The worth of sending snail mail is one thing that was ingrained in me from a really younger age. After birthdays or Christmas, my mother and father would anticipate me to ship thank-you playing cards to associates and family members who gave me presents. After I began working, I caught with it: I despatched playing cards after job interviews and to colleagues who had particularly impacted my profession, and I noticed it was a fast method to stand out in a world the place most individuals don’t ship snail mail.
So, once I launched my enterprise a decade in the past—a resume overview facet hustle on Fiverr—it felt very pure to combine greeting playing cards into my shopper expertise. Although folks have been solely paying me $5 for a resume overview, I may afford to march all the way down to TJ Maxx and purchase a dozen playing cards for a couple of bucks to ship a thanks card, together with a congratulations notice once they landed a job.
My enterprise has modified quite a bit since then, however my reliance on snail mail has not. By way of my profession teaching enterprise, I’ve been capable of assist greater than 1,000 shoppers with their careers and share recommendation with over 250,000 followers on social media. (Plus, I now cost much more than I did in my Fiverr days.) However I nonetheless carve out the time to ship tons of of vacation, birthday, and congratulations playing cards every year. It could sound like a gradual method to market a enterprise in our digital-focused world, but it surely’s been instrumental to my success.
Learn on to find out how snail mail performs into my advertising technique, the tactical particulars of how I implement it, and the way any enterprise proprietor can adapt this for their very own shopper expertise.
How sending playing cards has helped my enterprise progress
Most of my work comes from referrals or return shoppers, and I attribute that in no small half to the playing cards I ship out.
For one, it makes my shoppers really feel particular and seen, which is particularly vital in a relationship-based subject like teaching. Usually, shoppers will snap a photograph of the cardboard and share it on social media, commenting that they love working with a coach who acknowledges them as greater than a quantity. That’s a sense that actually sticks and makes them wish to work with me once more subsequent time they want assist. (To not point out, their submit serves as free word-of-mouth-marketing to all of their followers.) I additionally suppose this offline method amplifies the affect of my on-line content material—when shoppers see my social media posts, they’re extra excited to have interaction with them due to the private relationship we’ve got constructed.
The playing cards additionally emphasize the affect of our work collectively. Too many individuals are dangerous at celebrating wins, however once they obtain a card congratulating them on the brand new job or promotion they landed, they’ve an excuse to pause for a second and be actually pleased with themselves. Shoppers have advised me that they’ll hold my playing cards to take a look at in troublesome moments and remind themselves of the issues they’ve been capable of obtain previously. As well as, persevering with to remain in contact on holidays or birthdays helps me commonly remind them I am right here for them in a non-salesy means.
Bodily mail additionally makes it simple for my shoppers to refer me to household, associates, and colleagues. I finally upgraded my snail mail to incorporate a customized cork coaster that claims “you’re fabulous” and has my web site printed on the backside. I’ve had many purchasers hand these off to contacts who’re in search of profession assist, and even ask for additional coasters to allow them to have them readily available anytime they meet somebody in search of a coach. They’re dearer than enterprise playing cards, however folks really hold and show them for years and see them as a every day reminder of the expertise they’d working with me.
I consider this method as planting seeds. Do I at all times see quick ROI from the mail I ship out? No. However I’ve additionally had potential shoppers attain out saying they noticed my coaster on their associates’ desk—one I had despatched months and even years earlier than. By creating one thing that folks wish to hold round, I’m high of thoughts once they’re in search of what I’ve to supply.
How I combine this behavior into my busy schedule
So how do I ship all this mail with out it taking on all of my time?
For starters, I at all times hold the supplies I want readily available. I’ve since upgraded from packs of low cost playing cards to customized branded playing cards that I labored with my designer, Christa Fleming, to create, which makes the expertise extra polished and retains my model entrance and middle. I’ve a customized birthday card, in addition to a extra generic card I can use for congratulations or different functions. For my vacation playing cards, I design one thing new every year utilizing a photograph of me and my companion.
I additionally hold a easy Excel spreadsheet with addresses for present shoppers and previous shoppers from the previous couple of years, in addition to trade colleagues, individuals who ship me referrals, and anybody else who had an affect on my enterprise or life. I’ll additionally add their birthdays to my calendar. Annually, I wish to undergo my calendar and add to my spreadsheet anybody I had a great dialog with, so I can re-spark the connection.
Then, every Friday, I’ll spend about half-hour sending playing cards. I’ll ship birthday playing cards for everybody on my calendar for the next week, plus congratulations playing cards for anybody who reached out to me sharing a win or who I seen an thrilling replace from on social media. I’ll spend a couple of minutes writing a brief customized notice—mentioning their current accomplishment or one thing I respect about them—after which ship it off!
Vacation playing cards are a much bigger raise since I’m sending tons of of playing cards without delay, so I save myself time by not writing customized notes in each card. Typically I’ll rent somebody to assist me label and stuff envelopes, whereas different years I’ll arrange an meeting line with my companion and Nana Hallie and we’ll spend a number of hours prepping the playing cards collectively.
I’ve considered not sending playing cards anymore, particularly as my bodily mailing listing grows, however each time I do it and see the outcomes, it feels so well worth the effort.
The right way to make this your individual
Do I believe each small enterprise proprietor ought to begin sending playing cards? Not essentially. If snail mail doesn’t suit your model otherwise you suppose you’d dread this activity every week, then don’t do it!
However what I do hope small enterprise homeowners take away from my expertise is the worth of making customized experiences in advertising. I’m an enormous Disney fan, and I’m at all times fascinated about how I can create a Disneyland expertise for my shoppers—one thing particular that they gained’t discover with anybody else. This comes throughout within the playing cards that I ship, however in different moments, too. As an example, when somebody schedules a session with me, I ship them a brief welcome video serving to them prep for the assembly.
Even should you’re not sending playing cards, ask your self: What little memorable moments are you able to create? How will you develop a extra human relationship along with your shoppers or potential clients? How will you present up for them in a extra private means? And how will you do that in a means that may permit your character, model, and the worth you add to their lives shine by?
So many enterprise homeowners give attention to progress by automation, by getting in entrance of extra folks, sooner. However I actually consider it’s these human relationships that construct robust, fabulous companies for the lengthy haul.
