A cover letter’s only objective would be to compel the reader into contacting you. In some methods, it’s also to introduce your self and set the stage for the resume. Yet, in case you can write a cover letter that compels the hiring manager to call you, then the resume merely becomes what it is meant to be; a documented list of past experiences and accumulated abilities.

Let us look at this from a sales perspective. A sales presentation is essentially composed of four parts:

- Approach

- Presentation

- Proof

- Close

The cover letter is the presentation along with the close. The resume becomes the proof that supports your presentation as laid out inside the cover letter. The approach is merely what you do to get the hiring manager to read your offer.

If the presentation is solid, the proof is something buyer needs to reinforce his belief that he made an excellent buy. So, in that light, the resume becomes the afterthought in a sense. In case you have written a cover letter that successfully convinces the hiring manager to call you, then the resume just reaffirms that, “yes, I am performing the correct thing in calling this individual, why; take a look at how sterling the resume is!”

On the other hand, if the cover letter fails to impress or convince; all of the tough work of putting together the resume may be for nothing. A person need to already have a “buying” predisposition for the proof to work, otherwise all of the testimonials and proofs will possibly not be enough.

Most people are familiar with the features and benefits of a product and what the differences are. In short, features are what make a product distinctive and the advantages are “what’s in it for me.” Yet in making the presentation, it’s not sufficient to merely state mostly the benefits or mostly the features.

A great sales presentation makes the connection between a feature that the buyer most cares for along with the benefit to the buyer. It really is the connection that you draw that sets the stage for the close. It is not enough to say, “I am proficient in sales management, having directed 6 sales representatives in achieving 106% of sales quota for 2000.” Which is the feature, which is nice; but so what.

It’s not sufficient to say, “I can generate an boost in sales for your organization by building a team of aggressive sales representatives.” Which is nice, which is a benefit to hiring you I suppose, but what makes me think that? And do I have to go back to the previous statement and make my own connection?

The feature and benefit must flow to something like, “I can bring increased sales and revenue to your firm; as I did for Wily E. Acme Inc., where I achieved 106% of sales quota for 2000,” or words to that effect. You state the benefit 1st, and then, bridge to the feature. In this case, you are the product and so the cover letter is your sales pitch of you.

As you write your presentation, as significantly as making the connection for the hiring manager is critical, even a lot more critical is making the correct connection between the feature she is looking for along with the advantages she needs. And also the answer to that riddle is in the job description and your analysis of the organization. You ought to not send form letters, willy-nilly, to every job you might be interested in.

Select the position and also the firm that’s a match for you, and then, you need to dissect the job description. Make a bullet point list of what they are trying to find. Then make a list of your skills and qualifications. And as you did in grade school, draw a line between what they’re trying to find and what you have to provide.

Research the company and business and attempt to pinpoint which of the bullet pointed items appear to be the most important.

Mirror the words and descriptions that you picked out of the job posting and description. Nearly every job posting is pretty exact in what they’re looking for. So,give them what they want in the words they wrote it in. In the event you use a template to get the flow of ideas down very first, fine; then tweak the letter to mirror what the organization is searching for.

And obviously, you must close the letter by asking for a decision, “I suggest obtaining together right away to discuss the possibilities between us, you may call me at (000) 000-1234.”

In concept, I suggest you write the cover letter as though it was a sales presentation. As you write the letter, write it in terms of what the buyer is looking for and within the words the company uses. You letter will be far far more compelling.

 

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This entry was posted on Monday, February 7th, 2011 at 2:10 pm and is filed under BPH Treatment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.