Blog Post
Take a minute
Linda Horstmyer • Sep 16, 2020
Your few minutes can give someone else a lasting smile and be the beginning of something great!
I recently attended a zoom (ugh) meeting where the host was discussing her use of postcards to welcome new members to her classes. The cards were personalized (no stock message here) and hand written. Just a few lines that made a connection between the sender and receiver. They arrived via the USPS, a rarity, and already felt special because it clearly takes a dedicated moment to write, stamp and send them.
Growing up we children were trained to ALWAYS send a thank you note for any kindness shown to us. We fought those three word notes to Grandmother and loathed the pile we had to take care of after a Christmas. Later, Dad insisted that we craft a unique thank you, mailed the same day, to those who interviewed us for a job. Again, we grudgingly complied. What we didn't yet realize was that not everybody sent thank you notes. And because we did, we continued to make an impression with our potential employers even after we had gone.
Today, hand crafted notes on special cards or stationary can still help us stand out with people we have just only met. And, that 's what it is all about. Right? Well, that and the important effort to bring a smile to those around us; we need it! AND, our current environment is crying out for feel good efforts. You will feel good and the recipient will feel good. A win-win.
So, consider finding a note card that helps you convey that the recipient is special and remembered. Write a few lines about what you remember about them. Call attention to anything you shared in common. Keep it light and sincere. Canned messages are spotted a mile away.
Have a go at it and see the results for yourself. You will be remembered the next time you meet and are well on your way to a very positive relationship. Could mean new business!
Stop fueling hackers with your personal information!
Adding a blog to your website is a win/win!
Five in a series.
This post is the fourth in a series where I want to share some of the things I have learned over the course of my career. It has been varied in terms of industry and the customers served and has given me many valuable lessons along the way. I hope to benefit my clients with advice, ideas and cautions as a way of contributing to my local community. Next up was a sink or swim introduction to the early years of the internet. My love of travel, and startups, lead me to a new subsidiary of a large travel wholesale group in Ft. Lauderdale. Certified Vacations offered wholesale travel packages in addition to running Continental Airlines Vacations and (CAV) Delta Airlines Vacations (DAV). I want to work for New River Technologies (NRT) which was the internet arm for Certified. Fast and furious, my experience with NRT was exhilarating! I managed a large staff of web designers and we crafted dynamic websites for CAV, DAV and countless others. Understanding client needs and goals and translating them into the digital environment was a challenge in this new form of communication. Key was understanding how people wanted to learn about and book travel. Early on we developed relationships with Microsoft, Priceline, Expedia and other emerging online travel sellers and, looking back, the experience was absolutely thrilling. To say that the pace was fast is an understatement! I was hooked. Somehow, I had to figure out how to leverage my marketing, advertising and communications background into a dream job. A short stop with Sunglass Hut, before they were bought by Luxottica, honed my skills for effective communications with retail customers. We launched a new, and very innovative, website for sunglass sales that, like other startups, was full of challenges in every department. We were a small group and gathered in a small area, we all learned a lot about each area of the business. The programming side of websites has evolved so far from some of the early days I am grateful have been witness to the genesis of what is now a highly technical process. 2000 was a big year and was highlighted by a move to Small Business Ownership. Stay tuned!
