Congratulations on your new listing.  I agree with you about handwriting notes/cards/letters for potential clients.  There is much more personal touch to these types of correspondence.

I try as I can to do it myself, but sometimes the volume I work with is prohibitive.

Cameron

I would consider this but my handwriting isn't that great. It's not doctor's scribble but I get complaints. Although, I believe some people would consider a handwritten note "unprofessional".

My mentor/manager/best friend that passed away a few years ago always told me to hand write a note after every real estate situation good or bad. She said it always makes people feel good inside. She told me to get a shoe box and find the most beautiful cards I could find and put them inside. I still today have that shoe box and a few of the most beautiful cards she gave to me personally. She would always send me a thank you card for anything I did. I sure miss that about her.  :)

I don't know how a handwritten note card would be unprofessional, especially thanking someone.  I get computer generated notecards from lots of people I have done business with.  I know that I was just a name in a data base.  I feel the same when I get those Christmas Cards -  some from people I know very well.  I hate when someone can't even take the time to sign their name....

I guess I'm from the old school because I've always used a handwritten note for listing appointments, listings, buyers, etc.  I don't think they will every become outdated and an e-mail it not the same.

Have A Great Day

Cameron -- Thanks for stopping by.  I think just knocking a handful a day really works even with a high volume.  Good luck!

Bill -- Don't let your handwriting stop you!  I agree with Susan that I don't ever think a quick "Thanks" or "I'm thinking of you" would ever come off unprofessional even with poorer handwriting.  And I think the idea there is to strive for "relational" vs. "professional".  Throw some in the mail and let me know how they turn out!

Chris -- How awesome to have someone so special as a mentor!  Sorry to hear that she is gone.  But I bet the notes will live on and bring you much happiness.  I love picking out pretty cards and keeping them on hand...you can find them really inexpensively sometimes, too!

Susan -- I agree completely.  Thanks for stopping by!

Doris -- Old school is good school.  Email is definitely not the same.  I have an associate who has for years refused to give her parents her email address.  She just recently gave in but made them promise that they would still send her letters.  (BTW...she is old enough that her first grand baby is on it's way)  Those notes are greatly treasured.

The undeniable Queen of Real Estate in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex is Ebby Halliday.  Surely you've heard of her.  She went into business in 1945 before there was an MLS, and, in fact, did a lot to cause it to happen nationwide.

Today her company is one of the largest privately owned real estate companies in the world, and she's still goes to work everyday -- she's 96.  And the company sells multiple billions of dollars worth of homes every year.

Wanna know what she says was the single most important thing she did to build her business?  Send out at least 10 handwritten notes every day.

She and I have been friends for at least 40 years.  And we exchange handwritten notes to this very day.  And I don't even work for her company.

So Miss Shar, you're right on target.

The handwritten note is a great tool and should be a habit of every real estate professional. I always make a habit of sending a hand written note to every prospect I meet and get information from. I send them to my vendors, I send them to my clients to say hello.

I always get responses and phone calls when I send them to someone I havent talked to in a while. They are a great tool to re-establish contact as well. Stick to them and make them a habit. 3 days a week I spend 1 hour each morning just writing cards.

Thanks for the great post.  I completely agree with you about the value of handwritten notes.  This is something I think about periodically but have not done it nearly enough.  This  is a good  reminder.  I've added it my to do list so that I don't forget about this great tool for building business and keeping in contact.

I always hear that handwritten notes are a great way to keep in contact with people and can be a great way to get referrals as well. I am going to start doing it next week. Now I need to find out where I can get a box of cards. Great post.

I love sending and receiving handwritten notes. I have some personalized cards, but I also stock up on store cards.

Bill -- I have heard of Ebby!  What an amazing woman she truly is.  Thanks for sharing her story and about the friendship you have. 

Mike -- sounds like you have a great pattern going.  Note cards really are a great way to break up a "silence" that has occurred in a relationship.  Good reminder about vendors, too!  They deserve our appreciation as well. 

Vicki -- I have it in my Top Producer to remind be at various stages during a transaction as well as triggers to periodically send a note to my SOI.  Good luck!

Lanre -- Just don't put it off to the following week and then the following week.  ;-)  It is too important to let go.  I have found some beautiful cards for really inexpensively.  Costco sometimes had their big packages  (Hallmark) for less than .50 each.  They are stunning!  Also, I have found beautiful ones at the dollar store and I look for marked down ones at Target and the card shops. 

Jackie -- I don't know anyone who doesn't like receiving them, too!  If we were all better at sending them how great would that be?  Thanks for stopping by!

HI SHAR!  That's right!!  Folks get too many computerized, copied mail.  Hand-written shows that someone (a warm body), took the time to write a note. 

Thanks for sharing,

Hi Shar,

I couldn't agree more! It's such a nice personal touch.

Char that's great and I wish you luck with the clients and the listing.  I think I'll go write some notes!

My Grandma & Mom always stressed the thank you note habit at our house, and had us write out our own after birthday and holiday gifts from relatives. It has become a habit that almost died out because of the advent of high tech email and ecards and more impersonal forms of communication. Did you know only 3% of our mail is personal now?

You have the thought, you mean well, you mean to get around to sending them. Please check my profile for the high tech way of providing that touch of old fashioned courtesy. You can get your own handwriting font and signature for writing the cards. Well, no big commercial here, so please just check out my profile.

I think most people would enjoy a card that thanks them - I don't think it's unprofessional at all - everyone needs to feel appreciated!

Shar, I think this is great advise. All use hand written notes for all my correspondence with future and existing clients. Same with the envelopes. I think people really appreciate it.

You know, in this rush-rush world, I really don't think people take the time to appreciate whether the envelope is handwritten or not (no tacky mailing labels though!). The card itself and what you write in it is what counts.

Personally, I hate the typed form letters some people send out that they didn't even bother to sign. The cards I send get saved and often put into frames or displayed on mantles, refrigerators and desks. People tell me they still have the card I sent them months later.

Send Out Card's envelopes have a handwritten-type font. When people show their cards to me and ask how I got my picture and business card in them, they have to really squint to see that I didn't actually sign the card since it's in my own signature font. They're amazed and not at all offended that I didn't put pen to paper.

If there are many thank you notes for me to to write, I just use a card campaign, and they All get cards personalized for them with their names (auto mail merge - Dear Mary, Hi Steve) and in my own handwriting. And I never have to enter their address again.

The difference? No hand cramps for me - no hassle. Since I have had hand surgery in the past, this is a Godsend for our home inspection business, and I couldn't say enough positives about it for sending all the thank you's to everyone - I'm sending out more now than I ever had time to do in the past!

Handwritten notes are the best - people appreciate that you take the time to write them.  I surely need to do more of that ----maybe all of your comments have inspired me to do that!  Thanks!

Uh Oh - did I see the word MAYBE in that post, Norma? Change that to "I will definitely do more of that!!" It really works well, especially with the past clients that you've already taken such care to nurture the relationship with and do a great job for.

They know you, like you and trust you already. Keeping your name in front of them keeps them loyal to you, and that's what you need if you want to have a referral only business eventually.

There's too much competition out there and people are too easily won over to someone else if you don't keep in touch.

Barb

(PS: If you think you don't have time, read my profile)

I enjoy receiving hand written notes so I like to think everyone enjoys them from time to time.  Brian Buffini's cards are really nice and are perfect for any occasion. 

Congratulations for implementing. That is the key

I've got a book coming out later this year on just this topic.

Thanks for your post

Consistency is the key.  I bought a large pack of plain multi-colored cards to do just that.  I need (and will) take them to work to send out a few daily.  Great job.

Great job, you are so right, hand written notes are so important in this age of computer technology and email.

Its more personal.

Great post.

Keep up the great job.

Great post.  I have used this for years.  I also send them out for birthdays and anniversaries. 

SHAR - The handwritten personal note can be very powerful.  In the day and age of e-mail, texting, etc., the handwritten note really sticks out.

I've read a lot of organizational books, and ones on time management too. I try my hardest to implement them, but I flunk once in a while.

My main problem used to be that I'd have the best intentions in the world about sending my cards - I had boxes of them, and truly meant to send them all out. My downfall seemed to be with "card placement" - LOL! I would write them out longhand like a good girl (some even got all the stamps on them immediately).

Then, I'd run out of stamps, or the cards slid on the seat of my car going too fast around a corner and I'd find a card on the floor a week later. Sometimes I'd put them in a neat pile on my desk, ready to go out, and things would get shuffled around during the day and before you know it, they're not where I notice them. They sometimes didn't get sent in a timely manner because of more pressing deadlines, and going to the post office wasn't high priority.

I learned to put things to mail on top of my purse, and that helped a little. Sometimes the cards I had just didn't seem to fit the occasion, and I'd have to run out to the card store.

Now my cards go out whenever they need to, I'm able to do them quickly while I'm thinking about them, and because I have a problem with my hand, I don't have to be in cramping pain after I write my cards (especially all those Christmas Cards).

When it's high tech, but a greeting card going out in the mail in my own handwriting font and delivered in their mailbox, it's the best of both worlds for me!

I was just saying to my mom today that she taught me well, I still write hand written cards to clients. I thought I was the last woman standing. It's nice to know there are others, lol.

Yep! Still standing over here too Lisa!

My mother always said that if someone took the time to remember us with a card or a gift, we were obligated to acknowledge their kindness with a nice handwritten thank you card.

I have tried to pass that mindset on to my own children (and hope it got drilled deep into their brains). They now use Send Out Cards and add pictures taken during the parties, functions, etc. to the cards they send out (Example: I took a digital picture of my son holding up a gift from his grandmother with a big smile on his face. He put the pic into the thank you card, wrote the note, and pressed "Send Card". Grandma really loved it!

We always get calls about the cards after people receive them about how nice the cards were and  how nice it was that the kids had actually taken the time to send them. With kids starting on computers even before kindergarten, it's something they like to use, since it's fun, too.

Old fashioned courtesy, but with high technology so they actually get sent. The tradition continues! (Thanks Mom).

It sure adds a personal touch.  I do it on occassion but I need to get in the habit of doing it more.

I send a few cards here and there, but never did with any consistency.  From what I'm reading here, I did it all wrong.  Will start again to send at least a few every day no matter what.  Thanks to all.

Handwritten notes are becoming a lost art.  I think it is just as important to hand-write the address.  Who can resist opening an envelope that is hand addressed? Curiosity is a great sales tool.

You're so right Lynn. Only about 3% of mail now is personal, which means that everything else in the stack of mail gets put aside while they open the greeting card. If it's a nice card with appreciation instead of self promotion, you get remembered. The envelope font on the front of the cards sent from a SendOutCards account has that handwritten feel that's very nice, and since the envelope has a real stamp on it too, it gets opened.

Shar...I not only write handwritten notes to my clients but also to the other agents I work with.  I sometimes will send a quick handwritten note to an agent when we first go to contract telling them that I look forward to working together with them and then at the close of the transaction and enclose a $5.00 Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts gift card.  It goes a long way with establishing good relationships with my peers.