People remember beginnings and endingsāthe brain guesses that the beginning of an interaction (hello and welcome) and the end (good day and farewell) are worth recalling. Weāve all heard about the importance of making a good first impression. But we often forget to create a clear and memorable ending to a customer interaction. And as it turns out, the end of a transaction can linger in your customersā minds in the following days and months.
Ensure a positive, memorable end to a customer interaction. Show that you care, that the transaction mattered to you, and that youād like the customer to come back and refer you to their friends.
Why Send Thank You Notes?
First and foremost, because weāre all humans, and kindness is free. Everyone appreciates being thanked, and your heartfelt gratitude encourages positive relationships and reliable service delivery from that person in the future. After all, wouldnāt you prefer to do business with someone who took the time to thank you?
Be genuine and sincere. Thereās hardly a better way to express gratitude and sincerity than a handwritten thank you card. Pro tip: Keep thank you cards for employees to send out as wellāmake it part of your company culture to write and send them regularly.
When Should a Business Send Thank You Cards?
There are many opportunities to use thank you cards in business, and weāve listed just a few. Whether itās an employee appreciation card or a “thanks for the service,” consider embracing as many opportunities as possible.
Here are ten ways to use thank you cards to get more business:
- Thank you for choosing me to work with you. After youāve been selected to be the service provider, you can send a note to remind them youāre thereāif they need anything or have any questions, youāre just a call, text, or visit away.
- Thank you for your business. For ad-hoc projects or product purchases, send a note. It doesnāt have to be long; you can simply recognize that the customer stopped in and made a purchase or worked with you on a single project. Adding some personalized details about the purchase helps your customer feel extra special.
- Thank you for the ongoing work. Letās say you just signed a contract to provide services for a year. Send them a note to thank them for the great opportunity and remind them youāre looking forward to your partnership.
- Thank you for the referral. When someone liked your products or services enough to recommend you to others, thatās definitely worthy of gratitude. What better way to build your business than through word of mouth?
- Thank you for the meeting. This could also be lunch, catching up, or some other get-together. Networking is always goodāeven if it doesnāt lead to new business today, it could lead to new business in the future.
- Thank you for your testimonial. If you have a customer or client who loves you enough to tell the world, you absolutely want to thank them for their endorsement of your products and services.
- Thank you for the interview. If you are the person being interviewed, be sure to thank the interviewer for their time. You want to stay at the top of their mind, and an appreciation card will help do just that. If youāve interviewed someone, consider thanking them for their time as well. Even if you donāt give them your business (or hire them), youāll leave a good impression.
- Thank you for your consideration. If you donāt get the business or land the customer, you should still thank them for taking the time to analyze your proposal. You can say something like āWe regret being unable to prove to you the benefits we have to offer at this time. Weād like to keep in touch with the hope that we can partner in some way at a future time.
- Thank you for your great work. An employee appreciation card says thank you to a team member who has done a great job. Whether or not itās Employee Appreciation Day, cards can go a long way toward improving moraleāwho doesnāt like to feel appreciated?
- Thank you for partnering with us. The people who provide services at your business (coffee delivery, for example) deserve recognition for their efforts, as well. Let them know you appreciate what they do for you.
Tips for the Greatest Impact
Hand-write at least some of the card. If youāre going to take the time to create cards, do it well. Hand-write as much of the inside as possible, but at least the recipientās name and your signature. If the whole thing is pre-printed, it wonāt look sincere. Remember that the whole point is to build relationships, and that needs a personal touch.
Save time with business thank you card scripts. Odds are, youāll find yourself writing similarly worded thank you cards time and time again. Make note of the most common scripts you use and refer to them when itās time to write out appreciation cards for employees and others.
You can do this by typing out your sentiments and saving them in a file or by photographing what you wrote in previous thank you cards. For employees, make these suggested scripts available to the whole team. Itāll save everyone time wondering what to write.
Use different envelopes than your regular business stationery. When you think about thank you notes, you might not immediately consider what kind of envelope to use. By choosing the right envelope, you can influence the recipientās perception of the card before they even open it.
You donāt want to use the same kind of envelope you send invoices or statements in, because the recipient will immediately assume itās a bill. Thatās not the impact you want! Choosing a standout envelope gives the recipient a bit of anticipation before they even open it.
Consider including a little gift. Think about the last time you got a bulky envelope. You were probably excited for a moment, wondering what was inside. Your thank you cards for employees, clients, and customers will feel the same way. A bulky envelope with a small treatāa gift card or coupon, a bit of candy, a penāwill make it obvious that it contains something fun to open.
Just be sure whatever you enclose adds to your brandās message and aligns with the quality of your products and services. Sure, it may cost a few dollars to send, but itās a small amount of time and effort to deliver a big āwowā factor.
Send business thank you cards promptly and consistently. There are two final factors to consider: promptness and consistency. Send a thank you card as soon as you can after an event. That way, youāll be perceived as being sincere; waiting too long will make the thanks look like an afterthought.
Establish a system that ensures you send cards consistently. If you arenāt consistent, your customers and partners may perceive you no longer value them, or that youāve lowered your standards.
Donāt be salesy. Donāt taint your thank you note with overt promotionāthis isnāt time for a sales pitch. A note of appreciation is best used as a passive sales tool; theyāre good for customer relationship building, not for advertising. You can, however, mention an upcoming event you hope theyāll attend.
Giving sincere thanks is a simple way to show kindness and appreciation in your business. Crunch the numbers to find out how to make this marketing tactic viable for your business. You donāt have to spend a lot of money to make the people you work with a little happier with a nice note. And, since sending thank you cards can help with your customer retention rates and referral rates, you donāt have a lot to lose.
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