About five or six forms of these preliminary letters are prepared, and each is given a number such as No. 1, No. 2, and so on. When they are to be sent out it is not necessary for the correspondence chief to dictate a letter to each prospect. He merely sorts out the cards which are due to be attended to that day and turns them over to one of the girls to send No. 1, or No. 2, or whatever letter may be in order.
The stenographers have copies of all these letters and, as they write them, the form number of the letter and the date of its mailing is entered on the prospect card. After the list of letters has been exhausted the cards are transferred to another file to be used later in connection with the “I have been called to your town” correspondence. This is a great labor-saving system and makes possible the transaction of an immense amount of correspondence at the minimum of expense.
Many invalids, especially those who have tried various forms of treatment without obtaining relief are doubters—they insist upon “being shown.” They insist upon some convincing evidence that this special treatment has merit. This is easy in most instances although once in a while the specialist runs across a hardened old cuss who would not believe the Angel Gabriel under oath, and doesn’t hesitate to say so.
Nearly every physician is sure to have some patients who have been greatly benefited by his treatment and are truly grateful for the relief obtained. The securing of the right kind of letters from these patients is only a matter of request at the proper psychological moment. After a friendly talk with one of these patients some day when the latter is feeling unusually exuberant, and has deftly been led up to the stage of declaring that he can never repay the doctor for what he has done for him, the physician will say:
“Oh, that’s all right, Mr. Brown. I am sincerely happy to know that the improvement has been so great. No matter what we do, there is sure to be scoffers and doubters. But a physician’s hands are tied. There is no way in which he can overcome this bias except with the aid of just such men as yourself. Now, if you could find it convenient to write a letter stating just what has been done in your case I would keep it in my desk to show such doubters as may drop in on me. Not as an advertisement or a puff mind you, but merely as a means of overcoming unfair statements. But I feel that this would be asking too much of you.”
“Not at all, doctor. I’ll be only to glad to do it. But the fact is doctor, I’m a poor letter writer. If you’ll prepare something I’ll sign it.”
This is just what the doctor wants and at the first opportunity he slips out and passes the word to the correspondence chief. The latter prepares a letter which the doctor copies in his own handwriting. When it is submitted to Mr. Brown the doctor says:
“This will look and read better on one of your own letter heads. If you will copy it on your stationery I’ll appreciate the favor.” When finally written and signed the letter will be about like this:
JAMES H. BROWN
DEALER IN HIDES AND TALLOW