Tom's Favorite Things : Fancy Writing Tools

I’ve been fortunate to have mentored hundreds of Northwestern undergraduates. These go-getters come from every background imaginable.  They go on to be teachers, entrepreneurs, professional football players and other incredible success in their lives.

One of the tips I have given to each of these mentees is a simple gesture. It’s not rocket science or a passing fad.  But with certainty I can say that only 7% of them have followed this advice.  Here it is.

Get a good pen. Get nice stationary. Write thank you notes.

I know, revolutionary, right? In our hyper connected world, a like or connection request is as worthless as a landline. Friendships and relationships have completely become commoditized goods with little true value. Our snail mail is useless.

But this gives you an incredible chance to make a huge impression.

When I graduated from Northwestern, a boss of mine told me to make an investment in my future.  As you might know from my past posts, I take a lot of stock in what my mentors say. I went to Papyrus Stationary, picked some fancy, small notecards with my name engraved along with matching envelopes.

Whenever I would meet someone new that piqued my interest, I would send them a quick note in the mail within 48 hours.  This was way before social media, so that relationship made an impact and helped me to grow my connections in the real world.

I also picked up my first “nice” pen, and could immediately tell a huge difference.

Me, very impressed with a great pen.

The weight of a real pen and the smoothness of real ink makes the act of writing a joy.  As a side benefit, if you love pens it makes it easier for people to give you good gifts. There are so many cool pens on the market that you can really start collecting some cool kinds. 

To this day, my favorite pen is one that my wife got me on our 5th anniversary (the “wood” anniversary).  It’s a gorgeous wood pen made of the wood of an olive tree from the Holy Lands in Jerusalem. Not only is the craftsmanship out of this world, but the connection to a historic place makes it even more special.

Of course, as I’m apt to do, I’ve taken this little obsessions even further. 

When at Papyrus I saw a small display and it hit me.  If I was really looking to make an impact, I needed to dial it up a notch. So, I got a wax sealing kit - you know like you see in the movies where the King will sign a parchment and seal it with wax and his special seal? Yeah, I got one of those.

Add to that my newest fascination over fountain pens (someday I will write with a quill feather!) and I’ve inadvertently found a hobby!

As if a piece of mail that isn’t junk or a bill isn’t impact enough, imagine getting a wax sealed envelope with a thank you note. Almost every time I sent one out I heard back from the receiver.

Just like everything else, this must be genuine and authentic...but if you take the time, I guarantee this investment of time, energy and a few bucks will go farther than anything else you can do to start building a relationship.