Personalized power pushes product

I’ve been buying the same products from the same person at the same company for at least three years. The business is over one thousand miles away so all our business is conducted over the telephone and by email. Over the years we have built a friendly but businesslike relationship. On the phone we kid around a little about the weather, our favorite sports teams, and our families. He works hard to satisfy me, gives good service and I respect his work ethic.

Recently something changed in our relationship. I received a letter from him. It was a business letter that discussed some new services his company was introducing and a brochure that explained all the features and benefits of it. The brochure and letter was all pretty standard stuff from a marketing standpoint except for two notable exceptions.

At the end of the letter he had hand-written (not typed) a personalized note as a post script which made me read everything a little more closely and he had included his business card in the mailing. The business card had his photo on it. For the first time I had a visual picture of the person I had been talking to all this time. He must have the same barber since he has the same hair style that I do!

Joking aside, I was struck with the personalized marketing power of his handwritten note and my ability to now visualize the person behind the voice. Now, when we talk about an order, I feel like I know him better and, because of that level of familiarity, feel that our business relationship is a little stronger. It made me a better customer.

The personalization he used made me more aware of the nature of our buying patterns and made me consider how we all can use the power of personalized marketing. I would encourage every businessperson to consider how we are known to our clients and prospects, how we engage them personally to strengthen our relationships and our businesses.

Larry Galler

Email Larry on larry@larrygaller.com