Write a dynamic cover letter -- part 2

by Randy Place

When it comes to writing dynamic cover letters, or promotion cover letters as we agreed to call them yesterday’s part one of this series, How to write a dynamic cover letter, it's not enough to know and write about yourself as a product. You need to show how and why your services will bring satisfaction to prospective employers. That’s the purpose of a promotion cover letter. You’ll satisfy their needs when you understand what their problems are and what you can do to help.

This knowledge is obtained most easily by observing and asking questions. Before you respond to a classified ad, or post your resume on the Web, observe the job description or requirements listed in the ad or Internet posting. Always ask for a job description before an interview. When you’re unable to obtain one, job descriptions from The Santa Barbara County Human Resources can be a handy tool.

Information obtained by observing and asking questions enables you to put yourself in the prospective employers’ place so you can look at your own background and what you offer from their viewpoint. Now, the promotion cover letter you write can promote those parts of your repertoire that fit your target’s needs.

Long copy sells

There is no need to think you have to limit your communication to a single page. The best job promotion letters are not short; they are complete. They tell a complete story. “Long copy sells,” said David Ogilvy, the notable advertising executive. If this weren’t true, you would find short copy in your mailbox.

You need to give enough facts to make a case and satisfy the reader’s desire for information whether you are responding to a job opportunity and/or writing introductory or follow-up letters. If your prospective employers are interested, they will read for as long as interest is sustained.

So make your promotion letter as long as substance is justified. Employers are buying a big-ticket item – you. Therefore, they’re hungry for information. If they’ve taken the time to solicit your resume or to grant you an appointment, then they are apparently interested in what you have to offer. So tell them everything they need to know.

The best cover letters are also personal and informal. How personal and informal can you get? Let’s save that for tomorrow’s post.

In the meantime, click this link to review the first part in Your Career Services’ series about how to write a dynamic cover letter .