That Personal Touch

Is it just me or is life becoming more isolated and distant these days? We can shop for anything from the comfort of the couch and pull into the Target Pick-Up space or wait for that Amazon truck. Everything is automated, digitized and immediate. Don’t get me wrong, I prefer solitude over crowds of strangers, but I don’t think we were created to disconnect from other people at this level.

Technology is a wonderful thing and I’m grateful for the beautiful minds that invent new ways to use it in daily life. Even still, I’ve noticed sharp contrasts between the “A.I. - Everything” people and those who embrace a simplified, authentic, hand-written lifestyle. Surprisingly, the latter seems to be populated by a younger generation, which brings hope. They’re homeschooling their children, raising chickens and growing real food. They are disconnecting from screens at a rapid rate. I have a 20-something family member who recently switched to a flip phone!

What’s happening? It’s a toned down, back-to-basics movement away from all the noise, expectations and pressure. It’s a sharp distrust in what “they” tell us is true (even basic food labels). People are experiencing the damage that can happen with social media, oversharing to strangers, highlight reels and 7-second clips. Slam the brakes and let’s actually think!

Let’s talk about how you can be a part of restoring personal connections with other human people. This is a tremendous opportunity to fill the void and do something that is not expected but will make a huge impact. Yes, you can incorporate this concept into your marketing! It can be as simple as a quick, handwritten note to thank a customer. I know, “Who has time for that?” You can do it with one less doom-scrolling session per day! It’s not out of reach. Mars might be out of reach, but mailing a personal note card is not.

When is the last time you went to the metal mailbox at the end of the driveway and found something that was not a bill or credit card application? You know the jolt of dopamine it brings. Why not give that experience to the people who support your livelihood?

At Tangerine, we create materials to help you reach out in your own voice, your style, your unique brand. We’ve illustrated custom, full body avatars of clients who feature them in their marketing materials and personal note cards. The little cartoon people bring joy and fun to serious business. We’ve created plastic “freebie cards” that businesses can personally hand out or mail to encourage sales beyond the give-away. We offer complete mailing services from concept to design to actual mailing using your curated list or by geographic location. A physical piece of mail ignites a totally different response than all of the digital clutter, even if you’re selling something. People are starved for tactile, analog experiences. You can solve that problem for them!

Personal touch goes beyond the mail box. Exceptional service is always noticed. You might not believe that if you’ve been on social media for 2 minutes. You’ll find a lot of complainers lurking there along with downright mean people who wouldn’t dare speak such degrading words to a breathing person in front of them. Here’s an idea! You could call out someone else’s exceptional service and put that on blast in your feed.

I have a client-friend who did something just like that, only she took it to another level. Lisa Wills is a Realtor® in La Plata, Maryland and she is the shining example of a person who values other people and spreads encouragement in our community. One year, she reached out to me to create a promotional piece she could print and share on screen. Her idea was to “catch” random people doing good things and she did it! She called it “I See You”. Brilliant. Don’t we all want to be appreciated? It’s usually not the reason we do good things, which makes it even sweeter to be seen. For Lisa, it didn’t matter if the person she acknowledged was selling or buying a house soon, she was not actively driving sales, but demonstrating her character while shining light on others. And that cannot be faked.

We’ve all experienced the legendary culture at Chick-fil-A. Having the privilege of close friendships with two local Chick-fil-A operators, I’ve got stories! There’s the remarkable thoughtfulness of John Flatley who owns the La Plata, Maryland Chick-fil-A. A family stopped by for food on their way to Pennsylvania, but there was a problem with the order. John jumped on his motorcycle to deliver their meal directly to them in another state. The owner wasn’t too busy for the one customer order. Another example of that second-mile personal service happened to me many years ago. I was going through one of those extremely difficult times that life often brings. I was struggling in every way. I tried to keep it to myself, but people know, don’t they? Here comes Ken Weikel, owner of the two Chick-fil-A restaurants in Waldorf, Maryland. I was working at my desk and Ken gave me one of his famous hugs to say hi. When he walked away, there was a hundred dollar bill on my desk in front of me! He scooted out grinning and I cried. Do you think these stories influence the level of loyalty I have for these guys to support whatever they need from me? That’s not why they did it, but it’s the result.

So, no more hiding or chasing achievements. Lift your eyes from the microcosm of your own world. What can you do right now to appreciate someone? Close your laptop and pick up a pencil. Make that call or stop in to visit. Contact me to support your idea with visuals and materials. This could be really fun!

Let's get stated!