Making Thank You Notes Personal When Hand-Script Isn't an Option

Replying to the post, "The Art of the Referral Thank You," an advisor named Justin wanted to know if there was a way he could send notes to his clients thanking them for referrals that had the same impact as a handwritten note, only not handwritten. "I have horrible handwriting and have resorted to typing all correspondence," he wrote. "Do you have any other suggestions?"

Firstly, the flaws in handwriting are part of the charm in handwritten thank you notes. It really sets them apart from word processed fare and gives them a personalized feel. You shouldn't worry too much if your handwriting is less than perfect—handwritten thank you notes will still be very effective. Think of a homemade gift from someone. It may be a little rough around the edges, but the time and care the giver put into it has a profound impact. It's the same idea with a handwritten thank you note.

However, one thing I must stress to Jason and anyone else worried about the legibility of their penmanship is that you should be wary of faking the handwriting. Some people try to make their correspondence look hand done by using a certain font that imitates hand-script-I'd advise against doing this. Not only will clients see through this, but they are likely to perceive it as tacky. It's far better to just word process them without the deception if your handwriting is truly illegible.

Another option is to pay a company like Send Out Cards to send thank you cards to your clients. The way this works is that they send you a form with a space to write each of the letters of the alphabet. Once you do this and send it back, they can create an infinite number of messages in your handwriting style. This way you only have to make the handwriting look good once, and you can save yourself an aching wrist, too. Send Out Cards even has a selection of gifts like chocolates, books, and candles you can send out with the card should you choose to. The downside to this approach is that you won't be able to use cursive, and perceptive clients may catch on to the fact that it's mass-produced. Still, it's a good way to add a personal touch if you don't have the time or the ability to do thank you notes by hand.

Comments

[Madelia]

Good for people to know.