The lost art of handwritten thank you notes
In our fast-paced world of tweets, emails, and text messages, something invariably gets lost. Messages we send don’t always have the impact of a handwritten note.
It’s almost as if electronic messages lack sincerity. Everyone wants an answer now, and in business it’s wise to give your customers what they want immediately. But what about the times when you want to make an impact, you want to show sincerity and appreciation? We surely shouldn’t send out a text message or email, when a handwritten note will offer true sincerity and impress a client or colleague.
I like to send a nice handwritten note on an engraved card after the following scenarios:
- First-time meeting with clients
- After completion of a client’s project
- If there was a problem of any kind, I always like to send a handwritten apology
- If I cannot reach a key prospect
Keep all your notes authentic and short. The notes shouldn’t be a novel, but merely a way of acknowledging or thanking a client or colleague.
What should be printed on your thank you or note card?
Only put your logo on the thank you or note card. By putting on only your logo, the card will be much more versatile; if you need to say thank you, you write that inside the card; if you need to say congratulations, you simply write that on the card.
Of course always sign your name.
When I refer to a thank you card, I am referring to a flat card roughly 4×6 or 5×7 or a fold-over card folded to 5½ x 4¼ .
