Even if your handwriting looks like a spider crawling across a page, it could be the secret to improving your marketing and creating new leads.

That’s because handwritten notes:

✅ Impress the recipient due to the extra effort they take

✅ Are far more personal than other forms of communication

✅ Stand out (when did you last receive something handwritten in the post?)

As Yardstick webinar guest and host of the Nudge podcast, Phill Agnew, said on a recent episode:

“Handwritten letters are powerful, not only because they’re different and distinctive, but because they naturally showcase effort. If I wrote someone a handwritten letter, they should value my communication more because they would know I’ve put more effort into writing it.”

And on another of our Yardstick webinars, Rory Sutherland explains how one couple harnessed the power of handwritten notes to buy a property that wasn’t even on the market.

So, how can you use them in your business? There are many options, but two immediately spring to mind.

#1. Send a handwritten thank-you card when you receive a referral

For the three reasons we mentioned above, we’ve recommended for years that advisers/planners send a handwritten thank-you card to clients when they make a referral.

The card (and envelope) should be high quality and handwritten by the adviser/planner, never someone else.

Sure, picking up the phone or sending an email is quicker and more efficient. But with those methods, you won’t benefit from the effects of input or effort bias. Buying a card, writing a personalised note, and sending it is a much more powerful way to show appreciation to a client.

To demonstrate the power of this simple act, we need look no further than a recent client survey we conducted for a financial planner. In it, we asked their clients: “Were there any moments when our team went above and beyond your expectations?”

One client replied: “Receiving a thank-you card after recommending you to a friend of mine.”

That’s lovely and shows the impact a handwritten thank-you card can have.

#2. Requesting Google reviews

Most advisers struggle to get Google reviews. Indeed, our research of firms in the 2024 New Model Adviser Top 100 showed that it’s 10 times easier to get a review on VouchedFor than Google.

So, you should take every opportunity to improve your chances of getting Google reviews. And this is where we can steal another idea from Phill Agnew.

In this podcast episode, Phill explained: “I wanted to test this idea on my subscribers. Can I send handwritten notes to encourage them to leave me a five-star review?”

In his experiment, Phill asked two groups of people to review his podcast.

He sent his standard request to the first group by email. The second group received a handwritten note, again by email.

Crucially, each note was unique and written by Phill personally.

As Phill explains in the podcast, more people in the second group left a review: “It is tiny numbers, and it’s obviously not statistically significant, but the click rate improved by 350% and the review rate by 300%.

“It proved to me at least that my email subscribers do seem to reward effort. This effortful handwritten note was far more effective at driving reviews, despite both variants containing the exact same message.”

If you’re struggling with Google reviews, why not follow Phill’s example?

Once you’ve done that for some time, say three to six months, you could try an alternative and compare the results. Instead of sending an email, create a physical card, which includes:

• A QR code linked to your Google and VouchedFor review page
• Space for a handwritten note.

Then, after you’ve engaged a new client or conducted an annual review with an existing client, you handwrite a card and envelope and pop them in the post.

Power of handwritten notes

Late last year, I received handwritten items in the post on two occasions.

One was a letter asking if I was interested in selling The Yardstick Agency (I’m not!). The other was a card thanking me for speaking at an event.

On both occasions, there were other items of mail, but I opened the handwritten envelopes first.

I hope that the quick story and the thoughts of Phill Agnew, Rory Sutherland, and the financial planner’s client are enough to convince you to try handwritten cards and notes.

If you have any questions, comments, or thoughts about this week’s blog, I’d love to hear from you.

I can be reached by emailing phil@theyardstickagency.co.uk or, if you’d prefer to send a letter, 3rd Floor, 3-7 Middle Pavement, Nottingham NG1 7DX.