When I first started out in business for myself back in 1994, I had a habit of sending a thank you note for every call I went on. It didn’t matter if it was my first time meeting a client or my fifteenth time, I sent a follow up thank you within 48 hours. My business grew and grew. My clients actually commented on how much they enjoyed the cards as few people did that. Today even fewer do.I didn’t do it as a marketing tool. I did it because I was taught by a mother who believed in saying thank you. It was and is part of who I am.
I got busier and busier, my business doubling every year for the first five years, then leveled off to a comfortable pace. It was about year three that I started to slide on my thank you notes, email was really gaining traction and hand written notes were fast becoming a thing of the past. I still said thank you only not by handwritten notes. (Marketing Tip to Self: Write Notes not Emails)
It is the only habit I regret breaking. And one I am fast returning to. I’m returning to it because now giants like Nordstrom are using hand written thank you notes for every purchase no matter how big or how small. The tricky bit is that it relies on their people and sometimes they are slow in that follow up.
Any thank you, no matter how late, is better than none. This is particularly true of a handwritten note or typed with a signature but arrives by real old fashioned snail mail. This was brought home to me recently by a totally unexpected thank you I got from the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Century Furniture, Abel Alex Shuford, III. I had ordered a dining table from them before the holidays for client. This arrived February 5. I was stunned, stunned by a personal note from such a large company, stunned by it coming from the VP of Sales and Marketing. Oh I know chances are an assistant did this and signed it but the impact isn’t lost. And I hadn’t had a great experience with the local showroom so this more than repaired any damage and ensures that I’ll be buying Century again. Well done!
In fact, that is the first thank you I’ve ever received from a furniture vendor in my over 15 years in the design industry. Kind of shocking when you think about it. Now, I’ve gotten verbal thank yous and email thank yous but nothing that I kept on my desk and quite honestly wish I had a bulletin board to post it on. Yes, it meant that much to me. It has always amazed me that it hasn’t really caught on as a marketing tool, a sales system process to be leveraged by companies far and wide. I’ve never even gotten a hand written when I’ve made the purchase of a car or a house!
Imagine if you created a daily practice of just five handwritten thank you notes, not letters, not post its, not emails, actual notes with an envelope and address. In a very short time, you’d have created a very big impact. This is why card companies like sendoutcards exist. Ironically while that is a nice touch, I still prefer the hand touched instead of computer generated. The choice is yours but remember, it is never too late to say thank you and have it count. Start today, it will change your tomorrow.
I’d love your comments on your practice of saying thank you in business and in life. Share your stories here.
Melissa,
You are absolutely right…”thank yous” leave a lasting impression. As I read your article I remembered a note I received from a State Representative when I was in high school. She thanked me for something I had done in the community that she was aware of…I still remember how that felt.
Writing five notes a day to thank people can simply add a little light to their world. And that is quite of gift for all of us!
Jean,
What a great example! Thank you for sharing that and let me know how that new habit holds!
Hugs, Melissa
Melissa,
So true – thank you’s mean a lot and unfortunately not many people send out hand written notes of any kind anymore. We have good friends who we get together with socially. Whenever we host Lisa and her family for dinner, she always sends a hand written thank you. I do send a hand written thank you and small gift after each job/project I complete for a client. A vendor of mine also suggested that I send thank you after each call. By keeping note cards and stamped envelopes in your car, it should be easy to do and pop it in the mail before you ever get back to the office. I’m excited to start this week!
Margaret,
Right you are and delighted to hear you’ll be implementing them for every call. Post me on results!
Hugs, Melissa
Dear Melissa,
You deserve a ‘hand written, snail mail’ thank you note for the great reminder.
I do send hand written notes, but not enough and plan to send more..
I do have a question….Sometimes saying ‘thank you’ is great, but what else do we say..Seems my notes all sound the same…How to vary the words?
Michelle,
I know that feeling so I mix it up with much appreciate, huge thanks, deeply value, greatest gratitude and phrases like that. Remember while they sound a like to you, it is new to each person you send to.
Hugs,
Melissa
Uncanny! I decided to reinstate my practice of writing thank you notes and then I see your blog post.
Jackie!
Timing is everything and that is the universe’s way of showing you that what you think about shows up!
Hugs, Melissa
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