Money is the number one visual aid. If you want to draw attention, pull out a large bill. If you want to draw a crowd, drop it.
Want to make sure your mailed materials are reviewed? Even when your resume may be among a stack of hundreds of other resumes? Follow this simple technique: attach a crisp new $1 bill to your resume/cover letter and place a yellow Post-it note on the bill with the following handwritten note:
I know that time is money and I value your time. Would you please invest two minutes in reviewing my resume today, and in taking my phone call later this week? I appreciate your time.
Sincerely,
Your Name
It never fails to get the attention of the employer. Why? For the very same reason that our eyes are attracted to the unclaimed quarter on the sidewalk. Our eyes are naturally (unnaturally?) drawn to money. Your $1 bill will stick out in the sea of paper. And it may be what sets you apart from the crowd. And no one will throw away the $1 bill—they will either pocket it or let it sit on top of their desk until they figure out what to do with it. Either way, they will feel a guilty obligation to the original owner. Several survey companies (including Nielsen) use this technique to draw attention and increase their response rate. Note: don’t use more than $1 (such as $5 or $10). One dollar is symbolic, whereas anything more could appear to be a bribe. Not to mention the fact that at higher rates it could get very costly very quickly.
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