Monday, November 19, 2012

Thanks Giving

      This week is all about thanksgiving. Not just the meal, but the actual action of being thankful. I say action because thanksgiving is a verb. To be acted upon. I know I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I have my health, my sanity, a wonderful business with the most amazing clients, a wonderful place to work with giving and generous co-workers, great kids, a wonderful albeit sometimes dysfunctional family, what more could a person ask for? The whole process of being thankful starts the universe in motion to give you more to be thankful for. Constantly wishing for more and never being satisfied is the path to never ever having enough. So in the spirit of this thanksgiving my marketing tip is to be thankful and give back to your awesome clients. 

 
      Take the time this season to identify your top clients. Whether you have a computer program or have to research by hand figure out who spends the most money in your salon. Don't assume. Having done this exercise myself I can tell you that there will be a few that will surprise you. I've mentioned many times doubling your business is as easy as having each client send you one more. Yes, it's that easy, and that difficult. But what if you sweetened the pot a bit? Take your list of top clients and give them a gift certificate for 10, 15, 25 dollars, the amount is up to you. Include a note that genuinely thanks them for their business expressing one or two unique, special things you appreciate about them. And here's the fun part. Give your clients a matching gift card to give to a friend that they think might enjoy your services. You know, the one they keep saying they gave your card to. What if every client they gave a gift certificate to came in and tried your services? Do you think you might be able to convince them to come back? More often than not people are willing to give us a try, but they're afraid to right? A gift certificate for a portion of the service could just be the incentive they need to give you a try. I don't recommend an amount for the whole service, there is more commitment on their part if they have to pitch in a bit of their own hard earned cash. So get busy, dig through your records and find those top clients.

 
      There is so much power in thank you. research shows living in a state of gratitude is transforming. Find ways to sprinkle it into your daily existence. Grateful people are happier, healthier more successful and more likely to maintain good friendships. Jon Gordon author of The Energy Bus recommends 4 ways to practice thanksgiving every day, not just on Turkey day.

1 Take a daily thank you walk. Take a simple 10 minute walk each day and say out loud what you are thankful for.
2 Meal time Thank you's Not just for Thanksgiving day, go around the table and have each person share what they are thankful for.
3 Gratitude visit. Write a letter expressing gratitude to someone. Then if you can visit the person and read it aloud. Research shows that people who do this are measurable happier and less depressed a one month later.
4 Say thank you at work. Companies can spend billions of dollars collectively figuring our rewards programs. The cheapest form of recognition is a simple, sincere thank you. Energize the people around you by letting them know you are grateful for them and their work. And don't forget to thank your clients. For more tips from Jon Gordon visit jongordon.com.

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