Dear Dan: I’d like to add more of a personal touch to my business by sending thank you or other types of notes to clients or prospects. Any advice? – Noteworthy
Dear Noteworthy: Keeping in touch with customers is vital to building a business. From thank you notes and congratulations, to holiday greetings, reminders, sympathy notes and even apologies, opportunities to communicate with clients and prospects occur daily. Sending cards and notes is a quick, affordable and effective marketing solution for anyone on a tight budget.
Choosing – the right words for your notes can increase their impact. Consider a note of congratulations, for example. No matter how big or small, life’s accomplishments deserve recognition. Note-worthy business achievements include a promotion, new job, new assignment, new title, starting a new business, landing a contract or client, favorable publicity or an industry award, among others.
And for busy business owners – where the all-too-easy e-mail almost trivializes the value of communication – a sincere congratulations note can really stand out, says Judith Cronin, who launched Cronin & Company in 2004 as an online resource specializing in cards for business and business-personal relationships. Cronin offers these ways to write an effective note of congratulations:
• Do write soon after hearing the news, and use the word “congratulations” early.
• Do mention the occasion for the congratulations in the first sentence or two, and tell the person how happy, proud or impressed you are.
• If possible, do mention something about the person’s abilities and achievements.
• Do express your best wishes for the person, and if appropriate, tell how you learned the news.
Ounce for ounce, thank you notes are one of the most powerful tools in a business owner’s arsenal. Appreciation directed regularly toward customers and employees can give almost any business a boost. On the flip side, a lack of appreciation can lead to customer frustration.
The simple thank you note is a great place to start. “A few sentences long, it’s a perfect way to make the personal connections that build stronger business relationships,” says Cronin. She suggests hand writing notes whenever possible. “It says you took the time to think about what you were writing. A simple fold-over note card, a black or blue pen, a stamp and a little effort are all you need.” •
Daniel Kehrer can be reached at
editor@business.com.
Seifert Systems Invests in Energy Efficiency to Strengthen Operations
For manufacturers, energy is more than just another operating expense. It plays a critical role…
Learn More
