It's time for THANKS GIVING!
For our fellow Americans out there, November 27th is our favorite national holiday - "Thanksgiving" (our Canadian friends had theirs in October).
What better a backdrop for an article on "thanking your clients"? And with the Christmas holidays around the corner, this is your absolute last chance to make arrangements to thank your clients for keeping you in business. After all, without them, you are nothing. Zilch. Nic. So you can't afford to blow this one.
Now, we happen to be in the business of gift giving, so we've got some pretty strong opinions on the topic. What's important is that saying thank you is not about the money - it's about the message. Whatever you do to thank your clients, you need to be sincere, and as personal as possible. Here's what we think:
Whom to thank?
Ideally, you want to thank all of your clients - the big ones and the small ones. Maybe you can't justify a present for each one, but you should consider sending a Christmas card, or at the very least, make a phone call and say "thanks for doing business with us this year - we look forward to serving you next year." Your smaller clients will fall off their chairs - and surely remember you the next time they need your services.
Deliver the message personally.
We are always impressed when the Director of Fortis Bank Polska comes to visit us personally during the holidays to thank us for doing business. They always have a nice, beautifully wrapped present and a few kind words. The meeting takes all of five minutes, but it's well appreciated. If your Director can't make the personal visit to everyone, then send out other members of your management team. It sends the most important message of all: You are important to us.
Size doesn't matter.
Whatever your budget for a corporate gift, you can find something appropriate. Decide if you want something elegant, practical, funny, tasty, classic, creative or relevant. It depends a lot on your business and the nature of your customer relationships. When talking to your corporate gift supplier, make sure you tell them as much as you can about your customers and what message you want to convey. They know their business better than you do, and if they are doing their job, will have dozens of ideas for you.
Be unique.
How to make your gift stand out? There are a hundred ways, a few include: Packaging it uniquely; personalizing it with your client's name; delivering it in an unforgettable way; including a very personal note from your company's president; or simply picking out a gift that "knocks their socks off." If you are really good, your sales rep will know something personal about the client (i.e. she likes dogs) and your present can be truly personalized. The sky's the limit.
Something special for key clients - Something small for the others.
The best way to narrow down the literally thousands of choices is to start with a budget. At our company, we give rather expensive presents to the top 50 clients, and 10-20 zloty gifts to the next 200 or so. You'd be amazed at what elegant things you can find for 10-20 złoties. After that, we send Christmas cards to everyone else. Look at your entire client list, and decide what makes sense for you.
Pretty packaging and a personal note.
We mentioned it above, but it's worth repeating. Your gift should look like a present and not like an afterthought or an obligation. Wrap it nicely, or at least put it in a pretty gift bag, and include a personalized letter or card signed by the sales rep, as well as a top executive. Don't make it a form letter! Spend the extra time to make it very personal - but do keep it short.
Throw a party for clients.
Now there's an idea. Everyone is throwing parties for their employees - what about the clients? Parties aren't cheap, but if you've got the cashola, it's a great way to say thanks. You can leave them with a small keepsake after the party for remembrance. If a big party is too much to swallow, then you can arrange a series of dinners with real key accounts at an elegant or fun place. And don't necessarily invite the heads of your client companies. Invite the decision makers - the real folks who are doing business with you and who will appreciate the gesture the most. Besides, the bosses get to go out all the time anyway!
Thank the Staff and the Sales Force!
If you are the MD or Sales Director, then don't forget the people who are taking care of your customers. The end of the year is a great time to thank your sales team, customer service reps, and remaining staff for slugging it out and sticking with it during the past brutal year. All around us there have been staff reductions, pay cuts, increased work loads, not to mention a lukewarm Polish economy. It's been a tough time for everyone. Considering Poland's entry into the EU next year, and the prospects for renewed growth, a well-chosen gift may be just the boost that your staff needs to re-energize and get psyched for the new year.
The main message here is - do something, just make it genuine. And get your sales team and your management out of their offices and into the field. It's time to do a little "thanks giving" of your own.
NEED HELP? If you are having a hard time deciding how to thank your clients or staff, send us an e-mail and we'll send you the answer - "20 Creative Ideas for Corporate Gift Giving." saleseye@lynka.com.pl
Matt Lynch is the national sales director of LYNKA Promotional Products. John Lynch is president of LYNKA.
What better a backdrop for an article on "thanking your clients"? And with the Christmas holidays around the corner, this is your absolute last chance to make arrangements to thank your clients for keeping you in business. After all, without them, you are nothing. Zilch. Nic. So you can't afford to blow this one.
Now, we happen to be in the business of gift giving, so we've got some pretty strong opinions on the topic. What's important is that saying thank you is not about the money - it's about the message. Whatever you do to thank your clients, you need to be sincere, and as personal as possible. Here's what we think:
Whom to thank?
Ideally, you want to thank all of your clients - the big ones and the small ones. Maybe you can't justify a present for each one, but you should consider sending a Christmas card, or at the very least, make a phone call and say "thanks for doing business with us this year - we look forward to serving you next year." Your smaller clients will fall off their chairs - and surely remember you the next time they need your services.
Deliver the message personally.
We are always impressed when the Director of Fortis Bank Polska comes to visit us personally during the holidays to thank us for doing business. They always have a nice, beautifully wrapped present and a few kind words. The meeting takes all of five minutes, but it's well appreciated. If your Director can't make the personal visit to everyone, then send out other members of your management team. It sends the most important message of all: You are important to us.
Size doesn't matter.
Whatever your budget for a corporate gift, you can find something appropriate. Decide if you want something elegant, practical, funny, tasty, classic, creative or relevant. It depends a lot on your business and the nature of your customer relationships. When talking to your corporate gift supplier, make sure you tell them as much as you can about your customers and what message you want to convey. They know their business better than you do, and if they are doing their job, will have dozens of ideas for you.
Be unique.
How to make your gift stand out? There are a hundred ways, a few include: Packaging it uniquely; personalizing it with your client's name; delivering it in an unforgettable way; including a very personal note from your company's president; or simply picking out a gift that "knocks their socks off." If you are really good, your sales rep will know something personal about the client (i.e. she likes dogs) and your present can be truly personalized. The sky's the limit.
Something special for key clients - Something small for the others.
The best way to narrow down the literally thousands of choices is to start with a budget. At our company, we give rather expensive presents to the top 50 clients, and 10-20 zloty gifts to the next 200 or so. You'd be amazed at what elegant things you can find for 10-20 złoties. After that, we send Christmas cards to everyone else. Look at your entire client list, and decide what makes sense for you.
Pretty packaging and a personal note.
We mentioned it above, but it's worth repeating. Your gift should look like a present and not like an afterthought or an obligation. Wrap it nicely, or at least put it in a pretty gift bag, and include a personalized letter or card signed by the sales rep, as well as a top executive. Don't make it a form letter! Spend the extra time to make it very personal - but do keep it short.
Throw a party for clients.
Now there's an idea. Everyone is throwing parties for their employees - what about the clients? Parties aren't cheap, but if you've got the cashola, it's a great way to say thanks. You can leave them with a small keepsake after the party for remembrance. If a big party is too much to swallow, then you can arrange a series of dinners with real key accounts at an elegant or fun place. And don't necessarily invite the heads of your client companies. Invite the decision makers - the real folks who are doing business with you and who will appreciate the gesture the most. Besides, the bosses get to go out all the time anyway!
Thank the Staff and the Sales Force!
If you are the MD or Sales Director, then don't forget the people who are taking care of your customers. The end of the year is a great time to thank your sales team, customer service reps, and remaining staff for slugging it out and sticking with it during the past brutal year. All around us there have been staff reductions, pay cuts, increased work loads, not to mention a lukewarm Polish economy. It's been a tough time for everyone. Considering Poland's entry into the EU next year, and the prospects for renewed growth, a well-chosen gift may be just the boost that your staff needs to re-energize and get psyched for the new year.
The main message here is - do something, just make it genuine. And get your sales team and your management out of their offices and into the field. It's time to do a little "thanks giving" of your own.
NEED HELP? If you are having a hard time deciding how to thank your clients or staff, send us an e-mail and we'll send you the answer - "20 Creative Ideas for Corporate Gift Giving." saleseye@lynka.com.pl
Matt Lynch is the national sales director of LYNKA Promotional Products. John Lynch is president of LYNKA.
