Thanksgiving is one of the perfect times to express your gratitude for your U.S. employees, colleagues, donors, members, consultants, and friends but most importantly to your customers and clients. Though you can thank them anytime, it is still different if you will make them feel they are remembered on this national holiday which is celebrated by nearly all Americans.
There are lots of ways you can thank and greet your business associates. It can be done with a card, a small gift, or a heart-warming email. This is to show appreciation for the people who help you succeed or make your work life enjoyable.
As for your business, messages with personality resonate with the reader, establishing stronger connections and deeper brand loyalty. This helps build lasting relationships and continued business. Aside from that, direct mail also has more reach than digital marketing because it provides a more authentic, meaningful way to connect with your customers.
Here are some of the other thanksgiving efforts that you can do to have a tighter bond with your market.
In thanking your customers you have to be wise because it will also take lots of effort and even resources so you have to assess identify the high-value customers from your market so you can look for ways to use the holiday as an opportunity to further cement your relationship with them. You can follow the 80/20 where the top 20% customers likely represent 80% of your profits and it’s a group of customers that you should know well. Put yourself in their shoes and give thought to a gesture that matters to them.
As for the other 80% of clients, giving thanks to this group is also important, and can help further nurture your business by increasing the chance of them being pushed to be a part of your top 20%.
To thank your top 20% or your most-valued clients, you can send them a personalized gift to show that you listen to, them, you know them, and you appreciate them. So, you must give them something that reflects their interests and hobbies. You can also send them a gift card especially if you belong to the foodservice business.
Hosting a Thank You event is also great to express your appreciation to your customers with a few drinks and meals while offering an upgrade is a great option for technology providers or even B2C companies.
Another great strategy is to showcase your clients. If you are a B2B company, it could be a great opportunity to prove that you value your clients by exposing what they do. This is done by highlighting their achievements, accomplishments, or philanthropic efforts on social media. It is important to work with them directly to ensure you get their permission.
On the other hand, do not also forget about the other 80% of your customer base. You can also appreciate them more affordably with handwritten and personalized thank you notes. This isn’t necessarily going to drive more business from these customers, but it shows you value them. If you want, you can create seasonal special offers where you can combine your thank you notes with time-bound special offers or a loyalty program to create a reason for your customers to come back now.
Learning is a much more important present that you can provide. Sharing useful information would help a lot to your customer base and it could be as simple as mailing your customers an eBook or whitepaper.
Alternatively, host a workshop on a topic of interest and invite your customers. Present this as an exclusive opportunity to learn something new or gain insights that can help them make good decisions or spur future purchases. But stay away from pure sales pitches; you want to be seen to be giving something (thanks and knowledge) without demanding a return.
At the end of the day, the size and grandeur of the gift don’t always matter for your customer but going an extra mile by doing something out of usual is always highly appreciated.
Last but not the least, donating to your client’s favorite charity or one of your choosing during the season is also a good thanksgiving gimmick that can also make business sense. This can garner support for your brand, boost your employees’ morale along with their pride in their company, and, of course, there are tax deduction benefits.