<p>Offering sincere thanks to family, friends, and customers is a way to stand out from the crowd and create good will that can't be bought. In addition, it will enrich your life.</p> <p>How did you feel the last time someone gave you a sincere thanks? Pretty good, I'll bet.</p> <p><strong>And how often does it happen?</strong> Not often enough.</p> <p>Yes, clerks in stores say an automatic thank you, your spouse says thanks when you pass the potatoes, and if you hold the elevator door most will thank you. But I'm talking about a real thank you. One that's specific and shows that the person actually noticed something you did and appreciated it.</p> <p>Well, your customers, friends and acquaintances don't get any more real thank you's than you do, and that's why they're so special.</p> <p>That's also why making a habit of handing them out will build good will faster than any ad campaign you could possibly use.</p> <p>Remembering to say thanks will endear you to friends and family, but when you make a habit of it, it will also build your business.</p> <p>Offer your thanks in two ways: in person, and in the mail.</p> <p>When you do it in person you get the benefit of seeing the other person's eyes light up and a smile spread across their face. That will make your day as well as theirs. But when you do it in writing, you will absolutely stand out from all your competitors.</p> <p>Have you ever had someone come to your home to bid on a project and then received a thank you note from them? Have you ever had your hair done, or gotten a massage, or visited a chiropractor and gotten a thank you note in the mail? Have you ever purchased an appliance or a piece of furniture and later received a thank you note from the sales person?</p> <p>Do you think that you might tell your friends about it if it happened? And do you think that you might be inclined to go back to the person who bothered to say thanks?</p> <p>No matter what business you're in, thanking people for their support will create good will - and repeat business. And, if you're in a competitive situation, it will give you an edge.</p> <p>So start today. Think about who you can thank, and make it a habit to write a minimum of 5 thank you notes every day. Add a personal note to each one. It doesn't have to be long, it just has to show your appreciation.</p> <p>Along with the written thanks that will help put money in your pocket, try to find 5 people every day to thank for small things. Try the checker in the grocery store who reminds you to buy ice or asks if you need the frozen food double wrapped - the person in the parking lot who takes a minute to tell you your tire is getting low - the client who compliments your work.</p> <p>And don't just say "Thanks." Add something like "You saved me a trip back to town," for the grocery clerk or "I hadn't noticed that - you probably saved me from being stuck somewhere" to the person who tells you about the low tire. And for the client who compliments you, let them know that their compliment really means something to you.</p> <p>An added bonus: Since gratitude is an emotion that helps you enjoy your life and draw more good things to you, the mere act of noticing things to be grateful for will enrich your days.</p> 2009-07-17T05:02:59Z -5.1747 111 5533 true 15 3973 build-your-business-through-gratitude 2 2009-07-18T13:06:17Z 2009-07-18T16:06:32Z

Enrich your life and the lives of yours around you - while developing a habit that will also build your business.

1 2009-07-18T16:06:32Z