I love being home when the mail is delivered. There’s something special about participating in this daily ritual. Hearing the heavy footsteps up our 100-year-old verandah stairs … the clunk of the mailbox lid and the thud of mail. This followed by the boisterous enthusiasm that only a Boston terrier and senile pug can bring to the party.
The let down comes when I pop my head out the door, open the box and discover the junk. Flyers, bills … on a good day a home design magazine or National Geographic.
Last Tuesday, I was home, heard the steps, the clunk, the thud, so I stood up from my computer to make some tea and check the box. Amidst the bills and flyers was a hand addressed envelope … so small, tucked in with the massive amounts of junk, I almost missed it.
To my delight it was a lovely little card from the fellow that recently did a few odd jobs for us thanking us for our business. Remarkable.
Thank you. Two magic words that make a difference – especially when the thank you is so warmly delivered.
I’ve often preached this idea to clients as a brand strategy. Say thank you and say it in an interesting way. Stand out. Be remarkable.
But as much as I’ve preached it, I’ve never seen it executed before last week. We get too busy to appreciate our clients and frankly I think we’ve all gotten a bit awkward about being grateful and showing emotion.
It’s time to get over ourselves. I’m so glad for my little thank you note. I’ve tacked it on the wall in my office as a reminder to build this magic tool into every brand strategy I develop for my clients going forward.
Thank you,
S.
PS. I’ve recently adopted two business practices that say thank you to my clients:
- When a project is finished, I ensure I wrap up the work with a branded USB drive, a thank you card and a little blackcoffee – or at least a cup to put it in.
- At Christmas, I make an extra effort to create a special and creative gift for Blackcoffee clients. It’s fun and a great way to let people know they are appreciated.
If you’d like some creative tools to say a thank you to your clients, I’d love to help. Send me a note at Shannon@blackcoffeestudio.com.
With gratitude,
Inspired by a little blackcoffee
Some of my favourite moments are spent in search of something beautiful while I drink my first cup of coffee and hear the house wake up. From there I move on to the paper and the news of the day. In this space, I’ll share some of those inspirations.
Shannon Larkins
Founder, Blackcoffee Studio
Over the course of 15+ years, Shannon has grown Blackcoffee Studio out of a love for building brands and reputations. She serves up Blackcoffee as a morning ritual while caffeinating clients and readers on the regular. You can find her at www.BlackcoffeeStudio.com
Blackcoffee Studio
Blackcoffee is a premium brand development agency, offering luxury brand experience to clients at home in Calgary, Canada and around the globe. Brands create experience, set you apart from the competition and drive growth. Anyone can bulid a business but only the exceptional can create a brand. Are you ready?
