The Value of a Thank You Gifts to Clients

How much time and effort do you put into thanking your clients, your employees or whoever needs a thank you. Our clients are the reason we are in business. Building a relationship should be our number one priority and thanking our clients for the multitude of graces they show to us, should be high on our value list.

Why say thank you to our clients?

I have been dealing with companies and the relationship they have with their clients since the days of DOS and if there is one thing that clients love, it is receiving a thank-you gift from their supplier. A lot of research has been done over many years showcasing the value of a customer appreciation strategy. Making them feel valued. Making them feel appreciated.

If you take care of your customers, they will take care of your business. This can be put into practice by applying a customer appreciation strategy, which can actually become one of the most important achievements of your company.

Reasons to say thank you

There are a number of opportunities to say thank you to your customers throughout the year. Below are just a quick few options to consider.

1. Referrals

Referrals is any company’s number one mark to know you are doing something right. A customer will only refer you if they are happy with your service and sharing your details with a friend, family member or colleague is one of the best compliments a customer can bestow upon you. So why not reciprocate the gesture? We can go into great depth on the cost of advertising and the cost of a new sales person for hours on end, but the reality is that nothing sells like a happy customer.

2. Continued Support

As with receiving a referral from your customer, studies show that it would cost you seven times more to gain a new customer than to retain a customer. And that figure is only derived from advertising and sales costs. This does not include the take-on cost, the cost to settle a customer into your system, to learn what he or she likes or dislikes. There is a saying that flattery will get you anywhere, but I do not see this as flattery. I see this as good business. Take care of your business and your business will take care of itself.

How to say thank you to your customers

A Customer Appreciation Strategy can become a very interesting topic and for this reason, we will be spending more time on it in the very near future. For now, I would like to open the floor with a few quick ideas to saying thank you to your customer.

1. Thank You Note

A thank you note is definitely a good way to show your appreciation. A few quick and simple words. Preferably in writing. It does last a lot longer than a few spoken words, although I would advise to follow the note up with a quick call. Yes, when last did you have a real conversation with your customer. Not to sell him anything. Just a quick courtesy call.

2. Thank You Lunch

Who does not like to be treated to a free lunch? The cynics will say ‘there is no free lunches’, but if you want an excuse to cement your relationship with your customer, you will find them. Yes, this can become a seriously expensive exercise especially if the wine starts flowing and the sushi bills starts piling up.

3. Thank You Gift

There are a lot of do’s and don’t when it comes to gift giving in a business environment. The number one rule is to ensure you stay above board. One could go to town and spend a fortune on gifts, or you could plan this part of your Customer Appreciation Strategy out carefully to ensure that you get the value for your money that you should get.

I do believe that your gifts should be in line with your story. What you stand for and where your overall marketing message lies. It does not help if you give tech tools away if your company’s story is written around nature and growth. If you are not sure where your company’s story is heading, we do suggest getting yourself a marketing coach and/or –consultant to help you work this one out.

Thank You Gift Options

Once you have worked out what your marketing story is that you want to continue sharing with the world, it is time to select your gift. The value of your gift will largely depend on the value of your service. You are not going to give out a Gary Player Weekender bag to every client who spent R100 with you. Unless you are in the middle of a promotion and one or two lucky clients can win a Gary Player Weekender bag.

Altitude Trinity Pen
Alex Varga & Andy Cartwright Pen

Pens are always a great choice! You can go for reliable options like the Altitude Trinity Pen, available at the lower end of the price range for around R2.99 per pen*. On the premium side, stunning options like Alex Varga and Andy Cartwright pens range from approximately R195 to R250* per gift pen.

The key is to choose the right pen that fits your story!

Building a Library of Thank You Gifts

One of the very best investments into solid client relationships is to build a Thank You Gift Library to keep on hand for those unexpected moments that you need a solid gift. If you need guidance on the value of the gifts that you want to spend, consider what you would spend on adverts, golf days, lunches and everything else that might not have the staying power of a solid, well thought through gift could have.

Consider what one referral is worth to you. If you are selling burgers, the effect of a referral might not be as visible, but if one client could be worth thousands of Rands on an annual basis, the picture change considerably.

Also consider the time and effort that it would take to go out and buy individual gifts. You would for instance not find a good quality Parker pen for under R700 at your local PNA. That excludes the lost time in productivity.

Find a Customer Appreciation Partner you can trust

I do believe that it is worth your while to find a corporate gift and clothing supplier that is passionate in helping you build your business. Believe it or not, but there are people who are only doing what they are doing for the money. Luckily addShine is different. We do believe that lasting customer relationships is more important than a quick buck or two. We are passionate in helping you shine, today and tomorrow.

Give us a shout. We would LOVE to give you more options to add into your Thank You Gift Library.

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