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In a world the place communication is basically performed on a display, it is perhaps tough to gauge whether or not a tried-and-true enterprise standby—handwritten notes—truly works.
For years, Ben Graham, chief of the Graham Group Actual Property at Infinity & Associates Actual Property in Chandler, Ariz., despatched old-school junk mail and letters to potential shoppers with normal No. 10 envelopes.
He says it was seemingly uncommon that anybody opened these mailers, as he didn’t get a lot suggestions.
A couple of years in the past, nonetheless, he got here to the belief that handwritten notes—slightly than printed mailers and advertising supplies—work. He now averages three playing cards per day however makes use of a handwriting service to save lots of effort and time in his busy life as an actual property skilled.
He’d had a consumer fascinated with shopping for an empty lot that bordered their property, however the consumer couldn’t determine learn how to contact the proprietor of the lot. Graham did some digging and located contact info for the proprietor, and he determined to ship an unassuming, handwritten letter.
The handwritten card defined to the proprietor that Graham had a purchaser within the land. The proprietor did open the notice, and although it took some time, the deal went by way of.
The fact is that as a society, we’re overwhelmed by digital communication, to the purpose the place we are likely to ignore all of it collectively.
Analysis from Mailchimp, a well known electronic mail advertising platform reveals that solely 20% of all emails despatched are opened. Handwritten notes, nonetheless, are practically at all times opened as a result of they’ve turn into such a novelty. The 2020 Family Diary research produced by the Postal Regulatory Fee estimates that households obtain a mean of 21 items of handwritten mail per yr.
Briefly, when you’re searching for a recent advertising effort as a result of others are falling quick, it is perhaps time to tug out pen and paper. Although he says it’s exhausting to quantify whether or not it’s the handwritten notes that flip into referrals, Graham says he is aware of his efforts are appreciated.
“Many instances, I get notes that inform me I used to be the one one that truly despatched them a birthday card.”
Utilizing Tech to Ease the Burden
Graham averages about three handwritten notes per day. To make this sort of quantity manageable and to maintain prices low, he makes use of a notice writing service known as Handwrytten. He says he makes use of the service for enterprise and private correspondence and spends about $3.50 on every card.
Graham focuses on sending particular sorts of handwritten correspondence:
- Birthday, marriage ceremony anniversary and residential anniversary playing cards
- Thank yous
- Welcome-to-the-neighborhood playing cards
- “Good to fulfill you” playing cards
Phoenix-based Handwrytten gives prospects with many choices for personalisation. Graham has the corporate stick his enterprise card in with the written notice. He has his signature on file with the corporate, and he can customise the envelope together with his emblem.
Handwrytten CEO, David Wachs, says the demand for this sort of service is powerful, and even stronger in the true property trade.
“At this level, out of our 100,000 shoppers, 30,000 to 40,000 are actual property professionals, whether or not they have a direct relationship with us or a intermediary firm that works with us,” says Wachs.
Although Handwrytten’s playing cards and letters aren’t precisely handwritten, they feel and appear identical to a real pen-and-paper notice, which is the necessary factor. Since brokers have such a spread of customization choices, Handwrytten’s service does exude a real private contact for the receiver.
“With the ability to stand out and keep on prime of thoughts by way of handwritten notes that get magnetized on the fridge is perhaps the best way to go. It’s about enjoying the lengthy sport, and it’s an funding.”
Wachs says the enterprise has round 175 robots producing the notes, and he’s continually engaged on bettering the software program to make issues look much more genuine.
Whether or not an agent decides to make use of a service or write out every card individually, Wachs says “simply do it.”
Making Handwritten Notes A part of Firm Tradition
When Stacie Staub’s son graduated from highschool final yr, he sat down and wrote thanks playing cards to everybody who gave him a present. She says she had no thought on the time that he’d performed so.
“I began getting footage of the notes and texts from folks,” says the co-founder and CEO of West + Maine Houses in Denver, Colo. “That meant a lot when folks mentioned that I raised the child proper. I really like that he did it. Its’s an affidavit on how few handwritten notes folks get and the way they’re valued.”
She is aware of that shoppers and enterprise companions really feel the identical method once they obtain a customized, handwritten card or notice from an actual property skilled.
Staub says handwritten notes are embedded within the firm tradition. She encourages the five hundred brokers she manages to jot down two notes a day to their shoppers and colleagues. The brokerage shares quite a lot of playing cards and envelopes in every workplace and recurrently rotates in new alternatives. They even have coaching occasions centered on the topic.
Final yr, three of the brokerage’s Colorado workplaces launched a brand new vacation card collection with workshops and a Friendsgiving dinner.
“We inspired them to have a pair cocktails and get these Christmas playing cards written. They did it proper there. It simply makes it extra enjoyable, and it turns into somewhat peer stress,” she says.
If brokers are fighting who to ship a notice to or what to jot down, Staub advises them to scroll by way of their social media feeds. Who had a loss? Who had a child? Use social media to pinpoint life occasions and go from there.
“It’s a motivator to maintain knowledgeable and know what ache and alter persons are going by way of, and actively acknowledge the wants in folks,” she says.
The Energy of Private Connection
Staub believes that when the trouble in writing a notice and sending it off oneself is highly effective. She says there’s “one thing about that power that brings power again to you in that relationship.”
Nancy Schnoebelen Imbs, founder and president of Polished, a communications {and professional} growth firm in St. Louis, believes handwritten notes not solely distinguish somebody from the remainder of the pack, however additionally they present an individual’s civility, sense of respect, gratitude and heat.
“In as we speak’s digital world, pen and paper turn into extra private and can depart a positive impression,” she says.
She tells lots of her enterprise shoppers that handwritten notes are a strong software. The great gesture will carry a smile to the recipient and present that they matter.
“Positive, it’s faster, sooner, and simpler to whip out your telephone and ship a textual content or electronic mail. But it surely doesn’t have the identical affect,” she says.
Listed below are Imbs’ finest suggestions for writing honest handwritten notes and letters:
- Don’t wait. Do it instantly or no less than inside the first three days after assembly with a possible consumer.
- Don’t overthink. Don’t get caught up on learn how to write it. Be your self. Touch upon one thing that touched you or simply that you simply loved whereas within the firm of the individual.
- Don’t fear about penmanship. Folks get too caught up displaying off their handwriting. Many will really feel prefer it’s a privilege to obtain a customized notice. Penmanship issues little (as long as it’s legible!)
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