How a Simple “Thanks” Can Cure the Common Business Cold
Sometimes gratitude can feel like an ugly step sister – easily forgotten and often neglected; especially in the work place, and more importantly with your own clients. We’ve got just the trick to revamp your graciousness while providing a distinct way to keep in contact with your clients and remind them of their value.
It’s no secret that a simple thank you can sound like music to your ears, so why don’t more businesses reach out in thanks to their clients? In a recent study, the Wall Street Journal found that “adults who frequently feel grateful have more energy, more optimism, more social connections and more happiness than those who do not. They earn more money, sleep more soundly, exercise more regularly and have greater resistance to viral infections.” You’re also less likely to be “depressed, envious, greedy or an alcoholic.” It seems like a no brainer – if you want to keep your clients happy and keep them coming back for more, tell them:
Thank you cards are utilized by renowned business leaders and celebrities. Peter Drucker, the father of management theory and practice, is known for sending personalized thank you letters to build stronger relationships. He argues that “as soon as you take one step up the career ladder, your effectiveness depends on your ability to communicate your thoughts in writing and speaking.”
Get Your Gracias On
Even if you’re not a master of the english language or scrapbooking, reach out to your market and remind them how much they mean to you with a card. Although egreetings can be aesthetically pleasing, they are very impersonal and their effect is unpredictable – considering the amount of spam and messages received per day, how do you know your client will open the ecard? Also, the moment a client feels categorized as an automatic email recipient, all sense of genuine gratitude flies out the window.
Follow These Simple Steps…
1 – GET THEM
Stock up on cards so you have a good sized supply. When you make the commitment to purchase the cards, you will be more likely to follow through with sending them out. (Might we add how inexpensive they are?)
2 – SCHEDULE THEM
Take some time to set up your client’s special events for the year. Think about Mother’s and Father’s Day cards, thank you cards, anniversary date for being a part of your business (Thanks for your involvement in our company this past year…looking forward to many more!), etc. Once you schedule dates to send out your cards, you will have no excuse not to send them.
3 – SEND THEM
Simple enough. Slap on a stamp and ship it out. You’ll spread more happiness and flourish a more synergetic dynamic between yourself and who you do business with.
4 – HAVE FUN
This is a perfect time to unleash your creativity if you live in a stuffy corporate world. Think of the famous comedian and talk show host Jimmy Fallon. His hilarious twist on thank you cards makes a big impact on his audience and distinguishes his approach as a unique and memorable experience.
“Thank you aromatherapy,
For providing a place lavender can go to talk about its problems.”
Multiple Personalities Don’t Have to be a Disorder
By selecting the characteristics that are most representative of those groups, you can pinpoint your audience and direct them to where you want them to go on your website. Divide them into profiles of real life people and design your brand to appeal to those people with certain personality types.
The blah persona is a big dose of indifferent in your business. Like a Timely Tom, they are consumers who may buy quickly but never return, “like” a Facebook status and then forget about you, or just flake out on opportunities you provide. Overall they are a poor match for your brand and should be avoided. The more time you spend trying to appeal to this persona’s likes, the more time you’ve wasted at securing a reliable target market.
These are the least desirable personas. They can be named the Mean Marys – difficult to communicate with, wishy washy with what they want, and horrible at paying on time. To better your business you must take action now to exclude this audience. Start by creating a campaign that caters solely to your ideal personas, inevitably weeding out those not up to snuff.
The ideal persona is your perfect marketplace match. They are loyal and consistent consumers who recommend your work to others. They are your Loyal Lenords, who are receptive and happy with your work.
As a standard rule, identify only 5 focal personas. If you try to take on too many, you’ll spread your marketing dollars too thin instead of going after your key prospects in the most effective way.
Now that you know which personas to avoid and which to pursue, it’s time to build your marketing campaign. You’ve already created a blueprint by pinpointing who your market is now, who it might be someday, and who it should never be.
When developing your target market take into consideration:
- What your prospect’s personas are – age, job, ethnicity, salary, married, children, lifestyle, etc.
- What they want – self-image, personality, beliefs, goals, values, etc.
- How they interact with your organization and other businesses
- What might make this interaction happen or not happen
Another way to help you build a deeper understanding of your ideal client would be to use the Bar Conversation Technique developed by John Carlton. This method is incredibly easy and effective. Rather than describing your ideal client, you write down the conversation you think they’d have with a bartender after a tough day to express their problems. This method reveals exactly what your client’s big issue is in casual language versus stiff formal talk.
Get moving marketers, it’s time to start your research engines!
*Reference: http://www.seomoz.org/blog/whiteboard-friday-creating-marketing-personas
Plum 11, Inc. 