www.PERCEPTIONOLOGY.com @DonaldWMcLeod DonaldWayne@PERCEPTIONOLOGY.com HOW YOU ARE PERCEIVED IS YOUR REALITY™ www.PERCEPTIONOLOGY.com @DonaldWMcLeod DonaldWayne@PERCEPTIONOLOGY.com HIT SPACE BAR TO ADVANCE PRESENTATION

“Not only respect but appreciate other people’s opinions for they are what make conversation not only necessary but enjoyable.” - Donald Wayne McLeod Creator and Developer of HOW YOU ARE PERCEIVED IS YOUR REALITY™ Copyright © 2018 PERCEPTIONOLOGY, LLC All rights reserved

Writing, “The You Letter.” Copyright © 2018 PERCEPTIONOLOGY, LLC All rights reserved

Whether you are writing a thank you note, a cover letter, an email, memo or any proposal remember to incorporate “The You Letter.”

What that means is resist the temptation to write a letter that you keep referring to yourself in the form of I, me, my, myself, we and our.

The following example is a typical “Thank You” card sent after attending a dinner party.

Dear Sarah: I wanted to say thanks for inviting me to the dinner party Dear Sarah: I wanted to say thanks for inviting me to the dinner party. I truly appreciated the opportunity to meet some new and interesting people.

By the way, I loved the death by chocolate dessert By the way, I loved the death by chocolate dessert. Thanks again, I enjoyed myself thoroughly and hope we can get together soon. Sincerely.

In this example there are six references to Me, Myself and I with (1) Dear Sarah, reference.

Remember it’s called a thank “YOU” card. So write it with “YOU” in mind.

Dear Sarah: Thank you for the invite to your dinner party Dear Sarah: Thank you for the invite to your dinner party. You truly are a wonderful hostess. Thank you also for the opportunity to meet your not only diverse but interesting friends.

By the way, Sarah, your death by chocolate dessert was just that, “To Die For.” Thank you again, my friend, for a wonderful evening. Sincerely,

In this example there are (0) references to Me with (11) references to Sarah. A wonderful hostess and my friend are references to Sarah.

You will also find this helpful when constructing a cover letter You will also find this helpful when constructing a cover letter. Most people read a three line blurb in the paper and assume they know what the company is looking for.

People then go about telling “To Whom It May Concern,” how I can…, I will…, I would…, I am the right person for the job. Don’t be one of those people.

The fact is having read only three lines in a newspaper you only think you know what they are looking for.

Following is an actual cover letter sent to me by a woman seeking the position of Executive Director for Acme Inc;. Notice the typical use of Me, Myself and I.

Dear Mr. Jones: I read your job posting for the Executive Director of Acme Inc. on April 24th with utmost interest and I believe that my experience and education will make me a competitive candidate for this position.

The key strengths that I possess for success in this position include, but are not limited to, the following: So far (5 : 2) me to you

You will find me to be personable, detail-oriented and confident in my ability to work with numbers and standard operating procedures. 

I am also willing to learn additional abilities necessary to perform my duties through the Non-Profit and Public Service Center with Lakeland Community College. 

I met Jane Doe during one of our networking meetings in 2005 and she informed me that they have an excellent program which offers professional development classes for agencies such as Acme Inc. (7 : 1) (12 : 3)

I hope that you'll find my experience and interests intriguing enough to warrant a face-to-face meeting, as I am confident that I would be an asset to this wonderful organization. ( 4 : 1) (16 : 4)

I look forward to hearing from you and thanks for your consideration I look forward to hearing from you and thanks for your consideration. Sincerely, (1:2) Too little too late. (17:6)

After her request for help with this letter I spent four hours rewriting it to better her chances of obtaining an interview. My revisions were as follows:

Dear Mr. Jones: If you were sitting here watching me write this letter to you, you would see someone visibly shaking.

In fact, if you had simply watched me read your posting for the position of Executive Director of Acme Inc. you would have seen my excitement.

You need to know, you have found a candidate that has been keenly nurtured through past experiences, enabling me to confidently say, “Look at Me.”

Hopefully you can feel the sincere excitement regarding the unique opportunity you are presenting.  First paragraph (5 : 10)

Mr. Jones, I am very interested in hearing from you the direction you are looking to take Acme Inc.

It is imperative to not only hear but comprehend your goals, your vision and your future plans involving Acme Inc.

You will find me to be a good listener with two ears and one mouth

You understand that your Executive Director will need more than excellent writing skills they will also need to exhibit exceptional people skills.

Mr. Jones, it is difficult to convey to you this discernable strength of mine through this letter.

However, during an interview you will discover a candidate with leadership abilities who is quite capable of molding your group of individuals into a team.

You have found someone who truly believes that nothing affects our daily lives more than our ability to interact with others. (1 : 7) (8 : 24)

Thank you, Mr. Jones, for the excitement I feel regarding an amazing career opportunity. I am looking forward to meeting you to discuss your goals, your vision and your future plans for Acme Inc. (2: 6) (10 : 30)

I look forward to hearing from you and thank you again for this amazing opportunity. Sincerely, Final count (11 : 32)

Things to remember when writing the “YOU “ letter.

Don’t use the word “Thanks” always use “Thank You.”

Instead of using the word “THE” try using the word “YOUR.”

Thanks for inviting me to the party Thanks for inviting me to the party. Thank you for the invite to your party.

Look for the words “ME” or “MY” and see if you can substitute them with “THE.”

Remember writing the “YOU” letter is a skill Remember writing the “YOU” letter is a skill. So practice, practice, practice. Following is an example of how to rewrite a sentence so it reads in the “YOU” form.

Instead of saying: I have attached my proposal for the project to this email. (2: 0)

I have attached the proposal for the project to this email. (1: 0)

I have attached the proposal for your project to this email. (1: 1)

You will find the proposal for your project attached to this email

Remember the importance of Getting, Remembering and Using someone's name.

David, you will find the proposal for your project attached to this email. (0: 3)

Writing The “I” Letter

Following is an example of when you should refer to yourself as often as possible.

Dear Jane, Please accept my apology Dear Jane, Please accept my apology. I was wrong and I have learned a very valuable lesson. I will be sure to double check my billing in all my future dealings.

Again, please accept my apology Again, please accept my apology. I was wrong and I would appreciate your understanding. Sincerely, (9: 1)

www.PERCEPTIONOLOGY.com @DonaldWMcLeod DonaldWayne@PERCEPTIONOLOGY.com HOW YOU ARE PERCEIVED IS YOUR REALITY™ www.PERCEPTIONOLOGY.com @DonaldWMcLeod DonaldWayne@PERCEPTIONOLOGY.com