The best way to write an introduction letter when you join a team is to focus on your team members’ needs, rather than simply listing your qualifications. Organize your introduction letter to address their questions and concerns and help them to be open to embrace you as a trusted team member. Accomplishing this will be easier if you do a little planning before you start writing.

Do Some Research

Before you begin writing your letter, determine what you’ll need to put in it. Review your purpose for joining or leading the team and what that will mean to your peers. Think about why the team exists in terms of its goals. Write down the roles of the team members and consider what their needs are. List the skills, training, experience and qualifications you bring to the team that will help it meet its goals and support team members’ needs.

Organize Your Document

Break your letter into sections. Start with an introduction that tells team members you are happy to be on board, look forward to working with them and are interested in the team’s work. If the team has been operating for some time, reference a success they’ve had that impressed you. Include a section that outlines your training that qualifies you for your role. Add another section that gives the specific experience that makes you a strong team member. for example, if you’re joining a team created to streamline accounting or production procedures, tell the team about a similar project you handled, what interested you about that work and the results your project provided the organization.

Avoid Boasting

Even if you don’t overtly brag, listing too many qualifications or successes, especially those that don’t relate to the project, can make you sound boastful. As you list your experience, qualifications and successes, look at each one in the same way your team members will. Include only those that will give your peers confidence in your abilities, rather than simply impress them. For example, if you graduated from a well-known college but your degree is unrelated to the team’s work, don’t include that.

End With a Statement

After you’ve told your teammates you’re excited to be on board, demonstrated you have the qualifications to contribute and listed similar accomplishments to gain their confidence, finish with a strong statement telling the team what you plan to contribute. Don’t presume to know more than your team members, but let them know you plan on coming on board ready to work. If you are the team leader, let team members know you have a plan and are ready to get working on day one.