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June 23, 2006
e-mail vs. handwritten notes...
I've had this discussion/argument over the years with a number of folks. Being a "computer geek," non-computer types often dismiss my belief that e-mail is an effective form of business communication. They're quick to judge that computer types will jump on technology much faster than others in the business world.
Overall, that's a true generalization, but it doesn't mean that the rest of the world is so far behind the computer types that our way of doing things is unacceptable.
This story from NPR's "All Things Considered" yesterday is a good example. It's "thank-you" season, with graduates, newlyweds, and others all writing notes to show appreciation for the gifts they've received. While the consensus is that a handwritten note is more personal (therefore has more value to the recipient), e-mail is still effective. As the lady from Google points out, a timely e-mail (one received the same day of an interview) is more effective than a handwritten note that arrives a few days later.
In the case of thank-yous for gifts, I advised my teen (who graduated from high school last month) to send e-mails out immediately, and follow them up with the traditional note. If he procrastinates forever on the notes, at least he got the e-mails out...
Posted by Edward J. Branley at June 23, 2006 10:24 AM
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