I get quoted often. Most recently in Tuesday's WSJ. It was one line. No biggee (unless it is the first time- and then of course I would bring it to mom and frame it). It wasn't my first, so I eventually post the link in a specific area of my website.

Then, this morning's first email arrived:

Great news can drive business - and there's no better way to promote your business than with a custom reprint from Dow Jones Reprint Solutions!

In case you missed it, below is the link to the article:

Keeping Skills Sharp Through a Long Layoff August 18, 2009

What can a reprint do for you? - Promote your products or services - Serve as part of a marketing campaign, whether in print or electronic - Reinforce purchase decisions and assist in client retention - Build awareness among prospects, clients, investors and other stakeholders - Burnish your firm's brand image and credentials - Recognize key colleagues for their accomplishments.....

At the bottom of the email was a name and phone number for Chad and there was also an order form in the attachments.

I got to thinking about how many names might actually have been mentioned in a single issue of the Wall Street Journal. Gotta be a lot.

I tried to imagine doing this job and I figured whoever was doing this had either been banished to the Siberian equivalent of Dow Jones or had just joined the company and hadn't been told about the hazing.

Still, the email and the timing suggested the pitch was being done responsibly and quickly.

So I called Chad.  Yes, I did. And I interviewed him for about 10 minutes.

A Broadcast Journalism major, Chad has been working for Dow Jones for two years and every day he finds and sends these email packets to about 50 people that seem the most likely prospects i.e. not too famous or with big firms. I learned that you can even pay Dow Jones (a little) for the link from your website to theirs and (more) if you want to post the entire article on your website. (Hmmm. I may be skirting the law here.)

Chad has aspirations to move up and is very dilligent at his assignment. He is personable and can chuckle at his basic roles and responsibilities without demeaning them in the least. He appears to think through how he crafts his pitch and does alter it- probably more for job enrichment than in the results but he does get results and apparently enough to cover what he does. He tried to close me twice and thanked me for the call.

I advised him to work even harder for that promotion as I've no doubt several young grads in other countries would be more than willing to do the same work for much less. I'm happy to share Chad's number as I've no doubt he could be successful as a TPR.

Chad, if you are reading this, you have my permission to link to it for free and use me as a satisifed WSJ customer in referencing your accomplishments i.e. being willing to start wherever and do whatever well to get ahead.