Marketing and Management Update

Seven Ways to Say “Thank You” October 18, 2006

Posted by Tim Raines in: business, marketing , trackback

Marketing and Management Update There’s no better time than Thanksgiving to express appreciation for your customer’s patronage. The words ‘thank you’ create a magical effect on people. Thanking your customers is a powerful strategy for turning the one-time buyer into a longer-term customer and a fountain of referrals.

How well are you “touching the customer” after the sale? Are you making a memorable and timely impression that moves them along that coveted lifetime value continuum? Are you doing anything whatsoever to help the customer realize they made the right purchase decision, and fight off those dreaded post-purchase blues? Too many marketers focus only on programs designed to acquire new customers and they take existing customers for granted. The benefits of a personalized thank you program should be obvious yet very few marketers budget ‘thank you’ into their plans.

Thanking your customers is a powerful strategy for turning the one-time buyer into a longer-term customer and a fountain of referrals. Try these proven methods:

Thank high value customers: All customers are not created equal. An annual handwritten thank you note to your “top twenty percent” from the CEO is a smart strategy.
Thank lost customers with a private “win back” offer: A handwritten note to welcome them back, with an irresistible offer works well. Reactivating past customers is one of those forgotten fundamentals.
Thank and sell: A handwritten note with a customizable gift certificate is a proven winner and can move inventory or get a plant to capacity!
Thank with a gift: Induce reciprocity and stimulate a sale or referral! A thank you gift works wonders. Think high perceived value.
Thank and save the sale: Beat the cognitive dissonance demons by reassuring the customer. Great for any high ticket item. Offer an add-on sale while you are at it!
Thank and cross-sell: A handwritten note to tell your best customers about a new product or service, with an offer unavailable elsewhere.
Thank the non-buyer: A handwritten note to the non-buying prospect of a high ticket item can influence a sale when the prospect is ready to purchase.

Make ‘thank you’ a strategic and conscious component in your marketing program and invest in the lifetime value of the relationships you have already established. The challenge, of course, is to implement a timely and sincere thank you program at a reasonable marketing cost. At the end of the day, it’s all about direct marketing mathematics but aren’t your best customers worth a couple of bucks for you to show your sincere appreciation?

This is a reprint of an article by Bob Martel. Mr. Martel is a marketing consultant and direct response copywriter. Visit his website at ThanksABillion.com.