There's Gold in the "Junk Mail" Format
In 1935 Richard C. Borden wrote a book entitled " Public Speaking as Listeners Like It" which outlined a simple four-step method of presenting information. Though the book was aimed at public-speaking situations, the method of presentation had application 'way beyond its intended audience. Borden's formula for presenting information soon spread to radio advertisements, mail solicitations, magazine ads, and, by the early 1950s, television advertising.
Richard Borden's "Golden Formula" consists of the following: part I, Ho Hum Crasher (or "hook"); part II, Why Bring That Up?; part III, For Instance (other examples); part IV, So What?
This formula was so successful that it became the foundation of what is now the $4 billion direct-mail marketing industry. Since its initial appearance in 1935, the Golden Formula has stood the test of time and remained virtually intact for almost fifty years. Quite an achievement! Over the years, his formula has been called by different names-including AID A (Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action)-and is widely used among advertising sales personnel. Regardless of its label it remains, in essence, Richard Borden's Golden Formula.
This successful formula can also be applied to job-hunting letters.
Part I, the Ho Hum Crasher, is designed to catch the audience's attention. In a public-speaking situation, the audience challenges the speaker to get and hold its interest. When writing a letter, you have the same problem: capturing the attention of the reader. However, your audience is not bound by the actions of a larger group. The courtesy afforded your letter is about ten or fifteen seconds in duration, only long enough for your reader to finish all or most of your opening paragraph. To encourage further reading, your Ho Hum Crasher must hook your audience.
Part II, Why Bring That Up?, addresses the question of your audience: "OK, you have my attention. So why bring that up?" You must give your reader the connection between your opening paragraph and its situation. Be specific. Identify your interest in a particular job. You must guide your reader in the direction in which you want him or her to go. That is, toward a more complete understanding of your work experience.
Part III, For Instance, includes additional paragraphs (examples), describing your work experience, each in the P-A-R format. These should answer the question raised in part II. This part makes up 80 percent of your action letter.
Part IV, So what is the concluding paragraph of your action letter. Here you briefly review your educational experience (or lack of it) and your salary experience, and ask your reader to respond with a specific action: to grant you an interview. Follow asking for the interview with a sentence telling the reader that you will call within a week or ten days if the reader is interested call or write first.
This four-step procedure is used (with slight adaptation) almost everywhere as the way to present information quickly, accurately, and in a forceful, convincing manner.
There was a time when I threw it all out-the piles of pamphlets, circulars and ads that always seemed to come at least in duplicate and averaged as much as one to two inches of paper per day. Now I not only read some of it-I also keep some of it and find that I refer to what I save when preparing for a meeting, a workshop or a trip. I am sure that I probably don't do with the material what the sender intended-a brochure for a seminar was sent to encourage me to attend, NOT to keep me current on what is happening in the field-but I certainly do use it!
And much of the unsolicited mail that I receive really does not deserve to be included under that rather derisive category of "junk mail."
You can apply the analysis to magazine advertisements, radio spots, and direct-mail pieces. The Golden Formula has withstood the critical test of time and proved successful in a variety of areas. Our experience has confirmed that, when applied to your job search, the Golden Formula can have spectacular results. Lloyd Feinstein, one of this book's authors, used this approach to obtain his last three jobs. You can too!
The action letter below is typical of how the four-step format would be applied to a job candidate's history. By carefully examining this action letter you will see how the want-ad analysis and the P-A-R formula can be combined with this four-step format to create possibly one of the strongest marketing instruments for your own job search.
The counseling sessions that eventually helped to produce Barbara Wilkinson's action letter were characterized by her generally low opinion of herself. On numerous occasions she would say, "But I'm really only an executive secretary!" As a result of the give-and-take of the questioning session, and after reviewing her completed action letter, Barbara came away with a greater appreciation of her own worth. So did her new employer!
Analysis of a Typical Action Letter: The Golden Formula
As with the resume, an action letter has only a few seconds to catch the attention of your reader. Therefore, it is critical that your opening paragraph (the Ho Hum Crasher) address the greatest need of your audience. To identify this need consistently, simply do a thorough want-ad analysis of the job title of greatest interest to you. In this way, you can be sure that your opening paragraph will hook the largest possible audience.
Generally, the opening paragraph, the Ho Hum Crasher, is a P-A-R paragraph with a slight adaptation to identify where you are (were) employed. It comes in two variations:
1. One that identifies your employer.
As Sales Manager for the Rock Island Water Company I maintained the highest level of equipment rentals by handling customer-service problems in person (or by phone). In addition, I reviewed account records and questioned fleet drivers to establish the basis for service interruption. Rectified problems through Delivery, Service, Billing, and Credit departments, which yielded less than 1% attrition per month, the lowest in the company.
2. One that disguises where you work. This format is recommended if you feel your switch would be difficult and knowledge of your current employer would work against you.
As Sales Manager for a major service company, I maintained the highest level of equipment rentals by handling customer-service problems in person (or by phone). In addition, I reviewed account records and questioned fleet drivers to establish the basis for service interruption. Rectified problems through Delivery, Service, Billing, and Credit departments, which yielded less than 1% attrition per month, the lowest in the company.
Identifying the Parts
Current employer, not named
As Sales Manager for a major service company maintained the highest level of equipment rentals by handling customer-service problems in person or by phone. In addition, I reviewed account records and questioned fleet drivers to establish the basis for service interruption. Rectified problems through Delivery, Service, Billing and Credit Departments which yielded less than 1% attrition per month, the lowest in the Company.
Results
From this example, you can see that the sequence of the P-A-R paragraphs can be adjusted to meet a specific need. So long as you cover the "Problem," "Action" and "Results" somewhere in your paragraph, feel free to experiment with sequencing.
The second part of our Golden Formula (Why Bring That Up?) is what we call a stock paragraph. It has only two variations, to be used in a cold-canvassing letter or in response to a specific advertisement.
(1) Cold-canvass
I am writing because your organization may be in need of a man (woman) with my background and experience. If so, you may find the following accomplishments of interest.
(2) Advertisement
I am writing in response to your advertisement for a (title of ad), which appeared in the (date) edition of the (name of newspaper or publication). Your organization (company) may be in need of a person with my background or experience. If so, you may find the following accomplishments of interest.
The third part of your action letter, the "For Instance," will always form the bulk of your presentation. It is composed of three to five paragraphs in the P-A-R format. These are usually very tight, short paragraphs with "punch," which correspond closely to the needs identified in your want-ad analysis for a particular job title. The placement order of these paragraphs should follow the order of need determined by the want-ad analysis.
The first "For Instance" example is from the training and personnel areas.
To improve interviewing skills, I designed and developed a six-hour seminar entitled "Employment Interviewing for Managers." I instructed managers throughout the corporation in questioning and listening techniques. This highly participative seminar was keyed to the accurate completion of a man-specification form. To date, 68 key managers and administrators have completed the program.
The second "For Instance" example is from the employee-relations area.
To increase the effectiveness of employee communications hospital wide, I negotiated the purchase and adaptation of the American Airlines customer treatment program. I selected and trained 20 discussion leaders, then supervised the implementation of the 14-week program for 5,100 employees. Evaluation included questionnaires, interviews, and analyses of (random) employee job performance, which resulted in an average improvement of 22% above baseline data.
The next "For Instance" example is from the sales management area.
To expand lead sources for new business, I analyzed the Service Department's reports, trained 4 route drivers to produce leads for new business in exchange for a sliding commission. This produced an increase of 35.6% for the service men and 17.8% for the route driver. Gross revenues increased $22,338 in only 5 months.
The final part of the Golden Formula is the "So What?" Here the reader is asked to take specific action: to invite the person in for an interview. In sales jargon this is the "close," where the seller (writer) tries to close the sale. A number of additional objectives are also achieved: brief review of the job searcher's education (or lack of it), discussion (but not disclosure) of the salary issue, and follow-up both on the reader's part (call the applicant in for an interview) and the applicant's part (telephone as follow-up to the action letter).
The "So What?" paragraph has two variations: one that reviews the writer's formal education, and the other, which attempts to overcome the educational deficiencies in the writer's background. With this exception in mind, the rest is a stock paragraph.
(1) Degreed Writer
I am a 1978 graduate of Ohio State University, B.S. in Chemical Engineering, and am currently enrolled in the M.B.A. program at the University of Southern California. My salary requirements are competitive. I will be glad to discuss my experience further in a personal interview and to that end will call your office within the next ten days to set a time to meet.
(2) Non-degreed Writer
My on-the-job education progressed from Marketing Assistant to Product Manager Trainee to Assistant Product Manager on two regional snack foods with sales volume of $1.7 million. I was then promoted to Associate Product Manager for a $5.2 million line of confectionary and helped increase sales to $7.3 million in 14 months. My salary requirements are competitive. I would be glad to discuss my experience further in a personal interview, and to that end will call your office within the next ten days to arrange an interview.
The phrase "and to that end will call your office within the next ten days" should not be used when sending your action letter to a blind ad. It should be used only when cold-canvassing or when you've been referred to a specific person and you have a name and title.
To summarize the Golden Formula, it consists of:
Part I, Ho Hum Crasher: One P-A-R paragraph, slightly adapted.
Part II, Why Bring That Up? Standardized paragraph in two variations: (a) for answering an ad; (b) for direct communication with an organization (cold-canvass).
Part III, For Instance: Three to five P-A-R paragraphs.
Part IV, So What? Standardized paragraph in two variations: (a) for college graduates; (b) for non-college graduates.
