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By Robert Bly
One attention-getting technique used by successful writers is to open with an intriguing question or statement--a "teaser" that the reader's attention and compels him to read on. Here's an opening teaser from a letter written by a freelance public-relations writer to the head of a large PR firm:
Is freelance a dirty word to you?
Even if you feel negatively about freelancers, you can't help but be curious about what follows. And what follows is an argument to hire the writer:
It really shouldn't be, because in public relations, with its crisis-lull-crisis rhythm, really good freelancers can save you and headaches. Use them when you need them. When you don't, they
don't cost you a cent.
Use me. I am a public-relations specialist with more than 20 years' experience in all phases of the profession. MY SERVICES ARE ABLE TO YOU ON A FREELANCE BASIS....
Another freelance writer succeeded with a more approach:
Dear Mr. Mann:
Congratulations on your new business. May you have great success and pleasure from it.
I offer my services as a freelance public relations writer specializing in medical and technical
Here, the writer gets attention by opening with a subject that has a built-in appeal to the reader--namely, the reader's own business.
Most of us like to read about ourselves. And just about everybody would react favorably to the good wishes expressed in the second sentence.
INTEREST. Once you get the reader's attention, you've got to provide a "hokk" to create real interest in your subject and keep reading. This hook is a promise--a promise to solve problems, answer questions, or satisfy needs. The hook is often written in a two paragraph format: The first paragraph is a clear statement of the reader's needs, while the second shows how the writer can satisfy these needs. Here's the hook from a letter written by a job seeker to the vice president of one of the television networks.
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