The Power of a Thank You
Once upon a time in the business world there was an importance placed on saying “thank you” to our customers. It was perhaps one of the greatest lessons ever taught to an employee. There were no preprinted “we love our customers” or “thank you for your business” plastic bags. After every transaction, you would look the customer in the eyes and thank them for their business.
Genuine sincerity in expressing our appreciation was imperative. The customer paid our salaries and made it possible for bonuses. They allowed us to have a job that helps put food on the table for our families. However, the importance of saying “thank you” as part of a customer retention strategy is mostly an afterthought. We spend a lot of time coming up with marketing strategies to build our businesses, when the power of a sincere, relevant “thank you” could have solved many a retention strategy.
Studies are being done on the effect that saying “thank you” has on the sender and receiver. They are being linked to helping one live a healthier, happier, smarter, more resilient and less-stressful life. Thank you cards are also a fabulous marketing technique that businesses should be using today. Not only do they break through advertising clutter, they deliver a high impact message at an exceptionally low cost. The power of saying thank you is vastly underestimated.
Why Send A Thank You Card?
First of all, when was the last time you received a thank you card? How did it make you feel? Most people can tell you elaborate stories that surrounded a thank you card they received some time in their life. Sending thank you cards have an impact that very few other marketing techniques can achieve:
1. Expresses A Common Courtesy
Customers really appreciate someone for taking the time to write a thank you card. It expresses your appreciation to those that may help you succeed in the business world. Nothing expresses this appreciation better than a handwritten card. Only 4% of the mail we receive today is personalized. The rest is laser-printed, mass-produced, and largely unread. Research shows that people pay the most immediate attention to handwritten correspondence.
2. Differentiates Yourself In The Marketplace
From a marketing perspective, the fact that so few people take the time to write thank you cards, equates to a golden opportunity for you to differentiate yourself and your business. Thank you cards help you to stand out among other businesses in your industry. They create good-will between you and your customer and they will tell others about what you did for them.
3. Creates Top-Of-Mind-Awareness (TOMA)
Branding is a hot topic today for businesses who want to get and keep customers. Thank you cards can become an advertising vehicle that keeps you top of mind. While other marketing propaganda head directly into the trash, thank you cards stay around for a while. People love getting cards and most people keep thank you cards a lot longer than other mail. You find thank you cards on desks, mounted to bulletin boards, placed on shelves. You and your business get looked at by many more people than the one to whom the card was sent. How often do your other advertising efforts have such a long-lived effect on your target audience?
4. Creates Business Referrals
If your business is top of mind with customers and prospects, it’s more likely your name will be passed on when someone asks them for a business recommendation. A simple thank you card helps you differentiate yourself from other competitors and stay top of mind – perfect ingredients for creating business referrals.
Take Action, Send A Thank You Today!
Only you have the power to make a difference in someone’s life today through using common courtesy that will differentiate yourself in the marketplace and create top-of-mind-awareness and business referrals. Take action today to send a thank you card to a business associate, customer, friend, or referral. You may be amazed at the impact it will have not only on them but on yourself.
