Jesse Stein

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Fewer and fewer people are writing handwritten notes today – they’ve forgotten how powerful it is to hold something in your hands rather than simply checking their email inboxes. Handwritten notes in business convey the message that you are important to the person who took the time to write them. Once they’ve moved into your circle of influence, your fan base grows.

Additionally, fewer people are getting out as much as they used to. Mental Health America reports that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused people to feel detached or dissociated from their surroundings. There is a thirst for direct contact with anyone – with you. 

An era when avoidance feels more common makes handwritten notes one of the best ways to get in touch with people and get their attention. People are tired of being bombarded with emails; handwritten notes engage the recipient in more meaningful ways and are something they desire. 

According to SmallBizTrends, emails get opened 20 percent of the time, whereas handwritten notes get opened 99 percent. As a result of inundating people with emails for years and years, they have changed how they view their inboxes.

They assume emails are junk, spam, or irrelevant. The chances of someone opening a handwritten note are almost 100 percent. Building trust begins there.

Reciprocity in the Sharing Community

reciprocity in a sharing community

We are all smack dab in the middle of a sharing community. People share on blogs, social media, websites, forums, review sites and many many more. If there’s one thing you can depend on it’s that if you upset a client they’ll hit every platform they can to tell others of their bad experience.

But, you can stop that from happening.

The Negative

When someone is negatively influenced by your company or product, don’t, for a moment, think they’ll just disappear if you ignore them. First off, they want to know you’re listening and they want to know what you’re going to do to solve the problem. 

Here’s where a handwritten note comes into play. Send upset customers handwritten notes with a gift card or coupon included and accept the blame for what’s occurred. You may write:

Dear Amy,

We received your message saying the soap you ordered from us was delivered to your home in pieces. Whether this occurred at the warehouse or during delivery doesn’t matter; we want to make this right. 

Included is a coupon for 2 FREE bars of soap with free shipping and handling for your trouble. We apologize this happened, especially considering the soap was a gift. We hope you give us a chance to prove our product’s quality and our dedication to our customers. 

Feel free to contact us if you need anything.

Jack Smith, CEO

I can’t tell you how many colleagues tell me they “KNOW” handwritten notes work, but they don’t have the time to send them. If that’s the case, these customers will definitely take their time to drag your business name through the mud wherever they can.

It’s More Than a Business Transaction: The Power of Handwritten Notes

its more than a business transaction: the power of handwritten notes

What I really want to get into is the impact handwritten notes have on people that’s beyond anything business-related. People need these notes. They need to be reminded there’s a world out there completely separate from the things they buy, the jobs they work, the meals they cook, the children they raise. They need to be people acknowledged by people in a world where, thanks to Covid and technology, human interaction has almost disappeared.

Airbnb

Airbnb is a company that’s been neck-deep in customer satisfaction since the beginning. It all started with two hosts welcoming three guests into their home in 2007.

More than 14 years later, there are four million hosts on Airbnb, and hosts have earned more than $110 billion. How did that happen? Reciprocity.

According to a study in Quantitative Marketing and Economics, you get what you give. In our sharing economy, people are highly responsive to the idea of reciprocity. The study concluded, “We show that Airbnb hosts that are more reciprocal receive higher ratings and that higher rated hosts can increase their prices.”

When the host gives to the boarder, and they enjoy what they’ve received, they will reciprocate that goodness back to the host, often as a highly-rated review or return business. That’s exactly what you want, right?

But, even that’s a business transaction. We know handwritten notes work in these settings, what’s more difficult to understand is the why. 

According to Current Psychology, “… basic psychological need satisfaction mediates the associations between generalized reciprocity and autonomous motivation…” What’s that mean? It means that when you fulfill someone’s basic needs, that need for personal connection, they’re automatically motivated toward your business or to you as a person. 

Covid-19 Pandemic

Pew Research claims 89% of people have experienced “at least one negative change in their own lives,” thanks to Covid. The biggest negative appears to be the mental impact of distancing from society – things like loneliness and withdrawal. People lost human contact and the effects of that carry over to today as we’re still fighting the virus. 

Now imagine mailboxes packed with mass-printed flyers, bills and other standard mail. Then, they see their name and address handwritten on an envelope and a real Forever stamp.

That’s going to be opened. They want to know who took the time to recognize them. And it’s that recognition that people are longing for. They’re lonely!

According to Frontiers in Psychology, “Loneliness is a subjective unpleasant experience and refers to dissatisfaction with the discrepancy between an individual’s preferred and actual social relationships. It is a psychological manifestation of social isolation—commonly experienced at times of change—and is associated with adverse impacts on mental and physical health…”

The Time Has Come to Recognize What People Really Want

the time as come to recognize what people really want

People are lonely. People are sad. People have lost a LOT and though they may appear whole on the outside, research shows the effect of the pandemic has left them in a state of need.

They need businesses to do more than blatantly ask for a sale. They need businesses to care about them as a person and handwritten notes show you do.

If you’re worried about crafting handwritten letters and handwritten cards, check out AI-handwriting robots that hold real pens and churn out automated handwritten notes.

To close it out, I’ll leave you with a quote from Van Lange, “With direct reciprocity, [businesses] receive (sometimes delayed) benefits directly from the individual they helped.”

Handwritten Notes & Reciprocity FAQs

Q:
What is reciprocity in business marketing?
A:

Reciprocity in business marketing is the concept of exchanging value with customers to foster a mutually beneficial relationship. It’s based on the idea that when people give, they feel obliged to receive something in return.

For example, you may offer a discount for customers who sign up for your newsletter or reward them for referrals by giving them a gift card.

When done right, reciprocity can effectively drive sales and customer loyalty. Studies have shown that when companies offer free products upfront and ask customers to pay later, they tend to see an increase in conversions compared to their counterparts who just asked customers to pay immediately.

Giving out rewards such as special discounts or exclusive offers has been proven to drive repeat purchases and generate positive brand sentiment among consumers – which are great ways of increasing customer lifetime value (LTV) over time.

Reciprocity works best when personalized; after all, no two sets of consumers will respond the same way despite sharing similar demographics or behaviors.

Therefore, you should tailor your initiatives around building strong relationships with individual recipients – suggest relevant bonuses specific to their interests rather than generic promotions that may not trigger the desired response from each user segment within your target audience.

Ultimately, leveraging reciprocity in business marketing is an excellent way of providing added value while strengthening relationships with current and prospective customers – all without breaking the bank!

Q:
What are examples of reciprocity in marketing?
A:

Reciprocity is a powerful marketing technique that ensures returns on investment to businesses. It works by building relationships between the business and its customers through mutual exchange or positive reinforcement. Examples of reciprocity in marketing include:

1) Referral programs, which reward customers for referring their friends and family to your business, significantly increasing customer loyalty and generating new leads.

2) Offering free samples or discounts, which helps introduce products to potential buyers while also giving them a taste of what they could be getting if they purchased from you. This not only generates revenue but builds consumer trust as well, nurturing long-term relationships with clients.

3) Giving out promotional items such as t-shirts or mugs with your brand name on them encourages people to promote your product around town without actively targeting new audiences through traditional channels like paid ads or word-of-mouth.

4) Loyalty cards can also help drive repeat purchases as customers feel more compelled to return over time if they know they will get rewarded for their patronage – this keeps them engaged and looking forward to discovering more about special offers available only at certain times of the year!

Q:
What is reciprocity in selling?
A:

Reciprocity is an incredibly powerful tool for selling. It’s based on the idea that if you do something nice for someone, they will feel obligated to return the favor (hence its nickname: “the Rule of Reciprocity”!).

By using reciprocity in selling, you can use social pressures to increase your chances of closing a sale. A great way of utilizing this technique is by offering customers a free gift or complimentary service with their purchase.

This could be anything from a free sample product with their order to something more substantial like discounted shipping or extended warranties.

By doing this, customers are more likely to make the purchase because they feel the offer is too good to pass up – especially when compared with competitors who may not offer any benefits!

Another effective way of leveraging reciprocity in selling revolves around building customer relationships and becoming highly involved in their buying experience.

You can do this by taking time out during sales conversations to learn about them and what matters most to them; getting involved in helping them decide which product(s) might be best suited for their needs; thanking them often throughout the process; and following up afterward just as if they were family members rather than customers.

When people feel connected on an emotional level, they become loyal advocates who want nothing more than success for those whom they have grown fond of over time!

Reciprocity is one marketing tactic that should never be overlooked! It has been proven countless times that providing perks and engaging meaningful relationships helps close deals faster while creating long-lasting customer loyalty—allowing business owners/marketers more opportunities down the line due to long-term connections being established through reciprocation initiatives already put into place early on.

Q:
What are the 3 types of reciprocity?
A:

The three types of Reciprocity are Negative, Positive, and Balanced Reciprocity.

Negative Reciprocity is the exchange of favors with a view to future benefit. It involves giving something and expecting to get something in return.

For example, if you help someone with a task they’re struggling with, they may feel obliged to do something nice for you in return, such as assisting you on another project or recommending your services to others.

Positive Reciprocity is exchanging favors without expectation of future gain. This type of reciprocation occurs when people lend each other assistance without any mutual benefit in mind but instead want to be kind or helpful.

A classic example would be helping an elderly neighbor carry groceries up their stairs or bringing them food when they feel under the weather.

Balanced Reciprocity is based on returning similar benefits between two parties over time and usually occurs between close friends and family members who trust each other enough not to break the relationship no matter what happens during the exchange process.

An example could include lending one another money for various things such as rent payments or even vehicle repairs- expecting that it will be paid back by a specific date but understanding that life can happen and forgiveness, if necessary, should still exist between both parties if payment isn’t made on time due to unforeseen circumstances beyond control such as illness or job loss (which often leads back into positive reciprocation).

Reconnecting all three concepts together – all types of reciprocities have their pros and cons associated; however, all three establish relationships built on trust where people can rely on each other for anything from emotional support through difficult times, financial assistance at key moments, etc.; ultimately enhancing our lives on a much deeper level than we can imagine!