Autumn 2011

A Note from Cole

This issue of Red is all about the handwritten note. Yes, that handwritten note—the one you meant to send but never got around to. Isn't that how it usually goes?

This past September, I took a short business trip out East by way of NYC. I sandwiched a night visiting dear friends on either end of this particular trip and squeezed in lots of 'non-business' stuff in the middle. It was great and I didn't feel like I was working at all.

At Doth, we always have our clients make a habit of writing handwritten notes if they aren't already doing it. It's an extremely successful and easy practice. (Although, sometimes, it seems impossible to remember to actually take an envelope to a mailbox.) I've noticed over the years how hard this practice can be on some people, especially those that have very professional boundaries. See, writing something in your own handwriting is, well, personal. And it does kind of make you feel a little vulnerable. What if they think what you wrote is stupid? What if you say something wrong? What if they think you write like a child?

I'm someone that has always written notes, and I am someone that remains open in both my friendships and my business relationships. I believe written correspondence is what has allowed me to be comfortable with this openness. If you are someone that struggles with either of these things, perhaps sharing a little of yourself in a note will be good practice. After all, business is built by forming relationships, and the strongest relationships come from being giving and open.

I know that anytime I've ever gotten a note, an actual note with more than just a signature below some pre-printed text, I have never had a reaction other than a smile appearing across my face. And I'm pretty sure that's the same reaction you will have.

Write a note this October!

Warmly,

Cole Imperi

PS: I took the photo above of the inside of a 12" x 12" x 12" box I am storing all of this year's correspondence in. When I say I write a lot, I mean it!

Your Handwriting is a Gift... Even if it's Sloppy.

Just as each person’s style of dress, for example, is a marker of their unique personality, our handwriting is a marker of our unique selves. There’s nothing like a face-to-face meeting with body language, tone of voice and eye contact in tow. So, when it comes to the written word, there’s nothing like actual pen on paper.

We know through research and experience that something handwritten is always more authentic than something typed out. In fact, a handwritten note is always perceived as a gift.

Read more from Cole on why, here.

Writing Samples | A How-To on Handwritten Notes

Have you wanted to give handwritten notes a try? Maybe you're in the group of people that haven't given it a go because you just don't know what to say.

Cole Imperi, the owner (and an avid note-writer), pulled a bunch of notes she's received and/or written over the years and adapted a few for your use. Take a look at her samples and try writing a note to a colleague yourself.

There is something really satifying about putting a stamp on an envelope, sealing the flap and popping it into the mailbox. Don't deny yourself!

Cole provides a slew of examples to get your letter-writing arsenal started, here.

Complimentary Simple Stationery Download

But what to write these notes on, you ask? Here is a complimentary, downloadable and editable PDF to add to the character your handwriting provides.

The link will take you to a PDF you can download. You'll see we put 'Doth Brands' in as dummy text (when you open the file). If your computer supports it, you will be able to click on the words already there and type in whatever you want. Type in your own name, your company name...whatever. Then, click save.

(Take a look at the image to the right. See how 'Ruby' is typing in her name? That's what you'll do.)

When you're ready to print, just click 'print' and make sure that any 'shrink to fit' boxes are unchecked. These will print two sheets to an 8.5" x 11" piece of paper. When cut in half, each sheet will fold in half to fit inside an A2 envelope perfectly.

Since the text is chocolate brown, we suggest using a pretty colored envelope to match the season, like chocolate brown, pumpkin orange or sunflower yellow.

Now, if your computer/sofware is preventing you from typing directly into the PDF, you can mimic this same layout in any wordprocessing software.

Click here to download the PDF version.

Plus, a Marketing Vocabulary Lesson

Inbound and Outbound Marketing employ very different strategies to get to the same goal: to help you sell more of whatever it is you sell to the right people.

So, what's the difference between the two? And just as importantly, what's the price difference?

Cole writes on the basic differences of Inbound and Outbound Marketing here.

What Do YOU Think?

Thanks for reading another issue of RED. We hope you got something useful from this issue and if you didn't, let us know! Please share RED with a friend or colleague and don't hesitate to get in touch with Doth Brands. You can just reply directly to this email!