Surprising and thanking clients
I don't want to wait for the holiday season to show
my clients how much I appreciate them. I'm a very small business of one, and so my budget isn't much. I want the surprise to come across as genuine, not as a sales spiel. What suggestions do you have for surprising and delighting clients through gifts or other recognition?
— Kay, Business Owner
Summary of Advice Received
How to thank those people who keep you in business
by Meryl K. Evans, eNJ Editor
Thanking clients for their business
helps the relationship keep going strong. Pareto principle also says 20 percent
of your clients are responsible for 80 percent of your business. With numbers
like that, ya gotta find ways to hang on to 'em.
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One way is with a lagniappe (our “word
for the day”), an extra or unexpected surprise or gift. Who says you have to
wait 'til the end of the year? You don't. That little extra doesn't have to be
expensive, as some suggestions take little or no money to surprise and delight
the client. Before proceeding, you might want to check to see if your
organization has a policy regarding gifts. Another thing to remember is that
the recipient's company may have a policy that prevents him or her from
accepting gifts or gifts priced higher than $25.
Have international clients? You may want to read
up on the client's culture.
Communicaid's Web site provides a wealth of
culture-related information and mentions gifts.
Kwintessiential also has
information on gift-giving etiquette. You can search for books or on the Web for
business etiquette.
Readers offer three other valuable ways to thank
people:
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Show them you know and care
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Treat them to treats or entertainment
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Remember that traditional flowers and notes
still work wonders
Show them you know and care
A reader commends Kay for her philosophy of
surprising and thanking clients. Customer relationships are critical, and with
all the time and energy spent in getting clients, it's more effective for a
business to retain happy clients for repeat business than go after new
customers. The reader also says that an unhappy client can be costly in terms of
damage control.
"Thank yous and happy surprises don't have to
be large or monetary gestures to be effective. Recognizing your customers as
unique individuals with concerns and interests of their own will reward them. I
mean, as a natural course of business, engage in enough interaction to make them
people for you — not just more ciphers in your ledger," says a reader.
Simple things work well like sending an email
that points to a Web site or information that would be of interest to them. You
could do the same by snail mail. One reader says, “I had a client who was in the
ebook business. When I came across a positive article about the business, I sent
him a note with a link.”
Another reader uses a spreadsheet program to
create a customer file for each client and notes their interests. Though the
reader sends cards over the holidays, she doesn't send gifts. "Instead,
throughout the year, I budget a percent of my business income that, in December,
I give to nonprofit organizations — the ones I think do a great job of making a
contribution to our community without draining overhead. In my holiday card, I
thank clients for the pleasure of our association over the years and for their
business, which has enabled me to make a donation to such and such
organization," she says. She ensures her clients know they chose the right
person who donates a portion of her profits earned from working with them to
deserving organizations.
Treat them to treats or entertainment
Suzy Graven of G3 Coaching suggests movie tickets
along with popcorn or drink coupons. Graven also recommends donating to a
charity in the client's name.
(As the author of this article, I must say,
last year, I sent pecan pralines to my clients because they're a Texas staple. I
worried about sending an item with nuts in it, but each was clearly labeled with
ingredients. Only one client had a nut allergy, but she was surprised and
delighted, as her family appreciated her sharing them all.)
You usually can’t go wrong with treats or
entertainment. But traditional gifts and thank yous also work well.
Remember that traditional flowers and notes
still work wonders
Rita Zamora, owner of TangibleMarketing, says
it depends on the budget and how many clients. Most clients appreciate fresh
flowers or even a handwritten note. Zamora says, "Fresh flower delivery may not
seem like much; however, after 10 years in referral marketing and rewarding
clients, this gift gets the most thanks year after year (from men and women);
and nothing beats a heartfelt and unexpected handwritten note — something that
fits any budget!" says Zamora.
Again, you don't have to wait until the end of the
year to thank clients or even employees. They're more likely to remember you
when you surprise them with a gift or a note during a slower gift-giving or
other time of the year.
Meryl K. Evans is the content maven behind meryl.net, helping companies get better results through simple words that make a big impact. Stop by her blog or contact her anytime.
