by Ryan H. Law
The handwritten thank-you card is becoming a thing of the past.
I have students who ask me if a thank-you text or e-mail is good enough. Call me old fashioned, but I am still a fan of a hand-written thank-you note.
I get several from students every year, and the fact that they took the time to write out a note means so much to me.
Let me share a story about the power of a thank-you note. When I was teaching at the University of Missouri there was an opening with a firm that many of our financial planning students wanted. It was a successful firm with a good salary and training program.
The firm owner went through the regular hiring process (resumes, interviews, etc.) and finally narrowed the applicants down to the two best candidates. One thing was going to be the determining factor – a hand-written thank-you note.
One sent a card, the other did not, and the job went to the one with who sent the thank-you card.
I would encourage you to get into the habit of sending handwritten thank-you cards.
They really do make a difference.
Consider these four quotes from successful salespeople:
Some of the most successful people have used thank-you cards to build massive success in their business.
The cards don’t have to be expensive. Wal-mart or any other retailer is going to have boxes of thank-you cards. Here’s just a small part of the thank-you card shelf at my local Wal-mart:
You can send thank-you cards to current or previous clients, mentors, friends, family members, etc. It doesn’t really matter – just get in the habit of sending thank-you cards regularly.
Don’t stress too much about your hand-writing, but if it is not legible, see if a family member or friend will write for you. I have even seen ads online hiring people to write out the notes they dictate.
Keep the card simple. It should not be seen as a sales-tactic, but instead as a way to deepen your relationship and express genuine thanks. Here’s a sample of what someone might write:
Dear John Smith,
I want to thank-you for speaking at our recent FPA meeting. I enjoyed hearing about your experiences in the industry. I especially appreciated the 3 Pillars of Financial Success that you shared. I am implementing all three into my practice, and I’m looking forward to training my team on them as well.
Sincerely,
Ryan H. Law
In our next post we will discuss ways that you can supercharge your thank-you card writing, but for now, just get started with the Action Steps below.
ACTION STEPS
- If you don’t have a box of pre-printed thank-you notes and stamps, go buy some today
2. Write at least one thank-you note today and get it in the mail.
[…] In a previous post I shared the importance of writing thank-you notes on a regular (preferably daily) basis. […]