4. Write a letter applying for the position. You must have farming experience, some money, a knowledge of crops, and a good deal of enthusiasm.
5. Write an advertisement of your land for a big newspaper. Exploit its most striking features, especially the price. Study such advertisements before you write yours.
6. Reproduce a letter you received in answer to (5), asking for more information concerning the lands.
7. Write the reply to (6). Say you are enclosing the booklet spoken of in (1); tell of the model farm being established (3); and induce the inquirer to become a purchaser.
8. Prepare a series of three follow-up letters to be sent out to prospective purchasers who write as in (6) but who do not answer your letter in (7). Make each letter set forth one of the following advantages of buying a piece of your land: (1) The profits from the crops are large; (2) The conditions are ideal—mention climate, water, neighbors, transportation; (3) It is a good investment, since the land will certainly rise in value—tell of other land in the neighborhood that has risen in value within the last year. Arrange the letters in the order that you think will be most effective.
Exercise 298
Topics for Investigation and Discussion
1. The cause of changes in city real estate values.
2. The price of downtown property in your town.
3. The rise in property values in the last few years.
4. The causes of the rise.