1. It won�t get tossed out with the rest of the junk mail. 2. It builds a genuine bond with the recipient. 3. It�s personal, a 1:1 �marketing touch,� and customized. 4. It costs less than 40 cents. 5. It takes less than 10 minutes to do. 6. It requires no expensive investment. 7. It�s low-tech, but high-touch. 8. It�s a great way to turn downtime and waiting into productive marketing time. 9. It�s rarely used and sets you apart from the crowd. 10. It gets a higher response than any other marketing tactic you could use. What is this amazing tool? A thank you note. Okay, wait�before you roll your eyes and stop reading, take a quick look at happens when you use this one simple tool: �Thank you for your note. I�ve never been so impressed. It made me stop and send this email to you. When can we meet?� �I�d like to say thank you for the note. Really nice touch�you�ve made an impression. Yeah, I�d definitely like to talk more.� �Thank you for the personalized note. It is a very nice touch and will motivate me to think more about the marketing skills you taught me in your class. I will do my best to inform my management and colleagues about the value of your class and the services offered by TurningPointe Marketing.� �Thanks for the nice card! I pinned it up in my office as it made my day!� I can�t tell you the number of times I�ve walked into a prospect or client�s office and my note is propped on their desk or pinned to the bulletin board. Can you say the same of your marketing materials? Here�s when I send a handwritten note. I�m sure you can think of more opportunities, as well: 1. After a meeting to thank a prospect. 2. After a networking event, particularly to people with whom you had a genuinely good conversation. 3. When you earn new business. 4. When a client recommits to you by giving you more business. 5. When someone gives you a referral (whether it pans out or not). 6. When someone consistently gives you repeated referrals. Often, I send more than a note: anything from a $5 gift card to a high-end basket of their favorite goodies or tickets to an event should accompany a note when they�re been really good to you. 7. After you give a talk. I know it�s daunting, especially if your audience climbs above 30. But the payback is amazing. There are ways to �systematize� this, so that you don�t have to hand-write every single note yourself. Send me an email, and I�ll let you in on my secret process. Also, send a note to your sponsor, host, other speakers, and any co-panelists. 8. If you�re new to a committee or board � or welcoming someone new to yours � send a note to each member. 9. After a kick-off meeting, retreat, or visit with a new client � to everyone that was at the meeting, if possible. I also like to send thank-you�s to key support staff that were involved (i.e., meeting planners, secretaries, A/V technicians, vendors, etc.). 10. When you�ve ended with a client. For tips on how to give thanks, keep reading� 1. Above all, be genuine. If you don�t feel grateful or don�t mean what you write, don�t bother. You�ll resent it, won�t make it a habit, and the recipient will know it�s hollow. 2. Do them immediately (i.e., the next day). I�ve found that if I don�t, chances are I won�t later. This is more about discipline than it is about creativity or a big marketing budget. 3. Make them a habit. On average, I do three notes every morning before I turn to other priorities. In less than a half hour, I start every day off with a high-impact marketing action. 4. Use a professional note card � I find that a 4� x 5� folded card is perfect. Mine are an exact replica of my business card, which creates a consistent �identity� after someone has received my business card at, say, a networking event. I slip them into sheer envelopes and include another business card, for a low-cost marketing piece. Before I had them, though, I used small note cards in my company colors � don�t let the lack of the �perfect� stationary keep you from starting now. 5. Hand-write them! This is about relationship building. A short note written by hand (even in sloppy hand writing) has a much more meaningful impact than a sterile letter with a (heaven forbid!) stamped signature. Nobody is too important or too busy to write a quick note. Many a U.S. President has hand-written-noted his way to the top. If they can do it, so can you. The real key to this strategy? Being grateful. I don�t take any of my clients, prospects, and valued contacts for granted and want them to know it. By expressing my gratitude in writing, it�s a great mindset to start the day.
