The importance of fine stationery
In this day and age, it is common for people to have thousands of unread emails, more texts than they can count and social media posts they’ll never see. The digital age is all about convenience and simplicity. That being said, if the queen of England were to send you an invitation for a grand event, what would you expect to receive? If your answer is an email, you are dead wrong. Instead, months before the event you would receive a hand addressed envelope and inside of that envelope would be an immaculately beautiful invitation on high end stationery. And yes, that’s what we would all expect from the queen of England because she is elegant, detail oriented, punctual and respected. That is what we should strive for in our stationery even in a time of emails and text messages.
If you were to apply for a job interview, the chances of you getting the job are significantly higher if you hand deliver a printed resume on watermarked paper. Wedding guests are more likely to attend your wedding if they receive an invitation in the mail. A personalized and hand written thank you note will receive more appreciation than a text message. But why? There are three main reasons as to why all of the above are affected by fine stationery.
First, it takes a greater amount of effort to create a resume, design a wedding invitation and send a handwritten note. It shows the worth of whatever it is you are sending. An employer is going to see the effort you put into that resume, your wedding guests will see the importance that they hold in your life by receiving that invitation in the mail and the person who receives that thank you note will understand your appreciation for them.
Secondly, there is value in something that can be held. Whatever it may be, the receiver will see that. Please, imagine the declaration of independence as an email that the founding fathers just had to click a check box that said “I agree to the above terms & conditions.” Simple? Yes. Memorable? Not so much. One of the greatest things about the declaration of independence is that we can see the beauty of the history in it- which would’ve been destroyed if it hadn’t been thoughtfully prepared and written on parchment. It’s easy to type out a quick message and send it – but it takes sacrifice to purchase stationery and take the steps to send it.
Lastly, the great part about stationery is that it is customizable! You have the ability to show your personality through logos, colors, names and so much more. This gives the receiver a chance to see a piece of you in it. There’s so many details you can play with like raised ink or engraved lettering. Doesn’t that sound more fun than writing an email anyways?
In conclusion… Don’t skimp out on stationery. It can help give you an edge and add value and professionalism to all things that you deliver. I encourage you to take a look at the invitations, letters, etc. that you receive and really think about the impact that a single piece of paper had versus an electronic delivery. Just because the world is going digital, doesn’t mean every aspect has to.
