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Remember the last time a client, a boss or a co-worker gave you a handwritten thank you note to say you were doing a good job? What about a client? Has one ever slipped you a gift card worth the price of a cup of fancy coffee just to show you their appreciation?

It felt good, didn't it? The gesture might even have prompted you to keep up the good work. You might have thought back to that gesture when you toyed with moving to a different company or switching to a cheaper vendor.

A gesture of appreciation does not have to be a gift. Simply saying “thank you” can go a long way toward improving morale, retaining valuable staff members and keeping your clients coming back. In fact, in survey after survey, more than 20 percent of employees have said:

If they do not feel recognized for doing good work, they have recently applied for a different job—compared with 12 percent of employees who do feel recognized.

More appreciation from the boss would make them happier at work.

They prefer written or verbal “thank you's” over extra time off or gifts. 

Saying “thank you” is a simple but powerful gesture. It can lay the foundation for a positive relationship with management, subordinates and co-workers when the time comes for you to ask someone to go the extra mile.

Showing appreciation builds goodwill. People appreciate being appreciated. Someone who feels appreciation from you is more likely to return the gesture by agreeing to your requests. They want to let you know that they appreciate you, too.

Professional salespeople—at least the good ones—know this. They keep in touch with their customers long after the sale is made. They thank them for their business. They check later to ask if the customers are happy with their major purchases. They ask what else the customer might need that they can offer.

It is all part of creating a “customer for life,” and it is a strategy that any employee, manager or vendor can imitate in an effort to create good working relationships and agreeable clients, staff and co-workers.

I employ a practice of my own that works for me. As a small business owner, I handwrite thank you notes on fancy paper and mail them in time for Thanksgiving delivery each year to every client, employee and vendor I have ever done business with—even former ones.

When I find myself in need of a favor, a discount or a rush job, they’re happy to help me, especially if someone gives you something you really want, like a raise, a promotion, a job or new business, it’s important to show your gratitude. In fact, most hiring managers say they expect a thank-you email from every job applicant who got an interview.

Even if you did not get the raise or job you asked for, show your gratitude to the person who spent time and consideration on your request. And do not show that gratitude just once. Continue to follow up with everyone who has helped you or considered it.

That kind of follow-up not only sets you up for positive results with this person in the future, but it signals that the professional relationship you want reaches far beyond a single transaction. It says you care enough to stay in touch.

You don’t have to spend a ton or money or time saying “thank you.” Simple gestures can be just as powerful as grand ones. For example:

A note—handwritten or via email—that includes a specific reference to something the recipient did for you or talked to you about can elevate a casual business relationship to a more important one.

After crashing on a deadline, an in-person pat on the back for a job well done—again, with specific mentions of achievements—lets an employee know that you notice and appreciate hard work.

Posting a positive online review for a company or a service professional takes just minutes. But its impact can be enormous if it results in additional business for the vendor.

Returning a favor after someone has done one for you tells the other person that the relationship is not one-sided.

Some sincere words of appreciation can pick up an employee or coworker who is showing signs of burnout or depression.

A gift card worth as little as $5 is still a gift. Hand them out to people who serve you year-round, like the person who delivers packages to your office, the agent at the rental-car company you frequent or the receptionist in the lobby of your building. Don’t wait for the holidays; make it a surprise.

When you say “thank you” to someone who said “yes” to a request, you pave the way for the next “yes.” Follow the lead of the most successful sales professionals whenever someone gives you something or does something for you: Realize that hearing a “yes” isn’t the end the deal. It’s the start of the next one.

 BIO

Cindy McGovern, Ph.D., known as the “First Lady of Sales,” speaks and consults internationally on sales, interpersonal communication and leadership. She is the author of "Every Job is a Sales Job: How to Use the Art of Selling to Win at Work." She also is the CEO of Orange Leaf Consulting, a sales management and consulting firm. For more information, visit, www.drcindy.com and connect with her on Twitter, @1stladyofsales and LinkedIn. 

Facing budgetary pressures, many organizations are considering changing their print magazines to online publications. A recent Virginia Tech study, however, indicates that this might not be wise. 

Subscribers to Virginia Tech’s alumni publication were sent either a print version of the magazine or an email invitation linking to the online version of the magazine, and then contacted by telephone and asked a series of questions about the publication. The results showed that:

More people remembered getting the print magazine—Only 49% of those who received the online version remembered getting the email, while 82% of those who received the print version remembered receiving it.

More people opened the print magazine—The print magazine was viewed by 77% of those who remembered receiving it, while only 49% of those who remembered receiving the online invitation actually clicked through and viewed the publication.

More people remembered articles from the print magazine—Respondents who viewed the print version recalled a significantly greater number of articles than did those who viewed the online version.

All in all, the print publication appeared to be more effective than the online publication. As the author surmises, “ceasing a print publication in favor of an online-only publication might hurt the effectiveness of an organization’s marketing communication, and managers should not make the decision based on cost alone.”

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Surprisingly, Millennials—the most digital-savvy generation—find print particularly engaging.

• 58% of Millennials enjoy looking at ads in magazines.1
• 49% made a purchase because of something in a magazine.2
• 49% of Millennials took print coupons with them to the store in
  the past 30 days.3
• 82% of Millennials read direct mail from retail brands.4
• 50% of Millennials love and look forward to receiving retail
  catalogs.5
• 49% of Millennials wish that some companies they do business
  with had a catalog.6
• 40% of Millennials buy more from companies when they
  receive a catalog.7
• 42% of Millennials prefer political mail over other forms of political advertising, and political mail prompts them to take action. Because of political mail, 66 percent of millennials are likely to research the candidate, with 54 percent visiting the candidate’s website. 8
  1-7Quad Graphics, “Millennials: An Emerging Consumer Powerhouse,” December 2015
  8 United States Postal Service and the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC), “Political Mail and Millennials: Young Voters Paying Close Attention to Direct Mail,” May 2016

Asking the wrong questions or nothing at all, can lead to poor direct mail response and possibly a failed marketing campaign. The right questions and the answers they generate, will help us empower our creative team to think outside of the box and create a more effective mail piece for you. Below are some of the questions you should ask.

What are our goals?

Make a list of each goal so that everyone on the marketing team knows them and why they are important.

What are the advantages derived from our last mailing?

List any of the positive things that occurred from your last mailing. This could include; results, mailing list, images, etc. Make sure to be specific.

What are the disadvantages discovered in our last mailing?

List anything that negatively affected your last mailing, and be specific.

What ideas do we need to improve on?

List any suggestions that you feel could have improved the results of your last mailing. Do not filter any thoughts at this time, just write them all down as you see them.

What do customers expect from us?

Make a list of what your customers expect from you and the products and services you provide. If you don’t know their expectations, you need to ask for them.

What are the most powerful benefits of our products and/or services that we are able to provide to our customers?

List all of the benefits you provide in order of importance. Which ones relate best to your individual customers?

What is our customer’s greatest pain?

In order to solve problems for your customers, you need to know what they are and which ones are keeping them awake at night. List them in order of importance, the largest to the smallest.

How can our products or services relieve that pain?

Use the list you just created and find a solution for each problem.

How certain are we about whom our customers are?

Are you making assumptions or do you know the origin and reasons you have information about your customers. You won’t know your customer until you know that the information you have about them is accurate.

What are our design possibilities?

Now is the time to get creative. Design can make the difference. List all the fun ideas you believe will make your mail campaign more interesting and relevant. During brainstorming, do not scratch anything off the list. Just compile all the ideas you feel will enhance your program and whittle them down later.

What are we missing?

There is always something lurking in the backs of our minds that we may have forgotten. Make sure to take the time to scan your brain and try to determine if something is missing. That’s what “think tanks” are for.

What are our competitors doing?

You can always sign up for the mailing and email lists of your competitors, using a fictitious name. Keeping tabs on what your competitors are doing, can help you shape your own mail strategy. You can avoid their weaknesses and exploit their strengths.

What resources do we need?

Many times you will not have everything you need at your fingertips. Create a list of all of the external resources available to you. That way you will have a quick reference of the external resources that can help to assure you the greatest degree of success.  

Do we need help from outside of our organization?

Most organizations are not able to execute a successful mailing campaign without outside help. Make sure you have trusted partners who can effectively  provide all of the elements you need to complete and deliver your project on time.

All mail campaigns are not created equal! Nor do all campaigns yield your desired results. It is of paramount importance that you continually critique and monitor your return on investment. You must build on the positive and tweak the elements of the campaign that is not working for you. The only good campaign is a campaign that provides you with the results that you desire!

Are you ready to get started? We have the solutions!