How to Give Thanks to Your Clients

by Dina Indelicato Writer

Giving thanks is important. Not just during the holiday season either (though it has extra poignancy then). Because when you give thanks you don’t just say ‘thank you’. Instead, you also demonstrate how important somebody is, be it family, friends or a client. This is a much bigger deal than many people realize. After all, we all want to feel important and there really is no better way to be made to feel that way than when somebody shows they appreciate you. This will serve to build long and lasting relationships that can weather any storm and stand the test of time.

For that reason, say thanks. Here are a few of the best ways to do so for those important clients in your life.

Send a hand-written note

A lot of people seem to think the only way to say thank you is to spend lots of money. I mean, that sure works – but when people aren’t really expecting you to show gratitude, a small gesture can go a long way. For that reason, why not start with a hand-written note? This shows that for you the relationship is personal and matters.

What’s more, because the art of writing by hand is an art that’s quickly being lost, this way of showing your thanks will be seen as particularly authentic by those a little older.

Of course, you’re going to need decent penmanship to pull this off. Because it won’t work quite that well if what you manage to produce looks like chicken scratches.

Don’t think that a hand-written note is enough? Then consider it as a part of something else.

Invite them out

There are a lot of ways you can go with this. If they were especially important, then invite them to dinner or something similar. If that would become too much work, perhaps invite them to an event.

In many ways, this holds the same charm as the hand written note in that it shows that you are personally invested in the relationship. They are not just a number or a client. Instead, you see them as actual people. And that is something we all appreciate – possibly because instinctively we all agree with the philosopher Emmanuel Kant when he says we should treat people as an end in themselves.

Of course, it doesn’t all have to be pleasure. You can show them your appreciation and also introduce them to some of your new products. Just make sure you don’t push it too hard, otherwise their appreciation can quickly turn to resentment.

Give them a discount or an upgrade

Yes, in the short-term it might hit your bottom line if you give them a discount or an upgrade, say for your best translation services or other computer service for free. The thing is, as this will ratchet up their loyalty to your brand and make them appreciative to boot, in the long run you’ll be able to build a long-term relationship that will more than compensate you for the effort.

Even better, if you give them the upgrade for long enough and it runs out, then there is a good chance if they found it useful, they’ll continue using it at the new level you put them at.

Give them something they’ll appreciate

The one big advantage of everybody being online is that it’s incredibly easy to find out what people like and care about. This means that with only a little bit of research you can now find gift ideas that people will appreciate. Are they into wine, basketball or the opera? Then it’s easy indeed to get them something they’ll value.

And the great thing about giving them a gift that shows that you’ve actually done your research is that again you’re emphasizing them as people rather than as just somebody who buys your stuff. After all, only if take the time to think of them as people will you take the time to actually discover who they are and what they care about.

What’s more, these kinds of gifts can then be preludes to future meetings away from the business room. Perhaps at a wine tasting event, the basketball court, or attending the opera? These will make your meetings memorable and your customers think of you not just as a business partner, but as a friend.

Support them and their charity through your social media

Is your client doing some important things and helping some needy people? Then why not create a little campaign for them on social media? Particularly if you have a sizable following, then you can get what they care about a huge amount of exposure if you do it correctly.

If you’ve got access to any high-quality creatives who can put together a video, or an article, or some other way to demonstrate to people what your client stands for and why you think it’s a big deal, then you can show your gratitude to your client, help support people who really need it and burnish their social credentials. What’s not to love about that?

Last words

Gratitude is a powerful emotion. It can save weakening relationships and turn already strong ones rock solid. What’s more, as the relationships we depend upon in the bad times are made in the good time, showing gratitude now can pay massive dividends – to not even mention that it will probably be reciprocated somewhere down the line.

And that while it often only takes the smallest of gesture to pull off! So what are you waiting for? Go out there, show some appreciation. You know your client will love it. And it will make you feel good besides.