You need more than just another list of client appreciation ideas—you need a client appreciation strategy that will let your clients know you’re continually making them a top priority.

When your goal is to earn a steady stream of new business from your past clients, you’ve got to make sincere gratitude and going the extra mile the cornerstone of your outreach. Sending a thank-you email simply doesn’t cut it anymore. Keeping top of mind requires providing an ongoing series of personal messages focused on providing value to your clients.

Be consistent

Whether you’re keeping in touch through an email newsletter, with postcards, or by phone, you need to remember to follow up regularly. Yes, you absolutely want to express your thanks after a transaction, but too many businesses stop there—neglecting an organic opportunity to keep the lines of communication open.

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Add your clients to your CRM or other database, and be sure to schedule regular follow-up calls or texts. If you’re a real estate agent who has helped them buy a house, ask them how things are going with their new home. If you’re a financial advisor managing their investments, ask them if they have any questions about their portfolio or what’s going on in the market. But, above all else, thank them for their business and let them know you’re available to help with anything they might need.

While you don’t need to overdo it to the point of being annoying, you do risk losing your clients to another business if you don’t commit to a consistent follow-up schedule.

Keep it personal

By now, you probably have recorded some personal details about your clients in your CRM. Use these details to inform your follow-up strategy.

Every few months, send along a handwritten note. If you write five notes for five days, that’s 25 people you’ve just impressed. Pepper in those personal details that will let your clients know they aren’t just getting the same old letter you’re sending to everyone else.

Inquire about family members by name (don’t forget their pets!). If you know a major life event is coming up, send something that lets them know you’re thinking of them. Whether it be a child’s birthday, a graduation, or a wedding, they’ll know you took the extra time to tailor the message just to them, and they’ll feel that much more appreciated—and appreciative!

Send thoughtful gifts

Everyone loves swag—it can be a great way to get your brand name out there, and customers will appreciate the extra measure you took to show your appreciation. Send coffee mugs, bottle openers, pens, shirts, and the like. Be creative while still sticking to your personal brand.

If you want to make a bigger impact, here are a few other ideas for gifts that will let your clients know exactly how much you appreciate them.

• Tickets to a concert, sporting event, or movie
• A gift certificate to their favorite coffee shop
• An unexpected delivery of flowers or lunch
• A gift subscription to a personally branded magazine (which, by the way, costs less than the other three ideas).

If you want to make gift giving a significant and powerful part of your client appreciation and gratitude strategy, check out Giftology: The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Retention by John Ruhlin. [#ad] You can listen to John’s Stay Paid podcast interview to discover, among other things, the trick to following up with clients so that your gift doesn’t come across as a bait and switch.

Ask for feedback

People want their input to be heard, no matter the business. They want room to give their ideas and constructive criticism. Make sure clients feel that they can open up to you with any thoughts or concerns by asking for their feedback. One way to do this is by creating a customer survey. You can easily do this by email, using a service like Survey Monkey. You can also request customer reviews and testimonials.

If you implement their ideas, let them know. This will not only help them feel more appreciated but more invested in the success of your business.

Dedicate a social media post to them

This is a simple, yet effective way to make clients feel appreciated while drawing more attention to your business.  Simply create a post on your platform of choice with a shout-out to one of your clients—this could be a text-only post or, if you have a few minutes to spare, a quick video letting your followers know how grateful you are for this person’s business. (You can easily create these opportunities by inviting clients to lunch or coffee.)

Every week, you can feature a new client and show your gratitude for that person. In most cases, they’ll be so excited to be featured that they’ll immediately share your post with their family and friends. This opens you up to more people who otherwise might not have known about your business.

These memorable client appreciation ideas won’t go unnoticed by your clients. With every outreach, you’re letting them know that you’re one to go the extra mile, and more importantly, that you’re the right person to work with.

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