I was awarded Best of Boston© by Boston magazine in 2007. Their award selection process is very secret, but it might have been connected to a thank you note I sent to their writer. Now I did not send the thank you with the idea of getting any special favors, I simply wanted to express appreciation of how she crafted a memorable quote from my interview meanderings. But it demonstrates how in today’s world handwritten thank you notes make you memorable.
For entrepreneurs, freelancers, or remote workers marketing is being front-of-mind to your clients, referrers, contacts and colleagues. The personal, handwritten thank you note is a simple and powerful way to do this.
A sincere thank you makes someone else happy and you more memorable
One of my favorite marketing people is Michael Katz of Blue Penguin Development. He is very savvy (in the nicest possible way) and very funny. I have learned valuable lessons from this business marketing master. Michael’s recent email video (click here) was about the power of the thank you note. NOT an email thank you, but a handwritten thank you note.
He makes three main points about the difference you make with a handwritten thank you note:
- It requires effort and can’t be automated. People notice that.
- It stands out as something positive amid the bills and junk mail.
- Michael does it every day and not only for business.
I would add a fourth item to this list:
4. Just as it will make the receiver feel good, it will make you feel good too.
Inspired by Michael, I gathered my thank you to-do list and went shopping for some note cards. This was more challenging than I had anticipated. Most of the note cards were too girly to be professional or too formal to be personal. But perseverance paid off and I found some I am proud to send.
All you need are a box of note cards, a pen and a sincere thank you.
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