Valeria Maltoni's Advice for Job Seekers

PHILADELPHIA, PA - Valeria Maltoni of Conversation Agent has a tremendous post today on in-person spamming -- the act of getting to know someone just well enough to "monetize" the relationship.

I never thought about it that way, but it makes a ton of sense.  "Networking relationships" don't usually turn out to be true friendships -- but that's not the fault of the event.  It's a mentality, according to Valeria, who believes that we all need to be more authentic.  Right on.

Advice for Job Seekers

Valeria offers some good "back to basics" tips on putting the real back into our realationships.  Among these recommendations are listening, offering value first, and keeping one's promises.  Valeria also suggests sending thank you notes ...

clipped from www.conversationagent.com How many thank you cards have you sent out this week, month, year?  If you cannot remember when the last time was, it's time to go buy some.  A well written thank you card always makes a strong impression.  Often I send a book along, not just any book -- a book that I think the recipient will enjoy, learn something from, find useful in their line of work.

Good karma goes a long way.  Few things are more powerful than a sincere, well thought-out thank you sent on an engraved correspondence card.  You can get them from CardsDirect.com, which offers very nice, highly effective cards for not a lot of money.

Or you can go even farther "up market" -- like I do.  I get my cards from Reaves Engraving, and they are extraordinarily effective.  There's not an ounce of pretense to them.  Elegant and professional -- like a Ritz-Carlton hotel.  Strictly first class.  Isn't that what you want to project?

I get the Classic 125CL, and they are cheaper once Reaves makes the plate -- which you must mail them each time you reorder.  Figure $1.50 a pop with postage.

Of course, part of what makes engraved correspondence cards so effective is that I don't send them to get brownie points.  I send them simply to say "I enjoyed meeting you.  You've got a great story to tell.  Thanks for sharing."  The other thing that makes correspondence cards so effective is that very few people send these anymore.  They're old school, reserved for ladies and gentlemen.  [And me.]
__________________________________________
  Get my latest searches.   (Opt out anytime.)

Comments

[Jim Lanzalotto]

Amen. My vision in simple: the more you say thank you, the more people appreciate your thoughtfulness. Whether it's a coworker, a prospect, a customer or a business partner, it goes a long way towards building a relationship.

[Kevin Strawbridge]

I probably use e-mail more than I should, but my mom always instilled in me the simple respect that a handwritten thank you card shows. I stay local (but order online) from www.cardsdirect.com.

[Valeria Maltoni]

Very good take and addition to the conversation, Harry. I can count on the fingers of one hand the cards I received in this last year. I buy mine in bulk ;-)

I even hand write thank you cards at work whenever a colleague helps me and the marketing group further a project. It's important to let people know that you are appreciative of their contribution. Somehow an email that gets buried in the onslaught of work just doesn't do it.