THE IMPORTANCE OF LETTERS

   THE IMPORTANCE OF LETTERS 

Sometimes, the best way to communicate ideas and emotions to someone is to sit down and write a letter. It can be difficult for some to put words to print, but if you are determined to convey your thoughts and feelings, you should be able to compose a letter over time. 

It may come to you in bits and pieces, by trial and error; it doesn’t matter how it comes. 

The content of a letter addressing personal or business matters may change, but it must still sound sincere. Sincerity rarely goes unnoticed. People will likely take the time to sit down and read a letter directed toward them. 

We are in the dawn of the computer age. Life has become all about computers and smartphones. Many of us work remotely, and human contact is less needed than in the early part of the millennium. We use electronic devices to text and send email messages. For those on busy schedules or lazy, texting and emailing are the primary communication choices, and their voices are heard in bits and pieces disseminated from the body of the more significant portion of information. Excluding a detailed email that is well written, digital communication needs to be better balanced on a personal level. 

In the bureaucratic and business world, it gets worse. Some enterprises have eliminated live contact. They instruct you to follow the prompts on their website or landing pages to find solutions to all sorts of problems. Some are kind enough to add chatlines. These chatlines are becoming bots that answer a few questions and then tell you to return to the site link for further information. It is all a vast loop that is very frustrating and time-consuming. Some businesses may benefit from this new procedure. Others will not. 

AI and other technologies will remain essential to businesses and people, but technology has limitations.  

Writing a direct letter to an individual or group trumps social media. Social media is vital for marketing and branding but cannot replace the human touch of ideas that spring from the mind. Social media is a patchwork of bits and pieces of information that I often find irritating. 

I like a good phone conversation because you can say what you need to say without breaking it down into bits and pieces through text messaging, which is frustrating and more time-consuming.  You can find a solution over the phone ten times faster than going back and forth on emails and texts. These tools have their place and become time wasters when they fall out of scope. A letter shouldn’t be a snippet or thought bubble. It takes time to think about and compose a letter. It takes time to read and understand a letter. 

When done well, searching your brain for the right content that fits the time, place, and circumstance becomes an art form. Composing a letter with your undivided attention tells the reader you have gone out of your way to win their attention. When the letter comes from the mind and the heart, it will win the reader over by letting them know they are essential to you. 

If you want to win people, pour your best ideas and feelings into a letter or document. Communicate what you are feeling and thinking in the right way. Wear your heart on your sleeve if you have to. Sincerity in its natural form will get attention and trigger true feelings from the recipient.  

There will come a time when you will have to put something in writing. It could be a resume and a cover letter. You might have to write a demand letter to someone who owes your money or fill out a form to take someone into small claims court. 

When you fill in the section of the small claims document that says ‘Give Further Details’ or something similar, make sure to make it clear and concise by capturing the essence and argument of the motion. If the judge quickly understands your side of the case and you are in the right, being clear and concise may help you win the case. 

Depending on your profession, you may have to write hundreds of letters during a lifetime. 

Practice on your family. Write letters to your mother, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, and cousin. The more you practice, the more proficient you will become.

Your personal life and business are interdependent on building relationships. The best way to achieve that end is to build a community. Building the basic structure of society will entail using the Internet and social media. You must use technology to create a fan or customer base; there’s no way around that. 

But technology is a double-edged sword that creates distance between ourselves and shuts us off from the real world. Take time to break free of tech. Do you want to keep your mind sharp and build meaningful relationships with others? Start writing letters to all the people on your contact list who are your favorite.