I don’t know about you, but I have my kids write thank you notes for their birthday and Christmas gifts. The recipients always show appreciation for receiving the notes when we talk, commenting on the old-fashioned ways gone lost. Isn’t that sad? Well, lets turn that around. Lets give an old tradition of handwritten thank you notes a modern day business makeover. Lets add this to your marketing strategy giving you a competitive edge on an underutilized old-fashioned tradition. It is cost effective, powerful, and makes you stand out. Showing gratitude makes good business sense. I’ve mentioned it before; keep blank thank you note cards in view at your workstation; provide a supply to your team to follow your lead. Set a small goal, write and send out one a day; making this a daily habit. (I like writing them at the end of the day; it’s a de-stressor, feels good to close my day on a positive note.)  Increase your goal every two weeks until you reach an appropriate volume. Your note must be warm, sincere and personal without strings attached. This is not a sales pitch!  Additionally, it must be sent in a timely manner; within 48 hours. Opportunities to be thankful for:

• Sales calls, presentations, demos
• New customers
• Existing customers’ loyalty
• Job well done by an employee, vender, or peer, etc.
• Business referrals
• Did someone give you good advice?
• Did someone do you a favor?
• Did someone show you kindness?
• Send out compliments, testimonials
• Complaints. Complaints come from people who want to do business, so, fix the problem, and thank the person for bringing it to your attention. Make sure to tell them what you did to fix the problem.

Thank you! These are two magical words that you can easily add to your marketing strategy that will not let you down. You will find that it creates more business opportunities, opens more doors, and attracts more people to you. It makes others feel good and most people do not make the effort. So, go get some plain quality stationary to get started today. That’s a powerful marketing tool and a customer service WOW! Remember, sincere goodwill creates opportunity. Cheers!