Appreciate Your Customers and They Will Appreciate You with More Referrals

It’s mid October and only a few weeks to Christmas, a good time of year to show appreciation to your customers for their business. But why do your ask? After all you give your customers the usual good service, annual hospitality and Christmas cards, that’s enough isn’t it?

Here’s a good question, how many times do your suppliers show you their “personal” and sincere appreciation of your business?

Not many I think, how would you feel if they wrote to you stating “Thanks for your business for 2007” etc, no doubt you would think much better of them for showing their appreciation and would certainly wish to continue your relationship with them and refer them extensively. So what is to stop you doing the same with your own customers?

There are several benefits for you and your business in conducting a simple annual “Thank You for Your Business Letter” NOT AN EMAIL, a personal letter is best. They are simply and easy to do, low cost, takes little time, gains high appreciation, satisfaction and loyalty from customers and also offers the potential to obtain customer feed back data.

I generally send such a letter annually, preferably just prior to the Christmas season or just after the New Year. Either is good and you can do it on both occasions using different message formats i.e. “Thank You” format for thanking for pass business and a “Appreciated Format” for anticipated business for the forthcoming year.

Such a letter could be based on the following template;

“Dear John

Thank you for being A valued client and for your business in 2007

I hope this letter finds you well and that business is good.

I am writing to thank you for your business in 2007. We appreciate you using our company and we hope you are pleased with the results of our services and any benefits and value we provide to JS Industries.

We wish to maximise the standards of our services to all our clients and we would greatly appreciate your feedback, ideas and input on how we achieve this aim. We have enclosed a simple customer survey form for this purpose.

To further show our appreciation we have enclosed some high value special offer vouchers from top quality alliance partners and Christmas suppliers who include; jewellers, restaurants, gift, clothes, shoe shops, travel agents etc.

We hope you have a really great festive season and a prosperous New Year.

Best regards",

Etc…..

Note adding the high quality vouchers (which will not cost you anything) gives greater value to your letter.

I guarantee if you send out a letter of appreciation it would be well received by your customers who would like it and rate you highly. This small gesture will help to increase referrals, sales, profits, satisfaction, loyalty and business growth.