Colleen Brzozowski shares her views on the importance of handwritten thank-you notes and why it’s important to follow up.

In the age of technology, does a quick text with an emoji have the same impact as an old fashioned handwritten thank you note?  In my opinion? Not at all.

Is a canned, store-bought jar of spaghetti sauce as good as a made from scratch, fresh batch?  Sure, it will do the trick, but there’s nothing like homemade. Or, you can pop open one of those pre-mixed margaritas, but that sugary sweater-on-your-teeth flavor just isn’t the same as a hand-crafted, fresh ingredient, made with care cocktail.  Do you see what I’m getting at?

There’s something to be said about the effort behind the result and how it can change the experience completely. A handwritten thank you note speaks volumes.  Just think about the effort it takes compared to typing out a few characters in under a minute.  

The sender took the time to get stationary and was probably deliberate in selecting a card that fits the recipient or the situation. Let’s be honest, we can type faster than we can write, finding a stamp and a mailbox….exhausting! But it’s SO worth it.

The recipient may still be in awe that they received something other than a bill or junk mail, and while they certainly don’t consciously think about all effort it took to get to them, it does make an immediate impression by filling their soul with a sense of being special.

Most people have a hard time throwing a handwritten note away, so it’s going to be around awhile to be read and re-read, each time bringing back those same feelings.  How many people pull up a thank you email or text to re-read it months after it was sent? Exactly!

The challenge that I find these days is that with so many people working in virtual offices, business cards no longer have physical mailing addresses or if they do, it may be for corporate office miles and miles from where the individual is.  Do those cards ever make it to the intended? I wonder…I but I won’t stop sending them.

Technology definitely has its advantages, but isn’t it better to put in the effort for a better and lasting experience which leaves people surprised and delighted when they think of you?

Colleen Brzozowski, CIS
Director of Sales – Midwest Region
KSL Resorts – A Unique Collection of Memorable Golf, Spa and Ski Resorts
www.kslresorts.com