You open your mailbox and there it is, an envelope amidst the pile of unwanted ads, coupons, and bills. A feeling of excitement and suspense grips you while you eagerly open it wondering what’s inside. Much to your surprise and delight it’s from a company you recently did business with, thanking you for your patronage and filling you with immediate feelings of respect and gratitude towards the company. Now that’s the power of a good old-fashioned handwritten thank you note!

In today’s society handwritten notes seem to be a dated form of communication, but in reality a handwritten note is a great way to take your business to the next level. Handwritten notes have the power to foster meaningful relationships with your clients, referrals and prospects.

Why a handwritten note?

Nothing says you care more than sending a personalized, handwritten note. While email might be the fastest and most simplistic way to say “thank you”, emails tend to go unnoticed. Let’s face it; most of us are guilty of letting emails sit in our inbox without ever glancing at them, so why take the risk of having your “thank you” go unnoticed? Even with well-designed, beautiful autoresponder templates, digital messaging can get lost in an overloaded in box. An alternative, of course, and much more personal and hard to ignore way of thanking someone is via the phone, but there are issues with this technique as well. In an over scheduled world filled with appointments and deadlines, many people prefer to let calls go directly to voicemail. Naturally you can leave a message, but you’ve missed a prime prospecting opportunity. The idea is to keep your business and name in front of potential clients by following up. As the saying goes, “the fortune is in the follow up”, especially when that follow up is personal and creative. Although it may seem like a small gesture, it speaks volumes.

Part of the power a handwritten thank you note is its surprise factor. Other than a holiday or perhaps a birthday card, when is the last time you received a note in the mail? A handwritten thank you can go a long way in boosting business relationships. When you show that you’re willing to take the time out of your day to send a personalized “thank you”, you automatically send the message that you are the type of individual who will go above and beyond for your clients and who doesn’t want to do business with someone who is willing to go the extra mile. These are the people most likely to sing your praises, thus becoming walking ads for you and your company as well as potential referral sources.

Set Yourself Apart from the Rest

Not only does the handwritten note benefit your business through the betterment of your relationships, but it also sets your company apart from the rest. Very few people put in that extra effort to send personalized, handwritten notes. Regardless of whether or not you’ve secured the business, a thank you note should still be sent. Eventually, the notes will become a part of your personal brand. People will start to associate you and your company with a down-to-earth, wholesome and high touch business philosophy.

The best part about using thank you notes is that they are a great business-building tool and are fairly easy to do. The hard part is getting into the habit of writing and sending notes in a reasonable amount of time. A good rule of thumb; keep it simple with a personal message mentioning something you spoke about. As Susan Dench, networking expert explains, “people don’t necessarily remember what you say, but they remember the way you made them feel.” A simple postcard featuring the place you met, or something relevant to your meeting can have a tremendous impact.

The power of a handwritten thank you note is undeniable. Whether you’re looking to increase your customer base, stand out from your competition, or just enhance your business relationships, taking a few minutes out of your day to write a thank you note can help promote your brand and increase your business.