Tried sending a contract with my old signature style from 2010 and the client said it looked 'unprofessional'

I used to hand-sign every PDF with this looping cursive I learned in the 90s, but last week a new client actually asked me to switch to typed initials because they thought the ink scan was 'too friendly.' Has anyone else had clients complain about personal touches that used to be normal?

3 comments

3 Comments

shane_wilson1mo ago

Changed my mind about this honestly.

abby_fisher1mo ago

and honestly the whole "too friendly" thing gets at something bigger, right? like we've swung so hard into corporate minimalism that even showing you have a personality feels risky now. i remember when a handwritten note or a unique signature showed you actually cared enough to make it personal. now it's all sterile efficiency. does anyone else feel like we're losing the human part of doing business?

kai8391mo ago

yeah but i think there's a difference between being personable and being unprofessional lol. like @shane_wilson i feel like you kinda nailed it before - there's a middle ground somewhere. a handwritten note is cool but most small businesses don't have time for that anymore, it's not really about being afraid to show personality. it's more about efficiency being the new standard because margins are so tight. i still throw in a "hey hope you're doing well" in emails and it works fine without making it a whole production.