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Jacqueline Kennedy's Personal Touch—Old School Is New School posted on Thursday, 24 April 2008

RESPONDING TO THE thousands of letters to Jacqueline Kennedy after the assassination of her husband was a resounding lesson and rewarding experience for my mom, Lori, who worked in Jackie's New York office as one of her executive assistants.Letters continued to pour in for years following JFK's murder; the entire world shared a love for JFK and for Jackie, and they reached out to her by sending letters of support. Jackie wanted to respond to every letter. An entire room was filled with volunteers opening and sorting the mail and helping to respond to people around the world who had taken the time to write a letter or send gifts. Jackie's kindness was contagious and her thoughtfulness was evident in everything she did. She was always quick to send flowers or a thoughtful handwritten note to people she knew when they were going through good or challenging times.

When Jackie and my mom would ride home occasionally together up Park Avenue, driven by a Secret Service agent, they would reflect on the day and the people they were corresponding with and share humorous stories.

LESSON: In a world where a handwritten letter is an anomaly, attention to different forms of text has changed dramatically in the last decade. During the late '80s and early '90s when you wanted to get someone's attention, you would send them a fax. During the late '90s you would send an e-mail. Now, just after the turn of the century, the retro art of expressing thanks or congratulations or regret with a handwritten note is the sure way to secure another's attention. Call it old school, but a handwritten note stands out among bills, e-mails, memos, and invoices. It's usually the first thing that you open on your way from the mailbox to your front door. It's the fun, unexpected surprise. In business, adding the personal touch will put you in a completely different category in someone's life. Even if it's hard to address everyone with a handwritten note, take the time to correspond on a personal level. Take your correspondence beyond the black-typed text not just by handwriting it, but by putting personality, genuine concern, and kindness into the note.

Mitch Thrower is an author, financier, triathlete, entrepreneur and philanthropist living in La Jolla, California and New York City, he can be reached at mitchthrower@yahoo.com

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Posted by Mitch Thrower