Are we saying Thank You enough? Actually, to be more accurate, are we communicating Thank You enough?

For this month of Thanksgiving I would like to discuss the most basic and powerful of your communications. Your Thank You messages.

Are we saying Thank You enough?

Actually, to be more accurate, are we communicating Thank You enough?

There’s a real difference between merely saying it and communicating it. You see “Thank You” is more than a phrase of eight letters and space that we can conveniently tag on to the end of a sentence or insert here or there in our base message to current, prospective or lapsed customers. Customers are pretty smart and respond best to sincerity, and they can spot authenticity in an instant.

Ask yourself whether you think your Customers FEEL “Thank You” from your messages. Not just one or two … I mean every message.

Make sure your authentic appreciation shines through every touch point you have with your Customers. Don’t let formatting, color printing, or use of emerging technologies distract you from having sincere appreciation in your messages. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen many messages and advertisements that are produced with the latest in “window dressing” --- full color printing, multi-channel deployment, and innovative formats. These messages work because the basic message was strong.

Take a look at your welcome messages, your acknowledgment messages, in fact all your messages. And remove the phrase “thank you” everywhere it’s written. Does your copy still convey the essence of gratitude? If so, great news! If not, possibly you’re relying on two much on the words “thank” and “you” to do the heavy lifting.

Here’s a test.

Rewrite your Thank You campaign without using the phrase “Thank You” or any of its derivations. Give it a try. I know I’ve found it harder than it sounds.

Let me know how you make out. I welcome comments and examples of your best Thank You campaigns – just post into the comments section on this blog. During November I’ll touch on other areas involved in conveying a strong, sincere and impactful Customer appreciation campaign. Stay Tuned!

Frank Roman

P.S. Check out Vinay Kumar’s blog post which touches on this very topic. http://bit.ly/ThankYou_by_Another_Name.

P.P.S. You can even show gratitude even before someone buys! I see appreciation of me, my needs, and my situation all over Zappos’ site… Free Shipping, Free Returns, Free 365 Day Return Policy, 24/7 Customer Service and on and on! http://www.zappos.com/