We all need to thank our customers and clients for making us successful. But if you’re not sure when it’s appropriate or how to do it with panache, take a tip from today’s guest columnist, tech geek + website wonder woman Alison Monday of Tiny Blue Orange. Alison is my right-hand web woman and she has mad digital skills and signature style. Today, she shares 6 ideas for when you can say “thank you” to your tribe members – and a unique way she made her thank you’s stand out. At Red Slice, I like to send chocolate covered cherries because, remember:
A thank you note/gift is yet another customer touchpoint you have at your finger tips to convey your brand. (Tweet this!) Make it count.
Showing Gratitude
One of the easiest + most impactful ways that you can make your clients + contacts feel loved is by showing your gratitude. It only takes a few minutes to put together a hand-written note + mail it via snail mail. And the amount of joy it will bring to the recipient is exponentially greater than the time you invest in sending a card.
One Extra Step
Since hand-written cards are a big part of my weekly task list, I wanted to make something special for my clients + vendors that would add just a little bit more love to an already wonderful gesture.
It didn’t take me long to decide that getting my 101 pound dog + office mascot, Brutus, to “sign” the cards by painting his paw {with non-toxic paint} + stamping them was the perfect idea. He really doesn’t mind the signing process since he gets lots of treats during it + I know that most folks don’t expect a 4″ paw print on a thank you note they received in the mail.
Necessary Supplies
In order to set myself up for being able to easily write out thank you cards, I purchased an assortment of pretty + funny notecards, made a few of my own, bought a pack of stamps from the post office + some new ink for my return address stamper. That way I can spend a little bit of time expressing my gratitude each week + almost no time at all adding the address info and stamp.
Reasons to be Grateful
You can send thank you notes for a number of reasons when working with a client, but below are just a few ideas to get you started –
- Right away after your initial call/consultation
{“thank you for reaching out or considering working with me”} - Unexpectedly during a project if you haven’t officially thanked them yet
{“I’m so grateful to be working with you”} - With an order they placed for a physical product
{“thanks for your order, we hope you love…”} - When a project is complete/launches/etc.
{“it was such a pleasure to help you + your biz”} - If they referred you to someone that reached out
{“thank you so much for your kind words + praise”} - For sharing your product or service with their followers or fans
{“you didn’t have to promote my latest program, but it means the world to me that you did”}
And, of course, expressing appreciation isn’t just for business. I made sure to purchase some non-branded cards with my business ones so that I can thank my friends + family throughout the year too.
In what ways do you show gratitude or give thanks to your clients, followers + fans? Leave a comment below with something that you already do to show your appreciation or something you’ll start to do right away. I can’t wait to read what you come up with!
Learn more about Alison Monday and her website wizadry at tiny blue orange
