Keeping your business top-of-mind is not just about down-and-dirty sales calls, cold calls, and networking. You write blog posts, send emails, and send branded bags, shirts and hats, and the recipient either reads, wears or discards them. Promotions don’t always make it through the clutter — so what can make yours stand out? My two favorite things: thanking and treating.
To me, thanking people is the best way to spread goodwill and at the same time, it puts you on someone’s radar. When you’re top of mind, good things happen; relationships get built. This all goes without considering the biggest cherry on top — it makes the recipient feel appreciated.
I genuinely like my clients and I want them to feel the love. When it comes to showing them how I feel and staying top-of-mind, here’s what I know:
A card is always a simple treat.
I love to send, receive, and design cards. Cards are short and sweet ways to both give thanks, make someone laugh, and to say hey — look what’s up with me. Whether it’s a holiday card for Christmas, Chanukah or Thanksgiving, a more obscure one like Groundhog Day, or a promotion card introducing a new product — every day is a chance to connect. Even if it’s not a specific holiday, it’s always the right time to send an unexpected card. I keep a big stack of custom notes on my desk. I send them to say thank you, congratulations, or just hello. I also keep focused promotional cards to send to new businesses (who might need a website design or brand refresh) to introduce my services.
Either way, nothing perfects a custom-designed card like a handwritten note inside.
One year for Valentine’s Day, I made handmade cards with cut out hearts for my clients (and I actually got a lot of phone calls because of it)!
Chocolate trumps most.
I just got this message from a colleague: I got an email last night that a molten lava cake is arriving tomorrow! I can only assume it’s from you since you are my Fairy Godmother of all things tasty and drinkable! She was right. It was me. I mean really…what’s better than making someone’s day — with chocolate?
One Halloween, I sent a box filled with candy bars to current and prospective clients. The note included a blurb about brand choice: Which brand did you reach for first? Snickers won by a landslide. This candy treat also served as a reminder of their choice to choose to work with me, and that recognizing ones’ brand is important. One client even hired me and said, “As we were eating our Hershey Bars, we decided we needed to give you a shot.” Sweet goodness that puts smiles on faces!
Ultimately, I like to be recognized for my work, of course, but I also like to be on someone’s radar because of a sweet note or a sweet treat that made them feel good.
Over the past 30 years, I’ve made it a point to say thank you often and purposefully—and I think it’s been one of my biggest success-strategies and differentiators. Number one, it’s a nice thing to do. Number two, it keeps you on someone’s mind.
Saying thank you is a win-win—don’t you agree?
P.S. Here are some of my tried and true thank and custom product vendors.
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