SNAIL MAIL HAS ITS DAY
(September/October 2005 Issue)

The heart of my private practice is my database of people for whom I am "the name they know and trust in career matters." These folks get my newsletter once a month, or so. Since the purpose of my newsletter is to continually reinforce my visibility and credibility as a career advisor, I want to start out with the best impression I can. I think the strongest first impression I can give comes from a postal mailing. 10 years ago mine was the among two or three newsletters they received. Now, with the arrival of the internet, they're swamped with e-newsletters, news services, spam, unwanted jokes, pesky e-cards, and the like.

Online newsletters call themselves "e-zines." Four years ago, I joined the e-revolution and switched my One-Minute Career Letter from surface mail to e-zine. At 75¢ per recipient, it was a savings of $1500 per mailing. While it started out okay, over the years I've seen a decline in inquiries from internet mailings. My snail-mail newsletters make the phone ring better.

Now that the internet novelty has worn off, I believe when people check their email they are in a "get through it as fast as possible and delete anything non essential" mode. My One \-Minute Career Letter is trashed or filed deep in the recesses of their hard drive. On the other hand, my Snail Mail newsletter makes an even bigger impression because now I'm just about the only one that the mailman brings.

So for ongoing monthly newsletter mailings, I split it up. Sometimes e-mail; sometimes snail mail. But since "You never get a second chance to make a first impression, I now always send my FIRST newsletter in hard copy via U.S. Postal Service. The moment I add them to my database, I immediately print out their first issue. Since it's printed out of the database itself, it's personalized, addressed, and ready to be folded and stuffed into a window envelope; I add a stamp and it's on its way. Here's what I send:

Dear ______
You marked on your card at my presentation that you'd like to receive my free monthly One-Minute Career Letter.
Here it is! This issue is all about a money-making four-letter word, that has no vowels, it's not found in the dictionary, and yet, it's a common word you probably use often. If you happen to say it at just the right time in any negotiation, you'll put money in your pocket. I'll tell you the word in a minute, but first, I have some information about my One-Minute Career Letter and my work. This is your "welcome" issue. After this, you'll receive issues several times a year by regular mail, and several times a year by email. Please pass it on when you run across someone in career distress.

For over 20 years, I have helped people out of distress into lasting and lucrative career solutions for people like...
• successful people wondering what's next.
• people who've lost or quit their jobs and want more interviews.
• people who just want more money, but feel stuck in their current situation.
• people frustrated answering ads and sending out resumes with no results.
• people wondering, still, "What they want to be when they grow up."
• people looking for ways to be in business for themselves -- without risk.

For anyone who's stuck, stalled, or confused, I offer a C-MAP (Career-Move Action Plan) session: in one meeting we can get to the root of any career problem and make a practical plan to solve it. They'll be unstuck and moving forward. Often a C-MAP session is all that's really needed.

Now here's your one-minute career letter, and that four-letter word! Readers--if you'd like a copy of the actual four-letter word article, e-mail jkchapman@aol.com a request for Four-Letter Word article. To summarize: you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. Send your first newsletter out by postal mail containing a very interesting, informative, concise, practical and beneficial topic. They'll remember you better and they'll be much more likely to open your next e-zine or newsletter, read and profit from it each month, and call you when they or someone they know is in career distress. Best of success to you in your independent practice.

Jack Chapman is author of:
Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1000 a Minute
He is a career consultant in private practice and runs ongoing support and training teleconference sessions for career consultants in private practice.
He can be reached at 847-251-4727 or jkchapman@aol.com