Fri, June 18, 2010 - 9:17:05

The Power of the Handwritten Note Goes Digital (Yes, you read that right.)

In our book, THE POWER OF SMALL: Why Little Things Make All the Difference, we write how the simple act of sending a handwritten note can help you set yourself apart.  And now, a fun new website by the people at Pilot has brought the power of the handwritten note to the digital realm.  On their new website visitors can create personalized fonts from their very own handwriting, and then use it to “write” emails and post Facebook status updates.

While it probably won’t change the way most people go about their daily online communications, it underscores the unexpected effect one little handwritten note can have.  In a world where Times New Roman has become the norm, your own writing can be a real attention-getter… even if you didn’t score an “A+” in penmanship.

Sure, nowadays keeping in touch with family, friends, and coworkers is as easy as sending a text on your smartphone, but there’s something uniquely personal about receiving a piece of actual mail—one that isn’t a bill or this week’s issue of the New Yorker—that nothing can replace.

By now, we all know that sending a handwritten thank-you note is proper etiquette when it comes to formal situations like job interviews and weddings.  But, what about in your day-to-day life? Contrary to what you might think, there’s still room for the handwritten note among the plethora of digital communication options out there. And it’s just one of the ways you can “go the extra inch” to strengthen your personal relationships with others.

Say, for example, you and a friend were chatting about the lack of good restaurants in your neighborhood and later that week, you stumbled upon a review for a great new place you wanted to try.  Although you could just as easily send her a link to the article, why not clip it out and tuck it into a note card with a friendly greeting attached? Not only will your action come across as more thoughtful, it will show that you were listening and make your friend feel like you care.

So, don’t discount the notion of the handwritten note. If you give it a try, your horizons just might expand when you “think small” and get the “write” stuff.

Posted by Linda and Robin