Six Handwritten Notes, Six Starbucks Gift Cards, and Six Years Later

(The value in going “old school” if you want to ensure getting noticed)

I received a handwritten thank-you note this week from a former candidate that actually took “the other job” versus the one I had hoped to put him in. In the end it was truly the right fit for him for location and future possibilities, and I expect him to be energized by it and be there for years. I was surprised about and appreciative of the classy note, and I am certain we will stay connected for the future. The note reminded me of a story I have been meaning to write up and publish, all to make the point of the value in going “old school” when it comes to communication these days.

Years ago, I had someone toss a couple of pieces of mail on my desk. I have never received very much “snail mail” at work in the first place, and what usually appeared would be something from Delta Airlines, a credit card company, or a Uline catalog, because someone figured I may need a pallet jack or some janitorial supplies on occasion. There in the pile was a card in a handwritten envelope. I opened it up and out fell a $10 Starbucks card. The note was from a guy I will simply call “Bill”, since that was his name. I don’t remember the exact words, but it was something to the effect of, “I learned of your company from a friend of mine at a local contractor. Can I buy you a cup of coffee and learn a bit more about your organization and industry?” I picked up the phone immediately and dialed his number, because “Why wouldn’t I?” It was the first handwritten note I had received in probably a year, plus the beverage from Starbucks sounded delicious. Also, Bill seemed nice.

We met for coffee the next week and he ended up being a delightful guy. He genuinely wanted to know about my company and the industry, and we had a great conversation about sales opportunities that could be out there. Of course, the question came up about potential opportunities in my own organization then or in the future, but truly, he was not expecting this would be an interview or that he would be interviewing with us. I had a relatively small team of regional sales managers working for me, they were spread all around the country at the time, all doing well, plus he would not have been a match for one of those positions anyway. There was a “must” for a certain set of experiences for someone to be effective in one of those roles.  We agreed to stay in touch, plus I ended up connecting him with a couple other colleagues in the industry locally, just in case the timing was right, and his skills and experience matched up for something.

In the timeline of this story, it is important to note that, years later, I found out I was one of six people Bill wrote to. He blew $60 on Starbucks cards, a couple bucks on stamps and cards, plus a bit of ink and the time for some thoughtful effort. He received four “positive responses”, got three in-person meetings, and one of those ended up with multiple interviews where he was the finalist for a sales job. He was not chosen, but the president of the company said the only reason was that he had committed to his board that the sales / sales-leader hire would be his successor as president. Bill did not match up well enough for that role. Bill ended up finding another job not related to any of these notes, but it was both an interesting and positive “experiment”.

Fast forward a couple years, and I was working for a new company, focused on growing sales, growing a team, and dialing in incentive plans to motivate that sales team in the right way. I was focused nationally, but I learned of the need for a Seattle-area salesperson to fearlessly knock on the doors of local contractors. I remembered “that guy, Bill” and gave him a ring. Timing was right, and my new company took a chance and him on board. He cracked his knuckles, went out our door to knock those knuckles on a bunch of new doors, and he was successful. Fast forward a couple more years and he and I were both gone from that company (and a little foreshadowing here that there could be another article in the works about it being “okay if you just don’t fit into a company’s culture”). Bill took a job with a competitor, it was a better fit, and he was even more successful. The cup of coffee six years before ended up producing years of rewarding work with these couple of companies.

I will assume you are smart enough to sum all of this up without me doing it for you, but I will still wrap this up with a couple of thoughts. Handwritten notes get noticed and you will stand out. A thank-you is appreciated and not forgotten, and a note of inquiry will likely get a response from a real human. You never know what might result from sending one, even if it is months or years later. An additional note is, in regard to online applications (we post many jobs all across the USA via Ziprecruiter), even an e-mail note can matter. We see approximately 750 applications to our posted jobs each month. I personally receive only two or three e-mails each month from someone saying, “I just submitted my application to you and I’m interested in this position. I saw your company listed as the recruiting company and thought I’d drop this note to make sure you saw my resume.” I ALWAYS respond to these, even if the individual does not come close to matching up with the job, because they stand out as thoughtful and determined. Plus, I usually cannot resist trying to help them in some way if I can.

So, if you find yourself crossing your fingers with an opportunity, put a pen in those fingers and write a note. You never know what will happen.