Sales Strategy
Jimmy DeGroot: Write Thank You Notes That Have Nuclear Impact October 10, 2024 (0 comments)
Green Bay, WI--The benefit of nuclear technology is that its exponential output far exceeds the energy of the input. In fact, it’s an output ratio of 20,000x the input. So, what if we could truly touch people’s hearts and minds exponentially with our thank you notes? Seems to me it would be a much better ROI in the long run.
Handwriting wins, ALWAYS
How many emails or texts do have you saved or printed out that you truly appreciated? In his Harvard Business Review article: How to Write a Meaningful Thank You Note, Christopher Littlefield says to always hand write it and mail it.
Keep it Genuine
The real goal of expressing appreciation is to let them know how you feel. The idea of showing true emotion may sound scary to a retailer, but sharing this can be impactful. For example: “Gary, Thank you so much for visiting us here at Gerard Furniture. If you have any further questions about the Castlery Dining set, please don’t hesitate to reach out.” vs “Gary, I really appreciate you stopping in today. You and Linda have an incredible space for that Castlery dining set and I’m honored you’re considering us to bring it into your home.” Let them know how you feel and be specific.
No Offers or Sales Pitches
If you’re truly grateful, then share that sentiment. Offering a coupon or pitch of any kind destroys all credibility, especially if it’s x percentage off their next visit. GRRRRR! “Why didn’t they give me that on this purchase?” Let thank you notes be just that… a thank you note.
[Writing a thank you note. Photo credit: Jimmy DeGroot]
A Gift is Nice
A gift card to a local restaurant is nice. But it’s so much better if it’s for something they mentioned when they were in. Gary mentioned he and Linda had to stop by Not Licked Yet, a local craft ice cream shop. Put in a little something from Not Licked Yet, but not actual ice cream.
Send it Today
Great sellers always make time in their day for follow up and outreach. Have cards, envelopes and stamps at the ready in your work area and take the time to write them soon after the customer or prospective customer leaves. This will give you the best opportunity to remember all the important points of your conversation. It’s also a great time to feed this info into your CRM. This is why I love an UP system. I don’t believe you’re truly done with the sale until this is done.
Our world is digital, and screen filled. Go old school and write impactful, handwritten thank you notes and have incredible ROI by winning the hearts and minds of those who walk through your doors.
James (Jimmy) DeGroot is a professional jewelry sales and operations trainer from the jeweler’s side of the counter. Having been in management and the jewelry business for over 20 years, Jimmy offers weekly training to jewelers nationwide via the Train Retail website. Jimmy is an AGS titleholder and specializes in training relevant and timely methods for jewelry teams. He can do a full training on making Bridal Presentations the best they can be, among many other regular training options. Contact Jimmy at jimmy@trainretail.com or call 920-492-1191.