In these days of easy electronic communication, where firing off an email is a breeze (but yes, it is one worthwhile way to express gratitude and connections), the handwritten note has become–at least in my mind–a treasured and memorable token. Mind you, I have always taken joy in receiving a handwritten note in the mail. Whether it be Amanda Young, the marketing professional that I recruited for one of my clients David Woodhouse Archtects…to a couple of gentlemen (Bob Davidson of SSOE, and Howard Alan) who heard me speak at an ALA Session this past spring…to Bob Bobber, an Arizona artist that I met at a recent gallery opening here in Chicago.
The latter example was especially memorable, as the artist surprised me by mailing a hardcopy picture that he had taken of my friend and me at the event. It was very thoughtful, actually, to take the time to print the image, dig up my snail mail address (which is on my website, but not on my card), and send it my way.
I found his gesture to be charming; delightful; and most importantly, memorable. Going the extra mile in this tiny way made a big impact on me.
My suggestion: bring your digital camera to networking functions now and then. Yes, take it to professional networking functions. People of all ages and professional backgrounds enjoy having casual group pictures snapped, especially if it’s at a golf event or something where there is actual activity. Even taking a picture of a speaker of whom you enjoyed their content can be a nice gift. {Caveat: the picture needs to be fairly flattering!}
What next? Well, most certainly you can post pictures from the event online (with permission), or email them to a few choice people. But if your goal is to stick in someone’s memory, why not mail a hardcopy image with a handwritten note? You can increase your odds of actually doing this by making it easy; always have stamps and appropriate letterhead/notecards on hand.
Let me know how this works out for you, or if you have similar ideas on easy ways to be remembered.
