Thank You cards!

Thank you cards are amazing, even though they are just a small post card with a short thank you message, if you put a small link to your website, twitter link and facebook group, you send it too people who have either come for a meeting, bought a product etc.. etc... its great they work wonders

So few people take the time and effort to actually put a pen to paper, write something, then take it to the post office, buy a stamp and mail it.

While every one else relies on email, voice-mail, and hiding behind technology those who actually pick up a phone or hand write a note stand out in a huge way.

Wat to go RollTide.

I love them!...one of the most appreciated, and least used tools in marketing. I get clients who call me back just to say 'thanks' for the note. ...it's a small thing, but little things like that add up.
_____
Bruce

Chris,

Funny you mention that because I just received an email from a client thanking me for the Thank You card. I have sent out 10 or 11 cards and that is the first person to say anything about it.

I really think it goes a long way and it's so simple. People don't say 'Thank You' enough anymore.

SOC user here too so gotta say I love sending Thank You cards for all occasions - whether it's to thank someone for business they gave me, or to thank someone I purchased from for their time and assistance - but the ones I like best are the non-business ones sent to friends and family to appreciate them for just about anything. I feel great writing 'em, know they feel great reading them, and then I feel great again when they call to say thanks - which they almost always do.

I'm not big on promotional messages of any kind in a business thank you though, and like to keep them simple as Joe Girard, the "Worlds Greatest Salesman" liked to do.

If you don't know Joe, I highly recommend his book "How to sell anything to anybody", and if you'd like the Cliffs Notes version - I wrote a report about his selling secrets that I used to offer as a free WSO here - but if you read this here and want a free copy - just PM me your contact info and I'll get it to you.

Also, there's an excellent book called the "Go Giver" that I highly recommend if you're selling anything to anyone.

Cheers all,

Steve

Can someone post an example of an Thank You card or Thank you email.
I also think these are very great to establish a stronger relationship.
Thanks

This is a top notch tip and something more offliners should take advantage of... particularly me!!

Tip:

Keep several in the trunk of your car. When you visit a prospect
or client, write it up.... drop in mail same day.

In some places, do this same day and it will arrive hours later.

Powerful.

I love the lottery ticket idea, but I live in Vegas and we don't have a state lottery.

I also use SOC and always send two thank you cards. The second one asks if they know anyone I can send a free report to about the problem which I solved for them.

Send Out Cards ROCK! I LOVE the fact that I can simply sit right at the comfort of my computer, select or (add a receipient) from the contact list, select a card, maybe add a picture, add my text for the card (post card, tri-fold card or regular folded card) and hit send! From there, S.O.C headquarters in Utah who then adds the real stamp to the outside of the envelope---oh...and did I mention, you even have the option of sending a really cool gift (candy, cookies, tea or other cool items!) with your card!

And the really cool thing about it is---NOT ONE person can tell I didn't personally do it ALL myself!!

Who wants to waste time, energy and gas (at these crazy prices!) to do it the time consuming old fashioned way? I'm sorry..but my time is better spent elesewhere! I love being a customer of S.O.C's!!:p

In my opinion, they work great because people feel as if you truly care about them and that you remembered them. Adds a more personal feel when doing business.

I work with a few busy hair salon's and help them with their thank you card marketing and they work great, but what works even better is....

Birthday Cards

One huge marketing tip i will share with you is to get your clients date of birth, so you can send them a birthday card. I help my hair salon clients do this and we include a pizza discount card inside the birthday card as a gift and the customer return rate doing this is huge, like 6 customer returns for every 10 birthday cards we mail out.

I hope this helps,

Martin

Although my Mother always reminded me to send out a "Thank You" card for a gift received. I only learned the positive results of "Thank You" cards after I started selling cars.

I saw a post earlier in the thread where some one mentioned including a "Lottery Ticket" in with the card. Well here in the "Bible Belt" even though the lottery is legal and well played there is still a little stigma attached to the lottery.

I would recommend a little Giveaway like a "Vacation Certificate".

I started including a "Vacation Certificate's" in all of my Thank You Cards. The response was tremendous. It isn't the cost of the gift that counts, but the enjoyment received. People hate to buy a car....but they love to go on vacation. I have had customers actually call me and send a referral and ask if they would get another certificate.

I have a link to the same certificate that I still give away in my signature. They work great and me and the wife just used one to go to Gatlinburg last December.

Good Manners never go out of fashion I love to receive thank you cards, it makes me feel like a valued customer.

Acknowledging a customer always gets return business and goes a long way. My father and I run a local business and always send thank you cards to our local/repeat customers. Every time we see the individual or families they always go out of the way to mention how "sweet" and "caring" the card was and how common courtesy is so valuable. It makes the customer feel as if he/she isn't a customer but more like a friend. Spending .01 cent on a card and 1 minute of your time to write a personal letter will bring a return of 5000%+

I like all of these ideas. I had not heard of the Send Out Cards company - but they had a great idea. Enclosing coupons or offers with a thank-you card is a great idea too. How about a money-off coupon enclosure to help them come back?

Somebody asked what a real Thank You card looks like and what you should say on it. It can be a card you buy that says "Thank you" on the front, and has a blank inside, OR it can be a generic card with some kind of picture on the front (like some scenery, a cute animal, a design, etc.) and is blank inside.

You can make this generic kind of card into a thank you card by just writing "Thank You!" on the inside and writing below what you are thanking them for (like... "for the recent purchase..." or "for being a great customer!") - - you can go on to say that they are appreciated and you hope they have a great week. Sign it with your signature and business name and phone number if you want.

Another good enclosure idea would be your business card, just in case they lost yours or to make sure they have it.

This is why you've got to love the WF!!

Little tidbits of information like this are invaluable!! I never even thought of Thank You cards, but it's a great idea!!

I'll definitely be including them for my clients from now on!!

Thanks for the tip!

I totally believe in the power of thank you cards. I once sent a thank you card out and they ended up telling a mutual friend that that card really meant a lot to them and that was why they stuck with us despite the cost to them. It wasn't a form letter or anything. I just shot from the hip.

I don't like sending out e-cards because they are often deleted or ignored.

I like to take notes from successful companies like Stonyfield. They sent a handwritten note AND coupons when I had a problem opening one of their emails. When SportClips messed up my haircut they sent me a handwritten note AND cards for free cuts.

It really almost shocks you when you get a handwritten card these days. Usually the mail is full of advertisements and bills. It is so nice to get a handwritten sentiment.

Good share,
My girlfriend joined a Online card company which gives you the ability to send out i customized card Text and pic. And you can pick from a online store of gifts. It is what we use for our top clients and family special occasions. Just Sayin!

I use SOC and also keep a stack of thank you notes in my desk to send out the day I speak to a prospect or client. I also like to add, "And thank you for trusting me with your referrals" as a PS to each note I send. I taught this referral method to an insurance agency client of mine and he still uses it and says it continues to generate new business for him.

I tend to screw up my handwritten notes so I got a font made of my own handwriting and use that and an Avery greeting card to customize the thank you note.

The personal handwriting font is pretty nice. I got it for $9 a few years ago from Fontifier - Your own handwriting on your computer! (no interest or affiliate link - just a good product). They have fonts for PC and Mac.

Thank you cards are very powerful relationship building tools. Great tip from Paul on personal handwriting, and there's a free service (similar) at MyLiveSignature (dot com) that we've used before as well.

I hand write all thank you notes with my customized stationary which cost me pennies on the dollar at Vistaprint. The impact is HUGE and builds trust and loyalty faster with your client. Do it with clients big or small, it makes a difference on your bottom line.

It doesn't have to be long, I thank them for using my services, crack a joke about my atrocious handwriting, and tell them I look forward to a long working relationship with them. =)

Thanks cards never make good relations if you wanna make good relation talk to each other freely and share your problems .

My husband has a home inspection business and I am trying to use my online skills (if you can even call it that) to help with his business, but I'm not even quite sure where to start. Any pointers for me? Thank you

Thank you cards are more better ways of expressing your feelings, than writing a one page email !!

Thank you cards are a great way to retain customers and to start a valuable relationship. It's even better if you can write it up instead of typing it. An image wouldn't hurt either. Just make sure it's relevant.

I've been reading "The Art of Selling" by Tom Hopkins and he mentions doing this to generate more long term customers and referrals from the customer you just serviced.

Hmmm...interesting post there Gurv. What's that you're promoting in your sig?

In any case, I put a new twist on my Thank You Cards that I figured I would share with everyone.

Now whenever I lock in a new customer, I throw in a professional gift certificate or as I call them a "Service Voucher" for 50% an additional campaign. This essentially will get them asking about what else can be done for their online presence.

It's a great way to continue opening up avenues for additional stream of income from them and others (because I make the service vouchers transferable).

Hope this helps!

This is greatly a one good way tool for marketing esp. generating not just to retain but to encourage return customers to your business. thumbsup!

Couldn't agree more. It has such a huge impact and takes very little time or effort.

What most companies do when they receive an order is log it in, generate a label/work order, and then fulfill the order or service requested.

What companies should consider:

1. Immediately send a thank you note reassuring them of their wise decision and reselling them on the benefits. This helps with buyer remorse.

2. Ask them to give it to someone they love/like along with other services/products they maybe interested in. This will help in them referring clients to you.

3. Would send it by snail mail. I believe it would be more readily opened and read.

I agree, thank you cards can help your business stand out. Not too many businesses send thank you cards nowadays.

I believe in saying that two words. That is very powerful! Good job!

Thank You is indeed, by far, two very powerful words that any person can use; business person or not.

Sometimes we like going the easier way of doing something without even taking keen notice to know whether there is a value in it. A pen and a paper takes time, and some, will even have it hard to trace for pen and paper before they proceed to write. It is this precious time that you spent which makes the card or the letter more valuable. It indicates commitment and a close consideration to whoever it is meant for. It is also physical and can be kept for a long time and each moment arousing a great feeling whenever you come across it.

Great, yeah back to basics. For sure, people do appreciate little things like that in Business, it makes it more worth the while. Whether it be Thank You Cards, Chocolate or even gift cards or a bottle of wine. Yes, indeed makes you think, how can we do business better.

I agree. Thank you cards are a great way to promote your business. When I was selling home improvements, I sent thank you cards to every customer and then a card on their birthday and at Christmas. Customers were so amazed, I got more repeat business and referrals than I could handle!

people feel appreciated when they get thank you card... it works on emotional level....