When is the last time that you wrote a "Thank You" note to your customers?
Some of the business people that I follow on Twitter have been excited lately after receiving nice notes of gratitude from their clients. It is fabulous to know that someone appreciates your expertise and time.
However, we ARE in business to please our customers, and they do pay us in cold, hard cash (most of the time). So, let's thank them for their business.
When a customer visits my store for the first time, we send them a hand-written note as well as an e-mail note, thanking them for their visit, inviting them to return, and offering our assistance as they plan their weddings.
After a customer makes her purchase, we again send a hand-written thank you note. We usually send one more note in the months after the wedding, again thanking the bride and groom for their business and wishing them well in their new life together.
In these days of electronic communication, a "real" note in the "real" mailbox is always a delight!
Last night, my husband and I watched part of the new ABC show "Shark Tank". In the show, hopeful entrepreneurs come before a group of investors, asking for money in exchange for a stake in their company.
The premise is interesting, but I doubt the American public is going to watch this show for very long. But...it did make me think about the way that most of Americans look at starting a business.
There is a principle taught in the Bible. When you have proven that you can handle small things, you will then be trusted with more and larger things. However, most hopeful entrepreneurs think that if they can get their hands on a large amount of cash, then they can start their business "the right way" and everything will be peachy.
However, if that person has never handled a $10,000 cash flow successfully, it is doubtful that they can handle an influx of $500K wisely.
Start slowly...avoid debt...use creativity...
I am on Twitter - 9bride - but I'm not "obsessed". Here is a guest post from a fellow blogger about her obsession with Twitter. ...Tami
How to Explain to Your Spouse Why You Love Twitter
A good friend said to me: “Why would anyone be on Twitter?” Mind you, he’s never been on Twitter and he doesn’t know a thing about it. But he’s a successful lawyer and thinks he knows what’s what.
In reply, I’ve decided to come up with a list of answers for when someone asks you this question:
Getting news updates before the news media
Asking technical software/hardware questions and getting answers
Asking for referrals for a plumber in your hometown area
Getting book recommendations in 140 characters instead of rambling book reviews
Connecting with people you’ve met on LinkedIn or Facebook and want a quicker way to message them
Getting links to specific industry news
Sharing valuable blog posts
Sharing information about your own projects
Giving testimonials
Getting tips in all kinds of subjects
Getting help when you have a problem with, for example, your Sprint account
Connecting with higher-level people than you could through other communication channels
Perhaps the reason I like best is that I use my Twitter contacts as information filters. I certainly don’t have time to read everything I’d like to read. Thus when someone whose opinion I really trust tweets that this is a good article and includes the link, I’ll click through to take a quick look. More often than not, I’m glad I was alerted to the information.
Of course, it’s important when being on Twitter to be a giver and not just a taker. In other words, you have to share good info also – and not just info that you’ve written. For example, when I’ve read a particularly informative article in that day’s Wall Street Journal, I’ll tweet the link if there’s a public link available for that story.
Also, Twitter offers the ability to widen your own world – and to do this from the convenience of your computer. Most of us tend to stick to the people we know. But on Twitter we can have conversations with people all over the country (and globe if they tweet in English) – people we would never otherwise have the opportunity to meet.
For my part, I’m going to come up with a good “put down” line for when people say: “Why would anyone be on Twitter?” Something like: “You don’t know what you’re missing.” Or: “Try it, you’ll like.” Or finally: “If you try it and become a Twitter addict, don’t blame me.”
Phyllis Zimbler Miller’s company MillerMosaicLLC.com has an Internet marketing program at http://www.weteachwebmarketing.com/ that can help people promote their brand, book or business through Twitter and other online strategies. She is also a National Internet Business Examiner at http://www.internetbizblogger.com/ and you can follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ZimblerMiller.
