Following is a letter of thanks that makes me feel good just reading it!
Thank you for trusting in me, and thank you for allowing me to get to know you and help you grow your business the past few years. I truly appreciate the opportunity to work with you; it’s obvious that your team feels the same way. You’re a great leader and while I know our partnership has played a part in your company’s growth, it’s because of your vision, your dedication and your ability to motivate and inspire your people that your company is thriving.
While the competition in your industry has been fierce, you’ve succeeded in creating a culture that attracts high performing employees, one that promises to promote and support the continued growth of each individual person. Your turnover is remarkably low, and you’ve experienced record sales over the past two years. Those achievements were not reached by accident! I value your business and I value the friendship we’ve forged over the years. It’s because of circumstances like this, and people like you that I forget I’m “doing my job.” Working with you has never felt like a “job.” It’s a partnership that continues to motivate and inspire me. It’s why I get excited to get up each morning, and for that I’m truly grateful! Thank you!
As we approach Thanksgiving, it’s natural for us to reflect on what we’re thankful for.
Saying Thank You
While expressing gratitude might be simple for some, there are many people who genuinely have difficultly identifying their feelings… and then expressing them.
While this is not intended to be the “end all, be all” of self-expression, following are five tips to help you express your sincere gratitude:
1. Think about the positive impact that someone has made on your life — I’m sure there are many people you interact with and intersect with each day that have made a strong, positive lasting impression on you. And perhaps they have impacted the way you live your life or the way you make decisions. Whether it’s your boss, your co-worker, your client, or even some of your clients employees… let them know about the positive impact they’ve had on you and tell them thank you!
2. Be specific — Have you ever had someone tell you thank you, and your first response was “thank you for what?” When you tell someone thank you, don’t be generic… most people genuinely like the way it feels when someone gives a reason as to why they’re appreciated!
3. Find your own comfort zone — There are so many different ways to express thanks. If you’re not great at face-to-face heartfelt expressions of gratitude, don’t force yourself to do that! Say thank you in an email, a hand written note, a bouquet of flowers, a fruit basket, or a short toast before dinner, etc. The outcome is always the same, each expression of thanks make the recipient feel appreciated and worthy!
4. Don’t expect anything in return — This is important! Don’t say thank you hoping to elicit a reciprocal response. Manipulating someone to communicate appreciation for you by expressing appreciation for them is not genuine. Your motivation should be centered on expressing your sincere gratitude, and nothing else.
5. Get in the habit of saying thank you — You’re moving fast, juggling a tremendous amount with work, family, and personal projects. It’s so easy to unintentionally forget to say thank you. If you can try everyday to think of one person who has impacted your life in a positive way, either that day or anytime before, find a way and take time to thank them. It will help you truly understand the amazing affect your gratitude can have on other people. And their expression of appreciation will inspire you to say thank you to others more often.
Take Five Minutes
Many of your clients have made a significant impact on you, some more than others. And I bet if you took five minutes to make a list and write down all the people you’ve worked with over the past year that have contributed to your success, your intellectual growth, your perspective on problem solving, your product knowledge, or the way you react in tough situations you’d have a healthy list of people who would genuinely feel good to know they have made such a positive impact on you! Sharing your gratitude will strengthen your relationships and your clients will genuinely appreciate it!
Speaking of appreciation… if you happened upon our blog today and are reading it for the first time or if you’re a long time subscriber and a regular reader, thank you! If you’ve ever shared our blog on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, etc., thank you! If you’ve ever downloaded any of our white papers or training materials, thank you! If you’ve ever shared your thoughts with us through a comment on our blog or a direct email to one of our consultants, thank you! We know there are countless sources to turn to for information, and we truly appreciate you looking to us for sales performance expertise. We exist because of you… thank you!
From all of us at The Center for Sales Strategy, Happy Thanksgiving!
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