If you’re sending handwritten notes as part of your sales outreach, you want real results—not just “warm fuzzies.” This guide is for sales managers, SDRs, or anyone running direct mail campaigns who’s tired of guessing what works. We’ll walk through using Handwrytten analytics to track, test, and actually move the needle on your sales numbers. No fluff, no “data-driven” buzzwords—just practical advice you can run with.
Why Bother With Handwrytten Analytics?
If you’re already using Handwrytten to send handwritten postcards, cards, or letters as part of your sales process, you might wonder if the analytics are worth your time. Short answer: yes, but only if you use the numbers to make decisions, not just to look busy.
What Handwrytten Analytics Actually Gives You:
- Delivery status tracking (sent, delivered, returned)
- Response tracking (if you use trackable links, phone numbers, or promo codes)
- Basic campaign comparisons (how one list or template performed vs. another)
- Sometimes, engagement data—like QR code scans
Let’s be clear: Handwrytten analytics isn’t Google Analytics. It won’t give you deep behavioral insights. But it will tell you enough to spot what’s working, what’s not, and what’s a waste of postage.
Step 1: Get Set Up for Trackable Results
You can’t optimize what you can’t measure. Before you send a single card, make sure you set things up so you’ll actually know if it works.
1.1 Use Unique Links, Codes, or Landing Pages
- Add a unique URL, QR code, or phone number to each campaign. This is the only way to reliably track responses.
- Use simple, dedicated landing pages—don’t just send people to your homepage.
- For phone-based campaigns, Google Voice or a cheap call tracking service works fine.
Pro Tip: Avoid generic “visit our website” messages. If you can’t track it, it didn’t happen.
1.2 Segment Your Campaigns
- Break out your sends by target audience (industry, geography, cold vs. warm leads).
- Use different message templates for A/B testing the pitch.
This setup lets you see which groups and messages actually drive action.
Step 2: Send Your Campaign (But Don’t Spray and Pray)
Now that you’ve got tracking in place, launch your campaign. Start with a small batch—don’t burn your whole budget on an untested message or list.
2.1 Test in Small Batches
- Choose a manageable group (50–100 recipients) for each test.
- If you’re testing templates, split your batch down the middle.
What Not to Do: Don’t send 1,000 cards with the same generic note and hope for the best. You’ll have no clue what moved the needle.
Step 3: Dig Into the Analytics
Here’s where most people get distracted by shiny charts. Handwrytten’s dashboard is simple, but you have to look past the surface.
3.1 Watch Delivery and Failure Rates
- Check if cards actually made it to recipients.
- High return rates = junky lists, bad addresses, or mailroom issues.
If you see lots of undelivered cards, fix your list before analyzing anything else.
3.2 Focus on Actual Responses
- Monitor unique link clicks, QR scans, or inbound calls tracked to your campaign.
- Ignore “impressions” or “opens”—if they can’t take action from a postcard, it doesn’t matter.
3.3 Compare Campaigns Side by Side
- Did Template A or B get more responses?
- Did your message to small businesses outperform your pitch to enterprise leads?
Handwrytten’s analytics let you compare results by template, list, or campaign—use this to kill weak approaches and double down on what works.
Step 4: Learn What Moves the Needle
Don’t just look at which campaign “won.” Ask why. This is where you stop guessing and start improving.
4.1 Analyze the Message
- Did a personal touch (“Saw you at last week’s event”) beat a generic offer?
- Did you ask for a call, a meeting, or just “visit our site”? Which performed better?
4.2 Look at Timing
- Did Monday sends outperform Friday?
- Did you get more responses in the first week after delivery, or do they trickle in?
4.3 Segment by Audience
- Are certain industries or job titles responding more?
- If you have the data, compare by geography or company size.
Brutal honesty: If a segment flops (zero responses), cut it. Don’t keep sending to a dead list.
Step 5: Iterate—Don’t Settle for “Good Enough”
This is where most campaigns die—people treat the first round of results as gospel. Don’t. Small tweaks can make a big difference.
5.1 Keep Testing
- Change one variable at a time—message, timing, offer.
- Rerun your best performer against a new challenger.
5.2 Drop What Doesn’t Work
- If a template, offer, or list isn’t delivering, stop using it.
- Don’t let sunk cost bias keep you sending notes to people who never respond.
5.3 Double Down on Winners
- If you find a message that gets responses, expand your list or try it with a new segment.
- Still test new ideas, but don’t fix what isn’t broken.
What to Ignore (Seriously)
A lot of sales teams waste time on “optimization” that doesn’t move sales. Here’s what you can skip:
- Vanity metrics: Likes, “impressions,” or positive feedback that doesn’t lead to a call or sale.
- Overly complex attribution: You’ll never perfectly track every response. Focus on clear, trackable actions.
- Sending more for the sake of sending: Quality beats quantity. One well-targeted campaign outperforms a hundred generic notes.
If your CRM and process are a mess, fix that first—Handwrytten analytics can only do so much.
Quick Tips for Real-World Success
- Always track something: Even if it’s just a basic landing page, measure results.
- Keep your lists clean: Bad addresses = wasted money.
- Don’t fall in love with your message: Let the data prove what works.
- Iterate fast: Test, learn, and move on. Don’t wait for “perfect” data.
Wrapping Up
Handwritten notes can cut through the digital noise, but only if you treat them like any other sales channel—test, track, and tweak. Use Handwrytten analytics as a reality check, not a vanity dashboard. Keep things simple, stay skeptical, and use what you learn to send fewer, better messages. That’s how you actually move the needle.