You should send a handwritten note because it’s more likely to get opened and read. Remember that 20% “open” email or direct mail stat? Well, compare that to the handwritten note, opened at a 99% rate. That’s right, 99%! “It’s a tool to get in touch with clients, and a way to stand out to customers, partners and employees,” Elmore said. “There’s an even stronger need for that in the Covid era.” “This is especially true in businesses that are relationship driven, such as insurance, real estate, non-profits and others,” he added.
Elmore said that handwritten letters are a way to stand out from the competition and add personal connection to your communications and customer service outreach. Many adults have returned to handwritten letters during the pandemic to keep in touch with friends and loved ones, and the same practice can be applied to business.
Mailed Handwritten Letters Get Opened
Compared to email marketing’s average open rate of 22.7%, handwritten letters enjoy a 99% open rate. You can safely assume that the letter’s recipient will open a handwritten letter that’s been delivered to them. Customers recognize that email is extremely economical and simple to generate. Likewise, mass-printed direct mail pieces need only be designed once and then they can be printed by the thousands. Compared to the “junk” mail an average person receives, a handwritten note stands out and gets noticed. People keep handwritten letters because they are not just a letter. They are a gift. The longer that note sits atop your customer’s desk, the more likely they are to remember you and think positively of you. Emails are impersonal. Texts have about as much value as the time it takes to generate them. Handwritten letters, on the other hand, show you care. If you are trying to build a positive relationship, there’s no substitute for the power of the pen.