As a rule, I hate reading cover letters. Nearly all are what I call, 3B: Bland, Boring and Banal. In fact, most cover letters are such formulaic exercises in boredom that I suggest you stop sending them altogether.
That's right. Don't send a cover letter.
Send a “sales letter” instead. After all, your goal in writing to employers is to "sell" them on hiring you, right?
With that in mind, here's a recent success story that will help you stop sending cover letters, and start sending sales letters that get job interviews.
Paul D. from White Bear Lake, MN writes: "I met you at the Star Tribune job expo and I wanted to comment on your tip to write a sales letter rather than a cover letter. I took your advice and, after sending the new cover letter to apply for two jobs online, I had one call the same day for an interview! The other call came the day after."
So, Paul batted 1.000 with the two cover letters he sent out. Better yet, he emailed me his cover letter, which offers three lessons that can get you hired…
(1) Get Attention by Asking a Question. You must get employers' attention at the start of your letter and compel them to read. An easy way to get attention is to ask a question. Why? Questions are hard to ignore--they engage and involve readers. Paul took my advice and wrote a new cover letter that began like this:
“Dear Mr. Peterson:
“Are you looking for a professional marketing person who has demonstrated analytical and problem-solving ability, practical project management skills and excellent written and verbal communication skills?”
Paul's question gets attention and causes the reader to answer, Yes. And if you can get employers to nod in agreement while reading your sales letter, you've taken a giant leap toward getting hired.
(2) Emphasize Specific Results. Which of the following statements is more interesting?
(A) I'm a hard worker, honest and reliable, with excellent attention to detail.
(B) I saved my last employer more than $10,000.
It's B, of course. B makes a specific claim, while A is a list of generalities. All things being equal, the candidate who sprinkles results throughout his/her letter is more likely to get hired. Because employers think if you've delivered the goods before, you'll likely do so again. That's what Paul did in his letter--he included specific results like this: “I saved more than $10,000 for my company in 6 months by finding and correcting inaccurate registration forms.”
(3) End with a Provocative P.S. Here's where Paul hit it out of the park. Remember, you want to send a sales letter, not a cover letter. And what do all sales letters have? A P.S. at the end. (Go read your junk mail right now to verify that I'm right. I'll wait....) Good sales letters have a P.S. because good copywriters know the P.S. always gets read. Include a P.S. in your sales letter that's so intriguing, employers will have no choice but to call you to learn more. That's what Paul did. Here's the P.S. he wrote, following my advice:
“P. S. - Please call me if you would like to learn how I produced over $70,000 in grant money for the Minnesota Trucking Association last year.”
This is simple and brilliant. Just as the opening question of Paul's letter forced readers to nod and answer Yes, the P.S. forces them to say, Huh? Then pick up the phone and call.
In Paul's case, he got two calls in two days. And one new job. Here's the rest of his letter to me:
"I finished the second interview yesterday and was offered the job the same day! Best of all, I was able to negotiate a raise and I am convinced that if I had not rewritten my cover letter, this would never have happened. Thank you!"
So, if your job search is sputtering, stop sending cover letters and start sending sales letters. Follow these three tips: open with a question, emphasize specific results, and include a P.S.
Now, go out and make your own luck!
Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed Resumes and the creator of GetHiredNow.TV. Since 1996, he has provided job search assistance to nearly 10,000 people. Author of "51 Ways to Find a Job Fast -- Guaranteed," Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, CBS Radio and others. Check out his latest resource, The Instant Job Search System.
