Aside from his former role as President of the United States, Mr. Adams and his wife Abigail are credited with writing over 1000 personal letters. With the proliferation of electronic inventions from the personal computer to the Blackberry, such feats as letter writing seem unfathomable. Writing a letter takes time, energy and concentration. Imagine in today's world taking time for all three simultaneously.
Letter writing is an art. One need not only to take the time but find the proper language. Moreover, good language achieves emotion; both happy and sad. Therefore letter writing creates activity and differentiation.
The present world is too muddled with distraction and basics. The lack of articulation is bromide. People are too busy to take initiative. However, the greatest success tool for any business is differentiation. Being different captivates attention and helps rise above a crowded field. One of the best methods is letter writing.
There still exist a number of organizations and individuals that believe Cold Calling is functional for selling success. Show me a successful real estate agent, stockbroker or insurance agent that achieved financial prosperity from cold calling. This technique is an intrusion. If you want the attention of a decision maker research the organization first and write an articulate introductory letter. Then inform the person of your intention of calling at a particular date and time. The difference in writing an introductory letter must be the variable that gets you through the threshold.
A terrific mentor informed me recently that there is a ?Dumbing Down in America?. I concur. While preparing for this article, I read a recent article in the New York Times that the readability index of Microsoft Word is set for a fifth grade reading level. What has happened to the power of language? Writing with distinction requires good language skills. I recently conducted a training program and no one in the audience understood the word voracious. Read books, magazines, anything you can get your hands on and learn a new word everyday. When possible use these new words in your correspondence.
Finally, one of the best methods and most succinct forms of communication is a thank you note. Clients new and old appreciate the time spent. Individually written thank you and holiday notes are terrific means of maintaining contact while illustrating differentiation. These need not be the great American novels but they should be articulate.
The ability to write a good letter or concise note illustrates your empathy for building solid client relationships. Writing takes time and commitment but rewards will come. Writing can also be completed anytime, anywhere. Unlike computers and personal digital assistants; pads and pens do not crash and require rebooting. I wrote this article for you in the first few moments of my son's baseball practice. The power of the quill.
Copyright (c) 2008 Drew Stevens PhD
In the online business, it's pretty much the same story. Online Entrepreneurs tend to think that because they are on the web, they will start selling tons of products to thousands of people they don't know. The truth is, there are millions of others out there doing (and thinking) the same thing. You can't solely rely on the web and the search engines to bring you valuable leads and ultimately sales.
The way to get started is the 100 exercise.
If you want to succeed in sales, this approach will help you get going in most situations. First, think of anyone you know and write their name on a piece of paper or in your favorite word processor. I use Excel, which helps for sorting/classifying the names. Anyone goes, just write their name. Family, friends, colleagues, the butcher, the florist, anyone. You need to get to at least 100 names. More is always better, but 100 is a good goal to start.
Then, you need to grade each name in terms of how good a prospect you think it is for the product or service you are trying to sell. I use 1 for hot prospects, 2 for medium, 3 for not so good and 4 if I'm not sure. Finally, indicate beside each name what you think the best method to communicate with them is, whether it's by phone, email, regular mail or in person. Only write one method, the one you are the most comfortable with for that person.
Now it's time to get busy. Sort your names by the prospect quality, and then by method of communication. Look at your top prospects list (the one tagged #1 in my case), and work out an action plan. Make appointments with the ones you prefer to meet, call the ones you like to call, etc. Work your way down the list, and by the time you get to the not-so-good prospects, you will have a better idea of what works best, and you'll probably be able to close a few sales you didn't expect.
If you believe in yourself and your product, you will succeed. These people know you and trust you. You know and believe in your offer. It's a win-win situation, and you will have a great close rate.
Both Drew Stevens & Vincent Dupuy are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Drew Stevens has sinced written about articles on various topics from Telemarketing, Customer Service and Fundraising. Drew Stevens PhDDrew Stevens Phd works with organizat. Drew Stevens's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.
Vincent Dupuy has sinced written about articles on various topics from Joint Venture, Writing and Sales and Negotiation. Vincent Dupuy's research is focused on home business opportunities. To find the best home based small business ideas and opportunities visit: