PERSONAL LETTER
It requires somewhat more time and a little extra effort on the salesman’s part to write a short, personal letter to his customers to accompany the season’s announcement. The telephone can be employed, perhaps, with less effort, but it is not always possible to make use of this means of getting in touch with customers. There are some buyers who live out of town, and others who cannot be reached by telephone—but the mails go everywhere.
The personal letter has its advantage in that it makes a more lasting impression on the customer’s mind. It is of a more permanent nature and is consequently less easily forgotten. Also it serves to get the salesman’s name before the customer in such a way that it will be remembered. It is a known fact that people remember what they read for a longer time than they do the things they hear. This is no small matter from the standpoint of the salesman, because he is continually working to single himself out from all other shoe salesmen in the mind of the customer and thus to build up a personal following of his own. A short, business-like letter will go a long way toward establishing such a relationship.