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Handwritten thank you notes increase sales

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Re: Handwritten thank you notes increase sales

#51

Post by bombcar »

seydor wrote: post #13
MrDunham wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really wish they had opened sourced this. Was just thinking of exactly that post, thanks for finding it. It really makes a difference to have hand written with a pen as long as you have a font with multiple letter variants/subtly differences between the same letter used repeatedly.

yes ,because what we need is airplane-loads of machine-produced paper notes to travel around the world

Anyone who owns real estate in certain markets is already familiar with the mountains of “handwritten” notes offering to buy far under market value. This’ll just make it harder to detect.

Re: Handwritten thank you notes increase sales

#52

Post by wikitopian »

Ultimately, culture will be defined by a strange sort of radical authenticity defined by ever more subtle and specific signals of genuine humanity.

Sophisticated cants will emerge that are structurally challenging for computers to emulate.

And because there's a lot of work going into preventing AI from computing anything racist, sexist, or offensive to HR, the new ways of communicating will likely gravitate towards those spaces -- but ironically.

Re: Handwritten thank you notes increase sales

#53

Post by Kon-Peki »

reaperducer wrote: post #21

There's a reason that high-end* retailers require their sales people to send hand-written thank you notes: it works. My wife works in this space, and says it's an incredibly important part of the customer retention process. Tech people always ridicule written communication, but then idolize Japanese culture, where written communication is so massively important. Funny how that mental disconnect works. * By "high end"…

What does “half-written” mean, in this context?

Re: Handwritten thank you notes increase sales

#55

Post by jmyeet »

It says "experiments show" but I'd need to know the methodology.

There is a real risk of selection bias here in that you only send handwritten thank you notes to your biggest, most loyal or most important clients. There is a line in this about it's only effective with clients who have some brand loyalty. So did the experiment account for this?

I'm reminded of of the "we value your opinion" or (worse) "you've been selected" for a survey. Surveys are zero cost of the Internet so I haven't been carefully chosen. That survey has simply been sent to everyone. It feels inauthentic.

If I buy a lime juicer and get a hand written thank you note it would similarly feel inauthentic.

High value clients tend to be high touch. It's why big ad spenders have account managers. High touch can take many forms. I'd be wary of simply trusting handwritten thank you notes in a vaccum.

Re: Handwritten thank you notes increase sales

#56

Post by bombcar »

reaperducer wrote: post #21

There's a reason that high-end* retailers require their sales people to send hand-written thank you notes: it works. My wife works in this space, and says it's an incredibly important part of the customer retention process. Tech people always ridicule written communication, but then idolize Japanese culture, where written communication is so massively important. Funny how that mental disconnect works. * By "high end"…

At those prices you can afford to hire someone to follow the customer around with a broom to sweep the street in front of them.

Part of it is also signaling that you are NOT too busy to write the letter - which means you are not overloaded and will be available when needed.

Re: Handwritten thank you notes increase sales

#58

Post by boringg »

waselighis wrote: post #34

Fucking marketers just want to destroy all sincerity in the world.

I had the same response. It should really read - sincere sales increase sales - thats the model. Whatever is considered to be the next sincere thing will be emulated by marketing and ruined.

Re: Handwritten thank you notes increase sales

#59

Post by bombcar »

Kon-Peki wrote: post #53
reaperducer wrote: post #21

There's a reason that high-end* retailers require their sales people to send hand-written thank you notes: it works. My wife works in this space, and says it's an incredibly important part of the customer retention process. Tech people always ridicule written communication, but then idolize Japanese culture, where written communication is so massively important. Funny how that mental disconnect works. * By "high end"…

What does “half-written” mean, in this context?

I assume that meant hand written.

“Dearest Kon-Peki, thank you for purchasing the hydraulic wall crusher 9000. I think you will find this one will last slightly longer than the 8000, but as always, I am ready to sell you the newest model of this one were to suffer the ignominy so many do.”

(It’s probably jewelry but it often amuses me that small businesses will spend millions on equipment with a phone call and some grunting but other purchases for half the money require so much hand holding.)

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