You love your customers, you really do. You send them cards after they make purchases, calendars every January, and bourbon every Christmas. Their business card sits in your wallet and thanks to your CRM you never miss a birthday. The good news is this means you are well on your way to building relationships with your customers. The bad news is, so is everybody else. Why not do something different and send valued clients a card for Thanksgiving? After all, that is the spirit of this turkey-fueled holiday. American and Canadian Thanksgiving provide an ample (and often missed) opportunity to stand out from the pack and let customers know just how grateful you are for their business.

“The Cycle of Gratitude” as it is referred to on E-Myth.com is an essential component of building business through reciprocity and one of the easiest ways to score referrals. “When you deliver your product or service “on time, every time exactly as promised” you create a customer experience that can turn a one-time customer into a life-long advocate. In short, you’ve nurtured a customer’s gratitude — and they’re likely to turn around and reward you with a referral”.

But the gratitude cycle shouldn’t stop with a referral if your real goal is to establish long-lasting customer relationships. You can keep the cycle going year round by thinking outside the box a little bit. Small gestures like an unexpected thank-you card score points with customers and increase the value of your customer experience. So this Thanksgiving weekend when you’re picking up your turkey and stuffing, grab a few thank you cards. It’s a small token of appreciation with big possibilities.

Read the full article here:

http://www.e-myth.com/cs/user/print/post/the-cycle-of-gratitude