We learned early on (likely before we could tie our shoes) that it is important to say thank you, and hopefully we have taken this basic courtesy into adulthood with us. If we have children, we likely taught them at a very young age to be gracious, humble, and appreciative. Most of us would say we do a great job showing appreciation and thanking people, right? We say thank you when someone holds the door for us, loads our groceries in the shopping cart, brings us our bill at a restaurant, etc... but I ask you, what happened to the thank you card (not to be confused with the thank you email, I am referring to the physical card received in the mail)?
In my personal life, I remember being forced to send a thank you card for each birthday present BEFORE I was allowed to play with the toy or wear the new outfit. Each thank you card was personal and specifically thanked the gift giver for the specific gift. ie: Dear Grandma, thank you for the lovely yellow fuzzy slippers. They were exactly what I wanted. Love, Crystal. Ten years ago when my grandma passed away, we found shoe boxes filled with these thank you cards, condolence cards, birthday cards, etc...the sentiments meant so much that she couldn't bear to part with the cards. My grandmother must have passed along a genetic predisposition, because I too have saved many cards throughout the years. There's a photo album dedicated to baby shower cards for my children, cards filled with loving sentiments from my fiance' tucked away in my jewelry box, and sympathy cards with inspirational quotes in the drawer of my nightstand. A card is something you can keep for a long while, look at often, and the wording is generally short and sweet yet very powerful.
In my professional life, I have cards on my desk, cards in my drawers, and some cards have even been framed to inspire and encourage on a daily basis. It is obvious that I value cards, specifically thank you cards, and yet when I want to thank someone, I send them an email instead of taking time to send a physical card. How incredibly short sighted of me and I promise you, this habit is going to change NOW. I am the proud recipient of physical thank you cards, and now I am going to become the proud sender/giver of physical thank you cards.
The residual effect of the physical thank you card is powerful. It sets you apart from others, but also creates a conversation piece for your friends and customers. Professionally, if you add your company logo or personalize the thank you card, you will be encouraging referrals with each card displayed by your customer. For example, the card on my desk right now shoes a mountain climber at sunset and includes the words: "Anything that is worth having is worth working for" and you would be drawn to the card if you were visiting my office. This gives me an opportunity to tell you about my friend and mentor and her successful business.
Sending a thank you card leaves a lasting impression and creates customer loyalty through appreciation as well as branding. A thank you email can be deleted, but every card kept can open the door for multiple referrals as well as multiple opportunities for the card recipient to be reminded about your business and the great customer service you provided when you showed your appreciation and gratitude to them. Aside from providing a great product or service at a fair price, a thank you card is a critical component of growing your business. Carry that into your personal life and see good relationships become great...priceless!
Are you looking for more ideas from Crystal?
You can find her blogging and building her Relax Consulting business -
To learn more, go to:
http://www.relaxconsulting.com/
