IT Employment

First you need to define what it is you're offering to clients.

Then focus your marketing on just one service. Don't send out letters stating all your services - each letter should provide a list of benefits for one specific service.

The best letters I've ever sent used a format like:

First opening line is an attention getter. This is your headline.

"How to tell if you're wasting too much time managing web content."

Then list 10 key points for your reader to focus on which would be clear indications they are spending too much time on managing web content.

Third section would be some quick industry statistics; "A recent study shows many web sites are losing money because of the administrative expenses involved with managing web content."

The fourth section would be an offer to send them a series of carefully crafted white papers on content management. You have to create these yourself and they have to be a series of at least 7 short reports about content management.

Why 7 short reports? Because it takes anywhere from 6 - 10 contacts with a new prospect before they feel comfortable with you. This provides a way of contacting them 7 times and in the process sets you up in their mind as an expert in the subject.

Set these 7 reports in an autoresponder and be sure to include in your letter how they can obtain these reports and also go overboard with how you would never release their email to anyone because it would destroy the trust you're trying to build with them. (very important!)

Then contact them a few days after the final report and ask them, "Which paper did you find the most interesting?" Don't ask them if they had a chance to read it yet. Assume they have. If they haven't they'll tell you.

Thomas J. Raef
20 year computer consulting veteran http://www.consultantsadvocate.com

I get a lot of listings for the DC/Balt area from techies.com.