The Power of a Handwritten Letter

We live in an increasingly electronic, fast-paced world. Our thoughts are delivered in punchy, broad statements shared with the masses on social media. These days, we often read only the headline of an article. A startling fact – the average household received just one personal handwritten letter for every 10 weeks. And this was way back in 2015. In such a setting, you may think that the handwritten letter is obsolete, but that assumption is far from the truth. Long before emoticon or the typewriter came into existence, the only viable tool available to put forth a message was the persuasive skills of the writer. Letters remain an essential form of communication, no matter which business you are in.

Though the world of internet has unlocked many new possibilities for communication and outreach as a business, it hasn’t erased the old ones. Every business should be sending handwritten letters to customers and prospects. In order to have a competitive advantage, you need to send authentic handwritten letters to get personal and heartfelt. The delivery method cuts through the competition to touch your customers’ hearts: the handwritten letter.

The way handwritten letters enable us to communicate can at times be extremely therapeutic whereby we allow ourselves the much needed time to decide what we actually want to convey and more importantly how we convey it. Handwritten letters have permanence in a way emails and text messages don’t. Unlike texting and email which are often reactionary, handwritten ones allow us to reflect on our feelings and express these emotions in a soul-baring way.

There were many instances where handwritten letters changed the course of a country’s history. Winston Churchill’s handwritten response to his assistant private secretary Ellot Crawshay-Williams. When Williams wrote to Churchill, asking to make a deal with the Nazi Germany and end the war, saying he thought Britain should use its “nuisance value while we have one to get the best peace terms possible. Otherwise, after losing many lives and much money, we shall merely find ourselves in the position of France — or worse. I hope this doesn’t sound defeatist; I’m not that. Only realist”, and for which Churchill replied with a handwritten note that read: “I am ashamed of you for writing such a letter. I return it to you — to burn & forget”. Despite this advice, the letter was not burnt and it was sold along with Churchill’s reply for £34,850 at an auction at Christie’s in 2010

A handwritten note or letter is simply a powerful means of communication. So, how often do you do this classy thing to touch the people you love?