Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Write Handwritten Thank You Notes

When you get your mail each day what is the first envelope you open? For me, it's the hand addressed envelopes. I know for sure that these aren't junk mail.

Handwritten thank you notes are even more important in today's electronic world of email and text messaging. Here's why:
  • It's hard to throw away a hand-addressed letter without opening it first
  • They provide a personal touch that can't be communicated via email
  • Handwritten thank you notes are becoming a lost art. They are practically a novelty and almost certain to be read by the recipient

If a handwritten thank you note feels too informal for your recipient then type and print it on your letterhead. You can use a light and breezy tone - but if you type it, make sure the grammar, punctuation and formatting are in a professional business style.

Along with showing gratitude, thank you notes create additional opportunities to jazz up your sales by getting your name and company in front of your client. They are like a marketing brochure in disguise.

I love this quote by Tom Peters: “A two-line, largely unreadable scrawl beats a page and a half spit out by the laser printer.” So get to writing!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

While handwritten notes are a great way to differentiate yourself, writing a handwritten note just to update a client or to say hello can be even more powerful. This can add a real personal touch to a business relationship, and the time it takes to write and mail a handwritten note shows your commitment to the client.

Anonymous said...

This article actually reminded me to get caught up with my thank you notes (I had a few weeks' worth piled up)... So I send them out on Thursday and, what do you know, I get a call on Sunday night from one of the recipients asking me if I could make a website for him.

Anonymous said...

Handwritten notes are wonderful! Maintaining a relationship with your customer is crucial in today's market. Did you know, it costs 5x's more money to generate new customers opposed to retaining your existing customers? Keep in touch and send personal handwritten notes. It really works.