No matter what else we do, giving your customers a personal note will never get old. From the beginning of civilization, humans have loved getting a personal message from someone else. It doesn’t have to be powerful poetry or even very long. The message can be short and direct: “Hi, NAME. I just wanted you to know that I was thinking of you, and I hope you’re doing well.”
To be clear, the purpose of these notes is to make a human connection — to show people that you care. So when you send one, don’t add any sales or marketing materials. This can’t be a note about your new offering or a nudge to book the next stay. Those aren’t bad messages, and you should send them to create sales — the most powerful sales technique is simply to ask for the sale. But when you do that, it changes the nature of the communication. It no longer says, “I care about you personally.” Send your marketing at another time, through another channel.
The most impactful way to do this is old school: a handwritten note on real paper. Physical mail that isn’t an advertisement or a bill is rare now — which is exactly why it stands out. Seeing your own handwriting creates a feeling of personal connection that the most beautiful pictures on a glossy page cannot match.
To be clear, this isn’t convenient or efficient. But that inefficiency is the point — it communicates that you cared enough to slow down. Picture a family that just spent a long weekend at your resort: the kids rode the wave for the first time, grandma finally tried the ropes course. A week later, a short card lands in their mailbox — “We loved having your crew. Hope the kids are still talking about that first ride.” That card outlives every automated email in their inbox.
To make this more likely, set yourself up to succeed. You can buy note cards right now (they don’t have to be fancy). You can make pre-stamped envelopes with your return address already on them. You can even write most of the message in advance, leaving a little space at the top for a personalized touch. Then set them out on your desk where you’ll see them. And if you’re like me, set a reminder to actually send one. Once a week? Once a month?
Little things can make a big difference.