Thank You Note

Whilst we all seem to be on the topic of post holiday gratitude, I figured it was time to establish some guidelines for showing one's thanks with elegance. Firstly, there ought be no thank you emails, text messages, or the like for holiday gifts and parties. Let's agree to reserve those for the more voluminous daily socializing. The method of distinction is namely the handwritten missive. One should be composed on proper stationery and penned with a steady hand in ink from your favorite fountain pen.

But what of content, you ask. I live by four memorable rules.

1. Authenticity

Authenticity should come naturally in the note. Explain how you felt at the occasion to which you were invited or how the gift made you feel when you opened it.

2. Clarity

Clarity comes down to your grasp of flow, both of ink and thought. Do not scratch out an error! Begin again in that event. If you must, use standard paper for practice first (yes, I do this from time to time). Remember that the note is not worth much if the receiver can't read it. With regard to the language, be clear and not vague in statements you make.

3. Brevity

I have a strict rule that anecdotes must fit into a single short sentence. No one wants to read a 5 page thank you note filled with stories of how the gift reminded you of an event your childhood.

4. Eloquence

Simply write the note with the reader in mind in order to best get your point across. I presume you know enough about the individual to tailor the messaging for effectiveness.

I recommend using your personalized stationary, but in its absence use a standard Crane's card and envelope set. For information on when a note needs to be sent see Social Primer's latest post.

BTG

Fine Writing Implements

In the spirit of the holiday card season, I have decided to post the following conversation with a friend – over Facebook – regarding the merits of fine writing instruments. We focused on the fountain pen. The designer and illustrator of the Bow Tie Guy drawing is A and I am B.

A-I've got an idea! Does the Bow Tie Guy use a fountain pen? Not the pricey "everybody knows the name" fancy ones, or the dime store special ones, but a real "use it every day", real man type of fountain pen. And yes, I do use them myself! I have a 1930's Sheaffer that writes like a dream!

B-I use them also. I instantly thought Montblanc when you said "everybody knows the name". I stopped using them at the office the first month since a colleague is a notorious pen pilferer. I personally default to a Lamy Safari (the steel nib allows me to loan it out without fret). I also enjoy its masculine and durable design. I could see Teddy Roosevelt signing bills with this. Also it's fairly inexpensive to replace. The 1930's Sheaffer is something to which I aspire. My one unique pen, which I inherited from my father, is an old Cartier fountain pen (I dare not use it often). As the resident expert on fine writing implements, what do you recommend a Rotring, Cross, or maybe a Conklin like Mark Twain?

A-Montblanc was exactly what I was thinking!! Kind of like the Rolex of the pen world: Overpriced and writes ok, but lots of marketing. I've never had a problem with a pen pilferer. That Lamy looks very cool. My everyday pen is an Aurora Ipsilon. It’s a great writer and Italian. I'm going to have to look into maybe getting a Lamy. I recommend a vintage Parker vacumatic.

B-I had not even seen a vacumatic. What a great looking pen!

I hope this inspires you to sign those seasonal cards with the right pen.

BTG

A Day for Infamy.

December 5th marks the anniversary of Prohibition’s repeal in America. Having read a bit on the history of the United States, I believe it only fitting that today be celebrated. Without the rumrunners, bootleggers and back yard brewers, this nation would have become something altogether different. Whether alcohol is within your personal constitution or not, to be certain it is has played an unparalleled role in the cultural shaping of the world and ought to be recognized. In closing: Sláinte, Salut, Cheers, Prost, et al. Be careful and enjoy.

BTG

Why Webinars?

I have an aversion to webinars. In the field of social media marketing, they are prolific. Due to the state of business, webinars provide a great way to exchange information without the costs of travel and time. At first glance, the benefits are significant. The virtual cornucopia of information available via online meeting seems to be unlimited. That information’s value, though, is questionable.

There hasn’t yet been a single webcast of the multitude, which has been a rival in engagement to a personal meeting. Most feel like a vast waste of time throughout and end with the sponsor plugging their very own product. So I pose this question; Do webinars add up to the wasted time they were intended to save?

BTG

Intellectual Repair

How does one’s intellect fall into disrepair you might wonder? We have all experienced the long days of business whether traveling or in the office. Daily tedium consumes the hours of precious self-time sparing little time to fuel the intellect. Having recently gone far from homeostasis, one needs time to sit, relax and recover thy forsaken intellect.

What in the average day causes such acts of brutality? Perhaps it is the expeditious nature of our very culture. We have become so focused on the shorter faster approach rather than the simplistic approach. Often our abbreviated approach requires explanation.

Simple has become complicated, especially in the advertising industry, which is perennially focused on the needs of the lowest common denominator. Why does simple have to be simpleminded? Lest we forget Leonardo da Vinci, one of the greatest minds of all-time, believed that simple was the ultimate form of sophistication.

Let us all strive to put the sophistication back into simple.

BTG

Declaration of an Injustice

I am perturbed that these two subjects share a section of my local Barnes & Noble, let alone a shelf. I find solace in knowing that the Dewey system of classification would not allow for this.

BTG

Is the Starbucks experience lost?

As an avid Starbucks patron, some would argue coffee addict, I have noticed a degree of downward delta in the experience. Most recently, the Via campaign has incited for me reservations on the state of Starbucks. How does instant coffee fit with the image of a coffee chain once set on bringing the European coffee experience to American consumers? How will this latest product addition change that experience?

I have no issue with the offering of instant brew. In point of fact, it offers a great deal of variety to the mélange of choices ever-present in coffee houses. The imbiber is now empowered to control the strength of their individual cup o’ java. Instant coffee has been a cultural staple the world around; nonetheless, I wonder how will it affect our increasingly instant culture. At one time, people took the time to sit and mutually enjoy coffee. For now, I’ll take my time and be true to the brew.

To see Starbucks' Via commercial click here.

BTG