Your letter should be a genuine, enthusiastic and friendly summary. Since it serves as the semiofficial document for starting a mutually beneficial relationship, it should sound collegial, not adjudicative.
The following example is a typical letter of acceptance.
Acceptance Letter
Bradley Greenman
780 Terrace Drive Seattle, WA 98104 206-456-2905
November 20, 199X
Ms. Susan Tannenbaum
Managing Partner
Rincon Taylor
2100 Friendship Place
Seattle, WA 98104
Dear Susan,
I am really pleased to accept your offer of employment for the position of Senior Accountant at a starting salary of $4,000 per month commencing January 2, 199X.While I look forward to taking a little time off during the holidays, I will appear bright and early at 2100 Friendship Place first thing next year.
Based on our interview discussions, I look forward to working directly with you and Cramer Fitzgerald on the firm's largest domestic accounts. Because I have extensive experience in audits and tax returns for Fortune 500 companies, I should be able to hit the ground running and relieve you and Cramer of the tax work for these firms by the end of the first quarter. Then both of you will have more time to concentrate on the company's international client base, which we all agree has tremendous potential for future growth.
As I mentioned in our prior conversations, I plan to make Rincon Taylor my business home for the long term and look forward to growing in my responsibilities as the company increases its clients. I would eventually like to be involved in some international accounts, both because I am working on an MBA in International Business, and because I believe the future of the firm will be predicated on our serving global organizations.
Thank you for choosing me to be a part of your team. I am most enthusiastic about the opportunity to work with you while making a contribution to Seattle's best accounting firm.
Sincerely yours,
Bradley Greenman
There's one more letter to compose after you write your acceptance letter: a note to your key networking contacts. We'll call it the landing letter in honor of Right Associates, a Philadelphia-based national outplacement firm that gives it's out placement candidates a landing party when they accept a new job. The party celebrates the job seeker's success and informs fellow searchers of his achievement.
As you network when you're looking for a job, you'll become acquainted with numerous people who are genuinely interested in your search and its outcome. When you finally land a new position, you'll want to send them a note about your good news. They'll enjoy hearing of your success and feel gratified that you decided to tell them about your new job personally.
While you're at it, be sure to give them your new title, company, business address and phone number. If it doesn't take too long to be printed, send them a new business card for their Rolodex. Now that these fellow professionals have developed an interest in your career, stay in touch with them. Call each of them about once a quarter and get together for lunch, golf or some other relationship building activity. In today's job market you never know when you or they may have to seek another opportunity. A good network is a terrible thing to waste.
The following great landing letter was written by a fellow Mortarboard alumnus who called me when he decided to relocate back to Texas. When he landed his new job, he sent me this letter.
RODNEY SCHLOSSBURG
401 EAST 34TH STREET
NORTH TOWER-23K
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10016
October 19,199X
Taunee Besson
Career Dimensions
6330 LBJ Freeway, #136
Dallas, Texas 75240
Dear Taunee:
Thank you for talking with me this past summer in connection with my interest in relocating to Texas. Your advice and encouragement helped keep me on track.
I am pleased to let you know that I have accepted an offer with McGowen Communications, the big cellular communications company (that operates as Cellular 2000). I will be the marketing director-responsible for business-to-business and consumer marketing in Austin, Central/East Texas and Louisiana. The position is based in Austin,
Thanks again for all your help! I hope we get to chat in person at some point in the next few months-especially now that I'll be back in Texas by the end of the month.
Sincerely,
Rodney Schlossburg
Other Follow-Up Letters
Sometimes landing the new position or contract may take several months or more. While you can't be badgering potential employers or clients with weekly calls, you can send occasional notes to reinforce your ongoing interest in the opportunity. If possible, write to them for some reason other than your need for a job or contract. Some typical "hooks" people use for follow-up letters include:
I saw an article about your company in The Wall Street Journal, local paper or national business magazine.
I ran into a mutual friend the other day who said you were buried in a big project (on a month-long assignment in Tokyo, just won $25,000 in the lottery, had a baby girl).
Congratulations on winning the Baldridge Award, Entrepreneurial Business of the Year, Corporate Citizen Award or Cattle Baron Ball funding.
I was looking through my mutual fund's annual report and saw your company listed. I noticed that its stock is doing well on Wall Street, your IPO was very successful or there was a recent 2 for 1 stock split.
I know you're interested in science fiction (old Corvettes, Nancy Drew, etc.) and I thought this article or book might intrigue you.
If possible, include the referenced article with your letter, or mail only the article with a sticky note saying, "I saw this and thought you might like a copy." Be sure to sign your name.
Our champion of follow-up, Larry Frantz, wrote the next three letters.
Lawrence G. Frantz
6535 Northpoint Drive
Dallas Texas 75248
February 15, 199X
Mr. J. Ward Howell
President and Chief Executive Officer
Biomed Control, Inc.
9200 Webb Chapel Road, Suite 500
Dallas, TX 75220
Dear Ward:
I noted your stock moved up very quickly on Wednesday and Thursday last week. Though I am sure you appreciate the improvement, you probably would have preferred the reason to be related more to the fundamentals of your business and less on market exigencies.
You and A.J. expressed some concern that Phase I of my proposal was a lot of money just to educate me about your business. I wanted to be sure you realize what else I would be doing for you during those initial two months. Though I strongly believe it is important for any spokesman for your company to know it well, you would have the following additional benefits from my initial involvement:
- A list of over 100 analysts who are ideal targets for interest in your company.
- A survey of holders and analysts familiar with Biomed to see what the market's perception is.
- A package of charts on Biomed guaranteed to pique the interest of analysts.
Sincerely,
Larry Frantz
Lawrence G. Frantz
6535 Northpoint Drive
Dallas, Texas 75248
February 21, 199X
Mr. Ray Wilson
Triple Drilling Company
5956 Cognac Lane, Suite 1500
Dallas, Texas 75225-9004
Dear Ray:
I enjoyed meeting you at last week's NIRI luncheon and getting caught up with what's happening at Triple. As we discussed, I was very impressed with Dick and Allen when I interviewed for the CFO Job in September 199X.Subsequent to that meeting, I decided to spend full time on my investor relations consulting business. IR was part of my job at Hope Energy and I really enjoyed it. If I can help you in any way, either as a consultant or as just someone to bounce around a problem with, please give me a call (387-7450).
Meanwhile, I hope to see you at future NIRI meetings. They are a good group of people and I know you will get a lot out of the meetings.
Sincerely,
Larry Frantz
Enclosure: Biographical Summary
Lawrence G. Frantz
6535 Northpoint Drive
Dallas, Texas 75248
February 11, 199X
Ms. Katharine Kinney
Planning and Administration
Growtex Corporation
4111 Lemon Way
Dallas, TX 75237
Dear Katharine:
Congratulations on the very good earnings you just reported. It certainly makes the investor relations job easier when you have this kind of success. But the company really needs us IR types when the results are not so good, and that time eventually comes for all companies.
One of the frustrations we all encounter is the variety of ways in which various newspapers report earnings. Due to differences in the treatment of extraordinary items, accounting adjustments and pro forma restatements, analysts can get very confused if they rely on published reports. In your case, for example, three different newspapers reported three different prior year net income figures for Growtex. The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the Dallas Morning News reported fourth quarter 1992 net income as $2,715,000, $21 5,000 and $3.3 million and full year 1992, net income as $7,692,000, $5,192,000 and $10.9 million, respectively. That is quite a difference! Unfortunately, there is not much that can be done to pre vent such discrepancies. All we can do is be sure existing shareholders and analysts who follow the company get the story from us, not from the newspapers.
I would be happy to discuss with you some other thoughts I have on this problem. Give me a call at 387-7450.
Sincerely,
Larry Frantz
