Personal touches make a world of difference. It builds a different kind of rapport with clients when they get something handwritten from you, rather than a sterile, cold (and maybe generic) email. It seems simple and it seems like it wouldn’t make that big of a difference, but believe me, it does. Think about how you feel when you receive something personal via the Postal Service. Maybe it’s just me, but I love getting mail! I get emails every day all day – on my Blackberry, dings from Thunderbird, on my Gmail – I’m just inundated with constant email, as I’m sure you and your customers are too. What we aren’t inundated with (anymore) is handwritten notes and cards. Therefore, they stand out more than emails do and this is where opportunities lie for you to make a strong impact and help build your business relationships.
One way to make a personal impact is by sending out birthday and holiday cards. You don’t have to catch every holiday and some of them you might have to be a little politically correct on (that’s up to you) but it makes a difference to catch a few of them and recognize them to your customers. I’d especially try to keep up with birthdays if that is possible. You might even be able to include a special holiday or birthday promotion. I know I’ve received cards in the mail for birthday promotions… usually it’s “save 10% for your birthday” or “get your free birthday gift in store.” This usually entices me to go to the store that sent me the promotion, even if I haven’t been there in a while or wasn’t planning a trip there in the immediate future.
Okay, so holiday and birthday cards, that is a fairly easy handwritten note to send out. But you need more than just that. You need to be sending more. Here are a few ideas for handwritten cards you can send out:
- When you meet someone new: Send them a personalized note, letting them know it was nice to meet them and thank them for their time. Drop a few business cards in there, so they will have your name and your card handy whenever the need arises.
- When you receive a referral: It is always a good thing when you pay thanks to someone who has sent you a referral. Sending a handwritten note can add that extra touch and truly show that you are appreciative of the referral they have passed you. This helps show that you go above and beyond; this will also give the person referring business to you the additional confidence for future transactions, networking, and referrals.
- When you haven’t talked to someone in a while: Maybe you have an old client or a former referral partner that you haven’t talked to, seen, or worked within some time … send them a note and invite them for coffee or lunch to catch up.
- When you want to check in and just say hi: It is okay to not have an underlying meaning or purpose to your personal touches. Sometimes you just want to say hello and you should.
I’ve heard different folks say you should send 2-5 cards a week, but I realize that can be a lot, depending on the size of your network and customer base and the extra/free time you have. To start off, I’d set a goal of 1 handwritten note per week (can be a networking partner, client, someone you recently met, etc.). You can build up your numbers later. Just start writing and building your connections.
