient in English grammar and punctuation so don’t feel bad if you need help with your letter. The good thing is that once your letter is ready you don’t have to keep changing it unless the Lord impresses upon you to do so.