I'm going to start this challenge by saying this : every day when I wake up, I lay in bed for a few minutes, listening to my local NPR station and express gratidute for another day. At the end of the day I reflect what happened--to me personally (could be visiting with a friend, making a new recipe, finishing a project, meeting a new prospect) and other news that wasn't so good (yet another mass shooting, fatal car accident, contract fell through). All of it is important in some way, all of it shapes my personality and outlook. I am grateful for every day, no matter what happens.
Showing my clients I am thankful for them can take on many different forms. I try to do little things that are a bit unique and fit with the client's personality. I do send birthday cards and always write a few sentences inside--never just my name. After a deal has closed, I give a closing gift that I think they will appreciate--sometimes it's beverages and snacks for moving day or a new outdoor rug for entry porch. I try to make the gift practical and useful. And I always include a thank you card!
Here's a photo of little Samantha--I helped her parents buy and sell a home. She would see me carrying around files and folders. She told her Mom "I want to be a real estate agent like Mary". SO DARLING! I had to take her picture while she was 'playing real estate'. So every year I send her a desk or spiral bound calendar to continue her role play. In a few years that will fade away but it still shows I remember and care.
Sometimes I can get information from their social media posts that give me ideas as well: for example, someone who just got a new car gets a car wash certificate from me; or I'll buy a box of Girl Scout cookies; sponsor a run or send a couple of contractor names if they are looking for recommendations. One time I babysat for a clients that had just become new parents and didn't have any family in town--they needed a night out!!! These ideas may not scream 'thank you for your business' but they do show I am thinking of the client and interested in their everyday life.
If a client passes on my name as a referral, I initially send a thank you note--then follow up after the closed sale with a small gift card and another thank you note.
I"m going to close this blog by saying it's so easy to be thankful for every day, for life, for clients, for the riches we have big and small. I don't sweat the small stuff. When I hear relatives/friends rant and complain someone's obnoxious driving or the grocery store didn't have a certain item or the squirrels got into the trash--I think "so what? It's an easy fix." It's not worth complaining about. I prefer to stay postive and grateful.
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