I was fortunate enough to be invited to speak this past weekend at Bubble2Boardroom in New York City. The free career development event took place over 6-hours at the New York Athletic Club on Saturday, January 8th. During this time, I was able to educate many Generation Y students and recent graduates on how to protect themselves from damaging their reputations online and build a positive presence. In addition to speaking to the attendees myself, I was able to sit in on coaching sessions and other lectures held throughout the day.
One of the speakers, Andrea R. Nierenberg, made a lasting impression. Her segment, which focused on networking, was filled with useful information presented in a very memorable fashion. Nierenberg used acronyms and rhymes to make a point stick. One such lesson was the 44¢ investment.
The 44¢ Investment refers to the act of using snail mail to thank an individual. The act of writing a formal letter, paying for a stamp and having to physically mail the envelope shows true commitment and gratitude to the other person. Whether they helped you secure employment, took time out of their schedule for you or simply put you in touch with the right person, they deserve a proper thank you.
I have fallen into the habit of sending simple, yet sincere, thank you emails to people who have lent me a hand over the years. Habits, both bad and good, are meant to be broken – and this one stops here.
Are you willing to make the 44¢ investment? Think of it as a customer/contact retention cost! Build your network…