Ask Mr. Marketing: A classy way to stand out in the graduating crowd
Before all hell breaks loose and you get into summer celebrations, consider how mailing a thank you note to the gift-giver or scholarship committee will differentiate you from the majority of students and really make your reputation shine.
I’m talking about sending real notes involving pen, paper, envelope and postage — message with good spelling, grammar and penmanship.
And, no, email, texts and voicemail won’t cut it.
Sending a handwritten thank you note is old-fashioned and laborious. It’s also classy. Personal stationery, while not necessary, is a nice touch.
After all, if someone takes the trouble to give you a gift, shouldn’t you invest a little of yourself by sending a formal thank you? It screams, “I made an effort!”
And with so few people writing anything these days, let alone thank you notes, it’s a sure way of being noticed and remembered.
This idea may come as a shock to a generation living by text, and believing that email and telephones are quaint.
Yet it’s actually good practice for the inevitable day when you go looking for a job.
Here’s some economic information you may have missed:
•You can safely assume 250 people will apply for every job you go for from now on.
•The economy has shifted dramatically since your youth, and folks far more qualified than you are driving taxis and checking groceries, just to keep the rent paid.
•There’s a one in 20 chance you’ll get a given interview.
•Just one in five interviewees will get hired.
True, these are harsh statistics. But sending that same handwritten thank you note to the interviewer will help ensure you’re remembered positively.
Regular readers of this column know my philosophy that people do business with those they know, like and trust. Getting a job comes under this umbrella, and you’re more likely to get hired if the interviewer liked you and thinks well of you.
In addition, even if you don’t get the job, the interviewer will consider you first next time around.
Those few minutes you take to write a note could be the best investment ever made in your career. Think about it.
With that said, I wish you a week of profitable marketing.
Everyone wants to be appreciated. Leverage those positive feelings at www.askmrmarketing.com.