Why don't you send handwritten thank you cards to your customers and clients? Out of stamps? Is it too time-consuming? Are you ashamed of your penmanship?

On Sunday, I Marie Kondo'd my desk. I laid out my return address stickers, a stack of monogrammed notecards, and envelopes. Then, I reloaded my fountain pen with ebony ink.

And, I wrote... and I wrote... and I wrote some more.

(I've never written so many thank you cards in one sitting in my life.)

My goal?

To find out how long it would take to write 12,000 handwritten cards. (That's not a typo - 12,000.)

I love to send a handwritten note almost as much as I adore receiving one.

There's something enchanted about ripping into a thoughtfully crafted, personally penned letter.

Is it the charming bond you feel when you handle the paper your friend touched just a few days ago?

Or maybe it's the subconscious realization that someone was thinking about you recently and took the time to tell you?

Sadly, I don't get as many handwritten notes as I used to. You don't either.  

Personal, physical mail correspondence is on a steep decline.

This means that sending a personal thank you note is an effortless way to stand out. It's a splendid way to make our clients feel something: joy, anticipation, and gratitude, all bundled into a tiny little envelope.

So, this week's Loyalty Loop is inspired by a CEO who writes 12,000 handwritten notes every year.

How long does that take? Is there a more efficient way? What about your pathetic penmanship?

I'll answer all those questions and introduce you to the one person who may believe in the power of the handwritten note more than me.

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