Express Yourself
June 5, 2008 | by brett | Permalink
I am the endangered character that rarely disposes of junk mail. I slash open the envelope, read the first line of the standardized letter, and usually toss it aside without bothering to read the rest. The process provides me with enjoyment, however meager it may be.
A piece of junk mail I received yesterday had the catch phrase “Important information about your RV” embodied in big bold letters on the regular white envelope. Taking a moment to briefly glance at the Pursue the Passion RV in my driveway (which is now much more of an icon than an active participant of sporadic, nomadic travel), I opened the letter.
Inside the first paragraphs read:
Dear Brett Farmiloe,
You live an active lifestyle. You’re young at heart. And odds are, most of the great things you’ve experienced happened while traveling with your RV.
There are few things in life that are as great as packing up the RV and heading out on the open road- ready to embark on the next great adventure. And GEICO wants you to know that we’re right there with you…
I read the lines to my roommates because of its truthfulness and non traditional nature. GEICO expressed themselves in a unique way, and as a result, left a positive impression.
I write about this letter because this is something we should all do in our email communication. Whether you are sending an email for a job, communicating with a co-worker, or coordinating with a potential client/partner, the lessons we learn from this letter are this:
1) Provide an interesting subject line- otherwise, why would someone bother to read your email?
2) Express Yourself. Show some personality in your communication to prove you’re not another average applicant out there for the job, or a corporate drone out for the almighty dollar. The Jobing.com sales team does a great job at this…if you don’t believe me, call them (602) 200-6800.
If you just be yourself and embrace what makes you, “you,” people will respond. Try it.
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