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Imagine someone sending you a really nice message. They’re thanking you: for your hard work, for being a great employee/boss/customer/mother/whatever you are. The note is kind, it’s thoughtful, it makes you feel good. It shows up as an email on a Tuesday afternoon. Pretty cool.
Now imagine that same scenario, except it’s an actual handwritten letter. You go to your mailbox expecting a Bank of America bill and some grocery coupons and you see a shiny new envelope with your name on it and a stamp in the top right corner.
Not only is it more fun for the recipient, but it shows that you care. I can bang out a nice email in about 3 minutes.
Handwritten letters are different. You took the time to go to CVS, spent $5 on a card and envelope, you went home, found a pen, wrote something from the heart, threw on a stamp, went back outside and threw it in a mailbox. It’s not just about the message but what went into the message that matters here.
The “I don’t have time” excuse is pretty much extinct right now. Here are some scenarios where I’d write a handwritten note. Try one out this week:
- You’re thanking a new customer for their business
- You’re thanking an old customer and asking how they’re doing
- You’re thanking a mentor for advice they gave
- You’re thanking your team or employees for their efforts
- Basically any holiday or major life event
- After an interview (talk about standing out from other candidates)
- You’re wishing an old friend well
- You’re writing a love letter to the “one who got away” in 7th grade
- You’re writing to thank an old coach or teacher for the impact they made on you
- You’re writing someone you don’t know who inspires you
The list goes on. We have the time. Who are you going to write this week?
