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The Power of a Thank You

The Power of a Thank You

Lost in the reams of sales training, motivation, and incentive articles, workshops, and courses is the simple reality that transacting business is still a very personal activity. We've all heard the saying, "People buy from people they like." What's also true is that people want to help, want to support, people they like. And the people they like are usually the ones who make them feel good, who make them feel special, who make them feel valued. When I received a "thank you for taking the time to speak with me" notecard from Tim - someone I'd met at a networking event but with whom I'd never followed up - my initial reaction was "why'd he send this to me?", since we'd spoken so briefly. But since he had taken the time to send a card to me, I couldn't very well pitch it, or even file it. So I left it sitting on my desk.


One day I was having a phone conversation when the other party mentioned something germane to Tim's business. I peered over at the card lying on my desk, and told the caller I had someone she should speak to. I gave her his contact information, and suggested he call Tim, mentioning me. I got a call from Tim later that afternoon, thanking me for thinking of him, and for making the connection. I reminded him of the card he'd sent, and complimented him on his use of this simple, but remarkably powerful relationship-building and marketing tool.


Thank you cards can be used in a variety of situations to establish and strengthen relationships, improve the odds of receiving leads, and of receiving referrals. They're effective because they are personal, they're unexpected, and they differentiate you. In addition to the obvious thank you for purchasing, they can be used in a variety of situations, such as

* Thank you for taking the time to speak (after phone call)
* Thank you for taking the time to meet
* Great to have met you (thanks for spending time with me - e.g. at a networking event)
* Thank you for great service (to anyone who provides great service, not necessarily in a business setting)
* Thank you for your referral, and even...
* Thank you for having considered us (after a lost sale)


ACTION ITEM

Get in the habit of sending thank yous and you too will soon find yourself in Tim's shoes - getting referrals and other connections that will help you find and close more business.


Good Selling





The Power of a Thank You - To learn more about this author, visit Craig James's Website.

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John Power
John Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website

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With nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website

Dave Kurlan
Dave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website

George Ludwig
George Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website

Linda Richardson
Linda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website


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Craig James
(Visit Craig's Website) Sales Solutions Founder and President Craig James has over 12 years' experience in sales and sales management, primarily in technology and software. An accomplished speaker and presenter, Craig is President of his local Toastmasters chapter, teaches at New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies, and has lectured at Columbia University’s School of Continuing Education. He also volunteers as a Discussion Leader with the Workshop In Business Opportunities, a "boot camp" for entrepreneurs whose mission is to enable small business owners and budding entrepreneurs in under-served communities to obtain financial success in starting, operating, and building successful businesses. He's been published and quoted in Business Week, Sales and Marketing Management, and Selling Power, and been interviewed by Sales Rep Radio. Craig earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, and his MBA from the University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business.

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