As a small business owner, it is important to develop ongoing relationships with media members. And an important part of that process is thanking them for their assistance year-round.
The next time you see a quote or article in the media that includes information about your business, be sure to thank the reporter who wrote the story.
After dealing with stressful deadlines, pitches from hundreds of publicists and interview-scheduling, media members appreciate a note of thanks and a few comments about their hard work.
With this in mind, have you thanked your customers, partners, employees, and other business associates lately?
By taking a few minutes to send a simple thank you, you can help build valuable relationships, increase word-of-mouth and grow sales.
For Nielen’s Small Business Resource Center, I asked several small business owners how they say “thank you” was overwhelmed with responses. Here are some of their tips:
“To thank an executive for something I send a small gift to their children or their dog. Also, whatever they helped me with (say advice on a business problem) I follow-up and give them the resolution with a “your advice helped in blankety-blank.” They are usually curious of the outcome when they’ve “helped.” Debra Benton, President, Benton Management Resources, Inc.
“Special ways we can thank customers not only include thank you e-mails or letters, but also answering questions promptly and thoroughly, offering discounts for products or services, phone call follow-ups, and free tip sheets or reports that are applicable to the customer’s needs.” Jill Exler, Founder, jexbo™.
“One of the best ways we’ve found to say thanks to our customers is to give back to the community. Peavy’s Garage hosted a food drive for a local, Katy, Texas food pantry. In the past, we’ve been a part of blood drives and other events. We believe that by bringing the community together to make Katy a better place Peavy’s Garage is making life a little better for our customers.” Ken Peavy, Owner, Peavy’s Garage.
In my next blog entry, I’ll share more of these great thank-you tips. Perhaps you’ll be able to use some of these ideas or be inspired to create your own appreciation efforts specifically for your customers and business associates!
And if you have some thoughts on this, please let me know here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’d love to hear them!
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