National Clothesline

One of the very first things my friend, Dave, learned in business about 20 years ago was to hand-write Thank You notes to each of his top customers.

Back then there was no Internet, no personal computers, no e-mail and no Twitter or Facebook. It was all manual labor. Go to the store and buy the greeting cards, go to the Post Office and buy the stamps, write the notes (by hand), stamp the envelope, address the envelope, go to the mailbox, deposit the card.

It was a lot of work but the effort paid off. The next time he walked into a client’s store or business it was like he was a long lost friend. “Hi, Dave!” was the enthusiastic welcome.

The trust and friendship he earned came as a result of showing up on time for appointments, always doing what he said he would do for his clients and always being grateful for the business they would give him.

But it was the Thank You notes that had given him such a huge edge over his competitors.

A simple greeting card was what he used to cement each relationship. Not just one card, though. He learned their spouse’s name, their children’s names, their dog’s name. And he even found out when their birthdays were so there were multiple reasons to keep in touch.

Relationships can’t be bought. Relationships can’t be faked. You are either genuinely sincere or you’re not.

In today’s environment, simply extending old-time courtesies will often help you stand out from many other businesses. In fact, just uttering the words “thank you” has become a competitive advantage since so few people bother to express appreciation anymore.

A recent etiquette poll found that nearly five out of every 10 people don’t always say “thank you” and that remembering to do so becomes a point of difference. It sets you apart and goes a long way toward forging relationships that can turn into opportunities.

Showing genuine appreciation to your customers lays the groundwork for gaining loyalty. After all, people want to do business where they feel welcomed and valued.

Have you ever wondered why customers leave a business? Studies have shown that three percent leave because of inconvenience, nine percent because of a bad relationship they had, 15 percent because of product, price or delivery problems, and five percent for other miscellaneous reasons. That leaves 68 percent for the most significant reason — perceived indifference. The majority of defections happen because people either are not appreciated or feel they are not.

Staying connected is important because it helps customers feel appreciated. But like any successful relationship, it takes a certain amount of effort to create and maintain a connection with your customers. It goes beyond being attentive and helpful when you’re face to face with a customer.

Instead, you have to show your customers that you’re thinking of them even when they’re not thinking of you. And a simple yet very effective way is with notes. All other things being equal, people prefer to do business with those they know, like, and trust; writing thank-you notes is a very powerful way to strengthen business relationships.

A person who receives a note automatically feels as though he knows the sender of the note better because written notes are becoming more unusual.

The act of sending a note actually sets the sender apart from the rest of the field.

Thanking someone in writing for a referral, a compliment, or for bringing you business makes that person feel good about themselves, which reinforces good feelings towards the writer of the thank you note.

Since a well-written note of thanks takes time and thought to write, it often fosters a sense of trust in the customer and makes them more likely to want to help the sender again in the future.

Forging strong customer relationships is good for business. No matter what you’re selling, competition is intense and comes from every direction. For customers to pick you out of the crowd and remain loyal, they need to perceive a difference. Very often that difference comes from the relationship and trust you develop with them.

At the beginning of this Thanksgiving season I’d like to share with you the Power of Three as a way to steadily grow your customer base.

Every day take 15 minutes at the beginning or end of the day and write three short goodwill notes. Write one to a prospect, one to a client and one to a friend. Just say “Hi,” send an article, or say thanks — just make it specific.

When you do this, at the end of the week you’ll have made 15 goodwill contacts, and at the end of the year, 750. Think of the “business seeds” you’ll have planted. Some could even germinate into additional business… and wouldn’t that be nice?