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Author: Sandy Fisher
A big part of my job at Home Rental Services is writing notes: “just saying hi” notes, “introducing myself” notes, and mostly “thank you” notes. I’m from the handwriting generation, so I love doing this. I love everything about writing these notes – from picking out my favorite pen and ink color to selecting the notecard style to carefully thinking through the message I’m going to put on that particular note.
Don’t get me wrong—I send dozens of emails and texts every day. I wouldn’t be able to do my job without all of my tech gadgets. However, I’m so glad writing these notes is an important part of my job. It’s reminded me how important the handwritten note is and how it can affect people.
For my work relationships, it’s showing people more and more that the team at Home Rental Services cares enough to take the time to write a custom note and not regularly spew out a bulk mailing that might not get read, or even opened. There’s a purpose of bulking mailings for sure, however, and I do send those out occasionally.
I think about the daily mail that gets dropped on my desk. Because I don’t want to miss a thing, I open it all. However, without a doubt, I thumb through it, see what’s handwritten, and open that first.
Because of all of the note writing I do at work and the value and benefit I see in it, I challenged myself to hand write my personal Christmas cards this year. I have for years sent out the token form letter updating all on my family’s happenings, folded it around the annual Fisher family picture, and popped it in the mail. I even pre-printed the mailing labels. Not one bit of handwritten ink on those notes.
This year I bought the good old-fashion Christmas card, still included a pic of my kids, and then I actually wrote a note to each recipient. Did it take a heck of a lot more time? It sure did. But I loved doing it and I hope my friends and family who I don’t see often loved receiving them. I know one did: my Great Uncle Dick. Just a couple of days ago I got a letter back from him. It wasn’t a Christmas card, but a wonderful handwritten letter back. He thanked me for my note to him and updated me on his life. I loved it, and I have a feeling I’ll be writing him back very soon.
A few years back I read the book A Simple Act of Gratitude by John Kralik. I had heard great things about it and wasn’t disappointed. A quick summary: a man is not in a very good place in his life both personally and professionally, so he challenges himself to hand write notes every day of the year. He wrote “how are you” notes, birthday notes, notes to the Starbucks’ guy (I still need to try that!), and he even wrote notes to his clients thanking them for paying their bills. How his life transformed over that year was amazing. It’s a great quick read and I’d highly recommend it for both personal and professional benefits.
I’m glad that note writing is a big item on my to-do list. I’m definitely looking forward to writing my way through 2017 to great relationships and business for myself and Home Rental Services!
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