As the holiday season approaches, we often find ourselves feeling grateful for the many good things in our lives. We may feel thankful for our families, pets, good health, a good job, etc.
If you are a business owner or manager, make sure to add clients and customers to that list. They are essential to any business. Without them, your business would fail. Your customers and clients deserve to feel appreciated. And, when they do, they are more likely to continue doing business with you and refer you to others.
While we believe it is important to say “thank you” with each business transaction, every now and then, you can do something a little bigger than just saying the words.
The holidays are the perfect time to show those you regularly do business with just how much you appreciate them. Below are some wonderful ways to do so.
(Aaron Burden/Unsplash)
Keep These Things In Mind
Before deciding how you will show your customers and clients how much you appreciate their business, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Think…Think…Think
Often, people can tell when a lot of thought was put into gift-giving. The more thought you put into a gift, the more meaningful it will likely be. If your client feels like they are important to you, your business relationship will flourish.
Get Personal
How well you know your client will help determine how personal of a gift you can give. For example, if you know your client is a vegetarian, you know not to subscribe them to a meat-of-the-month club.
Be Original
While giving general, run-of-the-mill types of gifts is still acceptable, we think you should consider giving something a little more original. Unique, original gifts will be remembered and talked about for a long time.
Be A Team
With your team, come up with ideas and discuss budget amounts. Including your team in the decisions for client appreciation will help boost your company’s morale.
And now, let’s talk about classy thank yous with these five winning ideas in mind.
1. Sincerely, Yours
In our technologically advanced world, hand-written notes are not commonplace. Most correspondence is done through email, text, or even typed letters that are printed off and then sent. Receiving a hand-written letter is almost as rare as finding a four-leaf clover.
A hand-written letter is much more personal and impressive than anything typed or electronically sent. Taking the time to actually hand-write a thank you letter will undoubtedly make your customer feel appreciated.
2. Improve Their Office Space
Many people spend a great deal of time in their offices. If this is the case with your client, consider gifting them something that will spruce up their space. Some good ideas include:
- Potted Plant: Low-maintenance is best, so your client doesn’t have to worry about their plant over the weekend or if they go on a trip. Yet, it will still make their office more inviting, and it can help clean the air.
- Wall Or Desk Calendar: Everyone needs a calendar, especially those in a business setting. Yes, they can use one on their phone, but having a bigger one right on their desk or wall can be very useful and convenient. Make it personal by adding their logo.
- Charging Dock: Electronic devices are critical in this day and age. Help your customer keep charged and organized with a classy-looking charging dock.
- Personalized Stationery: You can choose to give your client some stationary with their name on it or their company logo.
3. Put A Label On It
Most often, the quality of service you provide will be memorable enough that your clients and customers won’t soon forget about you. But, to get them to think about your company even more often, give them a gift with your company logo on it.
One simple idea is a mouse pad. A mouse pad with your company logo on it will be something they will use and see nearly every day. This is a great way to ensure your name doesn’t slip their mind. Other gift ideas to add your logo to might include a coffee mug, calendar, tumbler cup, etc.
4. Sweeten The Deal
There’s a reason there are sayings such as “butter them up” or “sweeten the deal”; if you want to improve any relationship, be sure to appeal to their appetites.
Nothing says “thank you” quite like good food. Some good edible gift options include:
- Gourmet cookies ordered online and delivered right to their office.
- Imported coffee or tea sampler.
- A chocolate-dipped fruit bouquet.
- A gift card to a popular restaurant or bakery.
5. Customer Appreciation Week
The other ideas are all great, but host a weeklong event to amp up your customer appreciation game. Having a customer appreciation week will allow you to thank your clients face-to-face.
During your customer appreciation week, you can have a whole host of things going on, including:
- Food: Hosting any event without some type of food is never a good idea. People are more likely to come and enjoy themselves if yummy food is involved. Consider having a caterer provide lunch and/or dinner. Or, keep it simple and offer a delicious cookie assortment. Make life easy and order the cookies online.
- Raffle: Giving your guests the opportunity to win something will create a sense of excitement surrounding your event. And, who doesn’t love winning stuff?!
- Discount: When hosting a customer appreciation event, be sure to offer coupons or some type of discount to your customers. While your product and how you do business should be incentive enough for continued business, a discount often helps solidify that.
Remember, as you are making a list of people and things you are grateful for, don’t forget your customers and clients. Your business wouldn’t be what it is without them. You should try to make every customer and client feel like they are your most important one.