Why Your Small Business Should Be Sending Paper Thank You and Birthday Cards
Posted by aonenetworks On September 17, 2013
If you’re on Facebook, and you have a lot of clients and friends there, you know how many people write on your wall when it’s your birthday. Some people may even tweet you, email you, or leave you a nice voicemail wishing you a happy birthday, but often, it doesn’t get much more personal than that. If someone happens to see you that day, or you have a get-together that night, you’ll probably get a few in-person greetings, too. But how many birthday cards have you gotten in the past few years?
How many thank-you cards and personal letters have you received since the beginning of the year?
If you’re like most of us, the answer is “not many”. We see this breakdown in a report from Hallmark greeting cards that indicated that over a single year, the number of cards they sold dropped from six billion to five billion. In addition, the number of greeting cards mailed through the USPS has dropped nearly 25% in the past eight years.
While this speaks a lot for the culture that surrounds us, how much time we spend online, and how impersonal greeting has gotten, it also presents an excellent opportunity for your business interactions.
Start Sending Out Personal Notes for Special Occasions Via Snail Mail
This shift towards impersonal greetings isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and it looks like it’s going to continue. However, this also means people are receiving less mail, and most won’t even realize they miss it – until they actually get something in the mail from you.
When you decide it’s time to send out cards to those who are loyal to you, make sure you include little personal notes. These personal notes will allow a customer to grow attached to you. When there’s an issue with your business, or a hiccup in your service, people will remember when you personally reached out to them on their birthday.
What You Should Include in Your Personal Communications with Customers
Your customers aren’t your friends per se, until you make them so. Express how much you appreciate their business in the card, and tell them how much it matters to you that they stay with your company through thick and thin. Of course, thank them profusely or give them sincere birthday greetings as well, and always toss it up a little differently for every card. It’s not a form, after all; it’s a personal interaction with someone who supports your business.
What This Can Do for Your Business
Not only does this build a connection between you and your customers, it also brings your company to the forefront of your client’s mind. The more you’re on your client’s mind, the more likely it is you’ll be there when they have someone that needs their services. In addition, a personalized card will have long-lasting effects, and associate you with good feelings when they think about you. This will continue to strengthen your relationship.
After everything, all personal interaction will help strengthen your relationship with your customers and make them feel safer recommending you to close friends. In addition, writing personal correspondence is fun, especially since you don’t have much of a chance to do it anymore.
