Any business has to be savvy about its marketing, including finding ways to boost company reputation and get in the good graces of customers. A simple way of doing so is to send customers a message saying, “thank you for your business.”
This type of message can come in various forms, and the one you choose will depend on your business and clients. In addition to knowing the pros and cons of the multiple methods of sending a thank you message to customers, you should also be aware of some of the best situations to send a business thank you.
Think of this as one of the marketing opportunities that require the least effort while boosting client loyalty, satisfaction, and engagement.
Why do I thank a valued customer or client?
There are plenty of reasons to thank a loyal customer or client.
One of the main reasons is to show customer appreciation. You want to show customers that you appreciate them for choosing your company, which, in turn, will encourage them to keep working with you.
Successful business thank you’s are also an excellent way to build a relationship with your customers. After all, they add another touchpoint.
A simple “thank you for your business” also lets you leave a good impression. That can increase the likelihood of referrals and positive reviews. It will also typically improve loyalty and satisfaction.
Thanking your clients also helps make them loyal. Customers are more likely to return to a company that makes them feel welcomed and valued. By thanking them, you are doing precisely this.
Benefits of sending a thank you note
A thank you card is more than just sending a valued customer meaningless words. As mentioned, they help you establish a personal relationship with clients. These are crucial for building and marketing your business.
A simple thank you can earn you a client for life.
Business thank you messages help you stand out from the competition. This small differentiator can help you gain a client for life. That is especially true thanks to the ability to boost customer loyalty by thanking customers.
How do I send a thank you message to a loyal customer?
Remember that sending a thank you message to a customer will add a personal touch to your interaction and improve your relationship. To make the most of it, you want to create a process for sending the notes to save you time in the future.
Take a closer look at the various formats you can use for your thank you.
Physical notes
Sending a physical note to tell customers “thank you for your business” is a more personal option.
In the past, thank you messages had to be physical notes. Even once methods like text messages or email existed, using those was considered rude. However, times have changed, and now even those who prioritize etiquette recognize that physical notes are not the be-all-end-all of business thank you messages.
Pros
As mentioned, sending a physical note is the most personal method of thanking a customer. You can increase personalization even more by handwriting the letter and having the business owner sign it.
These types of thank you messages also let your clients feel a bit more appreciated, as it shows that you put in the time and effort to send a message.
Another great thing about physical notes is that your customers can keep them. If you use a pretty card or stationery to write the letter, they may display it. This will lead to them thinking about your business regularly and encourage continued business.
Cons
While they are great for personalization, physical notes are also the most time-consuming and expensive way to thank clients. That said, they are not necessarily very expensive. You just have to pay for the stationary and the stamp, but that is still more than the $0 cost of materials for an email.
Another con of physical notes is that you may not have a physical address on file for your customers.
Emails
Emails come across as less personal, but they are highly efficient.
Pros
One of the good things about an email is that you can easily incorporate the thank you message into an email you were already going to send, especially if this is the next contact with the client. For example, suppose you need to contact them with delivery information or for more details of your service. In that case, you could easily incorporate a “thank you for your continued support” message into that. This saves you the hassle of creating another note and limits the responses that the client has to deal with.
Emails are the most affordable method of thanking clients. The only cost will be the labor involved. It is also worth mentioning that you can easily automate thank-you emails.
Cons
Customers know that emails require the least effort, so they feel less personal. While they will still appreciate the gesture, the thank-you email may not have as much of an impact as it would with a written note.
SMS messages
SMS messages are both more personal and efficient than emails for business messages.
Pros
SMS messages are incredibly efficient, just like emails. You can also typically automate them.
Like in emails, there may be situations where your next client interaction would be over text. In this case, it is natural just to add a simple “thank you for your business” to the text.
Texts are also useful for those situations when you only have a client’s phone number.
While texts are efficient, they also tend to feel more personal than emails, helping you build personal relationships with clients.
Texts also have very high open and engagement rates, maximizing customers’ chances to open them and see the message.
Cons
If you choose to thank customers via text, you will have limited space to do so. You may also not want to include images, as these can appear differently on various phones. On top of that, if a customer doesn’t have a smartphone, they won’t be able to view the images. While that is rare, it is more common if your client base is older.
Texting also comes with a cost, although it is usually low.
When to send thank you notes (examples)
So, when are the best times to send a “thank you for support business” message? The following situations are all perfect examples of when you may want to do so.
After a special meeting to follow-up
If you have a special meeting with a client, you will want to keep it fresh in their memory by sending a thank you. This is one of the situations where you can easily add “thank you for your business” to the beginning or end of a follow-up message you were going to send anyway.
After someone has made a purchase or used your services
One of the most straightforward situations for a business note is when someone uses your service or buys a product. Thanking them for being a customer encourages continued patronage, referrals, and positive reviews.
As a thank you for a referral
Speaking of referrals, it is good practice to send a thank you message to customers after they make a referral. Referrals are a crucial part of your company’s advertising and growth, so you want to encourage them.
After someone requests a proposal
If someone requests a proposal from your company, you should thank them for showing interest in your business. This will help you make a positive first impression and boost your company’s reputation.
After a job interview
When thinking of job interview thank you notes, you may picture the applicant sending a thank-you to the interviewer. But this can go both ways. By thanking the applicant, you show that you appreciate them and increase their chances of accepting your offer if you make one. If you don’t hire them, thanking them for their time and interest can help your company maintain a good reputation. This will help you attract more qualified candidates in the future and may even encourage failed candidates to continue being clients.
For an annual customer anniversary
A customer anniversary is also the perfect time to send a business thank you. You can use this as an opportunity for an annual celebration of all your customers. You can also personalize it more by sending a thank you to each customer on the anniversary of them becoming a customer.
For someone who helped you start your business
If certain people help you start your own business, you definitely want to send them a thank you for your support business message. This is specifically likely one of the scenarios when the extra effort of a physical note will make a big difference.
Thank you for the opportunity to quote
Reviews are crucial for your business reputation, so you should send a thank you message when a customer allows you to quote them via a review or testimonial.
Conclusion: Why business thank you’s are essential to your business
Sending thank you messages is a great way to maintain customer satisfaction and show customer appreciation. That, in turn, boosts customer loyalty and encourages referrals and reviews. Thank you’s also help your company maintain a positive reputation as a business that puts clients first. Additionally, sending a “thank you for your business” gives you another opportunity to contact a customer for a legitimate reason. This helps keep your brand fresh in their mind.
