How to write an effective procurement cover letter in 5 easy steps

As a procurement professional, you have many essential responsibilities – from purchasing goods and negotiating contracts to maintaining strong relationships with suppliers and executing proper supply chain management. To earn a job in procurement, you will need a well-written and effective cover letter.

In this guide, we will cover the 5 main steps to writing a procurement cover letter. Keep reading to learn all about:

How to correctly format your procurement cover letter header & headline
Why your procurement cover letter needs a personalized greeting
What information to include in your procurement cover letter introduction
Ways to highlight your professional value as a procurement professional
How to conclude your cover letter with a strong closing statement

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1. How to correctly format your procurement cover letter header & headline

The first key components of any well-written procurement cover letter are a properly formatted header and headline.

Your cover letter header refers to the small block of text found in the upper lefthand corner of the document detailing the necessary company and applicant information. On the other hand, your cover letter headline is the title of your cover letter used to grab the attention of employers.

Below are more in-depth explanations and examples of each of these elements:

Formatting the header

A cover letter header can vary in format and order of information, depending on the overall style of your cover letter. However, your header should always include:

The name of the company & department you are applying to
Your name and professional title
Your professional contact information (phone number, email address, etc.)

Here is an example of what a well-formatted header on a procurement cover letter looks like

To: Johnson Service Group, Procurement Department
From: Jane Smith, Procurement Specialist
(123) 456-7890 | janesmith@email.com | linkedin.com/in/jane-smith

Writing the headline

When writing the headline of your cover letter, consider how newspapers and magazines use headlines to attract the attention of their preferred audiences. The best news story headlines use compelling language that accurately previews the information to come.

To format your cover letter headline, you should always use a keyword related to the position, an eye-catching number or trigger word, a powerful adjective or verb, and a promise.

Here is an example of a well-written headline on a procurement cover letter

My Effective 3-Step Approach to Procurement & How It Will Benefit Your Company

Trigger Word/Number: 3-Step Approach
Keyword: Procurement
Adjective/Verb: Effective, Benefit
Promise: Your Company – by adding in this detail to your headline, you inform the employer that you will be specifically relating your skills to their business needs.

2. How to include a personalized greeting in your procurement cover letter

Whenever possible, it is essential to use a personalized greeting on your procurement cover letter.

Personalized greetings address a specific person or department by name, showing employers that you have completed exceptional due diligence when researching their company before applying. Additionally, personalized greetings showcase your excellent attention to detail.

If you are unable to uncover the exact person or department who will review your application, try out one of the following alternatives:

To the [Company Name] Team

To the [Company Name] Hiring Manager

3. How to make your procurement cover letter introduction stand out

After your header, headline, and greeting are in place, it’s time to write the introductory paragraph to your procurement cover letter.

In this introduction, you should include:

A brief overview of your professional history and goals
A statement on why you are enthusiastic about applying to this company
A mutual acquaintance (when possible)

Here is an example to help demonstrate how to write a procurement cover letter introduction

To the [Company Name] Hiring Manager,

I am a Procurement Specialist with 4+ years of experience working directly with business vendors and developing long-lasting professional partnerships. After learning of this open position at your company, I reached out to your Head of Communications – John Doe – to discuss your company’s objectives and how I can help fulfill them. Following this conversation, Mr. Doe recommended I apply, as my skills are a perfect fit for your company.

4. How to highlight your professional value as a procurement professional

Following the introduction of your procurement cover letter are the body paragraphs. An effective cover letter will generally contain between 2 to 4 body paragraphs that offer detailed answers to these key questions:

What excites you about working at this company?
What do you hope to learn from working at this company?
What accomplishments or qualifications make you stand out as an applicant?
What key skills do you possess that are relevant to the position?

Describing your accomplishments in the field of procurement is especially important, as this gives employers real-life examples of the value you can bring to their business.

Here is an example of how to describe an accomplishment in a procurement cover letter

As the Procurement Specialist for [Former Employer], I analyzed market trends and sourced a new supplier of goods, resulting in a 15% decrease in overall supply expenditures. Additionally, I initiated the acquisition of a new business asset that contributed more than $200K in annual revenue to the company.

5. How to conclude your procurement cover letter with a strong closing statement

The final element of your procurement cover letter is a closing statement. To make this closing statement effective and memorable, you should include:

An enthusiastic sentence saying you are looking forward to hearing from them
An additional sentence stating you will follow up, including how you will contact them or how they can contact you
A formal sign-off

Here is an example of a well-written closing statement from a procurement cover letter

As your new Procurement Manager, I will apply my skills effectively to meet your company’s buying objectives. I am excited to discuss this open position and opportunity further and I look forward to hearing from you, and I am available to schedule a meeting any weekday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Appreciatively,

[Applicant Name]

Follow this cover letter outline for maximum success.

Published on March 30, 2022

Martin Poduška

Editor in Chief / Resume Writer

Martin is a resume expert and career advice writer at Kickresume. In his five years at Kickresume, he has written nearly 100 in-depth, painstakingly researched resume advice articles and, as chief editor, he has also edited and revised every single article on this website. Tens of thousands of job seekers read Martin’s resume advice every month. He holds a degree in English from the University of St Andrews and a degree in Comparative Literature from the University of Amsterdam.