Put it In Writing

I've always been a big proponent of staying in touch with clients. Not only does it allow you to see the results of your actions -- how many times have clients not gotten back to you to report how their job search is going? -- but it also fosters repeat business and referrals.

E-mail is an easy inexpensive way to keep in touch (I recommend using an e-mail newsletter for consistency), but at least once a year, you should also mail something to your entire client base. It can be a special offer (perhaps a postcard each September to coincide with Update Your Resume Month), or a holiday card, or even a print newsletter.



In the next week, I'm mailing out more than 500 postcards to promote the release of our first Special Report, "Making Money as a Resume Subcontractor." While 500 names is only a fraction of my mailing list, I know there will be several dozen people who will have received e-mails from me but didn't open them (or their spam filter caught them) who will be surprised that the Resume Writers' Digest newsletter is back.

By the way, if you want to order the "Making Money as a Resume Subcontractor" 30-page special report (available for PDF download), you can do so here:

Mailings have an advantage over e-mail -- they're hard to ignore. And postcards are even better, because you don't have to open them up. So plan a mailing and take advantage of the power of print -- to reconnect with your clients, to spark new business, and to generate referrals.

Why We Do What We Do

I ran into a client today out "in public" -- he had just taken his first look at his draft and he chased me down to tell me this: "I read the draft and I'd love to meet the guy you wrote about." It was a compliment. He went on to tell me how great he thought the resume was -- how I captured exactly what it is he does (which was hard for me, because he's in IT, and I do *not* enjoy doing IT resumes) and what he has to offer his next employer.

That's what it's all about, isn't it? It's why we do what we do (besides the money, of course) -- it's the amazed look on the client's faces ... the excited phone calls when they get the job (especially, as one client recently told me, "Making more money than I've ever made before") ... and the relief when they figure out that you can help them. It's what makes up for the 2 a.m. I've-got-to-finish-this-draft-before-I-go-to-bed sessions, the PIA clients, the hassle of being our own boss.

Don't have a "kudos" folder yet? I recommend you start one. Look through it when you are working with a particularly difficult client, to remind yourself why we do what we do.

Intellectual Property Law

The ChillingEffects.org website (The Chilling Effects Clearinghouse) provides advice on trademarks, copyrights, web contents etc. Includes information on "whistleblowers," stealers of trade secrets and so on.

The site notes, "Chilling Effects aims to help you understand the protections that the First Amendment and intellectual property laws give to your online activities.

Why First Impressions Are So Important

I've been helping my aunt get her house ready for sale, and it's given me some insight into the resume writing process, believe it or not. Like their homes, people have an emotional attachment to their work history. That's usually the case with a PITA (Pain-in-the-you-know-what) clients. They could be insecure about some aspect of their work history, defensive about their age, reluctant to speak too highly about their former contributions so their next employer won't "expect too much." Or, they might just be nervous about the job search process, and any excuse to postpone finalizing their resume (even if they initiated contact in the first place) means they actually have to confronth fs and start looking.

I was originally going to write in this blog post about why first impressions on the resume are so important -- but I almost think it's more important for you to pay attention to first impressions with your clients.

Is it a wife calling for a husband? Does the person mention feeling unsure about their prospects for work after being employed with the same company for a number of years? Do they seem unfocused, or unsure of their job target? All of these are first impressions -- and how you handle them will be critical to your success with the client.