We will not sell or rent your email address. What is a customer worth to your business? For most companies, customers are invaluable. The company would not exist without a stable customer base. And yet, why do we sabotage our efforts by not thanking our customers on a regular basis? You have probably heard that it costs more to add a new customer than to keep an existing customer. When you consider the amount of time and money it takes in marketing and sales to find a prospective customer, it’s easy to understand why that’s the case. Customer retention should be a priority to make sure customers know you appreciate and value them. One easy way to follow up with customers to let them know how much you appreciate them is to send thank you cards. A thank you card is a short card which expresses your gratitude. It should not include a promotional message, but should instead include a personal message of thanks. The challenge is that it takes time to find the right card, write your message, stamp it and walk or drive to the nearest mailbox to deliver it. You can overcome this obstacle by creating a card kit. Get a storage box and add a variety of cards, postage stamps, and even rubber stamps and an inkpad to decorate the cards. Then, when you think of someone to thank, it will be easy to send them. You can also use the online service Send Out Cards which allows you to easily select a card, add a personal message and send a card. The best part is that the company will print the card, put a real stamp on it and mail it for you. It could be snowing or raining outside and you have the confidence of knowing your card will be mailed out on time. For the amount of a card and postage, you will take a step toward building powerful customers relationships. Don’t every underestimate the power of a card to light up someone’s day and make them feel special. And the best cards come from the heart, with love. So, take a moment to make sure your card connects heart to heart.
Rick S. Cooper, MBA, is The Sales Results Expert. Rick is a Business & Technology Coach who specializes in working with professional services entrepreneurs who want to attract their ideal clients. He coaches entrepreneurs to improve their sales skills and increase their sales results. He teaches them how to leverage technology tools and increase their productivity. Rick is Founder and President of The PDA Pro. Receive Rick's complimentary audio "7 Steps to Attract your Ideal Clients" by visiting http://www.ThePDApro.com/freebies.asp. | 
