There are certain things that help you get remembered in life and one of those is the way that you deal with your clients and people in general. In the business world we spend so much time contacting clients, meeting them, quoting on the job, and then doing the project, at the end we invoice them accept payment and don’t see them again. Most of us in business are missing that crucial point of contact and the one that probably matters the most, appreciation! When was the last time you let your clients know that you appreciated their business? When was the last time you said, “Thank you?” A simple card or an email is sufficient or you can try a small gift, the point is it is important to say thank you. Most people are thinking incorrectly when asking why you say thank you.
My wife for instance when I started sending thank you cards out when I first started in business said to me, “Are you going to continue that on forever?” She also said that, “Nobody else does that so why are you?” The same questions she was asking was the exact reason why I was saying thank you, because no one else is doing it. I send a thank you card for each project or if it a regular client I will send them a thank you card on a monthly or by monthly basis. If it is an individual project I will print the client’s illustration on the card and they love it. I also have an electronic version of a thank you card for those clients that I only have an email for and no mailing address. As an artist many of my clients collect the cards and display them in their cubicles and offices. I have seen them tacked up on bulletin boards in offices, boardrooms, and sitting on desks.They enjoy them because they are personalized just for them. People like to feel appreciated. At the same time that you are telling them how much you care you are marketing to them by keeping your name in front of them. Many times they have sent the picture you did for them off as a gift so they like having a card with the image that they can show friends and family. I have gotten more work because someone walked into one of my clients office, saw the card on the bulletin board, and said, “I want one of those!”
Add the thank you stage to your marketing plan and watch your business soar. You’ll be glad you did, however like anything else consistency is the key. Good luck!
About the Author
Bruce Outridge is an illustrator and cartoonist from Canada. He also has a consulting business helping artists start successful businesses. Form more information on Bruce and his businesses visit his websites at www.bruceoutridgeproductions.com, and www.outridge.ca
