If you manage a Business, are an Account Manager or Business Development Rep you should be seriously looking at ways to say, “Thank you!” to your customers.

Not convinced? How about this - 60% of all customers stop dealing with a company because of what they perceive as indifference on the part of salespeople.

Without loyal customers, it is much harder to run a successful business for a few reasons:

- It is easier and less costly to retain customers than attract new ones.

- It adds a sense of personalisation to your service. By caring about customers as individuals you may put yourself at a distinct competitive advantage in how you differentiate.

- Developing relationships with customers can create brand loyalty and referral/recommendation.

How to Thank Customers

Actions often speak louder than words. Just saying “thank you” is insufficient. These words alone are empty — you need to show that you mean it.

Send a handwritten note

Yes – the traditional hand-written note has enormous power! It costs nothing beyond time and literally a stamp but will be remembered well after an email or text is deleted. Make each note personal, even if this means you need to send fewer.

A thank you video

Send a short, personalised video. Something simple from your mobile will work – the key is personalisation

Give a gift

When it comes to thanking customers, it really is the thought that counts. There is no need to offer anything lavish. Choose something your customers will benefit from and is customized in some way. Gifts should just be for your top customers — if you offer one to everyone, it loses its meaning.

A charitable contribution

This a great gesture of appreciation, and if the charity you contribute to is one that your customer contributes to, then you’ve hit a personal note that will be remembered and appreciated.

A customer appreciation event

If you have more budget another way is to bring all your top customers together is to hold an event with the sole purpose of thanking everyone.

If you have a national or international customer base you might need to do this regionally or could invite everyone to a live webinar or Facebook video where you can thank them.