Special delivery.

Most of the mail I receive is crap – feckless financial solicitations, fruitless fundraising appeals, clueless catalogs – but the other day I received a package; it’s three dimensions were sufficient to distinguish it from the pile of junk I discarded. ?Inside was a gift.

I haven’t seen Rachel Cogar in nearly ten years, and although we are LinkedIn friends, our exchanges are infrequent.? And yet here was a package containing two books, a book mark, and a note from her, a largely successful way to be charming, gracious, and generous all at once.

I say, “largely” and not “completely” successful because, as thoughtful as this was, there are several things Rachel could have done to make each package ?work harder and possibly be more effective.

For starters, the internal envelope in which the letter was housed was blank; I can’t imagine Rachel going to the expense of sending many of these – 10 packages? ?25?? 50? ?100 at most? – so why not handwrite each person’s first name on the envelope face?? Instead of it being empty, there would be “Robert,” a much more friendly, welcoming, and personal means to connect.

Inside the envelope there was what amounts to a form letter.? What was deft about it is it did not try to sell me or other recipients on anything. ?In fact, Rachel makes a point in her letter of saying there is no hidden agenda here. ?

I was grateful for the gift and certainly didn’t expect Rachel to write exclusively to me, but why not add a short, handwritten personal note at the top of the letter, perhaps something as brief and simple as, “I hope you’re doing well Robert,” or the equivalent?

And then there are those books, another missed opportunity for engagement, even if it’s simply a short message like, “I hope you find this helpful,” or, “I found this book to be incredibly useful; I hope you do too.”

While the letter is perishable and sure to be discarded at some point, the two books endure; every time recipients open one, they see Rachel’s note, had she written one, and are reminded of her generosity.?? The bookmark might have been intended to serve this purpose, but bookmarks get lost or misplaced; books rarely do.

I’m guessing Rachel went to good deal of trouble to compile her mailing list, purchase the books, craft a letter, then assemble and mail the packages.? It might take roughly five minutes to add the few touches I’ve recommended to each package.? If there were ten people on her list, the task requires less than hour to complete.?

One hundred people of course requires more time, but when you’re investing this much money in the effort, wouldn’t it make sense to take those extra steps?

Needless to say, I’m flattered to be among those on the receiving end of Rachel’s thoughtfulness.? Could it be I was part of a “control” group that got a non-personalized package, with a different group receiving a more personal one??

I’d like to think so.? But if I’m wrong, and given that Rachel is smart and thoughtful, I only can imagine she has her reasons for not making a really good effort into a better one.