I got an amazing communication from a business colleague the other day – a handwritten note.

Yes, a short, simple, yet heartfelt handwritten note – I realize it may sound unremarkable when you first hear about it. But stop and think about it for a moment – in today’s age, where all the attention is given to social media and to new high tech ways to connect with audiences, something handwritten really stands out.

Now for the backstory of this note, which does actually start with social media, and ends with a very low-tech (yet highly meaningful) correspondence.

I recently met Brian Unitan of Adams Outdoor Advertising (Madison, WI office) during a meeting at the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce. I was there speaking about social media, and I hoped that I provided some value to those in attendance.

In the days after the meeting, I got several nice notes from attendees and some requests to LinkedIn. This was much appreciated – I love meeting new people in my community, and LinkedIn is a great way to learn more about each other and stay connected. It is a logical next step to get to know someone.

Brian went a step further and reached out and asked if we could meet for coffee, which I was all too happy to do. I wanted to learn more about Brian’s company and his marketing expertise. And as I have discovered, face-to-face meetings are a great way to expand one’s network, exchange viewpoints and ideas, and look for new business opportunities. Everyone wins.

Brian and I talked about different methods of communications, ranging from outdoor advertising to social media and everything in-between, and it was, I think, really useful and beneficial for both of us. Plus, Brian is a super nice guy. An added bonus!

We then, not surprisingly, LinkedIn to stay connected. I already knew that I would certainly keep Brian and his company in mind – when I needed expertise in his area, he is my go-to guy. And I hoped he would keep me in mind for contacts he has that need strategic marketing needs, or who even need some implementable social media consulting and coaching.

And that was that for now. Or so I thought.

A few days later, I received a handwritten note from Brian in the mail, simple, yet so remarkable. It really made me pause and realize how few and far between these notes are.

But I also realized how brilliant it is to weave on-line communication (email, social media touch points) with off-line communications (meeting in a coffee shop) with something that really grabs attention (handwritten note) in this message-cluttered world. We all know multiple touch points are an important part of communications – but this takes it to the next level.

Think about this simple tool when you want to stand out in a good way. I almost guarantee that you will.

Thank you, Brian. You taught me a lot.

Filed under: Uncategorized on July 23rd, 2010