Sound like yourself. Get heard where it matters. Frictionless is a twice-monthly newsletter for leaders who get judged by what they write: founders, executives, and anyone whose words get read by boards, investors, reporters, and prospects. Each issue gives you practical ways to clear the Brand Garbage from your writing so you sound like yourself and get heard in the rooms that decide careers, deals, and reputations. I'm an executive ghostwriter and award-winning business journalist who spent decades in boardrooms and newsrooms helping leaders say what they mean. You'll get templates and scripts you can use today, stories I usually save for private clients, and a few curated reads worth your time.
ICYMI: Help Them (Or Yourself) Before Thanksgiving Turns Awkward
|
If you're a recent grad who's been job searching for months—or a parent watching your graduate collect rejection emails—this message is for you. Maybe you're over 50 and getting passed over yourself. Maybe it's your kid who can't land that first role despite a stellar GPA. Or maybe (and this is the brutal reality for some families) it's both. You've sent out dozens, maybe hundreds, of applications. You've tweaked resumes. You've applied to jobs you're overqualified for and jobs that are perfect fits. And still: silence. Or worse, those auto-rejection emails. Here's the thing: It's probably not you (or them). It's how you're presenting yourself. And with the holidays coming up, the last thing anyone needs is relatives asking, "Any luck with the job search?" over turkey. I wrote about this recently, how smart families are beating this brutal market by getting their positioning right. Maybe it's time for a different approach.I help recent graduates and experienced professionals cut through the noise. Whether you're the one job searching or you're a parent trying to help, the process is the same. Not with generic resume templates or LinkedIn advice you can find anywhere. With strategic positioning that shows hiring managers and recruiters what you can do for THEM. What makes my process different? A self-reflective questionnaire that gets at what really matters, followed by a recorded Zoom call where I capture YOUR voice—not mine. Your story, told clearly. Special Offer for Frictionless Subscribers (and Your Friends):
Both packages include a Brand Positioning Document, complete LinkedIn Profile rewrite, resume refresh, unlimited revisions (during the project), and for experienced professionals, a brag sheet you can use to customize your resume for different roles. And for recent grads who didn't have college internships, we'll find ways to highlight key work skills (this is particularly true for NCAA athletes). Commit by November 15, and you'll have your new branding materials before kickoff of the Thanksgiving football games. Or, if you just want to test the waters:Book a free 30-minute call where I'll walk through your LinkedIn profile and show you high-impact changes you can make without my help (but I'm sure you'll be better off with it). Want to learn more about what's included? These rates are for five new clients only. If you're ready to try something different—whether for yourself or someone you care about—just reply to this email and we'll set up a time to talk. Know someone who's struggling with their job search? Forward this to them. This offer is exclusive to Frictionless subscribers and their friends. Peter P.S. — "I got a great job in under a month. Peter is my Communications Windex." —Heather Elise Shaver, April 2024 I welcome your comments or suggestions for future issues. Drop me a note here. If you found this on LinkedIn or had it forwarded to you, you can subscribe by clicking the button below.
|
Peter Osborne
Sound like yourself. Get heard where it matters. Frictionless is a twice-monthly newsletter for leaders who get judged by what they write: founders, executives, and anyone whose words get read by boards, investors, reporters, and prospects. Each issue gives you practical ways to clear the Brand Garbage from your writing so you sound like yourself and get heard in the rooms that decide careers, deals, and reputations. I'm an executive ghostwriter and award-winning business journalist who spent decades in boardrooms and newsrooms helping leaders say what they mean. You'll get templates and scripts you can use today, stories I usually save for private clients, and a few curated reads worth your time.
STARTING LINE LinkedIn told me that a quick "newsjacking" post about amusement park ticket prices had reached more people than anything I have written in 40 years. Then I scrolled down and found out what it was worth. On the day Dolly Parton died, Hersheypark replied to a stranger's post praising Dollywood for keeping ticket prices low. The reply was about Hersheypark's own pricing. Wrong conversation, wrong afternoon, and the internet noticed within an hour. This is not rare. Neutrogena did...
STARTING LINE One of our credit letters opened with “Dear Valued Customer.” The news in the second paragraph was that we were cutting her credit line. Nobody at MBNA wrote that letter to be cruel. Somebody wrote it years earlier, ran it past Legal, dropped it into the system, and moved on. Then the company built a brand promise on top of it and never revisited it. One of our “computer-generated” letters ended up in front of our CEO after one of his close friends called to complain. It’s an...
THE LINE THAT MOVED MY STORY TO PAGE 1 March 2022. I was a business reporter at the local daily, and the head of HR at DuPont handed me a front-page story in one sentence. We were talking about an upcoming downsizing. He was calm and matter-of-fact, walking me through the business logic the way you would with a trade reporter who covers this company every day. Then he said it: “DuPont can no longer afford to be paternalistic.” I had my lead. What was shaping up as a business page item ran the...