A surprisingly simple way to thank your customers (or donors)
The other night I was doing some online Christmas shopping and I bought a necklace from one of my favorite shops in Baton Rouge called MIMOSA Handcrafted. A photo of this necklace arrived months ago in my inbox and it immediately reminded me of my good friend. The charm is the ASL sign for I love you, the sign my friend gives our kids all the time. It’s their special thing and it always warms my heart to see.
Anyway, I bought the necklace around 9pm and went to bed. Got up, started work, and an hour later checked my email. In my inbox was a message from Madeline at MIMOSA (she’s the owner). The subject line was “Thank you,” and I could see that the first few words were “I just wanted to take a second to thank you …”
Whoa! You see, I got the order confirmation the night before that included a thanks. So what was this? I clicked to open it. The entire thing was two sentences. One thanking me for my purchase, and the second letting me know that I could reach out with any questions. No graphics, no large font, no bells and whistles. Just simple text on an email page. It was so personal. And it was sent to me, the person who spent less than $50 in that purchase. Wow. I was impressed.
Create engagement through acknowledgement
Why am I so crazy about this message? Because it felt genuine, like it was from a friend, sent to and meant for only me. We just don’t see much of this anymore from organizations. And it was so easy for her to do - just a little time invested to make such an impression on me.
What’s more, because it felt so personal, I immediately responded with my own two sentences: “I’ve been a big fan ever since our time in Baton Rouge. Thank you.”
What happened next was even more incredible. I got ANOTHER response. Simple. It read: “Thank you again! Happy holidays!”
Y’all. This never happens anymore and it should.
Build a repeat customer by saying thanks
Madeline did two things: 1) She let me know that my small purchase really mattered and 2) She built even more loyalty because I felt appreciated.
Small businesses and especially nonprofits should take a page out of Madeline’s book and remember that a heartfelt thanks from a real person goes a long way. So often these personal touches are reserved only for the big spenders, and that’s a mistake. Take the time to give genuine thanks to the people who support you. All of them, even the ones that make one small purchase or donation. They matter, and they’ll come back.
I know, I know. You’re busy. I bet Madeline is busy. It’s 12 days before Christmas. But her investment now in her customers will pay off later, I guarantee it. It’s a heck of a lot easier to bring a customer or donor back than to find a new one, and you never know how big the next purchase or gift may be.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
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