Tools of the trade

I haven’t done any research – that would be expensive! – but I know anecdotally that a handwritten letter is a powerful thing. In today’s digital world we rarely receive letters, and hardly ever handwritten notes. Christmas cards might be the closest we get to handwriting messages these days. Even then the sloppy text and rushed “love from bob and family” content often relegate these once-treasured seasonal letters to the recycling bin.

I like to handwrite letters wherever possible. I do it because I like to receive handwritten notes myself. I’ve even handwritten the occasional business letter of introduction, and they’ve all gone down well. Whether that’s because the recipient likes the effort I made to write a letter or simply that they feel guilty about ignoring something so personal, I often receive a response.

When I’m offering a compliment I want people to know that I mean it. And when I mean something I like to make it personal. So, wherever possible, I’ll try to send handwritten Compliment Corner letters.

The tools for this are simple:

-          Good quality paper

-          Good quality (matching envelope)

-          Fountain pen (just like we used at school)

-          Stamp

Optional extras:

-          Lined paper

-          A steady hand

-          Ink eraser (as rarely as possible)

Phil