We all know the romantic connection of Valentine’s Day as a day to share your love. However, it is also a great opportunity to express your appreciation of family, friends, colleagues, business partners, customers – in fact anyone who plays a role in your life, no matter how big or small. For business owners, it might be a nice gesture to show your appreciation to clients. We put our minds to it and thought we’d share our thoughts on how to show appreciation to your clients this Valentine’s Day.
- Send an ecard or message
It can be a bit tongue in cheek, but take advantage of the day to theme a grateful communication and make your customers feel valued. Design a simple card to wish them well and thank them for being with you, include your logo and image, but don’t make it too heavily branded or promotional. Otherwise you could look at a Valentine’s themed newsletter to be sent to clients. Aside from emails, you could also look at sending out Valentine’s messages on Facebook and Twitter to thank your followers.
- Think about token gifts
A gift, even when small in size can make a big difference. It’s not necessarily a holiday that people would expect to receive gifts for, so by sending something you stand out from others and have the act of surprise. The kind of gift you give to your clients depends on the nature of your business and how much you are willing to spend. If you are a service provider, you might want to offer them a coupon for their next subscription/an additional service. If you sell physical products, you might want to send them a small product as a gift. If these don’t really work for you, you could look at branding useful gadgets such as memory sticks, pens, stress balls, adaptor cables and plugs, or sending cupcakes, sweets, etc. It doesn’t have to be expensive, just something reasonable and thoughtful, that you think they will genuinely appreciate and not just throw in a drawer.
- See them in person
Arrange a catch up coffee or lunch with your key customers and partners. Send them invitations and let them know you would like to meet up and talk away from the office. Use this opportunity to build the business relationship and get to know the individuals, rather than just talking shop and selling your product/service.
- Have a promotion on Valentine’s Day
Consider offering discounts, free add on’s (such as shipping, etc) for all purchases/orders/contract renewals made on that day.
Using Valentine’s Day as an excuse to appreciate your customers will make them feel valued. It helps to build the business relationship and grow loyalty. If you would love to appreciate your customers or clients this Valentine’s Day but don’t have the time, we would be more than happy to help; feel free to contact us for the best ideas and assistance in executing them.