As we move into November and start preparing for the holidays, many of us are focusing on gratitude - not only because Thanksgiving is around the corner. but also because we are two years into a global pandemic that has forced us to adjust our lives and businesses. If your business was able to pivot and stay afloat, that is plenty of reason to express gratitude!
Furthermore, as a business owner, you might say the phrase “thank you” multiple times a day without thinking about it. You thank your staff for their hard work, your customers for choosing your brand, and your potential leads for getting in touch with you. Have you taken a step back to consider how carefully crafted expressions of gratitude can help your business?
Show gratitude to your clients and customers.
Your paying customers enable your business to pay its staff, maintain relationships with partners, and exist at all. Even if you only have a few customers, be thankful that someone is paying you for your service or buying your product. They have so many choices, but they believe in you or your product enough to give you their hard-earned money. That’s worth a heartfelt "Thank You," so take this opportunity to reach out to your clients and show your gratitude.
Express gratitude to your leads and audience. It doesn’t just have to be for those that have already paid you.
Saying “thank you” is probably automatic for you at this point. But what if expressing your gratitude could grow your social media following, boost your website conversions, and attract new customers and leads? Gratitude can be a very powerful way to increase conversions on your website. When you express genuine emotion, like gratitude, to customers online, you are humanizing your brand and making it easier for others to connect with you.
You don't have to wait for an actual transaction to take place to say "Thanks" either. When you reach milestones, like a certain number of followers on social media or an anniversary, send a personalized email to your support base. Did someone leave a glowing review? Send a handwritten note!
Express gratitude to your team.
Expressing appreciation for those who make your company run smoothly during the holiday season and all year round does wonders for your business and its relationships. Because work culture has dramatically shifted during the pandemic, the team you have retained and gained should get a huge "Thank you, I appreciate you" during your next meeting. Amidst the significant changes and challenges in most work environments, new leaders have emerged, processes have been refined, and accountability for work quality has improved. Here at Brand3, our team has doubled in size and we have been able to achieve some incredible milestones and results for our clients. We are overly grateful for the collaborative work environment we have.
Do you have partners? Making your partners in business feel appreciated is an important part of keeping the relationship intact. Making your partners in business feel appreciated is an important part of keeping the relationship intact.
Go for gratitude first, and loyalty will follow.
If you go for gratitude first, customer loyalty will follow. The emotional response that will most likely drive loyal behavior is gratitude. Gratitude, by definition, is a feeling of appreciation and an expression of that feeling through an overt act. The outcome can serve as the basis of a relationship beyond the sale.
You don't have to reserve displays of gratitude only during Thanksgiving and the holiday season. While gratitude might be top-of-mind now, you may discover that using gratitude as part of your marketing efforts is more beneficial during the rest of the year. Weekly doses of gratitude will show that your brand appreciates those that make it possible. That will trigger gratitude amongst those you thank, and that will translate into better relationships and a better business.
