Think about the last time you received a handwritten note. Maybe it was a Christmas card from your grandmother or a love letter that meant the world to you. There’s something special about handwritten messages that email just can’t match. Today, I’ll show you how this simple insight can double your customer spending, backed by scientific research. Stay tuned until the end, as I’ll reveal how to turbocharge this strategy and one mistake that can ruin it- 

The Study

A fascinating study from the University of Maryland and Yonsei University found that when customers received a handwritten thank you note, their future spending doubled. It went from $25.97 to $527 after receiving just one simple note. This represents a 10.5% increase from a small gesture.

I applied the same strategy when I ran a marketing agency (though it works for any kind of company). I transformed my pricing model, charging clients from $1,800 a month to over $20,000 a month in part by adding more human touch. Now, back to the study. Here’s the kicker which makes this easy: even a high-quality photocopy of a handwritten note worked just as well as the original. The key was the human touch, not the original ink on paper.

Luxury brands like the Ritz Carlton use handwritten notes as part of their customer service strategy. So do ultra high-end consumer good. If the world’s top luxury brands are doing this, what does that tell us about its effectiveness? If you implement this strategy, you’ll be associated with quality and luxury too.

The Implementation

Now, how do you make this work in your business? The research showed three critical findings:

1. Notes work best with existing customers, not cold prospects. They need to have a relationship with you, like having bought something from you once.
2. Do not combine these notes with discounts or free gifts. That reduces the effect. Discounts and free gifts are separate strategies.
3. A simple “Dear Customer” works. You don’t need extensive personalization.

You might be thinking, “I can’t write hundreds of notes by hand.” Let me share a story about Joe Gerard, the world’s greatest car salesman, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. He was famous for sending out thousands of personal notes and greeting cards every month to current and former customers. Over his career, he sold 13,001 cars—about 867 cars a year. Most car salesmen sold about 100 to 120 cars a year. That’s a massive difference.

He did it the hard way, writing all these notes by hand. You could do that, or hire an assistant. But with modern technology, it’s even easier. Companies like Handwritten, Simply Noted, and Scrib can do this for you. Some have real people writing the letters; others use robots with real pens that make the handwriting indistinguishable from a person’s. Some can even connect your CRM to the writing service for high-volume sending.

Best Times to Use Handwritten Notes

Let’s look at the best times to use handwritten notes:

1. Post-purchase follow-up: Thank customers for their purchase and welcome them to your brand family.
2. Customer service recovery: Turn negative experiences into positive memories.
3. Business milestones: Celebrate customer anniversaries or acknowledge loyalty program achievements.
4. Special occasions: Send birthday acknowledgments or holiday greetings. For holidays, consider sending letters on Thanksgiving rather than Christmas, as they stand out more.

Handwritten notes create what I call a memory anchor. They connect your business to the same emotional place as family members and love letters. In a world full of digital noise, that is incredibly powerful.

Do This Next

The science is clear: handwritten notes can double your customer spending. Luxury brands are already doing it, and now you have the research and practical steps to implement it in your business. Want to learn more? Check out CEOworkbench.com