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Sales Letter for Marketing and Public Relations
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As you know, I only publish letters that produce results, so I was thrilled to hear from Ryan McGrath, who took inspiration from cover-letters.com to write a letter that produced an interview and job offer.

His two-page letter is longer than I usually recommend. I'm a believer in one-pagers, but you can't argue with success.

His lead sentence, "In this tough economy . . . " suggests that he's very aware of present economic realities and dollars and cents.

His letter is based on the fundamental business principle of ROI ("return on investment"), meaning "I'll generate more revenue than you pay me." A strong argument.

The letter is packed with past accomplishments, and testimonials which show that Ryan is highly-capable and easy to work with.

This is an A+ letter, and here is the story in his own words.


Bill:
Your website at cover-letters.com was instrumental in helping me upgrade my career after just two months of looking for a new position.

I was working for a PR agency, and desired to go "in-house" at a company . . . so I wrote the attached "sales-letter" cover letter and sent it without a resume. It worked, and I got the interview.

Your site gave me the confidence to mail it. I have been studying direct response copywriting for about a year, and I needed a "push" from you to use these skills and not send just the traditional (boring) cover letter and resume.

Attached is the very letter I sent to get the job I have now...

Ryan McGrath

PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL

October 29, 20—

Kurt Strohmeyer
Zofomma Corporation
102500 120th Ave.
Grand Haven, MI 49420

Dear Kurt:
In this tough economy, would you agree that every single dollar spent on marketing must create a return in profitable sales many times the investment, including any dollars spent on salaries of Public Relations / Marketing Specialists?

Here is why I am a return-on-investment as your next Public Relations / Marketing Specialist . . .

I have spent 10 years at the top PR agency in Grand Rapids, where I am currently serving as a senior account manager managing 5-6 accounts at any given time. Over the course of my career, my PR campaigns have been recognized with a national PRSA Silver Anvil Award and multiple local WMPRSA PRoof Awards.

I’ve written copy for hundreds of press releases, speeches, scripts, annual reports, newsletters, brochures, sales letters, white papers, presentations, direct mail, advertisements, articles, brochures and websites. For my clients, I have secured story placements in local, trade and national media outlets using press releases and media relations, including USA Today, Christian Science Monitor, Associated Press, Dow Jones, Bloomberg Television, Grand Rapids Press and The Wall Street Journal.

I graduated from Western Michigan University with a degree in business management in 1999, and recently completed the Dale Carnegie Human Relations & Effective Speaking Course in spring 2009. My professional interests include public relations, media relations, social media communications, direct response advertising, "guerilla" marketing, writing and public speaking.

To sum up my qualifications . . .

  • Nearly 10 years of experience at top public relations agency in West Michigan.
  • Expertise in copywriting / persuasive writing, project management, brand positioning, market research, process improvement, media relations, crisis communications and website development.
  • Currently responsible for $400K/year total budget for client marketing, branding and public relations programs.
  • Analytical yet creative personality. Strong work ethic and positive attitude.
  • Award-winning PR campaigns, including a national "Top Campaign of the Year" award.
  • Knowledge of direct response marketing & advertising (offline & online).
  • Experience with blogs, Twitter, RSS, podcasting and other social media technologies.
  • Finally, I take pride knowing that during each year of my 10 years of employment, I have generated income to my employer many times the amount of my annual compensation.
Here is what others have said about me:

"I have had the pleasure of working with Ryan as a service provider and a colleague over the past 5 yrs. Ryan is a consummate professional. He demonstrated excellent skills in the area of project management, had an extraordinary capacity for work and meeting critical deadlines. Ryan demonstrated a keen ability as a writer that he combined with a solid business understanding and worked well independently with little direction in a fast-paced environment. I found Ryan to be personable and easy to work with and clearly believe he would be an asset to any team. I would not hesitate to hire Ryan again or to collaborate with him as a colleague." ~ Bob Dentzman, Board of Directors at Byron Bank

"Ryan brings a lot to the table as he is a good writer, able to manage people and deadlines and is focused on results. His positive, can-do attitude made working with him a true joy. He was a great resource to consult with on PR and marketing projects, no matter what industry." ~ Erica Noll, President of NollComm

"I had the pleasure of working with Ryan, where I edited Ryan's copy and worked closely with him on several projects. Ryan is thoroughly professional, and skilled at writing copy that is clear, accurate and on time. His project management skills are top notch. In addition to his professional side, Ryan demonstrates a positive, can-do attitude that makes any project fun to tackle. He will prove an asset to any team that brings him on as a member." ~ Matthew Gryczan, President of SciTech Communications

Your company deserves an accountable Public Relations / Marketing Specialist who can generate ROI through increased sales & profits, especially in this economy!

Why am I suddenly "on the market" for new career options? Although I have enjoyed the last 10 years and have found agency life to be both intellectually stimulating and financially rewarding, I've also found myself wanting to put my accumulated experience and skills to work "in house" at one company, instead of serving 4-5 clients at any one time.

I know I can help Zofomma Corporation increase sales, take market share, generate referrals, get publicity and strengthen existing customer relationships. So why not give me a call at 616-706-5417 (cell phone) or email ryan49418@msn.com to set up a time to talk. I promise we will have a conversation worth your time.

Yours for increased sales and profits,
Ryan M. McGrath

PS: If you would like to gain a loyal, outstanding employee, who will generate cash flow for your company many times your investment, please call me today. I am honest, hard working, experienced, talented, competent and immediately available. I have great references, and given the chance, I’ll help Zofomma Corporation in building a more profitable business.

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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.