BF: We're not putting those kinds of boundaries on it. But you have told them what you're good at, told them what you love doing, you've told them that you want to take a broader interdisciplinary and leadership role. You've given them some job titles that might fit and so, if they said," It sounds like you'd really like to go to work for a brand name newspaper," that would be an opportunity for you to redirect them. You could say, "It's true that I've had newspaper experience, but I'm really looking for something a little different and this is what it looks like. . . "
Matt: Okay.
BF: It's just a matter of getting them heading in the right general direction. And I think you've got that in your letter.
Matt: Okay.
# 4: Do you have any thoughts or ideas about people I should contact or specific opportunities I should pursue?
BF: That wording is taken directly from your letter, and it asks for exactly what you want: thoughts and ideas. You're not asking directly for a job.
They may say, "No, I don't have any ideas. My business is in trouble. In fact, our industry is in trouble. I'm worried about my job. There are tons of people in the job market. You know, there's really nothing I can do to help."
#5: If you were me, who else would you be talking to?
BF: That's an appeal to ego, which implies, "You're a very smart person. If you were in this situation, naturally you'd know what to do-so who would you talk to?"
Matt: Makes sense.
BF: And at that point, no one is going to say, "You know I'm dumb, I wouldn't know what to do."
Matt: Right, right.