Customer retention is an essential part of your marketing plan. Each customer you keep is an increase in ROI on the marketing dollars you pay to attain them.
Expressing appreciation to your customer base is essential for building positive relationships and strengthening customer retention. Here are several ways to show appreciation in the business world as we go into the holiday season.
Thank-You Notes and Emails
Send personalized thank-you notes or emails to express gratitude for their support, acknowledge their contributions, or follow up on business dealings. Here are a few ways to maximize the impact of your letter or email.
- Tailor each thank-you note to the recipient and the specific situation. Mention specific details or contributions to make it more meaningful.
- Send thank-you notes within a day or two of the event that prompted the note.
- Maintain a professional yet friendly tone in your thank-you notes. Use appropriate language and avoid overly casual or informal language unless it’s consistent with your business culture.
- If feasible, opt to write a handwritten note. Handwritten notes stand out more than emails because they require more effort and are less common in today’s digital age.
- If you use email, use a clear and relevant subject line to ensure the recipient recognizes the purpose of the message.
- Carefully proofread your thank-you note to check for typos or grammatical errors.
Gifts and Tokens of Appreciation
You can also give thoughtful gifts or tokens of appreciation on special occasions or as a surprise gesture to show your gratitude. A gift does not need to be lavish or branded to be effective. For example:
- Make it personal. If you have had conversations with your clients, try to customize the gift for them. For example, if a loyal client mentioned a pet Siamese they love dearly, a card with a Siamese cat on the front and a small gift card to a local pet supply shop can be a thoughtful gesture that expresses that you hear and value things about them that are not directly related to your business.
- Reward them for being active. If a customer has helped a lot with a lot of valuable feedback for a product or program, offering them a free trial or sample of a relevant product will demonstrate you value their input and continue that feed of great data at the same time.
- Make sure they are things the person will use and appreciate. For example, magnet calendars and notepads are useful to corporate office clients, while hand warmers or cooling towels would be better for clients on active construction sites. If appropriate, you can also make clever use of brand marketing in the process.
As an added bonus, the IRS considers some small gifts under $25 tax deductible if they are given directly to the recipient and do not qualify as an entertainment expense. Strategic use of other tax-deductible gestures like a business-related meal can likewise assist you in both high-profile customer retention and your bottom line for the quarter.
Customized Solutions
Tailor your products or services to meet clients’ specific needs and preferences. This demonstrates your commitment to their success and satisfaction. Like gifts, it does not need to be an expensive or lavish gesture if it is thoughtfully planned out. For example:
- Offering a client free rush delivery on something they need urgently while thanking them for being a great customer for the past three years.
- Adding an extra replacement part free of charge on a large order.
- Creating a custom bundle that fits loyal customers’ needs or offering a three-month discounted price on a new service they want to add to their current plan.
- Customizing a product or service to meet the business’s climate needs, like offering free or discounted insulation for parts that will be out in extreme temperatures.
- Customizing a product or service to meet their motto and business goals. For example, if they spearhead a sustainability project, make sure products delivered to them are delivered in sustainable and biodegradable packaging.
Incorporating these practices into your business relationships will help you build customer retention and maximize the ROI of the marketing dollars you spend. If used strategically, they can also translate into more benefits like repeat sales, word-of-mouth marketing, brand marketing, and tax deductions.
laneMKTG Can Help You Express Your Gratitude This Holiday Season
Would you like help writing that holiday social media post, newsletter, or personalized email? laneMKTG’s content and copywriting experts are here to help turn your message into an opportunity to attract and retain clients. Contact us today to discuss your next project!
