Ten Low Cost Ways to Thank Your Clients/Customers/networking contacts

If you are looking for ways to thank someone for their business, here are some ideas that won’t break the bank.

1.   Express your appreciation verbally in an appropriate setting.  Say “thank you” to the person at a meeting with them.  Make sure you say it sincerely.  Sometimes thank you becomes a sort of “good-bye” rather than a real acknowledgement of the person.

2.   Hand write a thank you note and send it through the mail.  Most of the US mail I receive now is a bill, an ad or a magazine.  If something personal and hand written comes in the mail it stands out and I read it first.

3.   Remember the client’s birthday, anniversary or other life event with a card and a personal message.  Thinking of someone when you are not asking them to do something is always appreciated.  Including a personal note can make the card even more meaningful.

4.   Send the person an article on a topic you know he/she is interested in. (This may or may not be business related.)  I just sent an article on Scrabble to a friend who I know plays Scrabble.  Understanding your client/customers/networking contacts interests helps you to send meaningful articles.

5.   Give the person small gift. i.e. promotional gift or small token gift.  A gift doesn’t have to be expensive to show your appreciation.  If you already have promotional gifts such as pens, pads of paper, calendars, use these to thank your client/customer/networking contact.  No promotional gifts available?  Try giving them something related to their hobby or interest like a book on tennis, some golf balls, or a cooking utensil that you like.

6.   Refer a potential customer to the client/customer/networking contact.  Anyone in business will appreciate a referral.

7.   Help the person locate something. i.e. new employee, product, service.  Understanding your client’s/customer’s/networking contact’s needs is very important.  Helping them to find what they need is a great way to thank them.  A friend once told me that he never said no when someone asked him where to find something.  He’d just say I’ll get back to you.  Then he made it his business to find what the person was looking for.  This is a huge gift to your client/customer/networking contact.

8.   Give a donation to client’s/customer’s/networking contact’s favorite charity in his/her honor.  If the person is active in fund raising or vocal about the non-profits he or she supports, this is an easy and meaningful way to acknowledge your client/customer/networking contact.

9.   Invite client/customer/networking contact to appreciation party.  Some people enjoy giving parties.  If you are one use a party to thank your contacts.  Parties are networking events themselves and it allows your clients/customers/networking contacts to interact.  Not only are you giving them the gift of a party and fun, you may even connect them with a potential client, customer or networking contact of their own.

10. Invite client/customer/networking contact to attend a workshop at no charge. (This might be one you are giving or one on a topic you know the client is interested in.)  If you know your client/customer/networking contact is into continuous learning this will be a “thank you” he/she will particularly appreciate.