The Power of the Handwritten Note

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Top Takeaways:

• If you send a personalized item to your customers, whether it’s a note or other gift, don’t put your logo on it. Ask yourself, “Is this a gift or a promotional item?”
• In today’s world, there is so much mass digital communication—emails, texts and more. That makes a handwritten note stand out even more.
• When someone receives a handwritten note, they are more likely to keep it—and even display it. That’s the emotional impact it has.
• Define a clear schedule for when you want to connect with your customers. This will give you a series of touchpoints with them throughout the year.
• Staying top-of-mind for your customers helps you make your follow-up sale and can make customers come back to do business with you again and again.
• There is a lot of ROI to be had from sending handwritten notes, but that can’t be your sole agenda when sending them. It will make the notes come across as insincere, which will drive customers away.
• Handwritten notes are great for showing gratitude to your customers. They can also be used to ask your customers to write you a review, to remind them to schedule annual appointments or to apologize for mistakes.
• If you do make a mistake with your customer, fix it and send a handwritten note as follow up. Fixing the problem the right way can increase customer loyalty and the lifetime value of the customer, more than if the mistake had never even happened!
• Personalization is crucial for companies of every size. Even massive companies should feel as though they are small and personal to the customer.
• Gratitude matters. Show your customers that you appreciate them! It goes a long way.

Quotes:

“People keep actual handwritten notes. When someone receives a handwritten note from somebody, not only would they read it, they might even put it on display.”

“If you screw up, fix it and then follow up with a handwritten note. Fixing mistakes the right way can make your customer more loyal than if the mistake had not happened in the first place.”

“One of the big benefits of handwritten notes is having that personal touch. To give that up is a step in the wrong direction. Regardless of the size of your company, you want to be seen as a personal company.”

About:

David Wachs is the Founder and CEO of Handwrytten, a platform for writing and sending handwritten notes at scale. He is a serial entrepreneur and frequent speaker on marketing technology. Previously, David was the Founder and President of Cellit.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and your host of Amazing Business Radio.

This episode of Amazing Business Radio with Shep Hyken answers the following questions … and more:

1. How can I personalize my customer experience?
2. What is the power of a handwritten note?
3. How can I show appreciation to my customers?
4. Why is personalization important in the customer experience?
5. How can I recover from mistakes?