I have a secret to tell. Funny, no one has ever asked me to give a keynote presentation on this but WOW would it create a huge ripple effect on the profits of any company if they did!

This secret has been shared at times in our private coaching groups. I share it with EVERY single one of my VIP clients, because it's a key to long term millionaire and beyond growth. 

It's something the Amish rarely forget but the CEO's on the Inc 500 rarely do! It's the glue! It's the remedy! And it's what makes all the difference in any business, with any product, of any size.

My friends…. print this out. Study it. Set a reminder in your iPhone or other smart phone to remind yourself of this. This is a key that will set you apart, make you different and make you last as a company owner!

I hope you enjoy today's newsletter!

Gratitude, Thank You Cards And Job Security In Any Business

By: Sandi Krakowski

Client retention, reactivation emails, getting repeat orders and how to generate more money with current customers is a topic that many people ask me about in our private coaching sessions.

Questions like, "What can you say to retain a customer long term?"  

Or…

"Is there a special copywriting strategy to get people to reorder over and over again?"

There is…. and today I'd like to talk to you about the lost art of being grateful.

Take note, this works not only with customers or clients, it applies to mentors, people who do your advertising, vendors and more.

I'm shocked, frankly, at how many people rarely even think about what is holding their business together, piece by piece. Unless one is simply building a hobby that creates an occasional blog post and $100-200 per month in profit, there are many connecting pieces behind a successful business.

Maybe you didn't know this, but our email in box can receive up to 1000+ client care requests per week, hundreds of recurring payments each month and thousands of orders that come in on top of all that. Automatically. There is no way that just one person could manage such a task. Obviously. But let's look behind the scenes at what REALLY is holding such a business together.

Online shopping cart system.

There's an automated shopping cart system holding the company together. Connected to this shopping cart system is a merchant account that provides services so that Visa, Mastercard, American Express and the like can be received for payments.

Guess who is behind all of that?

People you hope and pray do an excellent job! Here's my big question as you have your pen and paper out, hoping to glean something from a successful business owner to implement into your own. Have you ever thanked the people you are connected to? Have you given gratitude for a great merchant service provider and a shopping cart system that rarely if ever crashes, so you can continue in business 24/7?

How about that server tech who holds everything together? Backs up your files, and makes sure you don't crash. Even if it's just HostGator your hosting company, when is the last time you truly gave thankfulness for all the pieces holding your growing empire together. 

Now let's move forward.

Client care department.

This is the connecting point with each and every customer. It is where your reputation is made, in every possible way. Big tip– don't put moody people who can't handle aswering the same questions over and over again in your client care department. I've had to let some people go who just didn't like helping. This is a department that is completely 100% wrapped around good help. PERIOD. Don't take it for granted.

Big question today?

How often in any given week do you thank those who represent you to the world?

I'm not talking during the holidays and such…. that is obvious. If you didn't give a gift to those who serve you in client care last Christmas please make sure you correct that. Your business might not even be open today if it wasn't for this department. But let's get back to my original question.

Have you reached out and given someone a compliment lately?

Did you write a note for no reason and say "I am so grateful for you, thank you so much for serving us as you do?"  

CEO's… when is the last time you thanked your client care team for putting up with you? Face it, if you're a CEO there is a side of you that is driven, challenged and can at times be hard to live with. Keep yourself humble and always, always show gratitude to this department in your company. 🙂

If you are currently THE client care yourself, I also want to challenge you. What would it take to get some help? Even if it's 5-10 hours per week at $ 18 per hour, your company is worth it. As soon as you can't do it all yourself, rather than pushing harder and trying to do more in less time, like we CEO's can be known to do, get some help. And then, be grateful.

Love your customers enough to hire the best and let go of the rest.

Now, let's move forward to billing, shipping, printing, web management, graphics department, copywriters, social media team and more!  Don't worry if you don't have these people in place yet, file this away for when you do. Because if you do grow a big business, and some of you will, the pivotal part of a thriving company is the structure that is holding it together. In plain English, YOU cannot do it all. So get over yourself and hire some help!

Back to our topic…. do you thank those who create graphics for you? How about those who write your copy?

Are you kind to that team that prints your postcards?

What about that video editor you hired on Guru.com or Fiverr.com? I don't care if they only charged you $ 20… be grateful. It's spreads like a virus in your entire company structure.

Now, let's move onto a place that many people forget all about. It's sad really. But I'm going to share with you what I do regularly and you can just decide if it would benefit your business in any way.

Do you send thank you cards, gifts of appreciation and kindness to your customers? Those high paying clients who are a part of your regular business…. do you let them know how much you appreciate the opportunity to serve them?

More profitable than a killer converting customer retention email is the simple gesture of thankfulness to your clients. What would it take to send out a $ 20 gift to those who pay you regularly for your services? How hard can it be to hire someone to send out a hand written card on your behalf to those who pay their recurring payments on time?

And what about bonus products or services?

Do you ever "Throw In" an unexpected gift or product or something you know would help them get to the next level when you're working with someone who is investing money with you every single month, as a paying customer?

This, my friends, is the glue that counts! When all is said or done, it will determine how fast payments are made and if they are made, over and over again.

One of my regular practices is to send out gifts to our clients who are in our coaching program and I also give gifts and bonus' to our Emerald Members, our Inner Circle clients and more. Not because I'm trying to schmooze anyone for more business, but because I am sincerely interested in saying THANK YOU in a way they'll remember. I realize that we are active, alive and open for business because they are our paying customers.

In addition to this….. Don't forget the clients you serve as a freelancer, either!

When I ran a copywriting firm and wrote copy for numerous clients every month, I sent out thank you cards, gifts and was grateful for every contract that got paid. Ironic that I never lacked good paying customers? Not really. It pays and makes your business last to keep active the lost art of thankfulness. 

When it comes to mentors, again, I'll just share what my habit has always been and you see how it feels. 

Big tip- just because that millionaire is serving you doesn't mean that a kind card, a small gift or something that says, "I appreciate you" in a personal way won't make a big difference. I've always sent Christmas gifts and cards and gratitude tokens through the years to those who have partnered with me in my success.

Doesn't matter who they are, I make an effort to say, "Thank you, I wouldn't be here without you." They mean the world to me and you've heard me mention them often. I'll send journals, flowers, candy and even coffee! ( Sometimes I send coffee so they can keep up with me!) heehee but you can see, the love goes into every direction. Sincerely!

My friends, we cannot keep taking people, profits and production for granted. It's a lazy way to run a business and it's really not the way God designed us as humans to connect.

Those who are grateful have more energy, have more friends and go farther in life!

Never think a small card, a gift, a gesture of kindness won't go a long way. And please, if you want to go far in life, always remember this…. BE the kind of person you want to work with. It makes a world of difference!

With love,

Sandi Krakowski