The worth of sending snail mail is one thing that was ingrained in me from a really younger age. After birthdays or Christmas, my dad and mom would count on me to ship thank-you playing cards to buddies and relations 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 spotted it was a fast technique 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 assessment facet hustle on Fiverr—it felt very pure to combine greeting playing cards into my shopper expertise. Though folks have been solely paying me $5 for a resume assessment, I may afford to march right down to TJ Maxx and purchase a dozen playing cards for a couple of dollars to ship a thanks card, together with a congratulations observe after they landed a job.
My enterprise has modified rather a lot since then, however my reliance on snail mail has not. Via my profession teaching enterprise, I’ve been in a position to assist greater than 1,000 purchasers 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 a whole lot of vacation, birthday, and congratulations playing cards annually. It might sound like a gradual technique 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 purchasers, and I attribute that in no small half to the playing cards I ship out.
For one, it makes my purchasers really feel particular and seen, which is particularly necessary in a relationship-based area like teaching. Usually, purchasers 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 help. (To not point out, their submit serves as free word-of-mouth-marketing to all of their followers.) I additionally assume this offline method amplifies the impression of my on-line content material—when purchasers 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 impression of our work collectively. Too many individuals are unhealthy at celebrating wins, however after 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 happy with themselves. Shoppers have advised me that they’ll preserve my playing cards to take a look at in troublesome moments and remind themselves of the issues they’ve been in a position to obtain up to now. 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 straightforward for my purchasers to refer me to household, buddies, and colleagues. I ultimately upgraded my snail mail to incorporate a customized cork coaster that claims “you might be fabulous” and has my web site printed on the backside. I’ve had many consumers hand these off to contacts who’re on the lookout for profession help, and even ask for additional coasters to allow them to have them readily available anytime they meet somebody on the lookout for a coach. They’re costlier than enterprise playing cards, however folks really preserve and show them for years and see them as a each 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 purchasers attain out saying they noticed my coaster on their buddies’ desk—one I had despatched months and even years earlier than. By creating one thing that individuals wish to preserve round, I’m high of thoughts after they’re on the lookout for 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 over all of my time?
For starters, I at all times preserve 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 annually utilizing a photograph of me and my companion.
I additionally preserve a easy Excel spreadsheet with addresses for present purchasers and previous purchasers from the previous few years, in addition to trade colleagues, individuals who ship me referrals, and anybody else who had an impression on my enterprise or life. I’ll additionally add their birthdays to my calendar. Every year, I wish to undergo my calendar and add to my spreadsheet anybody I had a very good 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 observed an thrilling replace from on social media. I’ll spend a couple of minutes writing a brief customized observe—mentioning their latest accomplishment or one thing I admire about them—after which ship it off!
Vacation playing cards are an even bigger carry since I’m sending a whole lot of playing cards without delay, so I save myself time by not writing customized notes in each card. Generally 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 thought of not sending playing cards anymore, particularly as my bodily mailing checklist grows, however each time I do it and see the outcomes, it feels so well worth the effort.
How you can 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 assume you’d dread this job 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 occupied with how I can create a Disneyland expertise for my purchasers—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 purchasers or potential clients? How will you present up for them in a extra private means? And how are you going to do that in a means that can enable your character, model, and the worth you add to their lives shine by way of?
So many enterprise homeowners deal with progress by way of automation, by way of getting in entrance of extra folks, sooner. However I really imagine it’s these human relationships that construct robust, fabulous companies for the lengthy haul.
