How To Stand Out From The Competition

Want to stand out from your competition? Write a hand-written note to your prospective customer. It doesn’t have to be long. It might just be two or three short sentences thanking them for their time and/or sharing their needs with you. I can just about guarantee that your competitor will not spend the time to do this. The art of hand-written notes is dying. Everyone is too busy to buy note cards, write them out, address them, stamp them, and mail them. Not when they can type a quick e-mail and hit send all in less than one minute.

That hand-written thank you will make an impression that the quick e-mail just can’t come close to doing. The recipient will know that you took the extra time and effort to acknowledge them and show them respect for their time. You will stand out as an individual who pays attention to detail and views his/her customers as important enough to deserve extra consideration.

I have recently had two instances where I wrote a hand-written thank you note to a business associate. They were both so impressed that they contacted me and commented on what a good impression my simple note made on them. They too, mentioned that no one takes the time in this day and age to write a short note. It is a dying art that needs to be revived. It says so much more than the simple words written down. Try it for one month and see if it makes a difference in your sales and relationships with your customers. After all, all you have to lose by trying it is a little of your time. But I’m convinced that you will more than recoup your time in increased sales.

The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at www.neminc.com.