Chapter 11
Thank You!
“The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.”
—William James
Thank you” is one of the most uplifting concepts and phrases. So many customers—and employees—believe that “the company” takes them for granted. Showing appreciation builds goodwill, motivates, inspires, and lets people know that you know your business couldn’t have gotten where it has without the input, support, and dedication of a few or many people. Nothing beats a personalized thank-you; thankfully, though, a public, broad-based announcement of thanks, a bulk-rate announcement by mail, and a more personalized thank-you card all have their place as well and will be welcomed. Do what you can, but never be too busy to think of stopping to say thank you any and every way you can. These messages of thanks may be coupled with special offers or many of the other announcements in this book, or they may stand alone as simple statements of gratitude. Never undervalue the impact of an expression of appreciation.
Perfect Announcement Mindsets
You can say thank you in many ways: letters, e-mails, newspaper ads, postcards, personal notes, gifts, and more.
Many small business owners say thank you annually by sending a thoughtful birthday gift to loyal clients or customers.
Some business owners will send or personally deliver treats at a holiday time.
Offer thank-you discounts or a small free product or service as a thank-you.
A handwritten thank-you card is worth a great deal these days. A printed, signed card is also worth a great deal. Just putting something personalized in the mail tells customers that they’re worth the extra effort. If you send a preprinted card, add a personalized P.S.
A thank-you card acts as an advertisement by putting your name in front of the customer as a reminder.
Your style may be simple or elegant—what matters is that you took the time to say thanks.
Your note can include a coupon. You can also streamline to make the note itself the coupon: “Bring this note for a special discount.”
Announcing your thanks online to all who have been your customers, all who have referred customers, or all who have given is also useful. A broad-based announcement still shows your gratitude.
A thank-you can be expressed online after a purchase is made and included with a product when it’s sent out.
A thank-you can come with a request to fill out a customer service survey or a product or service rating.
Phrases
“Thank you for your business! We’re delighted that you’ve chosen our business / services. We look forward to working with you to make your project / event / venture a success.”
“Thank you for voting on the Customer Choice website to make us the number-one-rated spa in New Mexico!”
“Thank you for continuing to be part of the XYZ family. Happy Holidays!”
“Serving you is our treat. Please stop by during Halloween week for a sweet treat from us.”
“Happy Birthday! Another birthday means another year that we’ve enjoyed serving you. Please accept this coupon as a show of our appreciation. We hope that you enjoy your special day!”
“Your order is en route, and I want to thank you for your business. Jim Watson, Customer Service Director.”
“Thank you for your recent purchase from Homestead Businesses. We appreciate your business and look forward to continuing to serve you. Tanya Smith, President, BU Products, Inc.”
Perfect Announcement Mindsets
Employee respect and appreciation are paramount to retention, motivation, and generating good feelings that will ultimately benefit the company.
Employee thank-yous should be given not only to the team as a whole but also to individuals and departments.
Nothing is more effective than an individual thank-you, but public appreciation for the entire team goes a long way in showing gratitude for everyone and fostering a sense of team.
Announcements of gratitude for the team can also be online in employee posts, messages, and newsletters.
Announcements can be hung in the office as reminders so people can see, in the midst of a long day, that their hard work is appreciated.
Phrases
“Thank you for your dedication to our business / cause. We are lucky to have such talented, dedicated people on our team!”
“You are the reason for our success. We thank you for your hard work and dedication.”
“Your job may be tireless, but we promise that it isn’t thankless. We appreciate each one of you each and every day.”
“Our support staff has been outstanding during this sales campaign. Thank you all!”
“We’re rated number one in customer satisfaction. Why are our customers so happy? We know why—because of your hard work. Thank you!”
“We are one of the top-rated companies in our field because we have the top professionals in the field working for us. We thank you for being part of our team!”
“Thank you for another great year! Profits are steady, which says a lot in this tough economy. We appreciate your hard work and dedication to getting us through these tough times. Great work!”
“Profits are up, thanks to you!”
“Thank you for being the team that consistently stays on track, goes the extra mile, and brings home the gold!”
“We’ve reached our goals! Great work, everyone—thank you!”
Perfect Announcement Mindsets
Announcements of appreciation for donations may be used by nonprofits, but they also should be used by businesses that align with or become involved with charity initiatives.
Donations to a charity that you run are critical to its success, and donations to charities that your company supports are a way for you to help and to expand your reach into the community.
Be sure to acknowledge all who participate either financially or in kind.
Never ask for another donation in the same announcement or note of thanks. It undermines the gratitude for what was given. It says thanks, but couldn’t you do more? You’re more likely to have a follow-up donation by not asking before the person donating feels the gift was appreciated.
The world is filled with takers. Always be thankful to givers, especially those who are helping your cause, and announce your thanks in as many places as you can. You can have a thank-you banner at an event, a special thank-you on your website, a thank-you gift with a thank-you message, and still follow up with a thank-you card. No one ever tires of being appreciated.
Phrases
“Thank you for donating school supplies for disadvantaged children in our community. Your donation is helping to give children the tools to learn. With those tools come confidence and a world of possibilities. On behalf of the children and their families, we thank you for your support.”
“Thank you to all AXO employees who donated funds for the relief effort. We have ensured that every dollar you gave will have double the benefit by matching your contributions dollar for dollar. The final tally of donations by AXO employees and our dollar-for-dollar match was $ _______.”
“Thanks to all who kindly donated raffle prizes for the Arts for Children fund-raiser. The event was a great success and raised over $ _______ for community center art supplies. The raffle was one of the highlights of the afternoon and was responsible for a significant percentage of money raised.”
“We thank those who generously donated their time to make our Children’s Health event a success. Time is the most valuable commodity we have, and we thank those who gave theirs so freely for the sake of Children’s Health.”
“We thank those who donated funds and those who donated their time. Because of you, we held a successful event and reached our goal. We deeply appreciate your kindness, generosity, and caring.”
“So many people have good intentions to help and good reasons why there’s never time. Those who find the time in spite of those good reasons are extraordinarily special, and we thank each one who has reached out to help our cause.”
“‘The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the greatest intention.’ —Oscar Wilde. We thank those who acted in kindness for our cause. Each person who donated money or time—in any amount—gave a gift that was priceless. Thank you!”
“Grains For Life Food Bank has a new truck on the road to reach more children and families thanks to a generous donation by We Care Industries. We thank We Care for caring and taking action to help the hunger cause.”
“‘Be the change you want to see in the world.’ —Mohandas Gandhi. Thank you for being the change!”
Perfect Announcement Mindsets
Post an announcement of appreciation in a public space to thank customers for referring other customers. It shows your appreciation to those clients and tells prospective clients that others have been so pleased with your company that they referred you to friends, family, and colleagues.
Announce your appreciation of referrals in your newsletter or e-mail blasts.
An announcement of appreciation for referrals might spark someone else to refer you who might not have thought about it.
Offer a discount or free gift for referrals as a thank-you and to entice more clients and customers to recommend you.
Phrases
“Thank you for your kind referrals! New customers often tell us they were sent by friends or family. The greatest compliment anyone can give to a business is to recommend it to others, and we’re happy to know that you enjoy your experience here enough to recommend it. We appreciate your enthusiasm about our business and your faith that your friends and family will feel at home here. We look forward to seeing you soon!”
“We’re growing, thanks to you! Referrals have increased our business, and we’re running a customer appreciation sale this weekend! Bring this announcement for an extra 10% off!”
“Thank you for participating in our friends and family event.”
“Thank you for having the confidence to refer your friends, family, and colleagues to us! We appreciate your enthusiasm and trust.”
“Our business is growing, thanks to you! Our clients consistently recommend ABC Cleaning Services to friends and family. We appreciate your kindness and your confidence.”
“We appreciate your referral. As a small token of thanks, we will send a check for $50 to anyone whose referral becomes a client.”