Sometimes all you need to do is say thanks.

It’s not a difficult thing to do.  We teach our kids good manners every day and we use them ourselves, but it’s amazing how many business owners don’t apply the simple rules of common courtesy within their own businesses.

The fact is that gratitude is a very powerful marketing tool. Here are four ways you can grow your business, by unleashing the power of gratitude within your marketing.

1. Say thank you for referrals.

If someone refers business to you, it makes sense to say thanks, doesn’t it? You would be surprised how many businesses don’t.  One of the main reasons (apart from just not doing it) is failing to track sources of referrals.

When you know who is referring business to you, it is much easier to pick up the phone and say thanks.  So, make sure you know where your referrals are coming from and recognise those that are sending customers your way.

2. Recognise customer milestones.

Customers are the lifeblood of business, but most businesses recognise employee milestones, not customer milestones. Imagine the delight from a customer that receives recognition for being a customer for 5 years, or even just one year.

You can say thanks by providing a gift, a special offer or just pick up the phone and say thanks. It will help make sure they are a customer for another 5 years.

3.    Be grateful to those that help you.

In business, not every discussion with a supplier or customer results in a sale. Many professionals spend a lot of time and effort preparing proposals for new business that never result in any return.

In business, it’s important to recognise the effort of others that doesn’t result in a sale.  So, next time you ask someone to prepare a proposal that you do not proceed with, remember to thank them for their time.  If you do, you’ll stand out amongst a sea of businesses that don’t.

4.    Develop a gratitude strategy.

Remembering to express gratitude can be hard when things get busy.  That is why you should develop a gratitude strategy.  I am not talking about War and Peace, but a one-sheet strategy where you identify what you will do to express gratitude when certain situations occur in your business.  Some examples might be sending a thank you postcard one day after a new client meeting or even a bottle of wine to a contact who refers business to you.

Whatever it is you should identify the situation that requires gratitude and what you will do. Type it out and put it in a place where you can see it to remind you of what you need to do.

Gratitude, unfortunately, is sorely lacking in many businesses. The fact is that people refer more business to those that say thanks and implementing it within your business will help your business stand out from the crowd.

So, thanks for stopping by and reading this post. Let me know what you think by commenting below.