A friend of mine who works in publishing relayed some very useful advice she had heard at a top writer’s conference: “When pitching a book to an agent, make sure and spell their name right. Your first impressions count. It could be the difference between a call back and hitting delete”.
While you may not be pitching a book, we are all pitching a product; namely, ourselves. It’s up to you to make sure that you consistently show your clients that you value them. And this starts with the first impressions you make with the potential client. Make sure that your emails are always addressed to the correct person and that person’s name is correct; whether his name is John, Jon or Juan.
Spell check the entire message on a word document instead of just relying on your server’s spell check, That function is fine for a casual once over, but a first impression deserves a program that checks more accurately for spelling and grammar. Lastly, make sure you are including an appropriate signature at the bottom which includes your site address, tagline, and contact information.
Does this sound remedial, obvious and blatant? Do you want to know how many pitches that agent has rejected just because potential authors didn’t take the time to learn HER first name? Be sure and cover the basics. It takes less than 10 Minutes, but will help ensure that you don’t miss the boat before it even leaves the dock.
Isn’t it time you took the time to have the business you set out to have?
Have a wonderful 10 Minutes Today For a Successful 24 hours Tomorrow!
