Friday, October 26, 2007

Oh My Gosh, The Cost Of The Postage! - Say It Isn't So

I got this email from Mark R. Miller, a local Austin businessman and soon to be author:

"Thom-

I was riding my bicycle today down to Upper Crust Bakery to meet my wife for lunch. When I parked my bicycle and was locking it up I heard a three young professional having a good laugh. They had just been to some kind of meeting where they were told to follow up with every new contact by sending a letter. The response was that is ridiculous and could you imagine the cost of the postage!! The most important tidbit I have gotten from your seminars and books is to follow up with a hand written note.

-Mark"

This made me laugh all day long. These three young professionals are concerned with the cost of a 41 cent stamp. Their conclusion is that it would be better to let the contact wither away into never-never land than invest a few dollars a week in sending follow up notes.

Most people who I have encountered who balk at the thought of sending handwritten follow up notes come up with all kinds of ridiculous excuses (although this is the first time I have heard anyone say that the cost of the stamp was prohibiting their efforts). Usually people are just lazy and hope for a magical connection to catapult them to immediate symbiotico with the new folks they meet.

Sorry, building business relationships takes effort. Sitting around a bakery mocking the ways to success will get you nothing but a butter croissant.

Have A Great Day.

thom

2 comments:

Tom Magness said...

Thom,

I have been trying to write several handwritten notes every week. I know doing this by email would be easier but I am confident that my message gets through much clearer through my cards and letters. Email says, "I want your business." Handwritten notes say, "I value our relationship." Hooah!

P.S. I write a lot of notes to my employees. I find that some of them post these on their cubicle walls. I don't see many of my emails making it to their walls of fame!

Glenn said...

The late Roberto Gozuieta, former CEO of Coca-Cola said, "In real estate, it's location, location, location. In business it's differentiate, differentiate, differentiate."

If you want to stand out from your competition, rely less on e-mails and more on business letters and handwritten thank you notes.

Tom is right, it's the thank you notes and cards that people display, not the e-mails.

Glenn