Don’t You Want To Be Remembered?

In a world where so much is automated, human touch matters more than ever.

People love when someone makes a genuine effort to connect. I don’t mean mentioning them on Twitter, liking an update on Facebook, or connecting on LinkedIn. I mean when someone takes the time to call, write a note, or make a visit.

Being personal is hard and that’s why it’s important. Do the things that don’t scale to earn loyalty, trust, and business.

If you want someone to remember your message, follow these rules.

Effort Matters

Have you had someone open a present and say, “Oh, well it’s the thought that counts”? They’re not being dismissive. They’re right.

Or have you ever received a text message that made you smile? Did you ever feel giddy when someone retweeted a tweet? It’s great to have someone think of you in the moment and respond. But the moment is transient and passing. It required little effort for someone to create that message and less effort for you to read it. They’ve made no investment of time that suggests there’s anything particularly special about it.

Now imagine unexpectedly receiving a letter from someone. You cherish the knowledge that someone thought of you, sat down, and wrote you a note. But it rarely happens because it’s difficult to do.

Cost Means Something

Effort costs you time. But beautiful messages can also cost money.

Emails, tweets, texts, or Facebook messages are essentially free. They’re easy to send, which is why you constantly get them. Take the study that indicated the average corporate email account sent or received more than 100 emails per day. Or consider that Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 send or receive nearly 100 texts a day. It’s why your message goes lost and unanswered too frequently.

When someone means something to you, the cost of sending a letter doesn’t matter. You want to make that person feel special. If your CRM tells you it’s a client’s birthday, do you think an email is going to stand out? You need to go beyond.

Create Memorable Moments

When you get home, check your mail, and filter through the bills, sometimes you find a letter. It’s high quality and weighted. Receiving it creates a tactile experience and elicits an emotional response.

First you look at the envelope, scanning for a return address. You wonder for a moment, what’s inside? You toss aside your other mail, waiting to see what someone’s written you. It takes time to open and then digest the contents. You cherish these notes, pasting them to your refrigerator or displaying them on your desk.

Opening mail leaves an impression. It didn’t use to be that way. But now your virtual mailbox contains most of your personal messages. Every individualized piece of mail is like a little present. People like getting surprises. It makes their day just a little better.

Avoid Making a Negative Impression

Sending personalized messages are about what you do, but it’s also about what you don’t do.

Your competition is sending automated messages (whether by letter, email, phone call, whatever) that make people feel unimportant. If you’re trying to close a deal, you want your client to feel special instead.

You have an opportunity to do little things through your professional and personal life to make someone feel something. You can create an emotional response to you or your product. If you ever want a customer relationship instead of a customer transaction, then you need to personalize.

Why don’t you write more letters? Maybe you don’t have the time, stationary, or stamps. It’s easy to make excuses.

And if you’re sick of excuses, give me a call. Handwrytten has a solution for you.