Ask Better Questions
DMJ Podcast: Find Your Purpose
Fixing The Appreciation Gap
Just about every good mother and father teach their children two phrases just as soon as they can talk. Say them with me… “Please and thank you.”
Awesome. That means this blog is read by wonderful parents (or soon to be parents). But here’s the thing. As nearly any parent will tell you, we get tired of hearing “please.” “Please can I go to friend’s house?” “Can I stay up later, please?” “Please can I have just one more?” On the other hand, we never get tired of hearing “thank you.” That simple sign of appreciation is much more rare. And even if it’s not, it’s never annoying.
We appreciate the appreciation.
Our clients and prospects and employees feel the same way. As business owners, sales people, and leaders, we spend a lot of time asking people for something. We ask employees for their effort. We ask customers for their money. We ask both of them for their time. We ask…a lot. But how often do you really spend time saying “thank you?” Not just the basic “hey thanks” you say in passing or the automatic email that says “thanks for your purchase.” Those are fine…I guess. But they don’t take effort and are not really sincere.
How often do you stop by a customer’s office just to thank them for their business? How often do you pick up the phone to do the same? How often do you schedule a meeting with a person in your organization just to take the time to applaud their efforts? If you are like most of us (me included), the answer is probably “not enough.” So here are 3 ways to fix the “appreciation gap” in your business.
Just “Thanks:”
Go to your clients or your employees with a simple “thanks meeting.” If it’s a client, let them know you are only there to say “thank you for their business.” If it’s an employee schedule a quick meeting. Both will probably give you quizzical looks because they are not used to this sort of meeting. But both will appreciate it.
Send a Card
Yes…we are going old school. Take the time and send out a simple greeting card showing your appreciation. The fact is, most of the mail we get these days is a bill. This will stand out!
Appreciation Program
This is for your best clients. Most businesses have a rule that 80% of the revenue comes from 20% of the clients. This is for that 20%. Create a quarterly program where you get a simple gift for your best clients…just to say “thanks.” It’s simple and it’s easy.
And you will be saying “thank you” instead of “please.” If you want to make sure you never miss an update, please sign up for our VIP newsletter here.
Or if you want to jump right to our site in order to find a great Promo item to show your clients appreciation, you can shop here.
Don't Wish For It…Work For It
In my experience there is an over-abundance of people that are willing to “say” they want to be successful. They will tell you that they wish they had more money or more time or a place at the beach or….you get the idea.
But there is a huge disconnect.
It’s between what people are saying they want, and what they are willing to actually do. It reminds me of my favorite quote: The greatest distance in the world is the distance between “I know” and “I do.”
Most people know what they need to do. They just don’t do it.
What about you? Do you have a goal in your life that you profess to want? Are you doing anything about it?
This is not designed to beat you up. And I don’t want you to beat yourself up either. It’s just real. And once you recognize it, you can do something about it.
So start today. Make a short list of the things you need to do in order to make your goal a reality. Now pick the first thing on the list you can do today to move you toward the goal.
Go do that.
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When The Boss Is Gone…
The names in this blog have been changed to avoid calling anyone out! 🙂 My wife and I are creatures of habit when it comes to lunch. We like to go to the same couple of places in in town. So often, the people that work there know our order. This is really true of a specific fast food burger joint in Coshocton. They do a tremendous job and know “just how we like it.” As I walk to the counter, the lady will greet me with a grin and say, “Your usual?” They do a great job of making us feel special each time we go in. My wife often orders something similar too. Her “regular” order comes in a box and is available only with regular fries. When this option first came out, Amy asked if she could switch it out for curly fries…but the team there was not allowed. This particular meal only came with regular fries. Ok. But here’s the cool thing. Often, the ladies will deliver the meal with a “surprise” for my wife. They will sneak in the curly fries, “just for her.” It not only makes her happy, but it inevitably makes her feel special too. And what did that cost? Exactly nothing. Recently though, they brought out her meal with an apology. “Sorry. We had to bring the regular fries. The boss is here.” Now THAT is funny. So the employees, who are rock stars, when left to their own device are willing to go above and beyond to delight the customer. But when the boss is in town, they have to stop. That is SO interesting to me. How many of us are doing that to our employees? As leaders, we sometimes set up policies and procedures to ensure that the lowest common denominator doesn’t ruin the guest experience. But how many times are those rules keeping your rock stars from improving it? Just some “food” for thought. If you want to make sure you never miss an update, make sure to sign up for our VIP newsletter here! Oh…and if you just want to shop for some sweet promo, click here.