Want More Vendors to Refer Business to You? Thank Them! How to Grow Your Business With Gratitude (Day 14 of 15)

You could file today's thank-you note under Strategic Gratitude.

That's because I'm writing to thank a potential referral partner for her work on a recent copywriting project. She's manager at one of America's leading printers for direct mail -- a potentially fantastic referral partner for me. She did a great job for my client and me recently. So, I want to make sure she knows how much I appreciate her efforts.

Thus, this note (with my client's name covered up and kooky handwriting around a cutout in the middle) ...

Here's the thing: I'll bet you my next 12 car payments that I'm the only copywriter to mail her a thank-you notes for a job well done. My appreciation is genuine. And, hey, if she remembers me with favor the next time a printing client asks for a referral to a good copywriter, well, that's nice too :-)

Remember: You're not remarkable if nobody is talking about you. Simple little thank-you notes, written and mailed with a stamp, are an easy way to start conversations about you -- for all the right reasons. And that always leads to referrals. 

Meanwhile, if you want to put an end to "feast or famine" syndrome in your business, my free Client Cloning Kit can help. It's not some cheapo download -- this is a real business-building kit you can hold in your hands.

Grab your free copy now, while they last.

You Can Recession-Proof Your Business If You Do This One Thing: How to Grow Your Business With Gratitude (Day 13 of 15)

First, here's WHY I'm writing today's thank-you note to a vendor ...

That incredibly delicious box of chocolates was dropped off on New Year's Eve by my ace printer, Jim Beckman from Full Throttle Print.

Almost every business depends on referrals, but few businesses deserve them to the extent that Jim's does. He's more like a concierge than a printer -- I've never heard him say "No" to a request in the 3 years I've been using him to print business cards, newsletters, flyers, and sales letters for me.

The fact that he delivers at no charge is just icing on the cake. And the nice gift of chocolates? Wow. That's icing on the ... chocolate. Or something.

Anyway, why I will never use another local printer as long as Jim is in business. And I will continue to refer my local clients to him.

That's why I was so happy to write the thank-you note below to Jim ...

Bottom line: You can recession-proof your business (heck, you can Obama-proof it) by delivering service that surprises and delights your clients. They will buy more and refer others to you. It's just that simple.

Because, in a world where nearly everything can be copied or done for $1 an hour in China, there's one thing no competitor can copy: your service. Make sure yours is memorable -- for all the right reasons -- and you will have clients for life. Like Jim does.

Meanwhile, if you want to put an end to "feast or famine" syndrome in your business, my free Client Cloning Kit can help. It's not some cheapo download -- this is a real business-building kit you can hold in your hands.

Grab your free copy now, while they last.

Got Sales? Want More? Reward That Behavior! How to Grow Your Business With Gratitude (Day 12 of 15)

I'm on a roll this week: Here's another thank-you note to a client after the sale  ...

Unlike yesterday, I didn't include a gift with this note ... because I sent that special "Thank you for your order!" gift separately, as I do with all first-time buyers of my copywriting and consulting services.

(What was that other gift? I'll keep it under wraps for now -- it's a trade secret with me :-)

Why thank one client two ways, with a gift and a thank-you note delivered separately?

Here's why. As Machiavelli taught (I think), when you have bad news to deliver, do it all at once so you get it over and done with. But when you have good news, dribble it out over time, so you can maximize the positive effect it has on people.

In this case, my new client Casey got a nice gift couriered to his office today -- within 3 hours of his order. But he will also get this thank-you note by mail in a couple of days, which will make him remember the gift he got today and reinforce the good feelings he has about me.

Remember: You get more of any behavior that you reinforce. And that includes sales.

Now. Before you accuse me of being Machiavellian in this approach, please realize something. Yes, it's good for business when clients get good news/gifts from me several times in one week. But I really do this because it's FUN to play Santa 365 days a year and send nice things to my clients. They like it, I like it, it's good for everyone. It might be good to try in your business, too.

Meanwhile, if you want to put an end to "feast or famine" syndrome in your business, my free Client Cloning Kit can help. It's not some cheapo download -- this is a real business-building kit you can hold in your hands.

Grab your free copy now, while they last.

Want More Clients? Thank Them! How to Grow Your Business With Gratitude (Day 11 of 15)

Here's everyone's favorite thank-you note to write: a "thank you" for the order.

See below ...

Wait. If everyone loves to write a thank-you note to a client after the sale, why do so few people do it?

Lots of good reasons: "not enough time" ... "couldn't find a stamp" ... "email is just as good as snail mail" ...

Wait, sorry. Those are all fake, bonehead, lazy, STUPID reasons.

Truth is, there is NO good reason not to invest 2 minutes and 46 cents in doing something tangible to thank your clients for trusting you with their money. No. Good. Reason.

And if you're thanking a client for a repeat purchase (as I do all the time), it pays to invest a bit more in your thank-you note. In this case, I invested in two $5 Starbucks cards -- the universal currency of business -- as a way to show a little extra appreciation.

Remember: You get more of any behavior that you reinforce. Want more people buying from you? Reinforce that behavior. A thank-you note does that every time.

Meanwhile, if you want to put an end to "feast or famine" syndrome in your business, my free Client Cloning Kit can help. It's not some cheapo download -- this is a real business-building kit you can hold in your hands. 

Grab your free copy now, while they last.

Want More Clients? Don't Forget Them! How to Grow Your Business With Gratitude (Day 10 of 15)

The human memory is an incredible thing.

It's incredible how much it can suck. At least my memory -- I seem to forget everything.

Case in point: I forgot to mail a Christmas card to one of my best new clients, Jim. The only reason I remembered was because I regularly run reports in Quickbooks and my client database, looking for patterns.

When I did that today, Jim's name popped out. So I mailed him this thank-you note ...

Moral: You may think you're taking great care of all your clients. But you're not. Not unless your business has fewer than 10 paying clients. If you have any more than that, you MUST invest in two things:

1) MONEY in a good CRM package. I use and recommend Infusionsoft and SalesForce.com

2) TIME to spend a few hours a month looking for relationship opportunities in your CRM

The opportunities you're looking for don't have to involve selling. You can just pick out a few clients to send heartfelt greetings to each week. Sales will follow, if you've earned them.

Fact: In a world where almost any product or service can be copied, digitized, or done by someone in the Philippines for less money than you, the ONE thing that can't be commoditized is you and your personal relationship with clients. An investment in building that is one of the best you can make.

And a thank-you note is an easy, VERY cost-effective way to make that investment.

Meanwhile, if you want to put an end to "feast or famine" syndrome in your business, my free Client Cloning Kit can help. It's not some cheapo download -- this is a real business-building kit you can hold in your hands. 

Grab your free copy now, while they last.

Got Great Partners? Thank Them! How to Grow Your Business With Gratitude (Day 9 of 15)

Here's the kind of thank-you note I love writing, in recognition for a job well done.

This note went out to Damon Lacey, an ace graphic designer. He sets himself apart from other designers by always going the extra mile ...

I use Damon for design work and send my clients to him because I know he's going to take good care of the people I refer.

Today he went above and beyond to find and purchase the license to use a graphic for a direct-mail project, saving my client about $500. He made me look very good. So "Thanks" are definitely in order.

Yesterday I wrote that you get more of what you reinforce. A handwritten thank-you note is a powerful bit of positive reinforcement, so if someone sends you a referral and you want more, send them a thank-you note.

Similarly, if a partner on a project comes through for you in spades, like Damon did for me, you can get more of that good behavior by reinforcing it. Send them a thank-you note.

Meanwhile, if you want to put an end to "feast or famine" syndrome in your business, my free Client Cloning Kit can help. It's not some cheapo download -- this is a real business-building kit you can hold in your hands. 

Grab your free copy now, while they last.

The Easiest Sale to Make: How to Grow Your Business With Gratitude (Day 8 of 15)

One of the easiest sales to make is to a referral, especially one from a client.

Referral selling expert Joanne Black writes:

Wouldn’t it be great if you had loads of people generating new leads for you and even making sales on your behalf? They would consistently put you in touch with your ideal clients, who would in turn become sources of even more business.

Great news: You have just such a hidden, powerful sales team already at your disposal. They’re your clients, colleagues, business associates, friends, and family. And every one of them could be a great referral source -- if you have a proactive, disciplined, measurable referral system that delivers every time.

Now, I've got about a half dozen referral systems in my marketing business. But my MOST effective system is the simplest. It's this: Reward every referral, every time.

When I tell this to most people, the typical response is: "Duh. I knew that."

Then I ask, "You may know it, but are you doing it? Do you reward every referral, every time, without fail?"

The answer, if they're honest, is often silence. Because most of us could do a better job at this.

But, really, it couldn't be easier. Here's a look at my simple "referral rewards system" below ...

My client Greg sent me a nice referral opportunity to help one of his friends with my profit recovery service. So I rewarded him with a handwritten thank-you note that went out in today's mail.

Note: The only reward here is a heartfelt thanks from me. No money or gifts need be sent, although I do send gifts for referrals that turn into sales, depending on the situation.

Modern psychology and life in general teach us that you get more of any behavior that you positively reinforce. (This other side of this coin is punishment, which is why your Mom broke a yardstick over your butt when you flushed your brother's homework down the toilet. Or maybe that was just me.)

But don't make this complicated. It's not.

If you want more referrals, reward the behavior that produces them. By showing your sincere gratitude in the form of a personal, handwritten thank-you note, you can do that. Do it every time and you'll have a simple referral systems that works wonders for your business.

Meanwhile, if you want to put an end to "feast or famine" syndrome in your business, my free Client Cloning Kit can help. It's not some cheapo download -- this is a real business-building kit you can hold in your hands. 

Grab your free copy now, while they last.