I believe that the ubiquity of electronic communications means that actual paper letters and in particular thank-you cards really stand out. I use e-mail for most communication but still make a point of sending paper cards once in a while. They're less likely to get lost in a flood of similar messages.

posted June 12, 2008

I still use it. So do others, judging from all the junk mail I get.

posted June 12, 2008

You need to remember that not everyone has a computer. Even if they have one at work, they may not have one at home and thusy, the majority of their personal mail is more likely to be snail mail than email.

posted June 12, 2008

I send a steady stream of postcards to family and friends. They are cheap to buy, gorgeous photos of where I am, and just enough space for them to take the time to decipher my scribbles, whether text or handdrawn images. You can sometimes peel off a beer label and stick it, or other "nearly 2d" items. And, I just received a greeting card sent to me just because the sender, a good friend, thought I'd like it. I did, both the card and especially the thought and effort to send it.

posted June 12, 2008

I still send postcards and greeting cards to family and friends. My 80 year old inlaws dont use email (even though he runs a business) so sending actual postcards works for them. When looking for a job, I also sent thank you cards via snail mail (but it depends on the company).

I also LOVE receiving cards and lettings via snail mail.

posted June 12, 2008

I send thank you cards all of the time. I think things have definitely shifted, so now it is a surprise to get a piece of mail that is actually personal.

posted June 12, 2008

I am in complete agreement! There is nothing like getting a personal, handwritten greeting or thank you from a friend or business acquaintance. I always get positive responses from people, especially when i drop them a line for no particular reason. There is not always a response, which is the point, i guess. I'm not really looking for them to DO something, i just want them to know that i am thinking of them.
Also, for the amount of pop-ups that I have to put up with on different websites, it would be nice if we could rebalance the scales on electronic versus snail on my junk mail/ spam!

posted June 12, 2008

Nope, I send off hand written notes to my all potential customers/partners and christmas, birthday and other such fun cards - if you are on my list -

I like snail mail and the over night USPS is better than fedex and especially UPS -

posted June 12, 2008

I don't believe it is dead for special client there will always be a need for nice print material however I can say from first hand experience my use of snail mail is very limited.

posted June 12, 2008

I try to send written thank you notes for referrals. Sometimes I enclose a Starbucks card. You know, "Thanks a Latte!"

posted June 12, 2008

I don't believe snail mail is dead, especially for thank yous and other special occasions. Because so many folks receive emails, getting something they can touch and feel is even more special. I send thank you notes, etc. all the time. It is definitely appreciated.

Jeff

posted June 12, 2008

Hi Rudolph,

as a passionante writer I just love to leave the screen every once in a while with a jot pad and just sit down and let my thoughts flow.

Further more, there is the personal touch in a handwritten letter which can never be replaced by any email, typewriter, computer or whatever.

Bottom line: handwritten things are exceptionally personal. And will become even more special with the constant rise in the usage of electronic communication.

All the best

Lars Hilse
Web Strategist | Speaker | Social Networker | Entrepreneur
http://www.lars-hilse.de/
direct +49 4835 9513030 | mobile +49 173 5433491 |
Germany +49 (0)1801 5557775788 | UK +44 (0)870 9749050 | USA +1 206-203-5212
------------------------
Lars Hilse is a globally recognized web strategist and (e-)market penetration & customer care specialist.
He has successfully completed assignments in Europe, North America, The Middle East, and APAC countries.
http://lars-hilse.de/go/recommended/

posted June 12, 2008

I always follow up with a hand-written thank you note after meeting someone. However, I do not do such with anyone I have met through online networking, because we established a relationship on a virtual medium. The feedback from colleagues and associates is always positive after they receive something hand-written - because it conveys a strong personal connection. No matter how easy Facebook, LinkedIn or an email may be --- snail mail is still king when you want to relay personal.

posted June 12, 2008

Great question Rudy!

Just the other day I got a hand written note thanking me for speaking at a symposium -- about blogging. It was wonderful to receive and I appreciated the time and effort it took more than I would have an email. I didn't really think the thank-you note dictated me sending a response, but I would reciprocate if appropriate.

I'll crop the occasional thank you note in the mail, usually if I want to include a gift card or something. But I can't remember the last time I sat down and wrote a full blown letter...

posted June 12, 2008

While some people fear getting it wrong, choosing beautiful, quality personal/business stationery and using it seems a much nicer choice for thank-you notes and other forms of communication than -- sigh -- one more impersonal email. For those who really appreciate beauty, quality and attention to detail, to open a thoughtfully chosen paper card or letter carries more weight than all the electronic options. My mother and I used to exchange written letters every week and I have saved some of them as we now phone or email. After she is gone, what else would I have? Printed-out emails don't have much emotional resonance for me, personally.

Think about it: in 20 years, will we be reading "The Collected Emails of X Famous Person"? Letters can reveal a great deal, and give historical weight and value to our thoughts. What will archivists and librarians and historians do if we all stop writing things down on paper? Call me old-school, but this choice is more than just aesthetic or practical.

caitlinkelly.com

posted June 13, 2008

Rudy,
I've found that hand-written notes have a lasting appeal to people. I use them all the time to solicit expired listings and the response has been great.

In addition, I've had a great response for fellow RE professionals with hand written notes.

posted June 13, 2008

Well Rudy, Scanning the responses, I see the hand written word is not dead. I have to say, I’ve never heard a complaint about receiving handwritten personal correspondence (when it’s really handwritten). It’s the first thing I open. Sometimes it does generate a call and that can be good, too. So, in my opinion, snail mail is not dead.

posted June 13, 2008

By no means is snail mail dead. The power of email cannot be overstated and it will continue to grow in its daily application. However the personal touch allows, people and companies, at the right time and for the right event, to make contact on a completely different and more personal letter.

Stefan Swanepoel

posted June 13, 2008

Snail mail is absolutely not dead!

Think about how many e-mails you're received in the last hour... Compare that to the number of hand written pieces of mail you've received in the last month.

I'd be willing to bet you remember the name of the person that sent you the hand written note. (I'm not making any bets on what you'll recall about the e-mails)

Back in April I blogged about an incredible experience I had in response to a hand written thank you note I'd sent to one of my prospects (now a client).

Please find a link to that post below.

Happy Networking!

Links:

• http://www.networkinaustin.com/log/post_343681380_scott_ingram_blog.htm

posted June 13, 2008

I have found that often now a snail mail or fax gets more attention than an email as the majority of communications reach people in email, yours will mix with that volume. Being the one of few in person stands out, especially if personal and signed or personally written.

posted June 14, 2008

I handwrite a thank you card for every single job interview I go to, and personalize the message around our conversation. I strongly believe email is inappropriate for this purpose. One person who chose another candidate actually handwrote his apologies and best wishes to me in return, which I really appreciated. From that, I knew I had impressed him, I was respected and had made a good contact for future possibilities.

I send Christmas cards with handwritten notes; if no note, I still personally sign my name and do not have them pre-printed. Yes, it is time-consuming; my address book is quite large. It's worth it. When I receive a Christmas card with an engraved signature, I feel I've been targeted for marketing or that I'm the object of someone's 'to-do' list, not thought of in a personal way, so I don't do it.

I send encouragement cards to friends and networkers, remember my family's birthdays (even when they forget mine, haha) and mail postcards home when I'm traveling. And I still write letters to close friends, believe it or not! They love to get them, and often send one in return, or call me to chat. For these things, there is no replacement for snail mail.

For those with whom I communicate online, such as fellow LinkedIn users, I use email and the phone. If our association grows, I switch to handwritten correspondence when it matters. (birthdays, events, etc.)

What I can live without are direct mail campaigns and junk mail. What a waste of good advertising and natural resources! I don't even open these things; they go straight to the recycle bin. Far more efficient use of these funds would be to send product catalogs to people who request them, and use mass media to promote the business. When I see the same company sending flyer after flyer, it makes me NOT want to shop or do business there! However, there is one huge exception to this: if it is a company I already do business with, and they are sending me a coupon for future goods/services, I keep (and use) those. That's effective!

posted June 14, 2008

No reaction, but I've send e-mail and snail mail thank yous.

posted June 14, 2008

I never send or receive letters. I order books and destroy junkmail. that;s my total interaction with snail mail.
:)

posted June 14, 2008

Actually no, not yet. Interactions with a cross-section of people reveal that in this age of instant electronic communication by telephone and e-mail, handwritten letters are very much around. Admittedly, they have come down in number, but the habit is still alive, especially among the older generation which cherishes and preserves them.

"The impersonal nature of cyberspace does not lend itself to the warmth and personal self-disclosure of the posted handwritten letter. I cannot imagine collecting, saving, and cherishing e-mails or wrap disks of e-mails in ribbon," says a musician and teacher.

Most of the people don't have an e-mail ID. They still write letters by hand. Technology is useful but there are a few things it can't replace.

posted June 15, 2008

I find that snail mail is a great way to make small gestures mean even more, since a card or letter in the mail is so much more rare these days. I carry a small envelope of cards and stamps with me in my briefcase, so that should I find an occasion that I want to send a personal note, I can do so as quickly as possible, knowing the downtime that occurs with a postal transaction.

I try to send personal notes for all interview thank yous, and send periodic notes to network connections as a way of letting them know that I appreciate and value our relationship. I have always had people respond very warmly to my notes.

posted June 17, 2008