If there was just one cover letter writing tip I wish I'd had known years ago, it is this:

A cover letter's job is to get the reader to take one more step.

When you look at writing a cover letter in that way, it can help simplify matters.

That is particularly the case when you're told that a cover letter is a sales letter ... and the thought of writing a sales letter is daunting.

On the other hand, you may be tempted to treat your cover letter as an afterthought, especially if you've already invested plenty of time in the other parts that accompany it like your resume, the sales presentation, or a grant application. After all, the reader will just flip through the cover letter to get to the "real" stuff, right?

Don't get sidetracked with either approach. Your cover letter has an important job to do ...