Is Your Business Using Relationship Marketing?

Everyone loves to be thanked and appreciated. So are you thanking and showing appreciation to your clients and customers? Generally, when someone purchases a product or service, a “Thank You” , is typical, at the time of purchase, but anything more than that like a “Thanks For Your Business” card is extremely rare. When a customer, patient or client receives a “Thank You” card from a business, the excitement and surprise causes them to be more eager to return and do business with that company again. That excitement then prompts that person into tell everyone that they know that this company is different, it believes in appreciating their customers. I’ve never know a doctor and dentist offices that does not send a “reminder” card in the mail, but when was the last time that you received a “Thank You” card from your doctor or dentist? It’s probably been a while, if at all.

It is pretty obvious that it’s cheaper to keep a client rather than get a new one. So my question for business owners is, why are you NOT showing your clients or customers some appreciation? Taking a few minutes to send a personalized thank you card to someone, if anything, should make you feel good because you’ve done something special and unexpected for someone else. Saying thank you at the time of purchase, or service completion or an e-mail to clients is a given now today as well, but there is nothing even remotely close to the value and meaning of a good old, in your hand, greeting card. Once you start sending personalized thank you cards, don’t stop there, go on to send an even more “unexpected” card, for example, a “It Was Nice To Meet You” after a party or event you attended or a “Just Because” card at any given time. Your clients and customers will get to know know that you really appreciate and won’t feel as though you are soliciting more business . Because of this, your customers and clients will also be more willing to refer other business owners and colleagues to you because you have done something that was special and almost unheard of today.

So think about it, is your business, service or practice doing any sort of Relationship Marketing?