| A top ranking career military officer, who during | | | | benefit. |
| his time in the Reserves also developed a stellar | | | | More specifically, I would appreciate 20 minutes of |
| career as a senior-level executive in industry, had | | | | your time not to discuss current job openings, but |
| the daunting task of re-entering the job market | | | | to discuss what you look for in outstanding sales |
| after his return from 2-3 years active duty; and | | | | managers, what your opinion is of the long term |
| during the worst economy in his lifetime. After | | | | growth in the [type of field], and any advice you |
| job searching for some time, he summed-up his | | | | would have for a sales manager with a keen |
| frustration with this: "For the first time in my life I | | | | interest in the same. Your expertise and |
| am doing something and have no idea how I | | | | experience in directing [Company] make your |
| doing." Hearing this from an Officer at one of the | | | | opinion invaluable. |
| highest official levels in our Military, was at the | | | | I will call early next week to see if we can |
| very least, unsettling to a career biz person like | | | | arrange a mutually convenient time to get |
| myself. Now he didn't say, "what I'm doing" he | | | | together. |
| said "how I'm doing"! Does anybody really every | | | | Sincerely, |
| tell YOU how you are doing in YOUR job search? | | | | Certainly there are more rejections than offers in |
| I am going to share with you what may be the | | | | a job search; and most people do send a cordial |
| single-most important letter in a job search, one | | | | letter . . . "thank you for your time and interest |
| that will address the challenge of not knowing how | | | | and if something opens up, please let me know". |
| I'm doing. The Rejection Response letter. It goes | | | | "Thank you" is good; "thank you" plus feedback is |
| like this: | | | | better. The more you are rejected, the more |
| Dear, | | | | opportunity for feedback; and the more feedback |
| I understand the rationale behind your letter of | | | | you have, the more improvements you can |
| June 14, 2009 in which you said there are | | | | make - continuous process improvement. Soon |
| currently no openings at [Company] for an | | | | you will no longer say "I have no idea how I'm |
| experienced sales manager. Undoubtedly, you | | | | doing". In fact, you just may be thinking to |
| receive multiple unsolicited resumes, and I thank | | | | yourself (thank you, thank you, thank you for |
| you for taking the time from a busy schedule to | | | | that rejection! I'll be so much smarter the next |
| respond to my inquiry. | | | | time). |
| It is this type of consideration that reaffirms my | | | | In his book, How to Master the Art of Selling, |
| belief that [Company] is a well-managed company. | | | | Sales Guru Tom Hopkins wrote, "I never see |
| As a result, I would like to ask your advice | | | | failure as failure but an opportunity to practice my |
| because I believe that you have a great deal of | | | | techniques and perfect my performance." I say . . |
| information and expertise from which I can | | | | . Gotta love that rejection! |