For a variety of reasons, the need to access the hidden market over long distances is increasing. In many cases, individuals who have relocated to cities other than their hometown seek ways of returning to their home areas. Many others target specific industries or companies in cities other than their own. More and more, couples are also targeting states or cities with more congenial lifestyles or climates.

In such situations, networking such as we have described earlier is clearly impossible. The alternative is typically seen as being the strategic marketing letter which is also known as an unsolicited or direct mail application. 

You should prepare an excel spreadsheet for your strategic direct mailing. We recommend lots of 100 at a time so you can follow up calls to the targeted individual.

You will generally get a response rate of approximately 35% to 50% and of those 3 or 4 really useful responses. The success ratio in general is good enough to pursue this. Your letter and resume or profile may be filed, passed to the Human Resources Manager or a Division Head for them to reply to your letter.  This can be useful as you now have a name to send a thank you note and a request to revisit any opportunities in the future. Always write (not email) a thank you letter even if they are telling you they have no suitable openings.

However, in situations where other means of accessing the hidden market are not available, specific techniques can be employed to make use of well constructed introductory letters of benefit. The following points regarding content and style will assist you in making introductory letters optimally effective, if your situation is better served by their use.

The Introduction: This is the most important part of this letter. You must gain attention immediately. And in order to overcome the application overload factor, try to ensure that your letter is one that can’t readily be ignored. The ideal way to accomplish this is to use the principles of networking as completely as possible. Personalisation is most important when dealing with the most senior decision making levels. Networking involves creating and building on personal relationships so that your approach is not completely cold.  Examples of the use of this principle in connection with introductory letters include the following:

‘Our mutual acquaintance, Joe Smith, suggested that I contact you.’
‘I recently came across an article in which you were quoted that was of great interest to me.’

The Letter Content: Ideally, this section of the letter should include at least one new, interesting idea related to your type of work that will identify you as a stimulating person to meet, and make the recipient want to become acquainted with you. Alternatively, the body of the letter may contain several achievements relating to the type of job you are seeking. Wherever possible, quantify your statements in this regard.

The Conclusion:  Be positive in your conclusion. Write a couple of weeks ahead of a proposed trip. Tell your addressee that you will be in his or her city in two weeks time and that you will phone him or her in several days to set up a mutually convenient time for a meeting.

Letters should be a maximum of one page in length. Note how the sample letter below makes use of such networking principles as the straightforward and unambiguous request for help. Note also the clear indication of intention to follow up. This is very important.

SAMPLE LETTER

Strictly Private and Confidential

Dear _______

With your knowledge of the Brisbane area and of the XYZ industry, I believe you might be able to help me with answers to some questions I have in connection with a planned relocation to the area. I’m writing in the hope you’ll be willing to grant me a few minutes in this regard.
OR
Since 1985, I have served in the Engineering Division of ______ with responsibilities ranging from Engineer, Project Manager and Manager, R&D to my current position of Manager, Engineering and R&D. Amongst other things, my work has involved the following areas:

(List several subjects of likely interest from your background, using bullet point)

I will be in Brisbane for the week commencing__, and would very much appreciate the opportunity of meeting with you to get some advice and direction as to what activity in Brisbane is relevant to my background. I would also welcome the opportunity to share ideas of mutual professional interest.
I will call you in several days to arrange a mutually convenient appointment so we can exchange some information. I look forward to meeting with you.

Yours sincerely

Networking in Current Economic Climate

There has been no better time for networking than the present. Many Australian companies have come through years of downsizing. There are now, numerous companies who admit they overdid it. There are many Managing Directors, General Managers and Divisional Managers with half-formulated plans in their mind for projects to be developed. Many will have completed plans just waiting for implementation when the environment improves sufficiently.

When you walk into a networking meeting it could happen that you strike a chord with your contact. Your set of skills and achievements reminds them of a project they have longed for somebody to complete. But their lean management team was so stretched that they felt they could not in all fairness delegate and expect that size of project to be given adequate priority. Now you have appeared. They offer you a three month contract to undertake this project, perhaps with the option of permanent employment under certain conditions. You will be eager to take it since project work offers so many advantages, including less concern about dwindling reserves of cash, greater self esteem, an improved platform for interviews, more opportunities for networking and the possibility of permanent employment with the same company.

Alternatively, your contact could arrange a second meeting and then offer permanent employment.

Fanciful? Not at all! Remember that around 80% of management jobs are never advertised. Remember also that competition for these positions is far less than for those advertised in the press. Sometimes you may be one of only a few who know about the vacancy. On occasions you may be the only one. It is common for net workers to find jobs that are actually triggered and created by their meeting. This is particularly so for contract work.

A final word for those who may not yet be fully comfortable with applying the concepts and approach to career transition outlined here. Networking is easy since it is evolutionary. You start with your friends, relatives and close acquaintances and develop your telephone style and your meeting tactics with them. Next, you do the same with your less well-known contacts. Then comes the first time you need to call somebody you’ve been recommended to contact but have never met before. This is sometimes called the champagne of networking or, more prosaically, blind networking. Use a few prompt notes and be sure to mention the mutual contact early on. The best thing is to line up several of these and call them one after the other. You’ll soon develop the flair. Use the same technique when phoning one of your targets.