Florence Isaacs - Business Notes: Writing Personal Notes That Build Professional Relationships

Part One:

Part Two:

Part Three:

Part Four:

This is a low-tech book for a high-tech world. Its about common sense, connecting with people, and ideas that cost nothing except a few minutes of your time, yet pay important dividends for your business and career. At a time when its hard to get a live person on the telephone and the world operates on voice mail, a personal note is a powerful tool. People appreciate it and respond to it in a way they dont to other means of communication.

When I began this project, a few skeptics couldnt understand how writing a note could make any impact in the fast-paced business world. Their common lament was, Who has the time for such projects? Yet the majority of people I talked to were eager to share their own positive experiences or to discuss a genuine desire to communicate more effectively. For many of them, however, the fear of writing was as strong as the interest in writing.

Writing a book is an adventure. You never know what kind of information you will discover. In the process of exploring innovative applications for notes, I interviewed a range of professionals, and I found some surprises. One early revelation was that the more impressive the job titles, the more successful the rainmakers, the more likely they were to appreciate and use personal notes to woo new clients, cultivate customer loyalty, and motivate employees. Notes helped forge and maintain a web of relationships in and outside of their companies. Is there a link between notes and their success? They think so. The business leaders of todays world got where they are by making connections, and thats what writing notes is really about.

Though I cannot name all who have contributed to this book, I must acknowledge some for assistance that enriched the entire project. I met Fred Linch, owner of the Linch Company, at the first signing for my previous book, Just a Note to Say The Perfect Words for Every Occasion. His imaginative use of business notes convinced me I was on the right track. Jon Prince, vice president of the McKeesport Candy Company, another dedicated note writer, also provided valuable help. I got extraordinary support from my editor, Pam Krauss.

For their insights, I also thank Samuel S. Perelson; Steven D. Oppenheim; Neil P. Lewis; Barbara Pachter of Pachter and Associates; S. B. Hirni of Echo Marketing Consultants; Dorothea Johnson, director of the Protocol School of Washington; Eileen Castolene, vice president, career transition, at Drake Beam Morin; Gayle Kosterman, senior vice president, human resources, at S. C. Johnson & Son; Gerald Sherwin, senior partner in charge of account service at Bozell Worldwide; James W. Viera, senior vice president of Cosmair; Gerry McLaughlin, senior vice president and associate creative director of Cline, Davis & Mann; Nancy R. Olsen, editor of Pen World magazine; Eve Cohen, president of the Aster Search Group; Geoffrey Berliner of Berliner Pen; Linda K. Shah; Dempsey & Carroll; Joan DeMayo; and Judith C. Tingley.

E very Monday morning a senior partner in a large accounting firm leaves his home at 7:00 A.M. for the office. Tucked into his bulging briefcase is a fistful of clippings from the weekend newspapers: an ad for a business opportunity of interest to a client, an article on a tax issue recently discussed with a colleague, a notice of a friends promotion, an engagement announcement for the child of someone who refers business to the accounting firm. When the partner arrives at the office, his first task of the day is to write a personal note to mail out with each clip.

Writing notes has become part of his work routine. Why does he bother? Because he understands that the world has changed. Years ago, people established deep, stable business and professional relationships, he explains. Loyalty really meant something. But today its out of sight, out of mind. Anything you can do to remind people youre alive and available, without being too obvious about it, is valuable. A note is something tangible that keeps your name in front of present clients and those youre courting.

The CEO of a small company explains why he writes notes as part of his regular routine: Building relationships with customers and being thoughtful about their needs is a major part of what business is all about. Its no more sophisticated than that. When you write, Thank you for your business, you let people know that you care about them. Then what do they do? They talk about you. If they see someone who needs your product or service, they say, Go see this guy. Were all very attracted to courtesy because we get so little of it today.

In this age of global competition and technology, where everything changes fast, the personal touch is so rare that it stands out. It gets remembered. Personal notes help distinguish me from the rest of the pack, says a management consultant, and clients appreciate the effort. It makes a difference.

Personal notes are your own marketing and sales tools. They can build relationships, raise your visibility, and give you an extra edge. Theyre a smart business practice in a fast-paced world, and they get read precisely because they are notes. People dont want to write a lot of stuff, says the executive vice president of a commercial bank, and they dont want to read a lot, either. If I get a two-page letter, I say, Ill read it later. Then maybe I dont look at it for a day or two. But I read a note right away.

The word note, incidentally, generally refers to informal, brief correspondence in this book. Though a note may be written on letterhead in certain situations, it conveys a personal quality. It may be written by hand.

There are many ways to use notes. They connect you not only to customers or clients but also to others who can do you some good. A note can act as a powerful follow-up to a meeting, an event, or a sales call; it can build goodwill and encourage repeat orders. Notes are also a way to stay in touch with people who refer business to you. They show that youre interested in something more than the next sale or what someone can do for you.

Notes can also motivate employees and help strengthen relationships with colleagues and others who may affect your performance. Theyre ideal networking tools at a time when you cant know too many people. Contacts in your field are sources of trade information who can save you enormous amounts of time and trouble. Notes are one way to maintain these crucial connections.