Working by Referral 101: Writing Personal Notes
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Imagine sifting through your daily mail – standing at the mailbox, shuffling through the different pieces of junk mail. And, then all of a sudden, you see a hand-written note addressed to you. Do you open it right then and there? Or do you wait and go inside? Do you get a little excited feeling in the pit of your stomach? Can you tell by the handwriting who it’s from? Do you smile or maybe feel a little tear coming to? In this high-tech, hyper-virtual world we live in, a personal note stands out and creates emotion which sets you apart from others in your field. It’s inexpensive, takes little time and almost always helps create a positive impression of you and your business.
But, you say, “I don’t know WHAT to say or WHO to write?!”
Don’t let the fear of writers-block prevent you from connecting with current and potential clients effectively and inexpensively! Consider these best practices when writing personal notes to grow your business.
Items Needed:
Not much is needed to write personal notes on a regular basis. You’ll simply need:
- Personal Notes
- Stamps
- Pen
- Client List
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Who to Write:
The first step in writing a personal note is to decide who you want to write. Make a list and prioritize it – consider you’re A+ clients, those you may need to re-engage and other folks who you think could make a good client in the future.
TIP: Keep a small notebook in your car or purse. If you think of someone to write, jot that person’s name down so you don’t forget. This is really important if that person is not already a part of your client list.
What to Write:
Knowing what to write may be the toughest part in writing a note. But, it’s actually not as hard as you think. There are so many reasons to write a person – from birthdays to anniversaries to simple check-ins. But, there are some other reasons that will make a person remember you:
- Congratulations: Birthday, engagement, wedding, anniversary, new home, new baby, graduation, new job, etc…
- Thinking of You: Surgery, get well, sympathy, loss of pet
- Conversation Recap: Every time you speak to someone on the phone or bump into them in public, you should follow up with a personal note.
- Thank You: A plain and simple thank you card even goes a long way these days!
- Just Because: Sometimes, no reason is the best reason. You will brighten someone’s day by reaching out and simply saying hello.
TIP: If you just bumped into someone or had a meeting, write down details of the conversation to mention later in your personal note to them.
When to Send:
There is no specific timeline for sending a personal notehttps://blog.buffini.com/7-essential-items-for-your-new-agent-to-do-list/. Obviously, if something is timely, such as a birthday or anniversary, you’ll want to send a note as close to that date as possible. Or, if you recently had a conversation with someone and you want to follow-up, write a note within the week. If you stick to writing a couple of notes a day, every day, you’ll find that any time is a good time!
TIP: Commit to writing 2 notes a day during the week, Monday through Friday, and you’ll have written more than 500 notes a YEAR!
Putting your pen to paper could be the best investment you’ve ever made! In about 10-15 minutes a day, you could touch 500 lives PLUS build your business at the same time.
