How Appreciative Are You? 5 Easy Ways to Stand Out and Say Thank You: Part One

In today's highly competitive promotional products business environment, you have to distinguish yourself from the competition. I'm not one for gimmicks; they never worked for me and they don't match my business image. However, I do believe there are some easy things savvy promotional products sales professionals can do to build client loyalty and lasting business relationships, which of course means more sales. On that note, here are five ways to stand out from the crowd and build your sales by saying "thank you" to clients.

1. Give Them a Call

It seems obvious, but I'll say it anyway: After every promotional products order, call your clients and thank them for their business. I routinely tell clients that I appreciate working with them and that I'm there to help them in any way I can. You may be surprised how much "thank you" phone calls are appreciated and how much business they can lead to.

2. Drop Them a Line

Send a handwritten thank-you note. I keep a basket on my desk filled with thank-you cards to remind me to do this. Yes, it's time-consuming, but the effort and the impression made in this day and age of instant e-mail is big! A handwritten note shows class, time, effort and appreciation.

3. Share and Send

Send articles that will be of interest to your best clients and prospects. Whenever a client or prospect's name or business is mentioned favorably in the media, clip out the article and send it to them, along with a short note. This is a great way to keep your name top of mind and in front of the people you most want to sell to.
Another idea is to send articles or magazines that will help your clients promote their business. Have you read an interesting business article or book that your client would find helpful? Send it! Is there a blog post that will help them grow their sales? Forward it!