As the year edges towards ending and the holiday shopping season in full swing we often forget to send out our thank-you notes to all the customers that have supported our businesses. Especially with only days away for the Small Business Saturday which falls on November 27, 2021, small business owners should not forget their customers that had contributed to their great success. Thank you letters to clients for their business helps in maintaining good relations and communication with them. In this article, we will offer some ideas and creative ways on how to say thank you to customers.
Why Thanking Your Customers is so Important
Customer appreciation is important for your small business as it does not only make customers happy but helps build your brand’s reputation as a company that appreciates its valued customers. Having a customer appreciation program also helps your business stand out as well if customers have a generally positive experience with you, they will more likely make repeat purchases and even recommend your brand to friends.
10 Ways to Express Gratitude During Small Business Saturday
To express gratitude during Small Business Saturday you will need to create an experience that lets you stand out with your customers. There are many great ways to do this among those include:
1. Thank You for Supporting my Small Business Cards
Expressing gratitude to your customers is important for building business loyalty and sustaining good business relationships. Sending out thank-you cards to customers will help show your clients that you value their business and that you care for them. If you are in retail, you can have your bag and box stuffer staff place thank you cards in packages to let customers know that you are grateful and you can even use the opportunity to offer them discounts on their next purchase at your shop. This helps improve customer retention by simply ordering prints at places like VistaPrint where you can get customizable note cards including photos, custom text, and more.
Things to Include
Before writing the thank-you card and having them printed you will need to include these:
Be original, you will need to resist the urge to write generic thank you note and include a personal touch. The best thank you notes are sincere and have the recipient in mind.
Greet your customer by their names like ‘Hi [name of customer]’, ‘Dear [name of customer], ‘Hello [name of customer]’, or use ‘dear esteemed customer’
Express your gratitude and clearly state why you’re sending the note. Include the name of your company details about why you enjoyed doing business with this customer.
Remember to repeat your thank you.
Finish with a sign-off like ‘Best’, ‘Yours Truly, ‘Best Wishes’, ‘Sincerely’, ‘Thanks again’, ‘Kindest Regards’, ‘Warm Regards’ or ‘Cheers’ and finish with your name and job title.
Messages to Write in a Thankyou for Supporting my Small Business Card
If you need a little more inspiration here are some examples to consider:
1. Dear [name of customer],
It is my pleasure to reach out and thank you personally for being a loyal customer to our small business throughout the year. We are so grateful you chose to continue shopping with us.
Thank you for being a part of the [your company’s name] family!
Yours Truly
[Your name and title]2. Hi [name of customer]
Thank you for trusting [your company’s name] for your [specify the product of service your offers] needs. We’re delighted to have had the opportunity to have you as a valued customer. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you ever have any additional needs.
Thank you again for your patronage.
Sincerely
[Your name and title]3. Hello [name of customer]
We wanted to write a note to thank you for your support over the years. Your patronage has helped our small business grow and thrive.
We hope to return the favor by continuing to provide you with quality service that goes beyond your expectations.
Thanks again,
[Your name and title]4. Dear [name of customer],
Thank you for visiting our store and making your first purchase! We’re glad that you found what you were looking for. It is our goal that you are always happy with what you bought from us, so please let us know if your buying experience was anything short of excellent. We look forward to seeing you again. Thank you again and have a great day!
Your friends at [name of your small business]
5. Dear [name of customer],
We are delighted to tell you that you have now been our customer for a whole year! We would just like to say thank you for being a part of our family. We are very grateful for your continued patronage because we wouldn’t be here without loyal customers like you.
Best regards,
[Your name and title]2. Thank You Stickers
Thank you, stickers can be an effective way, to thank first-time customers and loyal customers that they are appreciated. In addition to being cost-effective, you can also create several messages by using stickers to thank your best customers. Stickers also provide you with an affordable way to increase your visibility by incorporating them in packages, storefronts anywhere you can also use services from businesses such as Sticker Mule to get custom-made thank you stickers.
What to Write on Your Stickers
You can use thank you stickers to not only express your gratitude but also increase your visibility by incorporating your logo or branding on it to make it hard to forget. Some examples of thank you stickers include:
Thank you for your business
Thank you for supporting my small business
Thank you for being our beloved customer, your support and trust in us is much appreciated.
Thank you for your order. Your order made our day!
Thank you for your order, your support means a lot to us!
3. Valued Customer Appreciation Badges
Giving your customers appreciation badges can be a good idea o incorporate into your customer appreciation program. It is a great way to motivate and encourage both loyal customers and new customers.
What to Write on Customer Appreciation Badges
Some great examples of customer appreciation badges may include:
We appreciate you!
Customers like you rule!
Thanks for being an awesome customer!
Super customer
[Your company’s name]’s valued customer
4. Private Sales and Future Discounts for Loyal Customers
Private sales can be a good alternative to open auctions as it is less stressful and allows you enough time to consider offers made and without feeling any pressure. When there is no urgency sellers can accept different sale terms in terms of payment terms, delivery, and other facets. In the same token, you can also include information on future sales, promos, and discounts along with your thank you message.
5. Thank You Packaging Tags
Packaging tags are a great way to connect with customers as you can use them to easily convey your marketing messages. You can use the same kind of notes used in your cards and stickers to use on your packaging tags.
6. Customer Appreciation Stamps
Customer appreciation stamps are another way to help thank customers and increase your sales. You can use them to stamp customer reward cards, give clients stamp made art as a freebie with your brand, and even include stamps on receipts and your free merchandising including t-shirts, tote bags, and caps.
7. Customer Loyalty Programs
Loyalty programs are a great way to reward your customers. You can use them to incentivize customers to continue to buy your products and services and gain a steady stream of revenues. There are many ways to reward loyalty by offering discounts, free shipping, freebies, extended warranties, loyalty cards, and much more.
8. Thankyou Treats and Samples
In addition, to say thank you can give free treats and samples so that customers can also see that you are also about giving. Offering free samples of products such as perfumes and cosmetics can help familiarize your products and brand; foster good relations, and even encourage customers from being first-time customers to being repeat customers.
9. Social Media Posts
You should never underestimate the power of social media when it comes to connecting with clients. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube help with your business’ customers on a personal level.
What to Include in a Thankyou for Supporting my Small Business Social Media Post
You can use social media to thank your customers for being loyal customers and also encourage them to help spread the word of your small business to their friends and family. With social media platforms, you can raise your level of engagement in several ways some examples include:
Use social media to promote your product and services
Respond to queries on the features of a product or service
Post customer appreciation stories
Offer giveaways and discounts to your customers
Thank customers for their loyalty.
10. Thank You Emails
If you have an email list of customers who have opted to get communications from you to further engage with your customers. You can use email communications to make sale offers, send seasonal greetings, promote products and services, and even get feedback on customer impressions of your service.
Thank Your Customers All Year Round
Customer appreciation is an important part of running a small business. It not only helps make customers happy and want to come back but also builds your brand’s reputation as a good company to do business with. As such you will need to show your appreciation towards your customers not only during the holiday shopping season but all year round.
Image: Depositphotos
This article, “How to Say Thank You for Supporting My Small Business” was first published on Small Business Trends