Two words that will change your business

Saying these two words – thank you – might be the smartest business move you make this year that influences your business for next year.

I usually take this Thanksgiving weekend to send custom holiday cards to my current and past clients thanking them for the opportunity to serve. This is a super easy way to simply remind clients of your existence.

As service providers, we often we move from client to client without giving thanks for the folks who make our business possible. And on the other side, we hire vendors or contractors and never hear from them after the project is done.

Quick & easy tips to make your thank you count

1. Keep a list of your past and current clients in a spreadsheet with their physical address (email won’t cut it for this one!) Bonus: you can print out address labels once you’ve got them in a spreadsheet.
2. Express your gratitude and best wishes for their business – and handwrite your note.
3. Make at least one line specific to their business – don’t just use generic language.
4. Don’t ask (or expect) anything in your note – this is simply a note of gratitude!
5. Always keep thank you notes (and stamps!) on hand so you can send out a quick note after you finish working with a client.

How a simple thank you gets you more work

Recently one of my first clients celebrated a momentous occasion – she opened a new studio after two years of renovations. I sent a simple bouquet to celebrate her achievement. Not less than a day later she sent me a lovely thank you note and a request to design a new web site (and we last worked together over three years ago).

My friend the pilates teacher Justin from rebalancedsf.com is sending gourmet chocolates to his clients (I joked with him that he was trying to plump them up to get them back in the gym!).

Services I recommend

While I often design my own cards, this year I used the fantastic service at Minted.com – they’ve got gorgeous pre-designed cards that you can easily customize with your message and branding – and it cost less than $100!

Take the time to thank your clients and service providers – and you’ll be remembered in the new year when they (and their friends) need your services.