I came across a post today from John Jantsch over at Ducttape Marketing called "Staying Top of Mind" that raised some interesting pointers.

He mentions that he got a note from a new employee at a supplier introducing herself. She wasn’t his account rep, and she didn’t try to sell anything. Above all else, the note was handwritten.

John notes how positive his reaction and how the handwritten note is something that has gone the way of the Dodo for most companies. He is right; a handwritten note is the most personal thing you can do that doesn’t involve actual conversation. Not standing out of the crowd by doing something that simple is a missed opportunity.

I often recommend including a short handwritten note when you bill a customer. You can make the whole process of invoicing a part of your marketing strategy. You take the not-so-popular invoice and move it to a communication tool more than a simple "pay me please" transaction.

This also has an additional benefit, if the company is medium sized or larger, chances are that someone other than your contact is dealing with the invoices. Getting a personal note in that envelope means that they are going to be aware of it and it actually lessens the risk of your invoice being lost in the shuffle.

You also gain the benefit of communicating with the customer on a regular basis, you should never go more than three - four weeks (four is the outside) to communicate with your customer, or they will start to lose sight of you. Out of sight, out of mind. Eventually, you’ll be out of a deal too.

In the end, it all comes down to relationships, when you send someone a handwritten note, you are making an effort to be personal, and that effort is hardly ever lost on the recipient. We are getting so used to not being personal and personable that a simple handwritten note now is a way to stand out.

If you can you think of a more low-cost way to maintain and improve the customer relationship, I’d love to hear it.