Never underestimate the power of a persuasive letter to further a cause. Whether you are lobbying for a change in a state law or for a coffee machine in the break room at work, properly chosen words can have a powerful impact on the people with the power to change things. To stand out from the rest, your persuasion letter needs to have a strong opening, capturing the reader's attention enough that they feel compelled to finish reading.

Write in a business letter format. Your address should be written in the upper, left side of the page, followed by the address of the person to whom you are writing. Underneath that, write the salutation line. Address the person you are writing to formally, such as "Dear Mr./Ms. Full Name:" If the person has a professional title, such as a judge, senator or the President of the United States, refer to the person with that title. For example, if you are writing to a judge write, "Dear Honorable Judge John Doe."

Introduce yourself. This can be as simple as, "My name is Sarah Banks and I work in the the marketing department at ABC, Inc." Even if the recipient of the letter knows exactly who you are, you should still introduce yourself.

State exactly what you are writing about and why. Clearly state your reasoning for writing the letter in the opening. If you are writing because you believe the break room should have a coffee maker for the whole office, make that very clear. An example could be, "I'm writing to discuss the need for a coffee machine in the break room as many of my colleagues have expressed a strong desire for one." If you have a concern about your neighborhood park, you could write, " I am writing about the need for added security on the weekend at Town Park due to the severe vandalism that is occurring.

Include powerful buzz words related to what you are writing about. Certain descriptive words have a stronger impact than others if used properly. Adding, "strongly" in front of "recommend" makes it clear that you are in full support of this recommendation, for example. "Severe" in front of the word vandalism, emphasizes how bad the vandalism may be. Include several powerful words in the opening and throughout the article to show the passion in your argument. This powerful start to your letter should convince the recipient to continue reading the letter.