I have lived in the United States since December 2001, and have grown to become very fond of the Thanksgiving Holiday, even though, as a vegan mom, my celebration is turkey-less, and art-focused, in other words, “a little weird.”
What I love about most about Thanksgiving Day is that I see people very excited to reunite and gather with friends and family to express thankfulness for the everyday blessings they receive in their lives. I am a firm believer that expressing gratitude creates positive energy, and it is the path to a fulfilled, enjoyable life.
Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not, the expression of gratitude can quickly transform your life, and your business — any time of the year.
Gratitude is the state of feeling a deep and sincere sense of appreciation for something or someone. It is not a fleeting act that has a reserved holiday, but rather a habit, a practice, a way of life.
Thanksgiving, or gratitude expressed, seems like a lost art today, which makes it a great opportunity to stand out in business, because it may catch the recipient by surprise!
Business is about relationships, and relationships are enhanced when they are based on the foundation of gratitude.
Because I speak on stages all around the world, I travel by plane quite often. “We know you have many choices and we appreciate you flying with us”. I can hear the flight attendant over the P.A., and even though I already knew I had other choices, it doesn’t get old to hear they value my business.
Thank your prospects ~ for calling, visiting your website, for their interest, for their time. Answer each and every question with enthusiasm (maybe they will never need your service, but I bet they know someone who does!).
Thank new supporters ~ Thank your subscribers, your new commenters, and readers, or your clients for their new purchase.
Thank your existing supporters~ Gratitude has been described by many as “wanting what you have.” Do you get so caught up in attracting new clients, readers, followers, or subscribers that you take your past and existing supporters for granted? Acknowledging their loyalty will deepen your relationship!
Thank your evangelists ~ Thank the people who refer others to you! This also means living up to the expectations they set. They are counting on you to make them look as good as they made you look. Don’t fail, show gratitude, and the referrals and shares
Thank your “complainers” ~ I know it’s easier to thank someone for writing a positive comment or an incredible testimonial, the kind that you use on your promotional materials to instill trust and inspire credibility. But what about feedback of the other kind?
“Because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude” ~ Wallace Wattles (1860-1911)
It seems difficult to express thanks when someone disagrees or something goes wrong. You may apologize “for any inconvenience caused”, but do you realize that they are giving you an opportunity to correct the situation, and making you aware of the glitch/problem (so you can avoid it in the future)? “Negative” feedback is essential for growth and whose opinion is more valuable than those of your clients? Go out of your way to show them you treasure their comments and suggestions and you’ll have clients for life!
How can you harness the incredible power of gratitude in your marketing?
Just by making a few tiny adjustments to include heartfelt expressions of appreciation in your marketing can make it less automated and desensitized, and more human. By making gratitude a year round habit, you can increase brand affinity, brand awareness, and brand loyalty, because it is perceived as extra value, at low or zero cost!
Create “thank you pages” and customize them to include a fun or inspiring personal touch, next steps, contact information, and a call to perform a desired action. I even customized my 404 page!
Thank your audience for their support each time you reach a significant milestone. I recently won Best Latina Lifestyle Blogger and, to be honest, my blog wouldn’t be a blog without YOU, my readers, my visitors, my supporters! This award is YOURS as much as it is mine and I am extremely grateful! As you track, measure, and assess your business, find a recent achievement and acknowledge your fans or clients who helped make that happen.
Express your gratitude in every possible way, and repeat, as needed.
personalized e-mail
coupon or special discount code
tweet or tagged post
handwritten note or card (a handwritten card with personal photos or a logo delivered by USPS with a real stamp has an open rate of 98%!)
free T-shirt, sticker, or piece of merchandise
free shipping on an order
free upgrade
special meal
public recognition
time to provide feedback and/or concerns
gifts
verbal “thank you!”
e-card
Whatever you do, be authentic, personable, and specific in your gratitude. “Thank you for being a great client / supporter” just doesn’t cut it.
Authentic Gratitude Can Boost Your Business
Saying “thank you” is polite, respectful, can have some unexpectedly powerful results, when it’s from the heart. Keeping a gratitude journal can help you cultivate a genuine attitude of gratitude, both at a conscious and subconscious level.
Many people think that keeping a gratitude journal is a woo-woo tactic of self-help junkies who have enough time to waste in wishful-thinking. Research actually proves those people wrong: keeping a gratitude journal improves your productivity.
As a matter of fact, some of the wealthiest and most successful entrepreneurs in the world use gratitude journals each and every day, and some of the most celebrated universities in the U.S. (Yale, Standford, Harvard, Columbia, UC Berkeley) highly encourage this practice.
Your gratitude journal doesn’t need to be fancy; just buy a composition notebook, and start making daily entries, even if for five minutes. (Click here for DIY ideas to make it pretty).
There are three different types of gratitude statements you can make:
Express gratitude for things that have occurred in the past.
Express gratitude for things that are occurring in the present.
Express gratitude for things that will occur in the future.
Start each entry with: “I am happy and grateful now that…” and you’re done!
As you can see, it’s a very simple, science-backed hack that requires very little effort, and a quite minimal investment, that can shift your business results in many ways.
Want to make more money, grow your social media following, skyrocket your blog traffic, increase your conversions, and attract new leads, while being super productive, so you can have time for the people and activities you love? Express your gratitude!
And now, it’s my time to reiterate my gratitude to YOU… Thank you for reading my words, for sharing my posts, for chiming in, and for your words of encouragement. They mean so much to me! I love YOU!
How do you express gratitude to the people who support your business? Share it in the comments!
© Elayna Fernández ~ The Positive MOM
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The post Don’t Hate, Appreciate – How Gratitude Can Boost Your Business appeared first on ★ Elayna Fernandez ~ The Positive MOM ♥.