I met a hunter this weekend...

I should confess for those of you who don't know. But on the weekends I moonlight at a big box retailer. Just a part-time job to put a little coin in my pocket. It also gives me a chance to actually do some selling.

Anyway, I want to tell you about the coolest associate that works there. She started about 13 years ago and runs the china/bridal department. She's 63 years young and has probably forgot more information about china and place-settings than some people learn in a lifetime. As I don't normally work on a Sunday I didn't know about this little "habit" of hers. She buys the Sunday paper (with her own money) and opens it directly to the engagements page. She then proceeds to look up each couples address and write them a personal invitation to come to the store for their bridal registration. Let me say that again, she writes each couple a personal invitation. Her contact list is so large that it is kept in three filing cabinets. None-the-less, she still buys the paper every Sunday and sends out invitations.

The Selling Point: When was the last time you added anything personal to your sales process. I don't mean an email or a phone call. I am talking about a personally written thank-you. It can be for anything--a meeting, a follow up to phone conversation, or a purchase. But I believe it will separate you from the pack. Especially in this all digital age, where even the most simple of contacts is done through a cold impersonal email.