Civility, Golf and Thank You Notes in the Age of the Internet

Business Manners Have Real Dollar Value

Is civility in business a relic of the last century? Are buyers and sellers more self-centered than ever? Is every commercial relationship adversarial? You can accept these views as permanent conditions in a troubled world or make a conscious decision not to let them rule your office. Business etiquette is not quaint or a waste of time. It is a serious strategy that distinguishes your agency from its less thoughtful rivals.

Obligatory Golf Metaphor

When there is a foursome that hasn’t played together before, sportsmanship is displayed, at least initially. People don’t talk while another golfer is swinging. They don’t walk in each other’s line while putting. And decent shots are verbally affirmed. All of this lasts for a good four or five holes. After that, the players revert to their more casual personalities. In other words, after a period of stellar behavior, it’s every person for themselves.

It’s painfully easy to draw parallels between the above golf scenario and any operation that thrives on repeat customers. In the P/C business, a new insured is made to feel welcome during their first year or two with the agency. But after that, a level of comfort kicks in and the client’s repeat business is taken for granted, particularly in personal and small commercial lines. The key question is, can the relationship endure? It can if you maintain competitive rates and display real manners for the full 18 holes. The easiest place to start is with the classic thank you note.

Say Thanks a Lot

In this e-mail, text message, LinkedIn, Facebook-age, it’s easy to spurn the business value of traditional USPS correspondence. Yet still, whenever someone looks through their postal mail and discovers a smaller than normal handwritten envelope with a canceled stamp on it, it’s always the first one they open. They know that it is either an invitation or a personal note card. Everyone craves attention and appreciation. So, use these universal human feelings to attract sales, to better serve your insureds, to strengthen relationships, and to add to your bottom line.

Below are 11 fairly obvious times for sending thank you notes. Yet too often these occasions are missed. Do you let them go by?

• After gaining an initial appointment or permission to prepare a proposal.
• After getting your first policy go ahead.
• After an insured renews with you for the first time.
• On periodic account anniversaries (soon after you renew the business).
• In appreciation of a traditional referral or a LinkedIn introduction/recommendation.
• As notification of a successful sale derived from the above [see example].
• In appreciation of a prospect’s time when your proposal wasn’t accepted.
• Upon satisfactorily resolving an insured’s valid complaint.
• In appreciation of an insured’s helpful business or personal suggestion.
• In appreciation of a company underwriter, marketing rep, or claim adjuster’s help in writing or saving a valuable account.
• In appreciation of an agency staffer’s extraordinary work (sent to their home).

Here’s an example of a brief thank you note for a successful referral.

Cautions and Conclusion

Never think of a thank you note as a duty, consider it a pleasure. After all, someone did something decent for you. And that doesn’t happen every day. So, make sure that your message is warmly written and honestly felt. Handwrite it on a real note card. E-mail is more immediate, but its electronic nature places it a distant second. And preprinted thank you cards and form letters are counterproductive due to their impersonal character.

Always write as an appreciative peer, not a fawning sycophant. Don’t send too many notes to the same person or they’ll lose their impact. Write and mail promptly as a late note is worse than not sending one at all. And never incorporate a sales pitch into your message.

Handwritten thank you notes are not just for Bar Mitzvah and wedding gifts. These seeming anachronisms are still relevant. Sure, the Internet is packed with wondrous tools, but sometimes old school just rules.