The remarkable power of a hand written note

The remarkable power of a hand written note



"The more gratitude you show the more good fortune you receive"

Some forms of gratitude are more powerful than others. Here is my list from least powerful to most powerful expressions of gratitude:

Silent gratitude is the least powerful of course.
Facebook and twitter 
Text messages
Emails
Letters
Handwritten letters, thank you cards and notes
Gifts

These days its hard to ignore the efficiency of some form of an electronic message. It's fast and easy to do. And that's why you shouldn't do it....because its what everyone else is doing and so you won't stand out or be remembered. 

It takes your personal time to hand write a message. It is memorable, remarkable and it sustains. Electronic type messages are soon deleted and forgotten in the avalanche of daily communications we receive. 

Here is how to make your messages memorable...(hint make it funny)

Write clearly and neatly. 

Awhile back I received a thank you card from a Westjet Vice President thanking me for the ideas I had submitted and that they had employed. That was nice except for one thing.....his writing was so damn sloppy it was nearly impossible to read it. No point in scanning it and using it as a reference or even showing it to my buddies. A total waste!

Make it personal.

"Thanks you did a great job" is not near as powerful as something like this..."Hey Edward you did a remarkable job on the Westjet file. Your ideas made a huge difference and I absolutely loved your humor and willingness to share your insights. Thanks a ton!

Which note would you like to get?

Be sincere.

Flattery is phoney but a sincere compliment is a gift that keeps on giving.

It can be a gift.

Many times I've seen others showing off a note or card they received that was complimentary. So to that person its like a gift.

Don't limit it to thank you's.

Sometimes a handwritten letter or note of encouragement goes a long way to motivate others. I've used handwritten notes to solve differences with others. The real secret of a handwritten note is that it forces the other person to hear you out. In a conversation its our nature to be thinking about what we are going to say while the other person is talking and thus not be fully focused on what they are saying. And the recipient can re-read it later.

Take notes to look smarter

"Taking notes can make you appear to be more intelligent and persuasive"



More intelligent....

Our brain makes assumptions all of the time.   Some we are aware of but most are subconscious assumptions.   Strange as it may seem we interpret a note taker as being more intelligent.

We perceive the note taker as being focused and thorough.  It brings up images of Doctors and Lawyers who must get things recorded accurately.   It also makes us feel that every word we say is important.   And anyone focused so intenly on what I say must be intelligent.   Right?

More persuasive...

When someone is trying to persuade us and starts out by sincerely trying to understand our thoughts and beliefs, we pay attention.  And we assume they are sincere because they take the time to record our thoughts.   Note taking causes us to feel important and which in turn lowers  our resistance to that person.  We feel appreciated and understood.

When the cops are interviewing witnesses they take notes on what they are told.  One of the reasons is because they know that the person being questioned is going to give more accurate answers when they see that their answers are being recorded. 

The effect of note taking is also that most people start to open up and reveal the real objections to the persuasion.

And here's the real good stuff...

"When they feel they have been heard and understood their minds are open to hear what we are going to propose"

Note taking is a poweful persuasion skill!

Do...

*  Use a quality pen not one of those company logo pens you swiped from the convenience store

*  Use a quality pad or portfolio.   Extra points... if it has a leather cover.

Don't..

*  Try to write down every dang word.   That would be annoying.  Just jog down important points.    Extra points...if you say something like...'excuse me but that seems important I'd like make a note of that'

Bonus...

When you are note taking you do less talking and more listening!

Selling is easier when you are having fun!

WARNING...too much seriousness can suck the life out of your sales and the fun out of your career. It can make your days longer and your bank account shorter.

We all get up in the morning hoping our day will be enjoyable and if we're lucky, fun.  And that's why I love being involved in sales.  If you can share a laugh and have some fun, your chances of being successful go sky high!

I'll bet if you think back, the easiest sales you ever made were the one's where you and your clients shared some laughs?  Maybe you joked about Trump's latest crazy tweet or reveled in the home team winning a playoff game. 

The two worst traits a salesperson can have are; talking too much and being overly serious.   

Bring a lighter touch to your conversations. It's okay to be yourself! While having an agenda for your meeting and being prepared with a pre-call strategy tool is great, make sure you add a sparkle in your eye and smile on your face.

If you got the sale because you had the best product, price or service you could lose your client if someone else comes along with a better product, price or service.  But if they really like you, then you would have to really screw up before they would ever thinking of leaving you.

I'm not advocating that you be a jokester.   I am saying by lightening up your presentation you can separate yourself from the competition.  Begrudgingly, I will concede there is a time and a place for being serious.   You know, like when your boss asks you why you missed your sales projections for the 3rd straight month? 

What's important is to remind yourself that you are not in the insurance, real estate or car business.    You are in the 'people business' and your job is to create an enjoyable and if possible a fun experience for you and your customer.
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Moods are contagious

When people are in a good mood they are more apt to make changes and try something new.  And far more likely to make an impulsive buying decision.    Less so in a neutral mood and status quo is status safe when in a downer mood.  



Heck, most kids know not to ask for that shiny new bike when mum is grumpy, right? Master Persuaders know that it's best to 'sell in the sunshine'.  I'm not just talking about the weather but also the upbeat friendly mood you create in the sales process  

Do you know what automatically puts people in a good mood?  A beautifully sunny day.   Especially when it is preceded by gloomy cold weather.   It's like everyone took a 'friendly pill'.    Great day for presentations and sales pitches.

Some national companies go so far as to monitor the weather and heavy up promotions and advertising when the weather forecast is great weather ahead.  

  "If you are not having fun, you are doing it the hard way"