Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on July 27, 2010 under thank you | 
Today is my 300th blog post and I just want to say thank you for those that subscribe, those that are first time visitors and all of the rest of you who stop by on occasion to read my blog postings.
This past week I asked the question – how do you say thank you without using the words and Patrick Hazlewood had an awesome answer:
Although every interaction with the customer is part of the “sale” or “sale process,” including post-sale follow-ups or customer service responsiveness, not everything must be a sales pitch. We engage customers by listening to them, interacting with them, and then acting upon we learned.
What makes a sale, the individual who says “hello” and may point you in the right direction, the one who helps you find the style, color or initial size of choice or the individual who runs back to get you the appropriate size for you?
We say thank you by making processes better, products better or easier to use/open, producing new products that fit needs or meet desires (even if previously unknown by the consumer). We say thank you for your business by being honest, prompt and efficient in recalls or fixes/corrections. We say thank you by listening. Thank you.
I just love his message. So many simple yet powerful ways to let our customers know how important they are to us and to our business! Thank you, Patrick, for your wisdom
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on August 28, 2009 under Connecting Moments, thank you |
Reports that the economy may be turning have begun to give us hope; the light is almost visible at the end of the tunnel. Yet, businesses are still cautious with their purse strings, banks are careful and the employed are (for the most part) grateful.
Is this the time to start a business?
Dan Bish(a former colleague from Pearle Vision) and his partner Rick Shampaine think so. They just announced the opening of their franchise development business:
Shampaine/Bish Franchise Development; connecting franchisees with the right franchise opportunity.
Both have a long history of helping franchisees and have amassed a substantial network with whom they sent this exciting announcement.
Here’s what I love about their message:
- They clearly know who they want to help
- They identified why they should be the ones to help
- In two short paragraphs they explain their message and specifically tell the readers how they can help: SPREAD THE WORD
The best part? They offer an incentive. A referral program.
We’ve talked about having referral programs – we’ve seen some work and some that don’t really do the trick.
Dan and Rick value their connections- their network that they’ve worked hard nurturing over the years. As such – they have created a referral program that has teeth. Refer a potential franchisee to Shampaine/Bish and if they purchase a franchise they’ll send you and a friend anywhere in the WORLD for a week.
A referral program valued at $2,000!
Don’t like to travel? Not a problem – they’ll hand you a check.
How’s that for a referral thank you? Are you motivated? Aren’t you all of a sudden going through your address book and LinkedIn contacts to see who might want to buy a franchise?
Dan and Rick understand that if they are going to ask for help – they need to make it worthwhile. They are clearly stating: your help is incredibly valuable to us.
But that’s not all. In Dan’s letter to his network he offered a personal promise:
We’re looking for someone who’s driven – someone who doesn’t take “NO” for an answer and who won’t stop until they’re successful. I’d like you to tell them about the service we offer, at no cost to them. And because the referral comes from you, I promise I’ll personally interview them and keep their best interests in mind.
People often hesitate to give up their contact information because it’s their name, their reputation. Dan understands and offers his promise that he’ll personally take care of them.
Have you reached into your network to uncover prospects? How do you thank them for their assistance? What have you found works?
Thinking about starting a referral program? Darrell Zahorsky has written an article offering 7 Sure Fire Tips to a Referral Program.
Know someone that is interested in buying a franchise? Call Dan Bish or visit Shampaigne/Bish Franchise Development.
Check out the details for the referral program.
Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on December 2, 2008 under Connecting Moments, Customer Moments, Employee Moments |
It’s funny how we associate saying Thank You with a once a year holiday. As we sat around the table last week, my friend and I took turns saying thank you for our many blessings. We each own a business and during the listing of our thank yous we each mentioned how thankful we were for our customers and the joy our businesses bring.
I wonder. Do our customers know we are thankful for them?
We say thank you at the time of the sale but do we ever go back and reiterate just how appreciative we are that they took a chance with our products or services?
Mark Twain said “A man can live a month on one compliment.” A thank you is just another way of complimenting the intelligence of your customer for deciding to do business with you.
In my December newsletter I talk about simple ways to say thank you to our customers, both external and internal.
It can be as simple as picking up the phone and saying “thank you.”
Glenn Ross, contributor to AllBusiness wrote about the “no cost way to remind your customers you are still in business.” He offers a script you can use during slower times this December:
“Hello, Ms_________? This is Margaret with _____ store. I just wanted to call and thank you for your business this year and to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. We’re so glad you’re one of our customers.
Bye, bye.”
Saying thank you to your employees also goes a long way toward making them feel a vital part of the organization.
In a blog post by Janet Smith entitled Thank Your employees Often she quotes Robert Nelson, the author of 1001 Ways to Reward Employees. He says:
“The number one reason people leave their jobs today is that they don’t feel recognized for the job they’re doing.”
This holiday season – before things get too crazy – take a moment to say thank you to your customers, your internal department that support your efforts and your employees who make it happen.
