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This is a lengthy newsletter. As I re-read it today, I was tempted to name it "The Kitchen Sink," because it contains so much. Yet it really worked. It begins as an appeal to former clients to refer people "just like you," then launches into a laundry list of interesting topics. I often used these four-page letters. I printed them on 11x17" pager folded to yield four 8-1/2x11 pages. This was z-folded to letter size and it fit neatly into a standard envelope. I seldom used color, just printed black ink on white paper. Its simplicity stood out in the market, and I still believe simplicity works.

March 15, 20-

Luther Parodi
President
NMD
1234 Domínguez Street
Albuquerque, NM  87553

Dear Luther,

I'm writing to you because you're a former client, and we consider you a friend.  Better than anyone, you know what we do and how we do it.  You tried our services, and hopefully, you liked the RESULTS!

I want to determine what products or services could help you advance your career and personal interests even further.  And I need your help in reaching a specific, targeted market:  the market of people "just like you"—those highly successful, desiring more success.

We can't attract these clients by advertising; they come to us by referral only. I'd like your help in getting the word out about who we are and what we do. 

We work with individuals in all situations at all levels, from recent college grads to $50,000 mid-level managers.  But we specialize in the $100,000+ person, because that's what we do best:

  • They have difficult, complex, and sophisticated career problems.
    We rise to the occasion—it tests our expertise.
  • They're tough, demanding, and impatient.  We like that.
  • They expect results . . . and that's what we deliver.

Our ideal individual client is:

  1. Age 40+
  2. Career-oriented
  3. Already successful, desiring more success
  4. Either male or female
  5. Earning $200,000+
  6. In a career dilemma:  facing some kind of crisis or transition, such as downsizing, job loss, burnout, or conflict with a boss.
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William S. Frank, M.A., President/CEO
25 Reasons I love consulting.
by William S. Frank
  1. Brand. You are your own brand, and you can define it any way you want. For many years, I provided outplacement to the ex-employees of Schlumberger, the world's largest oilfield service corporation. When departing employees left the company, they didn't request outplacement in their severance package. They said, "I want Bill Frank."
  2. Demand. The world will always be full of terrible problems that need solving.
  3. White Hat. I can be a helper and get paid for it.
  4. Pay. I can be paid to do things I'd gladly do for nothing.
  5. Variety. Every day is different.
  6. Happiness. At this stage of my career, I only work for people I respect and care about. If a client micromanages me or is otherwise no fun, I complete the assignment and replace them.
  7. Talent. I'm using 110% of my talents and stretching myself to the max.
  8. Change. I can change my focus any day I want. If you're a McDonald's franchisee, you don't say, "Hey, I've got this great idea for a meatball sandwich—let's try it out today." In consulting you can adjust your focus hour-by-hour, as long as your clients still understand and appreciate what you do.
  9. Income. No one else would pay me as much as I pay myself.
  10. FUN. I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing.
  11. Retirement. I can write and consult as long as I am physically and mentally capable. Peter Drucker worked into his 90s, and when asked which book was his best, he said: "My next one."
  12. Job Security. Although clients come and go, no one can come into my office and say, "Pack up your stuff . . . You don't work here anymore." In 29 years, I've only had one employer: ME.
  13. Travel. I don't have to travel unless I decide to. I travel if it's both FUN and profitable—or at least FUN.
  14. Commute. I live five minutes from my office, a corner office in an upscale six-story tower. In winter, I leave a heated garage at home and drive to an underground heated garage at work. There's seldom time to hear even one song on the radio.
  15. Vacation. Consulting is more fun than vacation (except on Wailea Beach in Maui).
  16. Friends. I have developed hundreds of close acquaintances and several lifetime friends.
  17. Time. I can work as much or as little as I like: four-hour days or 18-hour days. (Of course, my income will reflect that.)
  18. Employees. I can work with employees, subcontractors, partners, or alone—I've done it all.
  19. Passive Income. I've developed several products that provide "mailbox money." I earn while I'm sleeping.
  20. Ethics. I've never had to violate my values or personal code of ethics. I've never had to lie, purposely deceive or harm others, or promise things I can't deliver. I go to bed with a clear conscience. That doesn't mean there's never any conflict. But the conflict is conducted according to generally accepted business practices.
  21. Virtual. My career is fairly portable. With the Internet, e-mail, cell phone, and FedEx, I can work nationally, even internationally from my office—or anywhere in the world.
  22. Purpose. I make a difference in peoples' lives every day. I see it in their faces, hear it in their voices, and read it in their thank-yous.
  23. Experience. Every painful or joyful life experience makes me a better consultant. So does every person I meet or book I read. Grey hair can be good in consulting.
  24. Structure. I have to work very hard, and the clients expect superb results—but I get to structure my days, weeks, months, and years.
  25. Boss. Most of the time, I love my boss.
As I was posting these letters online, I realized I want to communicate my love for consulting. It's just a great business. The single letters, taken together, may create a picture of enjoyment, but in a burst of creativity I listed some of the reasons consulting is such a good fit for me—and perhaps for you, too. They are not prioritized; this is just how they came out.