By Evan Vitale
There’s a lot to be said about a person who says “thank you” for anything anyone does for them.
The same is true for businesses and business owners.
Are you “thanking” your customers and clients for spending their money at your place of business?
Perhaps, we are too comfortable with sending our clients a holiday card at the end of the year; telling them it’s been a great 12 months and the next year will be much better for everyone. However, shouldn’t we really strive to thank our customers more frequently? After all, if we didn’t have them, we wouldn’t be in business at all!
Here are some ideas on being thankful – and showing it – 365 days of the year:
- Every time you send your client an invoice, it should include “thank you for your business” (a short hand-written note is a nice touch).
- Write thank you notes to prospects, especially if you were able to have a meeting or presentation with them. Thank them for their time.
- Write “nice to meet you” notes to everyone you meet at a networking event.
- Thank your staff – often. A friend of mine would take his staff to lunch once a month to thank them for their service. It made the employees feel good and needed.
- Thank your vendors, especially if they are providing great service to you. After all, their products and services are helping you provide good products and services to your customers and clients.
- Thank your banker, your business coach, your attorney, your accountant and other professional services you use.
Don’t wait until the end of the year. Thank them the same day or the next day at the latest. Don’t thank them with an e-mail message. It is far better to send a quick, hand-written note. You can order some nice company note cards and envelopes and you’re good to go. The friend mentioned above would keep some in his car, so he could quickly write a note between client meetings and drop it in the mail the same day. It would leave a lasting impression!