Earn Customer Loyalty with a Simple Gesture

In today's electronic age when businesses look for new ways to improve profit, we sometimes forget that simple, time-honored gestures often work best. And it takes only two words: Thank You!

Writing thank you notes may sound like an obvious tactic, but surprisingly, few companies do it. That's precisely why it will set you apart from the competition.

Consider a regular policy of sending out notes between orders to tell customers that you appreciate their support and patronage. By conveying these messages, you simultaneously remind people that you're still out there. Here are a few tips:

Don't overdo it. One or two times a year is plenty. More than that and they lose their meaning.
Target your customers. You don't have to send a handwritten thank you to everyone. Choose carefully, either large customers or those with growth potential.
Consider using paper. In this electronic age, old-fashioned notepaper sent by snail mail can have more of an impact than an email that might seem impersonal and can get lost in the masses of messages in most recipients' email inboxes.
Send a bonus. Along with the note, you can include a discount coupon or special offer as an extra way of thanking customers.

And make sure the envelope doesn't look like an advertisement. You want the letter to be opened and read — not tossed away.