Hello all,
I’m in the midst of starting my own remodeling firm and recently set about to write an announcement letter, addressed to friends and acquaintances informing them of such. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ve put together an eloquent run of sentances since I graduated college and am not getting out what I really want to get out.
I’m wondering if anyone has written one of these and if they would mind posting it? I know what I want to say but its just not coming out. as always, thank you kindly in advance. May winter be behind us.
Nick
Replies
Well, tell us what it is you want to say then...
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
I'd do a search on the web "Writting a Press Release" to get some help. Some of the biz sites or universities might have info, tips & tricks.
Best to you and yours, Chris.
Some say I know too much? Can you ever?
I want to do the same...
But i need to make some time..
i thought I would have a chance if I was slow this winter...
some day..
Wars of nations are fought to change maps.
But wars of poverty are fought to map change.
Me too...been working on it actually to send around this hood..people that've seen me restoring this shack.
It'll be flyers sent in hand addressed envelopes with a picture of the front of this house on the front of the flyer..starts out something like,"After four years of restoring the circa:1680 farm house on Goose Hill Rd, Clifford Renovations and Restorations will be accepting offers to work on your projects...blah blah blah...
Looking forward to seeing where this thread goes. Interesting topic!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFexyK8J1Iw
http://WWW.CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
and Andy,
Neither of you should ever be too busy to maket your services for the future.
Make the time while your busy, you'll probably be glad you did in the near future.
Yes dad...Wars of nations are fought to change maps.
But wars of poverty are fought to map change.
PRNewswire is a good way to get a press release out but it will cost you. We used it when we started our business.
Check out SCORE - they're free and it sounds like this is an area (among many) they could help you with. http://www.score.org
Bozer, throw your thoughts up here, don't worry how it comes out, it'll get edited down for ya.
"This is a process, not an event."--Sphere
And I'm a legitimate certifiable Tool Whore.--Dieselpig
Woodguy has a good idea. Submit a rougfh draft for review, revision and editting by the BT Super Friends.
A rough draft of who you are, what you want to say, what you do, the radius where you want to work, how much experience, speciality work, etc.
BT Superfriends...I like it!
"This is a process, not an event."--Sphere
And I'm a legitimate certifiable Tool Whore.--Dieselpig
I made a postcard. Just found it. See if it att. properly. Against all advice to specialize and worried about getting enough work I listed everything I knew how to do and sent this card to everyone I knew. I already had a short list of folks who wanted work and this card generated a ton more work and discovered what I really want to be doing!
It would now read, "Exterior Repairs and Remodeling, arts and crafts decks fences pergolas"
I think the postcard is better than a letter because when your friends and acq. get it they'll be excited to see you're out and about and they'll be more likely to stick it up on the frig than they would a letter.
Well, it won't load so here pasted in is what it said:
Now Scheduling!
whole house repair/remodel
Interior/ Exterior Carpentry and Finish Work
Kitchen
Bath
Tile/Stone/ Concrete Countertops
Trim Carpentry
Siding/Doors/ Windows
Flooring- installation, refinishing, repair
Decks/ Wood Fencing
Sheds- Outdoor Structures
Drywall and Plaster
Painting
Please call 541.517.3400 for consultation
or email [email protected]
Feel free if any of this helps you out. Worked great for me. Of course it had my License # bonded and insured also..
I'm hoping my letter will do the same. I agree that cards are better than letters but my thinking on this is that I have a story to tell... about myself, about my new company, and about what i can do. Also, this is a targeted mailing. It will be to people who know me, or know of me. Mainly an extended network of family friends. I hope to be sending the letter in the next week or so. Fingers crossed...
Exactly, you're sending it out to the base you already have. I agree however, with the notion to avoid paragraphs. The card should be business-minded and not personal. If you want to do someting personal save it for Christmas--people are expecting the life story letter at Christmas!
(No hard feelings)
Another thing, I've heard a lot of people say never to work for your friends. This is BS. It really depends who your friends are. If your friends are cheapskate losers, then yeah, I wouldn't work for them! But if they're good, fair, trusting folks who know the value of your work and will build your business by referral, by all means, these are great people to work for!
I just finished one of these and am in the process of printing up brochures to go along with them and to send to a targeted 'market'.I majored in communications, so yes, the advice about bulleted points is good.I receive introductory letters in the mail all the time, so I took a few, read them over and gleaned ideas of what approach would bring about the message I wanted to convey.I find it very difficult to write about myself or my work. It helped to write my rough draft in third person in order to remove myself from my subject. Then I went back and changed the verb tensing and subject as needed.Some quick tips on writing quick and well:- Try to stick to active verbs, avoid passive(aka linking verbs) verbiage such as 'being, is, was, should be, will be, etc., they aren't strong and confident. "We repair..." as opposed to "We will repair or we are repairing..."- Try to use short sentence structures. Make your sentences to the point.- Double space between pargraphs, use a larger font as some readers may have a reading impairment(like the elderly) and possibly put 1.5 spaces between sentences.- Short, small paragraphs.
- Bullet any multiple items, such as descriptions, lists of tasks, skills, etc.
- Check your formatting, make the letter balanced and neat looking. You might highlight a point toward the end of the letter to pique the interest of the reader to get them to read the whole thing.
- Avoid negatives, always stick to the positive yes statements --- convey a positive can-do attitude.
- Close on a positive note that leaves an expected obligation, "Look forward to meeting with you soon..."Still, even so, writing an intro letter can be daunting, I knew it was for me until I broke it down into workable pieces.
My former wife is in marketing - she has regularly told me to cut back on sentences/paragraphs and concentrate on providing bullet points
Everyone (almost) reads bullet points - not everyone reads sentences/paragraphs.
With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord; I will praise Him in the midst of the throng. For He stands at the right hand of the needy, to save them from those who would condemn them to death.
- Psalms 109:30-31
Good "point" about the bullets.........really.
Yeah, I know it's "right" but I really like to rite paragraphs....
With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord; I will praise Him in the midst of the throng. For He stands at the right hand of the needy, to save them from those who would condemn them to death.
- Psalms 109:30-31
We skribble, sometimes quibble...some of the quibbles here in TX are taken care of with bullets.
Bob, Right on info.... when advertsing, you should always endeavor to say less more concisely.
Advertisers that try to include every thing that they do are actually diminishing their potential for return on their advertising dollar. Overly busy ads don't work.
Be brevity.
When you're this good, EVERYONE wants a crack at you!
http://www.petedraganic.com/
I think its all luck and a crapshoot sometimes...
We sent out $10 Starbucks cards to local engineers and archys when we first started to introduce ourselves and get a foot in the door. Out of ALL of them we sent (maybe 100?), TWO archys called us just to say thanks. No work mind you, just Thanks.
I am so "anti-advertising"....
thebozer
So you want to contribute to junk mail huh?
MY experiance is that unsolistited mailings if successful Have a 2% success rate.
That means that you need to list something definate and a definate price and a definate time frame..
I will paint three rooms this weekend for $199.00
or I will install new cabinet doors for $65.00 ea. untill Saturday May1
general I'm in business give me a call type letter get round filed.