It’s a known fact that people do business with people they like, where they feel appreciated and/or where they make a difference.
I don’t go to Starbucks DAILY because I am rolling in surplus income, but I am willing to spend $5.00 on a cup of tea because I always feel better walking out of the store than I do when I walked in… that is worth $5 to me every single day.
Not only is my tea made exactly as I like it, they don’t make me feel weird or high maintenance ordering it that way, the staff is incredibly friendly, helpful and genuinely seem to like their jobs, and having a pleasurable experience everyday at 5am is important to me, to my mood and demeanor for the whole morning and I didn’t realize that until Starbucks showed me how important it is.
I do business with them and am fiercely loyal to them because of those reasons.
What are you doing in your workplace/business or organization to create that kind of loyalty or positive experience?
What are you doing to let your clients, especially your best clients, know how important they are to you and how valuable they are to your company or organization?
In my 20 years at the Vancouver Board of Trade as an ambassador and facilitator, the question, I repeatedly asked my fellow members and networkers, was ” If I were to stop your #1 client walking down the street, would he or she know where they rank with you and your company?” or “What are you doing to let your clients know that you appreciate them spending money with you daily/monthly/annually and not with your competition?”
If you hang your head, saying nothing or say ‘not much’, let’s work together to change that.
Next week is Thanksgiving here in Canada and after 24 years of business I can tell you without a shadow of doubt; Thanksgiving is the #1 Missed Opportunity for Business Gift Giving …hands down.
Thanking or acknowledging clients and customers after a sales transaction is tradition, as is sending some type of gift or gesture during the holiday season. All very good, legit and very much appreciated reasons and occasions for giving.
However if you want to stand out… if you want stand head and shoulders above your competition, make sure your gift or gesture isn’t lost in the shuffle of the holiday season or becomes just another box of chocolates in the staff room for whomever to enjoy… we can easily and happily scope out a plan for you and it starts with Thanksgiving. The perfect time of year for giving Thanks!
By sending out your ‘business to business’ gifts at Thanksgiving, being on the cusp of the holiday season, you are ahead of it enough to be individual and stand alone. Also you are sending out gifts on or near a day that was actually created TO GIVE THANKS!!!!
During this week, take some time to acknowledge those clients that you are genuinely grateful to have, ones that make you smile when their name pops up in your email folder, ones you have worked with the longest and ones that are fiercely loyal to you even if competition comes in to undercut your rates… we can never thank or acknowledge these people enough but why not try starting with Thanksgiving this year.
Now I feel our gift baskets are always the right answer and are perfect for every and all gift giving occasions, but maybe this week simply send a card or email of thanks.
Thanks for stopping by and as always, I give THANKS for you everyday,
Carole Mac
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