After losing a speech competition that I really wanted to win, my journey home to my family was a somber one. I was hoping I could walk through the door and proudly display my trophy to my wife and two children. This time there was no trophy; He returned home empty handed. As I walked through the door, my six-year-old son came up to me and handed me a trophy he had made for me. Constructed of cardboard and colored with yellow crayon, my son had written “Best Dad Trophy” in large letters.
As he handed me the present he had made, he said, “I wanted to make sure you got a trophy, Dad.” This gift remains one of my most treasured items that is proudly displayed on my desk. It was a different kind of gift; it was a gift from the heart. Gifts, and the act of giving to those we care so much about, remain one of the best ways to reach those who do business with us and those we want to do business with us. This fact is indisputable, but it is rarely practiced in the course of everyday business. There’s no better way to schedule appointments, keep the sales process moving, and make a personal connection with those who support our business than by giving gifts; however, few of us do. Why? We don’t give gifts often enough because we are looking with cloudy eyes. Take a look at the reasons why we don’t give gifts as a regular part of our daily business from the eyes of an innocent six year old:
Perceived challenge: Not enough time to give gifts
Sure, we’d all like more time, but if you were to look at this perceived challenge with a fresh eye, you’d quickly see that we’re also wasting a lot of time. We approach gift-giving as if it’s time-consuming, it’s not. Instead of wasting those ten minutes before an important meeting, reach into your drawer and “give someone a gift.” If you were to add up all the little blocks of time you waste throughout the day, you would have several hours a week that just go unused. They’re not being used because it’s not enough time to start a new project, but it’s still valuable time that can be used to increase the volume of “touches” you have with those who “can tell you yes.”
Perceived challenge: gifts are expensive
Gifts are only expensive when you look at them with tired eyes. See gifts through the eyes of a six-year-old and you can magically redefine what a gift is. As I was reminded, a gift is valuable when it comes from the heart. Now, you’re not going to create a cardboard trophy with the words “Best Customer Trophy” written on it in pencil. Take a moment, though, and consider why that gift was so valuable. It took time, creativity and energy to produce it. These three valuable components made the gift worthwhile, not to mention the fact that my son thought enough of me to spend his time, creativity, and energy creating a gift for me. You have these three things within those wasted ten-minute blocks of time that, until now, weren’t being used to grow your business. The adult version of my son’s cardboard trophy is a handwritten card.
Handwritten card art has power because you’re telling your customer or prospect that you value them enough to take time out of your day to write them a message. Just as I received my cardboard trophy, your customers will literally be thrilled that you took time out of your busy day to thank them for a conversation you had, that you were glad they were still your customer, or that they are Grateful for the opportunity to earn your business. These handwritten gifts are inexpensive and more valuable than most other gifts you can send. The beauty is that you can send them frequently, and you’ll instantly realize that you occupy a coveted place in their minds: the top of their minds. As you create and protect this space at the top of your mind, you will receive all the benefits that come with this esteemed position. Perhaps the easiest thing to understand is that you will receive the phone call when it is time to make a purchase. That’s something you can walk through the door with and show off to your family!
How can I make sure I’m set up for success?
You now have the ability to let the team of writers on hand at Market By Hand handle all the work for you. We’ve created a system that allows you to send real handwritten cards, either on demand or on a predetermined schedule. You can test the system yourself absolutely free. Simply go to www.marketbyhand.com, sign up for a free trial account and you’ll instantly get free credits and free postage to send a trial card. Regardless of whether you send the cards yourself or have the experts at Market By Hand send them for you, we sincerely hope that you fully understand and use the power behind these simple and effective marketing techniques. Trust me, your checkbook will thank you.
