Over the past couple of months I’ve written two articles for ASAE’s magazine Associations Now. In both cases, once the article was published, I received a couple of extra copies of the magazine and a handwritten note from Lisa Junker, the deputy editor of the magazine, thanking me for my work. Both times I was very impressed to receive the note, because in the past fifteen years that I’ve done volunteer work at ASAE (volunteer committee work, speaking, writing, judging), I can count on one hand the number of handwritten notes I’ve received. Oh sure, I get the form letter thank you, but rarely is it handwritten.
I write handwritten notes occasionally, and I’m always struck by how people react to receiving them. I almost always receive a “thank you” email in response to my notes. The simple fact is that very few of us take the time to write handwritten notes, whether to say “Thank you” or simply “Nice to meet you.” That means that any handwritten note stands out.
And now that Lisa has taken the time to write me (not once, but twice) you can be sure that in the future, when she contacts me, she’ll have my undivided attention.
Wow, Wes, this blog post really made my day. Thank you for writing it!
Just to make sure I’m not getting more credit than I deserve, this is actually something our editor in chief, Scott, encourages all of us on staff to do each month. I’m not sure whose idea it originally was, but I do think it’s a great practice I’ll take with me to any future magazine where I work. Especially as we all become more and more conversant on e-mail, texting, Twittering, etc., I absolutely agree with you that handwritten notes that arrive in the mail stand out more and more for those who receive them.
I was also VERY impressed with Lisa’s professionalism and was delighted to receive copies of the magazine and a handwritten letter. It’s something you do not see too often anymore. Lisa is a true professional and someone I hope to speak with again in the future. Thanks Lisa!