Why the dying art of sending a card should be revived in 2019!
I've always been a letter writer.
I hand-wrote a personalised note for each of our 120 lovely wedding guests, thanking them for attending and for any gifts they gave us, making an extra effort to mention any conversations or moments we may have shared with them throughout the night.
When I RSVP to an event, I always send a card to thank them for thinking of us, regardless of whether we're able to attend or not (recently, I got super excited about our good friends getting married, that I sent them their RSVP card back in a box of chocolates #NextLevelRSVP'r).
When birthdays roll around, I like to send my friends a special card to let them know that I'm thinking of them and I'm wishing them the best day ever, even though I'm far away.
My love for writing definitely encouraged the 'card writer' in me, but my love of knowing my cards have this amazing impact on others, like they can't believe that I would care enough about them to shop for, write, and then slap a dollar postage stamp on the front!, that's what made me realise that I needed to use this love.. this dying art.. in my business!
Have you ever seen that quote, 'It costs nothing to be kind'? Well, in this case, it's about to cost you around $6 per person and a few minutes of your time.. unless you buy cards in bulk, then it'll be a little cheaper, but I really want to encourage you to be intentional with the cards you buy and have a person in mind when you buy them.
Let me share my card-sending process with you, and why you need to start treating your business like that friend you send snail mail to!
Firstly, make a list of the people you need to buy cards for -- I like to take out my planner and make a list of the special events coming up which I need to buy cards for. I also write down if there's an anniversary coming up for a wedding we've photographed in the past, but mostly, I want to make a note of any weddings we have coming up, or sessions we've recently booked.
Secondly, I go to Kaiser Craft and try my best to stick ONLY to the card section -- Okay, it doesn't have to be Kaiser Craft, it can be the dollar shop! But the reason I love Kaiser Craft is because their cards are absolutely beautiful and there's a card to suit all kinds of personalities. And the reason I buy those cards, is because I received a Kaiser Craft card myself, once, and I felt like that person had really taken the time to choose a card I would love and spend their money on a product that just felt beautiful.
The point here, regardless of where you buy your cards, is that you need to.. well, BUY cards.
Don't just pick up the first cards you see. Shop around. Be specific about the cards that make the final selection.
DON'T FORGET POSTAGE STAMPS!
Third, grab out your favourite pen and write a personalised message in each card. -- I say 'favourite pen' because, have you ever written in a card with a pen you're not familiar with and you bugger up your handwriting because the pen was unfamiliar.. No?.. You think I'm strange now?
And who loves receiving a card which reads,
Dear John,
[INSERT BORING, IMPERSONAL, ONE LINER HERE].
Lots of love,
Erin
No one likes receiving those cards.. and they're quite obviously NOT filled with 'lots of love'.
Take the time to write a message that really means something and the person you're writing to would really appreciate you sharing.
Tell them how much you enjoyed seeing them recently, or how happy you are for their engagement, or how excited you are to be able to work with them in the future. Be sincere. It's easy to write a beautiful card when your only aim is to make the other person feel loved and appreciated.
Finally, send that baby off into the world to unsuspectingly make another person happier -- When you take the time to make other people feel loved and appreciated, they appreciate you as.. a friend.. a neighbour.. their wedding photographer. You're taking a minute to remind them that they've made a really good choice, in life, to have you in theirs, regardless of what your role is.
Sending a card isn't going to land you more sales or get more clients through the door (at least, not directly). Sending someone a card is just that.. sending someone a card; but what you write in that card and the feelings you generate, that's where the gold is.
These days, when you can contact anyone at any time, it's really nice to be on the receiving end when someone has taken the time to go through each of these steps, just to make you feel good. That's why I suggest snail mail, and not a Facebook message or email.
Take the time; people will appreciate that.
When you use this in your business, you're reinforcing the fact that your clients made the right decision to hire you, and you're giving them something to tell their friends and family about. When you make someone feel good, they share that experience with their friends and family. Before you know it, there's a mother, sister, maid of honour, and 500 Facebook friends who all know about how lovely you are to your clients.. and you haven't even taken a single photo yet!
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