• Research your recipient and use a name rather than 'Dear Sir or Madam' etc.
• Remember to keep a database (with due regard to the Data Protection Act of course).
• If you need to tell them about what you do (a feature) then add the benefits of using your service. What makes you unique?
• Add a p.s. - ps's catch the 'skim-readers'
• Make sure your envelope stands out from the crowd when your recipient picks up the pile. Either have them printed (a message on the flap is worth doing - remember how you would normally open an envelope! - from the back.) Or, very cheaply, buy some small coloured sticky labels - a couple of round dots will catch they eye brilliantly. Yours letter will be opened before others then.
• Format your letter well - make it visually attractive. Consider printing it on coloured paper - this is more noticeable than white.
• A picture paints a thousand words - include in the text a picture of your product if possible and use word-wrapping to make it look good.

A well written personal letter mass-produced using mail-merge is easily possible nowadays - go for it - give it a go. 

Contact Details & Links

e-mail: daveglees@btconnect.com

Here's a tip I'll share with you. Some of you, thankfully not all of you, will suffer from thinking too negatively of yourself and what you do. Not always perhaps, but sometimes. Do the following - I do it for myself and it works.

• Take a 'tear-off' pad of paper and leave it by the side of your bed.
• Every night write a list of the negative things in your life that day.
• When finished - tear out the piece of paper - look at it with disgust, screw it up and throw it in the bin and tell yourself that positive thinking is so much more fun.
• Next write down all the things you have done well that day. Congratulate yourself and enjoy reading the things you wrote the day before. Yes! You've got it! Leave the page you have just written in the pad as a reminder.
• Empty your bin as soon as possible.

By the way - one side-effect of doing this is that you will have a much better nights sleep.

• to keep passwords secure - change regularly, no sharing? 
• to lock / log off computers when away from their desks? to dispose of confidential paper waste securely by shredding? 
• to prevent virus attacks by taking care when opening emails and attachments or visiting new websites?                              
• about working on a 'clear desk' basis - by securely storing hard copy personal information when it is not being used?
• that visitors should be signed in and out of the premises, or accompanied in areas normally restricted to staff?                      
• about positioning computer screens away from windows to prevent accidental disclosures of personal information?          
• to encrypt personal information that is being taken out of the office if it would cause damage or distress if lost or stolen?                                                   
• to keep back-ups of information? 

 Meeting the reasonable expectations of customers and employees

•  to collect only the personal information they need for a particular business purpose?
• to explain new or changed business purposes to customers and employees, and to obtain consent or provide an opt-out where appropriate?
• to update records promptly - for example, changes of address, marketing preferences?
• to delete personal information the business no longer requires?
• that they commit an offence if they release customer / employee records without your consent?
• about any workplace monitoring that may be in operation?