by Sharon Hiebing | May 6th, 2010
Smart business owners know that by implementing a simple gratitude marketing plan, they can see huge returns on their small investment of time and money. People like to be appreciated, especially customers! And when they are, they will repay you in kind by referring you to others and using your services over and over.
However, I would take it one step further. I believe that a true gratitude plan should not be just marketing about your business to your clients, but rather should extend to everyone in your life, including your sphere of influence, friends and family.
Often, when talking to people about my printable greeting cards online service, I am asked what kinds of cards they should send? Well, let’s just take the most obvious form of gratitude, a simple “thank you,” and start with that:
- Thank you for your help.
- Thank you for your support.
- Thank you for your exceptional service.
- Thank you for being a customer.
- Thanks for choosing us.
- Thanks for the tip.
- Thanks for the compliment.
- Thanks for the gift.
- Thanks for the great job.
- Thanks for volunteering.
- Thank you for believing in me.
- Thank you for caring.
- Thank you for giving.
- Thank you for understanding.
- Thank you for the referral.
Fifteen different ways just to say thank you. Imagine if you added in cards for birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, keeping in touch, following up after a meeting or event, etc.
Do you think people would start to think you were a pretty genuine and caring person?
Do you think that positive response would start to have an effect on everything you do, including your personal life and business?
Do you think you’d feel pretty great about yourself and have higher self-esteem?
Of course you would! So the next time you tell yourself you don’t have the time or money to implement a simple gratitude plan, I would have you ask yourself, what would be the consequences of not having one?
