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April 5, 2006
Good Intentions
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Letters, notes, emails and greeting cards are all attempts to find and
bind relationships, deepen friendships and unite people to the ones they
love. Correspondence creates connections to the past as well as forges
affections of the future -- Saying "We will engage again and again."
Some would argue that greeting cards and ecards are 'lesser' ways of
doing this. 'Tis true a lovely handwritten letter or handmade card is
far more personal than anything prefabricated, but if one waits for the
time to sit and compose such items, will they ever truly be created?
Hell is paved with good intentions.
If your intention is to stay connected, isn't timing at least of equal,
if not greater, importance than how the message is generated? Isn't a
card created by another, filled with your sentiments, with an added dash
of your own personality injected via typed text or personal signature,
delivered in a timely manner worth more than a letter that never
arrives?
Greeting cards are like the proverbial bird in the hand when compared to
the two in the bush of hand-created works.
On the other (empty) hand... If you send a card empty of genuine
personal feeling, you offer nothing. And you too will come up empty handed.
Businesses used to send holiday cards, or anniversary cards celebrating
the union of being in business together, as a way to seem more
personable and friendly as opposed to appearing like some cold
corporation (which they may or may not be). Unfortunately, now many of
these cards are sent with an emotionally distant printed signature, or
(heaven forbid!) just a printed corporate logo.
Many wise salesmen send personal rather than, or in addition to,
corporate cards. They know sales is about building and maintaining
relationships with real people. And it's difficult to feel a real
person sent you their earnest wishes with a rubberstamped signature next
to a corporate logo. The same is true of software that 'personalizes'
emails via the insertion of the receiver's name. We as receivers may
understand why this is done, but we really don't feel valued, and we
must wonder if in fact we will engage again and again...
So, what are you to do with your well wishes and good intentions then?
You are to express them as personally as possible at the time when they
are needed.
Posted by photocartoonist at April 5, 2006 11:40 PM