This past Friday, I received a hand-written note from a large company thanking me for my business after I’d called them with a tech question earlier in the week. The company is IContact, the email service we use to send these SuccessTips.
My first reaction was to determine if it was actually written by a human; happily, the ink smudged and lettering variations revealed that it was not a computer font.
My second reaction was to be quite impressed.
Regardless of the company’s protocol (whether they send a card to every 300th caller, or outsource the project to cheap labor) the point is that they have a protocol in place to thank their customers in a simple way that generates good will (as well as TOMA – top of mind awareness).
Even with my knowledge of marketing and client development strategies (or, more accurately, because of that knowledge), I felt genuinely appreciated. So much so that even if I were inclined to, I wouldn’t switch to one of the many lower-cost (or free) competing providers despite their offering the same service and support.
The applicability to law firm marketing is direct. So, here are some questions prompted by this unexpected Thank You note:
- Do your clients feel appreciated by you?
- How do you know (beyond wishful thinking)?
- What can you do to create an easy, fast, low-cost way to express your appreciation?
Ok, that last one was a leading question. Here’s what you can do:
- Assign a staff person to purchase a box of simple thank you notes (or get some printed with your firm name and/or logo)
- Go through your active client list and starting at the top, pick five who will receive a card next week
- Compose a simple, generic, yet genuine script (*see example, below)
- Either assign a staff person who’s had contact with the client to write them, or write them yourself. You can do one a day or all five at once. Prep this week and start writing next Monday
Once you’ve practiced with these five, meet with an assistant to flesh out a protocol for systematically going through your list.
Here’s sample text to get you started:
Dear Pat –
Just a quick note to thank you again for entrusting us [me] with your matter [or, the name of the matter]. We appreciate your confidence and we’re working hard to make sure we’re living up to that confidence. As always, feel free to call with questions or concerns.
Best,
Alan
Remember, you can – and you should – thank those who give you business, no matter who they are, from consumer to General Counsel.
