In mediation marketing, the little touches count

Every Friday I write thank you cards to clients I served that week. They’re hand written and I choose the card from a stockpile I keep in my office, something for every client personality. It takes me 15-20 minutes do write each week’s cards and I know they matter because clients have commented.

Sometimes, I’ll include an article from my files if I have one that’s relevant post-mediation or consult. And, of course, I include my business card…three of them. One for the client to keep, two for them to give to others.

I still remember my mother sitting me down at the kitchen table when I was a child, reminding me of the components of good thank you notes, and handing me a stack of blank cards after each Christmas and birthday. Thanks, Mom.

Business thank you notes aren’t much different, and Church of the Customer has a good, short post on the Five Must-Haves for Thank-You Notes, including:

• Thank the person for choosing your business. If they shared a specific reason why they choose your business of why they like it, reaffirm it. For heaven’s sake, though, don’t turn it into a sales pitch.
• Include a personal detail about the recipient that you picked up on. Prove that you were listening. Humanity is a good thing in the antiseptic world of business.

If you want an alternative to sending out your own cards, Send Out Cards will do it for you, for a fee. I prefer the personal touch of doing it myself, but I also know business owners who rave about this service.

What thank you strategy do you use? Share a comment and keep the conversation going (if you’re reading this in email, click on the article title to be taken to the article’s page and comment box)?

                       

Tammy Lenski

Dr. Tammy Lenski helps individuals, pairs, teams, and audiences navigate disagreement better, address friction, and build alignment. Her current work centers on creating the conditions for robust collaboration and sound decisions while fostering resilient personal and professional relationships. Her conflict resolution podcast and blog, Disagree Better, are available at https://tammylenski.com/archives/… MORE >