When they called our senator’s name, he voted against the measure—as we hoped he would.

Although the ayes narrowly won the day, it still seemed to be a victory because we felt our senator had listened to our concerns. And if you’re worried about an issue that’s beyond your control, a well-placed letter may also give you a sense of relief. Here are some pointers for crafting a persuasive letter:

• Get your facts straight. The quickest way to turn off any potential audience—particularly a government or business leader—is to come bearing urban legends and partisan gossip. In other words, don’t pass along information you received in an e-mail no matter how much you trust the sender. No, I’m not suggesting your friends are deliberately sending you false information. But most of the stuff circulating in these so-called “informative” e-mails—including snippets of video—is partially incorrect, out of date, slanted or edited to fit a particular agenda, or completely fabricated.

Believe it or not, some variations of these stories have been circulating in one form or another since the horse-and-buggy days. They’ve just been updated, with new scenarios and new players, to fit current times. Most of the wise and wondrous homespun speeches supposedly given by Jay Leno, David Letterman, Robin Williams, etc., weren’t. Heads of corporations have not sat down with Oprah to declare their devotion to Satan. And even when you receive a rare petition that actually contains a grain of truth, the issues it concerns were probably resolved years ago.

So instead of relying on partisan materials and Web sites, do some real research using mainstream sources. The more accurate your facts, the more likely people in power will listen.

• Stay on message.   Don’t get caught up in personalities. Political figures come and go. Your concern is the issue, not what you think about a current or past officeholder. If you indulge a whim to go off on tangents, you’ll lose your audience. And never assume the people reading your letter will feel the same way you do on these side issues. Even if your intended reader has expressed similar views to yours, that doesn’t mean the administrative assistant or legislative aide who’ll be vetting your letter sees things your way.

So stick to the topic at hand. Make your points quickly and succinctly. Keep your letter short. Busy people don’t have time to wade through a 10-page manifesto, no matter how well-written. Ideally, your letter should be no more than one page. If you must make it longer, then set a two-page limit. Be sure to include frequent paragraph breaks or to bullet main ideas, so the text doesn’t appear overwhelming to the reader’s eye. Your letter won’t do you or anyone else much good if the reader doesn’t bother taking the time to read it.

• Explain what you want. Why are you writing this letter? In my note to the senator, I stated up front that I was hoping to persuade him to cast a nay vote. What are you hoping to accomplish? Make sure your target reader understands what you want and knows you’re open to possible alternatives. Though readers may not be willing to accede to your demands, they may have workable ideas that would suit your needs.

• Clean up your act. Finally, demonstrate your seriousness of purpose and your professionalism by spellchecking and proofreading your document. Typographical errors, incorrect subject/verb agreement, misspelled words, smudged or torn paper—all point to writers who don’t care enough to send their best effort. So why should your target readers care enough to give it their best attention? If you want your voice to be heard, serve it up in the most professional way possible.

Need help targeting your letter to someone with influence? Check out: “Write letters, change the world II.”