by Denisha Stevens, Vollmer Public Relations Dallas
It arrived in the mail in a white envelope, just blue ink on simple white card stock standing a mere four inches tall. I called out to my office mates in excitement. Soon, we were gathered in the hallway staring at it in amazement.
Had we been blessed with a winning lottery ticket? Free passes to a sporting event? VIP party invite? Actually, it was something far more meaningful and surprising. We had received a handwritten thank-you note from a potential client.
Our contact had taken the time to send us a note to thank us for our RFP response. She explained that her organization would require a few weeks to review all of the submissions and would contact us regarding next steps.
Why the big surprise? Unfortunately, participating in a new business pitch these days doesn’t always yield a response. After brainstorming, meeting and preparing detailed proposals, some contacts just disappear, never to be heard from again. Was it our recommendations? Was it the budget? Did they even move forward with hiring a PR firm? Without feedback, we are just left scratching our heads. While some potential clients send follow-up communication, a handwritten thank-you note is especially rare.
How did we get to this point? Did we stop writing thank-you notes when we started communicating in 140 characters or less? Are our schedules so crazy that we can’t take a moment to express our gratitude? Face it: Whether it’s handwritten, emailed or tweeted, a simple acknowledgement still goes a long way.
Personally, this whole experience has inspired me. I’m going out to buy some note cards!
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