You can learn and take advantage of the same principle that companies spend billions of dollars to convey. Many job seekers work from a position of weakness and are therefore hesitant to create a sense of urgency in their resume cover letters. They believe that they must be available at all times for a potential employer and that will somehow show their determination and motivation. These job seekers often close their cover letters with “I’m available anytime for an interview” or something like that.

These same job seekers assume that if they limit themselves in any way, the employer will see them as a nuisance or less valuable. This is the myth. The opposite is true. The limitation itself creates value. That is supply and demand. And no matter what the work environment or job market, you can put supply and demand on your side at all times. As? You are a unique asset! There is only one of you. Limit your availability and create a sense of urgency.

The perception is the same even in a buyer’s or employer’s market. When an employer receives 200 resumes and cover letters for the same position that are available at any given time, and one arrives with limited availability, that job seeker suddenly stands out and is perceived as more valuable.

Professional sellers and successful business owners know that a sense of urgency drives people to buy. That’s why each sale is for a limited time and why the coupons expire. Car dealerships make the most of a sense of urgency in their advertising. Here’s an excerpt from a radio commercial I heard recently for a local car dealer:

Today we’re offering possibly the best new car deals ever with our inventory reduction blast. Hurry up because this sale offer is for this weekend only and our stock is running low and will be gone soon.

Wow! Those two lines pack a big punch. It feels like I might be missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime sale and there’s a double sense of urgency; This weekend only and if I don’t hurry, the cars could be gone before I get there. Car dealers use these ads over and over again because they work. People respond out of a sense of urgency. You can use the same principle in your resume cover letters:

Today I am offering possibly the best business deal ever with an inventory reduction sale. Hurry up and call me now because my skills are running low and will be gone soon..

OK this needs some tweaking! Sending a piece that sounds like an advertisement for a car dealership may make some HR staff laugh, but it probably won’t produce the results you’re looking for. Obviously, it doesn’t mean your skills will run out anytime soon, but it can create urgency and limit your availability. Create urgency in cover letters by letting the employer know that you will only be in their city until a certain date, or that you are looking at another project and will no longer be available after a certain date.

If the date passes and the employer does not contact you, you can still reach out again later. Look for real scenarios that create urgency and don’t make things up here. You can also simply indicate that after a certain date you expect to be unavailable: period. You can limit your availability by offering employers two or three interviews on different days. You can also do this by indicating a window period of opportunity, such as a week that you will be in your city or town.

I have a confession

My personal system for evaluating resumes and making hiring interview decisions in my office is unparalleled. I use automated contact software synchronized with my calendar. My smartphone tells me who to contact and when, at any time, wherever I am. All of that is backed up by a live assistant.

Yet for all my technology and cracker jack assistant, this is what often happens: As I’m reading cover letters and resumes already curated by HR, I find a candidate I want to interview and mark them with a yes; contact. Then, before we get to that job seeker or even interview him, a better cover letter arrives that has incorporated marketing ploys like a sense of urgency. The urgency of the cover letter draws me in and hooks me. I waste no time calling or emailing the person immediately. (Note that I said a better cover letter; not necessarily a better resume.)

This candidate now has an advantage over the rest of the job seekers and if we get in touch and get together quickly enough, and the person lives up to their qualifications, the position will be filled before an interview takes place. with the first or previous candidate.

Marketing Tactics for Cover Letters 101: Create a sense of urgency. A sense of urgency causes people to act now. Your cover or connection letter should get employers to contact you. Your words must work for that to happen immediately, while they are reading your letter. You must create a sense of urgency.