Not getting through? Write a letter

This post may sound a little disingenuous given my passion for gadgets and all things webby but I'm going to suggest you ditch the Internet when it comes to communications and type an old-fashioned letter.

OK, obviously not always. I admit that you shouldn't spend the whole day writing letters and that you would not be reading this if I was only communicating by snail-mail. But for certain situations the old-fashioned missive really does deliver.

As a business owner, you will occasionally need to get in touch with significant individuals that might be able to help your business. With huge amounts of personal data at your fingertips, it is easy to fall into the trap of just firing off an email and waiting, and, waiting, and, er, forgetting. Sound familiar?

There are a number of reasons why you shouldn't email a contact that you haven't already met if you are looking to arrange your first meeting with them...

1. First and most likely, the email will get spam filtered because you're not in their address book or 'trusted senders list'.
2. If it does get through the spam filter, your email is likely to get read by a 'gatekeeper' who will receive many emails a day and will have an established process for 'filing' it without passing it on to its intended recipient.
3. Contrastingly, gatekeepers will usually pass on letters. If you've worded the letter correctly, it will be too big a risk for them not to.
4. Emails take seconds to write and send. The fact that letters take a little more effort (and indeed a stamp) on behalf of the sender, gives them an inherent 'value' to the reader that increases its chances of being read.
5. Emails are easier to send in bulk. A letter is personal and again, unless you've worded it badly, it won't feel like a spray and pray communiqué.

Here are some situations where a letter will beat an email (and usually a cold call) hands down...

• Introducing your business to an investor and arranging that 'first meeting'.
• Approaching board level members of businesses for which you are interested in forming a 'strategic alliance'.
• Requesting director-level comments for a press release.
• Introducing your USP to the decision-maker within a target prospect to arrange a pitch.
• Complaining to senior customer service managers.

NOTE: These assume you can't get a personal introduction from anyone in your immediate network (which would obviously be first prize).

Some tips on the structure of the letter itself...

• Keep to one page (including ALL headers, footers and signatures).
• Opening para - who are you and why are you contacting them? (e.g. Hook into what interests them).
• Second para - provide summary details at the core of the message (e.g. My website sold 10,000 widgets last year and this month alone we've sold 3,000).
• Third para - put the second para into perspective (e.g. Why should they care? What's spectacular about this and how does it affect them).
• Fourth para - call to action (e.g. What to do if they want to respond and perhaps the consequences of not following up).

A well-worded letter can achieve some incredible results if you've got the message to back it up.