Two things – email and direct mail – often get deleted or trashed without being opened. In fact, stats bear that out. The average “open” rate for those is barely above 20%.
Rick Elmore was in a college marketing class listening to a professor relate those facts. He has always remembered what the professor said.
“You know, what really works is a handwritten note,” the professor said. “But who has time?”
Flash forward a few years. Elmore is CEO of Simply Noted, a company he founded.
Simply Noted is an automated handwritten letter company. Through the company’s advanced technology, it is easy for anyone to create simple, scalable, powerful, and meaningful real pen-written communication.
Simply Noted combines technology with a personal touch, putting real pen and ink to paper to create beautifully crafted products for every occasion.
5 Reasons to Write Handwritten Notes to Clients
You should send a handwritten note because it’s more likely to get opened and read. Remember that 20% “open” email or direct mail stat? Well, compare that to the handwritten note, opened at a 99% rate. That’s right, 99%!
“It’s a tool to get in touch with clients, and a way to stand out to customers, partners and employees,” Elmore said. “There’s an even stronger need for that in the Covid era.”
“This is especially true in businesses that are relationship driven, such as insurance, real estate, non-profits and others,” he added.
Elmore said that handwritten letters are a way to stand out from the competition and add personal connection to your communications and customer service outreach. Many adults have returned to handwritten letters during the pandemic to keep in touch with friends and loved ones, and the same practice can be applied to business.
If you own a business, Elmore named 5 reasons to use handwritten communications:
Mailed Letters Get Opened
Compared to email marketing’s average open rate of 22.7%, handwritten letters enjoy a 99% open rate. You can safely assume that the letter’s recipient will open a handwritten letter that’s been delivered to them.
Handwritten Letters are Rare
According to the U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission, the average American received only 10 pieces of personal mail for the year in 2017. Handwritten mail stands out.
Handwritten Letters Stand Out
Customers recognize that email is extremely economical and simple to generate. Likewise, mass-printed direct mail pieces need only be designed once and then they can be printed by the thousands. Compared to the “junk” mail an average person receives, a handwritten note stands out and gets noticed.
Cards and Letters are Often Kept
People keep handwritten letters because they are not just a letter. They are a gift. The longer that note sits atop your customer’s desk, the more likely they are to remember you and think positively of you.
Handwritten Notes are Inherently Personal
Emails are impersonal. Texts have about as much value as the time it takes to generate them. Handwritten letters, on the other hand, show you care. If you are trying to build a positive relationship, there’s no substitute for the power of the pen.
How Does Simply Noted Do It?
Anyone savvy on a computer can play around with fonts and look at various print styles. Simply Noted is much more involved, in fact, the technology is very advanced.
Not to mention, really cool.
“We took a lot of time perfecting the technology,” Elmore said. “We took the unique characteristics from handwriting.”
Simply Noted has 21 handwriting samples to view on its website, but that’s just a small showcase of what’s available. There are about 900 versions of writing styles available.
There will be some style that looks just like your handwriting. Or, there will be some style that really appeals to you, that you’d like to use.
“Everybody uses it (Simply Noted) so differently,” Elmore said. “One of the most popular uses has been for Announcements, to draw attention to an event, or a change of location.”
“Customers might use us for a basic Thank You note, or they might include a Come Back note and include a promotional code,” he said. “Nonprofits like it because it adds a personal touch.”
“The possibilities are endless,” he said. “All of our customers are either repeat customers or referrals.”
Elmore said that handwritten notes can also be effective doing outreach to a brand-new business prospect or sending a thank you to a longtime customer.
“Especially as we continue to navigate the business and social implications of the coronavirus pandemic, the extra personal touch of a handwritten letter can go a long way,” Elmore said.
About Simply Noted
Designs, handwriting samples, and pricing is available at simplynoted.com.
Image: Depositphotos.com
This article, “5 Reasons You Should Send Clients Handwritten Notes” was first published on Small Business Trends
Source: Small Business Trends
