Five Ways to Show Client Appreciation
Clients are the heart of any company. Without clients, our companies do not exist. Failing to extend intentional client appreciation can be a fatal mistake. In a world of globalization, any number of different vendors offer the very same product or service. In the US alone, nearly 100 different companies sell the iPhone. We live in a society full of options and endless choices. Without question, it is imperative to know what makes clients return with their business.
How we treat our clients determines whether they return and what type of reviews they leave. Customer service becomes what sets us apart from competitors. Thus, showing our appreciation is vitally important. But how do we do this insightfully and competitively in today’s marketplace?
Show your clients you appreciate them!
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Deliver a delicious treat.
Whether it be pie, cookies, bread, chocolate, cake, or fruit, sending a thoughtful, appealing gift to our clients is a great way to show our appreciation. Investing a little extra time and money in our clients is a small sacrifice compared to what they contribute by giving us their business. Even better, we can send a person or two to personally deliver the gift. Moreover, this becomes a fun activity and serves as a break in routine for a few of our employees. If time or people are limited, companies such as Edible Arrangements, Nothing Bundt Cakes, and various other bakeries will deliver.
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Send a hand-written note.
The art of handwriting letters may feel obsolete in today’s digital world. Nonetheless, we communicate intrinsic value to someone when we take the time to sit down and actually write a note. In reality, it takes far less time than we think it will. Writing a brief, but gracious, note only takes an average of one to two minutes. A hand-written thank-you can be one of the best ways to show our clients we appreciate them.
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Give away items of company merchandise.
Select one or two items of branded merchandise, place in a nice box, and deliver to a client. Always abide strictly by corporate policies. If your company does not have branded merchandise, it may be worth the investment. Pens, highlighters, jotters, or notebooks are the best options because your clients can use them; and, besides practicality, branded gifts become marketing for your company as well.
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Offer a discount for the amount of years a client has been in business with your company.
Offering discounts is a monetary way to show clients we appreciate them. It need not be much, but this kind of recognition shows our clients we realize the value of their loyalty as well as their monetary assets for our services. Budget may moderate the ability to offer more than a small discount. Nonetheless, offering a discount in a multiple equivalent to the number of years a company has been a client (i.e. 5% for 5 years) is a clever way to accomplish this.
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Support a cause in the client’s name.
Finally, donating a certain amount of money to a cause or charity in a client’s name is another great way to show client appreciation. This direction requires a little more effort on our part. Even so, its benefits have more far-reaching value than those previously mentioned. In this case, researching the company and its leadership can help you find a cause or charity they, as well as you, are eager to support.
These are just a few ways to show clients and customers you and your company appreciate them. Without them, your business, or any business for that matter, would not survive. Make it priority to show your clients you are thankful.