Showing your customers that they are appreciated will remind them why they do business with you, look forward to your next conversation and feel good about your brand. You may even generate free referrals and some publicity with a well-received gift. Here are four tips to help you show your thanks to customers in the New Year…
1. Handwritten Thank You Notes
Take some time and hand-write a note, thanking your customer for their business. With so much digital interaction, a handwritten note will capture your customer’s attention and stand out! Make sure you include your customers name and other personal details; make it about them! Avoid making a sale or promoting yourself in the note – you want this to be more than an addition to the pile of catalogs and flyers on their desk.
2. Delicious Treats
Cookies, candy and other food gifts are popular promotional giveaways because they can be shared with friends, coworkers and family members of the recipient. The more people they share with, the more people will be talking about your brand.
3. Start the New Year Right
Send out a personalized calendar as a New Year’s greeting; you’ll be putting your brand on their wall for an entire year and increase your brand’s recall value. You could also send a box of chocolates, a coffee mug or something else that excites them for the upcoming year.
4. Focus on Your Customers
Sometimes we focus on our own brand so much that we don’t focus enough on our customers. Use social media to connect with your customers immediately. Run a “Fan of the Month” contest, feature long-standing customers in a weekly thank you post, post photos of new projects you’re working on (with your customer’s permission of course).
To show your gratitude to customers, doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Making sure that your efforts (and gifts) are memorable and have a personal touch is more important.