Tue, June 02, 2009 - 11:00:53

A Note on Notes

image courtesy of papyrusonline.com

Last week marked a sad day for the hand written note.  Amid declining sales and a markedly decreased demand for its extravagantly priced fine papers, venerable stationer Mrs. John L. Strong announced it was closing up shop for good. As The New York Times reports:

In a news release on Thursday, Tom Kalenderian, a general merchandise manager at Barneys New York, said Mrs. John L. Strong “represents the best social writing paper of our time.”

But, unfortunately, “our time” also seems to quickly be forgetting the immeasurable value of the hand written note.  With the convenience of email, Twitter, Facebook, and more, we often turn to our computers as the fast and easy way to drop the people we love a quick line.  And that’s certainly not a bad thing!  After all, who doesn’t love getting a new message on their Wall or a snappy @reply from their tweeps?  It goes without saying that all of these new methods of communication are fantastic for their own reasons, but it’s important to note that they will never take the place of small-but-powerful letter.

And we’re not the only ones who think so.  To find out what others thought, we conducted a quick poll on Twitter and received a fantastic response from @Wendy_R who wrote “a handwritten thank you note is powerful today. The gratitude is felt more because one slowed down to care about another.”

Whether we had 140 characters or 140,000, we couldn’t have said it better ourselves.  Handwritten notes—“thank-you” or otherwise—may not be the most practical mode of communication, when you can just pick up a phone or click a mouse, but they have their own SMALL power. A letter takes time, effort, and thought and shows someone you care.  In addition, from your penmanship to your choice of paper, it provides insight into your character. As Jamie Dunham writes on her blog, Cultural Relevancy, regarding a recent letter she received from her young son, “[a letter] is a mirror into his thoughts not usually conveyed in a quick conversation or text message.”  Inked with your own writing, and sealed in an envelope by your own hand, a letter is one of the most personal gestures a person could make. 

Of course, we’ve argued that handwritten notes are also a wonderful way to distinguish yourself in the business world.  Taking the time to send a well-written thank-you after an interview or important meeting expresses your gratitude in a way that a computer screen or voice mail cannot match.  And, sitting on top of the recipient’s desk, it’s a concrete reminder of your interest.

So, next time you toss aside the notion of the note, think again.  That little letter just might be the key to rekindling a romance, strengthening a friendship, or getting the job you’ve always dreamed of.

Posted by Linda and Robin