Should Handwritten Notes Be Part of Your Customer Experience Strategy?
When a customer has a good experience with a company, he or she is more likely to remain loyal to the brand in the future. Many individuals will even overlook price differences or travel further to a business if they can reliably expect exceptional service.
If you’re interested in making a positive impact on your customer experience, consider incorporating handwritten notes into your outreach efforts. It could be just the thing to put a more personal touch on your company’s customer service strategy. Here are a few ways handwritten notes can help your business.
Personalize Your Marketing Materials
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If you want to stand out from the competition, handwritten notes are an effective marketing method you should seriously consider. A note an employee has written out makes a much bigger impact than a mass mailing or a generic email. It adds a personal touch to marketing materials because you actually mention the customer by name and possibly even reference a particular purchase. This creates a stronger connection with the customer that other types of marketing materials simply can’t produce.
Build Buzz
When a mailing arrives with a sincere note from your company, it’s instantly set apart from the “junk mail” that’s usually tossed aside quickly. Since few people receive handwritten letters anymore, there’s an instant feeling of anticipation when opening a note that’s been written just for them. There’s a warm and fuzzy feeling that comes with being personally recognized in this way.
Customers will be impressed by the way you’ve reached out to them, which leads to better buzz for your business. They may show their family the note, tell some friends, or hang it on the fridge or bulletin board for a few weeks. You may even want to subtly include a hashtag in case the customer decides to post about it on social media. Each note you send out has the potential to create a mini word-of-mouth marketing blitz.
Create Better Brand Recall
Reaching out with a handwritten note is a great way to distinguish yourself in a crowded market. A customer who receives an onslaught of marketing mail around the holidays, for example, is more likely to set aside your personalized letter. When it’s time to decide where to shop, your note will be a memorable touchpoint for where they want to purchase gifts and other items.
Another way to stand out with a handwritten note is through networking efforts. For instance, if you’ve recently gathered contacts at a trade show where your product was featured, you could follow up after the event with a handwritten note. Going the extra mile in this way demonstrates your company is personable, accessible, and has a personal stake in the customer’s satisfaction, ensuring your brand stays at the front of their mind when deciding which product to choose.
While it may take a bit more time than sending out the same thing to every customer, creating handwritten notes can have a huge payoff when it comes to building connections and maintaining customer loyalty. Consider writing notes by hand to some or all your customers to give your brand’s reputation a boost.
