It has been a while since I have talked about the importance of saying “Thank You” in our home businesses. In fact, while it may seem incredibly obvious, often a simple “thank you” is nice but it is not enough. The more opportunities we find to thank our customers and clients, the more we may be able to inspire loyalty and a solid working relationship.
Of course it IS important to say “thank you” after a meeting or a sale, but it is also important to find other ways to say “thank you” to someone for being a customer or client. Whether it is writing notes, sending a brief card with some words of appreciation, or offering a special discount or bonus—there are so many different ways to tell your customers and clients how much you appreciate them that it is a shame not to do this on a fairly regular basis. Consider setting up a calendar or a tickler file to remind you to get the “thank you” word out.
I even believe that we should thank people on invoices and send a little note of thanks after they pay a bill. Having the “thank you” in writing, on the web site, and saying it in person are all ways of making sure that you are attempting to thank people enough for doing business with you. If you do not really have an organized way of letting your customers and clients know that you love doing business with them, it may be worth your while to take some time to brainstorm some creative ways of saying thanks. You may even choose to print off some special stationary or coupons, or have some cards made that reflect your business and your brand, but make it easy for you to say thank you creatively and often!