Signing Your Own Cards

I sign my own cards. Whether it be a birthday card for a distant relative, a Christmas card for a friend, or an anniversary card for my in-laws, I make sure to grace it with my elegant penmanship (elegant being very loosely defined). My wife usually writes a short message and then asks me, "Do you want to sign?" I always say, "Yes." It is important to me to personally sign off on anything that has my name on it.....and this, of course, isn't just about greeting cards.

In the contemporary world of sales and marketing, "automation" is a buzzword fighting for top billing. We are obsessed with systems that allow us to develop relationships efficiently. If a machine can do it, why should we waste our time (or emotional energy) on it? Automate social media. Automate PR. Automate conversation. Is this all a good thing?

Well, in many ways, I am using automation when I sign those greeting cards. 1: I don't make the cards. Hallmark does (okay, so it's actually the Dollar Tree, just don't tell anyone.) 2: My wife writes the "personal" message that is addressed from both of us. What do I do with the card? I read it. I sign it. I give it my approval.

The same thing needs to happen in sales and marketing automation. It is fine to use templates, but you need to personally verify what is being communicated to whom. There is little more embarrassing than a prospect getting an automated email that was meant for someone else, when it says "Dear _________" at the top and "Sincerely, Your Name at the bottom. Believe me, I know. It's very damaging to your credibility to have explain to a prospect that an email wasn't "really" from you, especially when you said such nice things about them in the email!

What am I saying? Just be smart about automation. Obviously, it is time that could be better spent elsewhere if you personally draft every appointment confirmation. But don't get carried away. Have genuine conversations with prospects when you can. When in doubt, err on the side of authenticity. You want "real" people to respond, right? If you don't want an automated response, don't send so many automated messages.

Or, at the very least, know what your messages say. Sign your own cards!