1. Team members

Depending on the size of your business, this could range from zero to hundreds. The good news is there are options for both categories.

In the case of a smaller number, you have the ability to put together a personal, thoughtful thank-you. This could be as simple as a personalized, handwritten note highlighting their contributions and hard work, or as complex as a customized gift box for each team member.

If you have a very large team, sending individual emails is likely not feasible. Instead, send a mass email to everyone and offer a fun surprise like a bonus day off or a company-sponsored coffee and bagel buffet. That way, even though you can’t personally thank every person, you can be sure each person feels appreciated.

2. Administrative staff

Administrative staff are often who we rely on the most and yet do not always make the list of people you should thank. This applies to both administrative staff within your company and those who don’t work for you but that you interact with on a regular basis.

This is everyone who answers the phones, orders lunches, routes paperwork, gets you on the schedules of the people you need to meet, and executes all the other ad hoc tasks that you depend on.

For example, an office manager who helps with everything from organizing company-wide events to fielding office maintenance requests. Send that person a handwritten note and include a gift card to a local coffee shop, or anywhere else you think they might enjoy. Ideally, nothing work-related, (put down that stapler) but something just for them to enjoy.

3. Consultants and Contractors

It may not seem completely obvious that consultants are on the list of people you should thank, but strengthening solid professional relationships is always a good idea.

For many small business owners, hiring full-time staff is not financially possible. Therefore, they often turn to consultants or freelance professionals. This includes anyone who helps with your marketing, your accounting, your operations, etc. on a contract basis.

You’re likely not the only client that contractor works with, but by sending a thank you gift, you have a chance to both make yourself stand out and share gratitude.

As with every other group, a personal note thanking them for their time and effort is always a great idea. If you’re really thrilled with their work, you can offer something that doesn’t cost you a penny but is quite beneficial for their business– a personal referral.

Here’s an example of this type of note:

Hi {consultant’s name},

As I look back on the last year and how my business has evolved and grown, I wanted to send a note to say thank you. From {a specific project, goal, etc.} to {a specific project, goal, etc.}, having your expertise and knowledge has been incredibly valuable.

I have and will continue to recommend your services to other companies and business owners. In fact, if I can provide a review or recommendation for you, I would be delighted to do so.

Wishing you a relaxing holiday season!
Sincerely,
{your name}

4. Your Family’s Extended Support Network

“It takes a village” is a phrase that has stuck around for good reason. It’s pretty impossible to go through life without any support, especially if you’re raising kids. Sure, we can all name one or two people who seem more like superheroes, those keeping all the plates spinning while keeping the lights on. Yet even if you are that superhero person, there’s a good chance you’ve got at least a couple people you should thank that are helping you keep it all together.

Maybe there is a certain educator at your child’s school who really stands out, or a neighbor who often drops by baked goods. Perhaps it’s a long-distance friend who manages to regularly see how you’re doing no matter how far away you may live.

Each of these examples above deserves a different response, so let’s use the teacher at your child’s school as our example. A genuine hand-written note to a special teacher or coach just might make their week. Be sure to include specific ways that they support your child or positively influence them. It’s inexpensive but heartfelt and impactful.

Another step is to volunteer your time at a school event or donate supplies or other resources needed. Give your time and effort when and where you can.

5. Customers & Clients

What would your business be without customers? Well, it’s safe to say it wouldn’t exist! It may seem obvious that you should thank your customers, but you’d be surprised how many small businesses overlook it.

We’ve written a couple of great posts on client gift ideas and customer appreciation suggestions that you can check out here. From a housewarming gift from a real estate agent to a shout-out on social media, there are countless ways to show how you are thankful.

You may have the best intentions to leave a treat from your favorite local bakery, but time slips away. That’s okay, it happens to all of us. However, you always have time to include your customer’s first name in a personalized note to them. Even an email or e-card can make customers feel appreciated, and it keeps your name top of mind in case they need your services later. (OutboundEngine makes this easy by sending a professionally designed holiday e-card for our customers every year.)

The most important aspect to keep in mind for these gifts is to make them as personal as you can, when you can (without driving yourself crazy or going broke) and to always be genuine.

Make time for the people you should thank.

Saying thank you at the end of the year should be a cherry on top of year-round customer service. It won’t work as a band-aid to fix poor communication during the rest of the year. In addition to an appropriate seasonal gift, every small business owner should be regularly keeping in touch with their network by sending emails and keeping their social media accounts active. These steps are important to build brand awareness and improve customer retention, but are also time-consuming.

That’s where OutboundEngine can help. Schedule a free demo today to see how OutboundEngine can give you more time to focus on what your customers need instead of worrying about your marketing strategy.

Customer gift ideas can take the form of a grand gesture, a quick note, and everything in between. As long as it makes someone stop and remember you for something other than a business transaction, you’re on the right path.

Here are five customer gift ideas and tips for the holidays:

1) Go Local

Whether you’re in a big city or a small town, your area probably has at least a few beloved local businesses that could use your support, especially in an age when so many are struggling. Why not source your client holiday gifts from right here at home?

If you want to shop local, try giving clients:

• Bread or pastries from a local bakery.
• Coffee or tea from a local roaster/tea shop.
• Art or home décor items from a local boutique (the kind you won’t find online).
• Handmade gifts (think candles, jewelry, pottery, etc.) from a local artisan or craftsman. If you have a farmers’ market, that’s often a great place to find gifts like this.
• Beer, wine or spirits from a local brewery/winery/distillery (unless you know the client doesn’t imbibe, obviously). Bonus points for knowing their drink of choice!
• An item that your area is famous for, like a local style of BBQ sauce or a type of fruit that’s produced in your region.

Sending clients a gift from a local business not only shows you appreciate them — it also shows your support for the community. That’s something everyone can get behind.

2) Be Personal

Take the time to send a gift that highlights your attention to detail and personal connection. A great place to start is to think about past conversations and interactions. Have they mentioned a favorite sports team? Or maybe a go-to restaurant or coffee shop? A piece of merch with their team’s logo or a gift card for a restaurant they mentioned will impress them with your attention to detail. (This is one reason keeping detailed records in your CRM is so important!)

You can even take it a step further and give them a personalized gift, like custom stationery or a coffee mug with their initials on it. The best customer gift ideas demonstrate how much you value the relationship. Get creative and the thought and effort will certainly be appreciated.

3) Build a Better Gift Box

The gift you send matters, but don’t underestimate the value of attractive, impressive or creative packaging to delight your recipients. You can go the DIY route and channel your inner Martha Stewart with a hand-built gift basket, or you can take advantage of the many services that do the work for you.

A few options that put a new spin on the traditional gift basket:

• Greetabl offers “tiny, delightful, surprisingly special” miniature gift boxes with modern packaging design.
• Happy Box Store lets you build a gift box or choose from pre-built, curated boxes.
• Boxfox specializes in sophisticated, elegant gifts and packaging with a “no kitsch” promise.

Whatever route you choose, make sure to tailor your gift box/basket using any details and preferences you know about your client.

4) Make It Practical

Chocolate, cards and fun gifts are all safe bets, but sending something practical has benefits too. Consider a gift that your client will use in their everyday life. That way, they’ll think of you every time your gift makes their day slightly better or easier. The brand-boosting effect is doubled if the gift has your logo on it.

Practical gifts could include:

• Handy tech items like portable chargers or wireless earbuds.
• Items that make working from home easier and more comfortable.
• A high-quality face mask that’s actually stylish.
• An ultra-plush blanket to make staying home a little cozier.
• Kitchen tools like a nice wooden cutting board or a sturdy wine bottle opener.

The possibilities are nearly endless. By giving a practical gift that a client can use, you’ll be remembered in the months following this holiday season.

5) Give the Gift of Learning

Your clients trust you as an expert in your industry. Do you have a favorite industry-relevant book you know would help your customers? Write a note inside the cover and send it to them. Is there a magazine they could benefit from? Consider buying them an online subscription.

Many people have used the pandemic as an opportunity to learn new skills. Your clients might also appreciate a subscription to an online learning service like MasterClass, where they can learn popular skills from celebrity instructors.

Providing them with true value and information that they will take with them into their personal life or career shows you’re invested beyond making a sale.

Bonus: Just Send a Note Instead

If sending client gifts is out of your budget, never fear: there’s power in a handwritten note. In today’s world of emails, texts, and social media, a handwritten message is rare and meaningful. Taking the time to send handwritten correspondence will make your customers take notice.

There are a few things to remember when sending a handwritten note:

• Use their name. First names are preferable unless you’re worried about appearing too informal.
• Be personal. Reference a past conversation, a detail you remember about them or the service you provided them.
• Stay authentic. Express your genuine, heartfelt gratitude that they choose to do business with you.
• Talk about the future. Make sure they know you look forward to the opportunity of helping them again.

If you don’t have time to do this yourself (or if your handwriting isn’t the greatest), check out services like Scribeless and Handwrytten that offer done-for-you handwritten notes and cards.

Enjoy the Giving Season

Everyone stresses making a good first impression, but making a lasting impression is equally important. In a season when everyone is sending and receiving gifts, make sure yours stands out. Customer gift ideas don’t have to be big or expensive — they need to be thoughtful above all.

Looking for more great ways to build lasting relationships with customers? Let us help you automate your email and social media marketing!

By not following up with prospects, you put your reputation at risk and force them to take their business elsewhere. Talk about an anti-growth strategy!

Worse still, you’re not just losing on that one transaction. For example, if a real estate agent abandons a prospect, they not only lose the commission on that transaction but miss out on any subsequent transactions, such as potential referrals.

Following up with potential customers should be a high-priority component of any marketing strategy. With that in mind, here are five effective follow-up strategies you can use to connect with interested prospects.

1. Make Time and Make a Plan

Creating a follow-up schedule–complete with notifications–keeps the process efficient and effective. When you’re fielding leads from phone calls, emails, website inquiries, social media, even snail mail, mapping out your plan of attack isn’t just convenient, it’s essential.

Here’s an example of a 22-day follow-up schedule from LeadSimple.

Of course, a follow-up schedule is just a guideline for you. Your prospects are going to have ideas of their own, and they’ll buy when they’re ready. The best you can do is to remain vigilant, nurture the relationship and stay top of mind.

Bonus Content: Follow up with client emails faster than ever with our free Cut-and-Paste Follow-Up Templates.

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2. Treat Potential Customers With Respect

Following up with potential customers shouldn’t be tricky. The lead is warm, and the interest is there. All you need to do is initiate a genuine conversation that will hold their attention and nudge them gently forward.

Do your homework and have your questions ready, but also come prepared to listen. Listen to what each prospect has to say. Get a feel for who they are and what they do, then figure out how you can make their lives easier without wasting their time.

When you respect potential customers, your conversations resonate better. And there’s nothing more memorable than real advice from an industry expert, especially when it’s tailor-made for the prospect’s specific situation.

Providing a quick follow-up to the questions and concerns of prospects and clients is an essential building block of long-term relationships. It shows them you care about their business and helps you earn their trust and respect.

3. Provide Valuable Content

Your prospects are busy, and not every follow-up requires a direct conversation. You want to add value, not stress and aggravation. Content marketing not only allows you to bridge the gap with value during the in-between times, but it also allows you to expand your potential touchpoints.

The content you create and share should always be relevant to your prospects and your business. It shouldn’t be a non-stop hard sell; instead, it should provide value and advance the overarching conversation. This positions you as an interested partner rather than a pushy salesperson.

Remember, for 70 percent of consumers, interesting content is their preferred way of hearing from businesses and brands. So whether you’re creating infographics, FAQ videos or sharing images on Instagram, always keep the potential customer’s needs in mind.

4. Meet People Where They Are

If you want to form a lasting connection with potential customers, meet them on their own personal stomping grounds. It’s all about their comfort and preferences, not yours.

If you know your customer is a phone person, give them a call. Maybe they’re social media focused and you follow up via Facebook or LinkedIn. And everyone can (and should!) be sent emails to communicate.

The important thing to remember is that it’s all on the table—phone, text, email, snail mail, social media. Use whatever works. The more touchpoints you use, the better chance you have of staying top of mind.

5. Respond Quickly

We mentioned at the very beginning of this post that time is of the essence when you first respond to a prospect. However, it’s important to balance speed and personalization. This means reaching out quickly with a response that doesn’t feel canned or empty.

We’ve developed several of follow-up templates (linked below) that you can use to make sure you don’t waste valuable time trying to think of what to say. These are built to be easily customized so you can add your own personal details.

Improve your follow-up today

Following up doesn’t have to be time-consuming or painful. Our free cut-and-paste follow-up templates that will make it faster and easier to connect with your prospects.

Are you a professional who finds the idea of a 40-hour workweek laughable? Test out these time management tips and “work” your way to a more productive week.

1. Make a Schedule Based on Your Personal Productivity Fluctuations

Your productivity and energy levels may swing like a pendulum throughout the day. The trick to tackling your most important tasks is to capitalize on the portions of the day when you have the most momentum.

Duke University psychology and behavioral economics professor Dan Ariely found that for much of the workforce, the most productive block of time occurs within the first two hours of their workday. He recommends using this time to tackle highly cognitive tasks, like strategically mapping out your day or completing creative projects.

If you know you struggle to concentrate in the late afternoon, save that time for tasks requiring less brainpower. Try responding to emails instead of scheduling end-of-day meetings or tackling important deadlines.

Compartmentalizing tasks based on the inherent ebbs and flows of your energy level can help you remain productive throughout your day.

2. Find Creative Ways to Limit Distractions

Once you find your flow, it’s important to stay on task. However, between the onslaught of push notifications and needy clients, most of us face large-and small-scale distractions every three minutes. That can be even more often if you’re working from home with kids in the house. While some of these interruptions can be quickly addressed, getting back to the original task at hand takes an average of 23 minutes.

There’s a clear takeaway: cut out two small distractions from your workday and you’ve potentially saved yourself an hour of billable time!

Try a combination of these techniques to help you stay focused:

• Find playlists you can work to. We love instrumental music and useful online options like SimplyNoise.
• Close browser windows you don’t need. This will save you from tempting distractions. If you’re worried about losing track of important tabs, use a tool like Session Buddy to save your tabs for later. If you’re using Chrome, you can also hide unused tabs away inside a tab group.
• Turn off notifications and set your phone to airplane mode. If you’re worried about time sensitive notifications, do this only for short sprints of time when you need to maintain intense focus.
• Keep a healthy snack at your desk. Hunger is distracting, and so is getting up to search for snacks.

3. Limit Your Priorities

When you’re running a small business, anything related to your company is ultimately your responsibility. But, as the adage says, “If everything is important, then nothing is.”

Not everything requires equal attention, and having an expansive to-do list can lead to task paralysis. By keeping your priority list short, you automatically hone your focus. For more than 72 percent of small business owners, this concentration hinges largely on developing high-level strategies that can help grow their businesses.

Which leads us directly to our next topic…

4. Learn the Art of Delegation by Automation

After you’ve culled the list of priorities down to the essentials, what’s next? The short answer: delegating them!

For some small business owners, this means hiring a part-time assistant to help manage the schedule or answer emails. Others turn to online assistants like Upwork or Zirtual for general task management and website maintenance.

And nearly 50 percent of companies use some form of marketing automation to get more out of their day. (Think customized email blasts and social media campaigns tailored to your customers.)

Bonus Tip: We can automate your marketing!

5. Stay Organized

Ever found yourself shuffling through business cards to find the one you want? Or logging in and out of multiple apps to get the information you need about a client? Or scrolling through an endless list of emails in search of the one you’re looking for? All of that takes time, and when you add it up over days and weeks, it can become a significant amount. Organization pays off not just in peace of mind but in actual minutes of your life.

Fortunately, there are apps to streamline nearly every repetitive, headache-inducing task you can think of. We compiled a list of our five favorite organization apps, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Wrap-Up

If you start following all these tips, you should see an immediate uptick in your daily free time. And don’t forget that we’re here to save you even more time by taking marketing off your plate.