Old School Communication Works Too!

by Kim Peterson

Whatever happened to the simple thank you note?

With technology changing so fast that you can’t keep up, there is one thing that hasn’t - the old fashion, hand-written thank you note.

A couple of weeks ago I sent a hand-written thank you to a client.  Her name is Gara.  I thanked her for meeting with me and for educating me on her business.  I didn’t think much of it at the time, but a couple days later I received a call from Gara thanking me for sending a hand-written thank you note.  She works for a metal roofing company and had been hounding the guys to send thank you’s after each job.  They were very reluctant and didn’t see the value. Once she received mine she showed the guys and said, “See, this is what I mean.”  They were surprised that people would still take the time to write them.  And, yes, the story ends well.  They now see the value and are willing to give it a try.  All from a simple old fashion, hand-written thank you note.

E-mail thank you’s (especially the instantly generated ones) just don’t seem to carry the same weight or importance as hand-written notes.  They don’t work as a sincere, thoughtful thank you. A note you receive in the mail requires genuine time and effort.  And this is a true thank you with a greater perceived value.

So, dust off your thank you notes and get writing.  Please send me your success stories. I would love to read them!! J 

Until next time…thank you!