The economy is unpredictable. The war is raging. People around the world are expressing a renewed interest in reassessing priorities and rumor has it that humanity is embarking on a major shift in consciousness. These are just a few of the reasons why adding a personal touch to your communications with customers and employees can lead to higher levels of success in today’s impersonal business environment.

During the past few years of economic growth, many industries struggled to keep up with a steady stream of new business. Buildings expanded, product lines grew, and “mandatory” overtime became the norm. Customers were sometimes expected to overlook service and production delays due to unusually high turnover. Employees were often required to work extended hours to meet customer demands. Throughout these years of rising profits, many companies promised customers and employees that workload would return to a less hectic “norm.”

Businesses are now facing a slower growth environment and “normal” seems to be a word that can only describe an era long forgotten. Downsizing and plant closings litter the nightly news and leasing billboards litter the industrial landscape. This uncertainty provides the perfect environment for business leaders to build more personal business relationships by offering a genuine thank you to customers and employees.

Everyone leads busy lives. In our often impersonal, high-tech society, people remember those who add a personal touch to their day. The key to success in a lean economy may be retaining, rather than having to replace, your best customers and employees. Consider the following questions.

Customers

1. Who is your best customer today and why?

2. Who was your best customer a few years ago and why?

3. When was the last time you personally asked customers to express questions or concerns?

4. What areas of your business need improvement based on customer questions and concerns?

5. How much would it cost to replace a lost customer?

6. When was the last time you called each customer to say “thank you for your business”?

Employees

1. Who is your best employee today and why?

2. Who was your best employee a few years ago and why?

3. When was the last time you hosted an open forum for employees to voice questions or concerns?

4. What suggestions do employees have regarding customer questions and concerns?

5. How much would it cost to replace a lost employee?

6. When was the last time you thanked your employees for helping you stay in business?

If you’re wondering what all of this has to do with improving your bottom line, think back to a time when you did something extra and found yourself muttering, “They didn’t even have the decency to say thanks.” I’m not suggesting that you should thank others just to improve your results. Many kind acts go unnoticed, but thanking others can help you focus on the things in your business (and life) that you should be thankful for. And, in addition to the bottom line, aren’t you also in business for the victory, the achievement, the success, the reward of hearing someone say “thank you” for your contribution?

In my experience, thank you notes are even less common in business relationships. It’s a quick and thoughtful way to show customers and employees how important they are to you. An added benefit of thank you business notes is that the recipient of that note will likely remember your gratitude long after the words have been spoken. As you move through the days and weeks ahead, think about those people in your life who deserve genuine thanks. Who goes above and beyond what their job requires? Reward that person by handwriting a personalized thank you note.

For readers who need statistics to believe in the power of saying thank you, the National Association for Employee Recognition partnered with WorldatWork to conduct a 2002 Employee Recognition Survey that showed…
* 41% of respondents are “doing more” with employee recognition programs than in the previous 12 months.
* Of the companies in the survey that did not have formal recognition systems in place, 54% of respondents expressed their intention to develop policies in the next 12 months.

Thanking customers and employees is just the right thing to do. Challenge yourself and your leaders to express gratitude and add joy to the days of customers and employees. Commit to sending a personalized, handwritten thank you note to one person each day this week and pay attention to how it improves your business. (Don’t cheat, there are seven days of the week to be thankful for!)

*Copyright 2005 JoAnna Carey, Carey’D Away Enterprises, LLC. Adapted from the book Rat Race Relaxer: Your Potential & The Maze of Life by JoAnna Carey. All rights reserved.

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