If a business letter had a baby with a YL

[Tyler Weinrich]

Has anyone tried to send a handwritten (real or printed) letter on a business formatted letterhead? Just like a YL we all know but on company branded paper. 

It would seem that most of the personal effect which drives open rates would be retained because it is still "handwritten" on the envelop and the body itself is "handwritten" (printed font or real). However, when the recipient opens it, they'd be receiving a professional looking letterhead with my name, company name, phone and website in the header with the goal of coming across as serious and legitimate. 

I'm not saying it has to be decked out with lots of ink-wasting fluff, just more professional than the other 1000 people sending YL's. One more assumption or hope is that it would help to build a brand more effectively. People see your logo, they see your company name, anything from a sign to a website to a business card with the same branding would trigger your company in their minds.

Below is a VERY (hired-a-3rd-grader very) crude mockup. Includes a logo, company motto, company name, basic-basic-basic graphics (crossing lines or something like that) but still would leverage the personal, "handwritten" angle. 

• Has anyone tried something like that? 
• Does it really even matter? Would the more professional image help at all with marketing to motivated sellers? (absentees for example, I know probate and other targets are different animals)
• Would this hurt you or negate the personal handwritten aspect because now you are coming across as the corporate, cold as steel, don't care about you acquisitions officer?

[Rick H.]

I can assure that nothing is new and that some time or another, has been tried by other before you. Of course, you're unlikely to get feedback from their results here or elsewhere.

This is really academic since the only response that matters are from people who you end up monetizing. Even the ones that respond but don't close ought not by treated the same. And the marketer who did this yesterday, last year, 50 years ago, etc. doesn't count because s/he doesn't have the same message as you!

I agree with @Karen Margrave that you either go the non-pro approach or the biz-like way. 

The most effective campaigns are strategically designed and tactically implemented by multiple mailings, each intended to do a single job (educated, position, prepare, notice or take an action such as lead generation like call, send reply card, go online, etc.). Yellow letters pretty much limit you to getting people to call, else the "aw shucks" positioning is countered by too sophisticated a system. 

Is there any harm in a handwritten letterhead mailing? Probably not. However, it's hard to come back with letter #2, 3, etc. and appear like a humble small guy. You could also use the approach my friend Mike Cantu uses: a letterhead that looks typewritten.

Discussions about what you might do seem like the BP dreamers who are always going to get around to doing this or that but never do. 

Action is the word of the day.