How, oh how, do you persuade a busy media professional to look at your story idea? If your message is too theatrical, it can backfire; dignified understatement, however, might earn your missive a swift trip to the recycle bin. But David Armano says Darren Barefoot and Julie Szabo got it right when they sent him a handwritten note—or, more precisely, a digital photograph of a handwritten note—by email. Armano liked the clever idea so much he stopped everything to say so at his blog.

Though the format captured Armano's attention, Barefoot and Szabo's pitch also works from a content perspective:

• They make it clear they're talking specifically to him by referencing what they like about his blog.
• They make a polite and reasonable request.
• They give Armano a personalized URL to download the book.
  

A commenter at the blog takes the duo to task for the your/you're typo in the note, but Armano blithely brushes the criticism away. "That didn't bother me," he replies. "A standard email that was grammatically correct would have failed where this succeeded."

Your Marketing Inspiration: "If you want to grab the attention of someone who isn't always easy to get a hold of, do something special just like Darren and Julie did," writes Armano. "Send a 'love note.' It's that simple."

More Inspiration:
Michael Rubin: Help Companies 'Live Long and Prosper'
Jennifer Jones: Improving Marketing's Power and Impact
Ann Handley: Perspective on 10 Years of Internet Marketing

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