A simple gesture can go a long way when it comes to surprising and delighting your customers. From writing a handwritten thank you note to offering an exclusive coupon as a token of appreciation, these small and simple expressions of gratitude are a lovely way to let your customer know you really are thankful for their support.
Before we dive into the sure-fire ways you can leave a lasting impression on your customers and clients, let's first focus on this question: What does it mean to surprise and delight?
Surprises Create Memories
Have you ever opened up your inbox to find a random $20 off your next purchase coupon from one of your favorite retailers? Or a birthday gift certificate redeemable for one free dessert at a local restaurant? These are more than just follow up emails, or ways to keep you coming back as a consumer...these acts of kindness are little reminders that your favorite businesses are thankful for you and they want to express gratitude with a sweet surprise.
And surprises don’t necessarily have to hold a cash value either.
While I absolutely love a free hot beverage from my local coffee shop, I am also very impressed when a company sends a hand-written thank you note in with my order or a little bonus gift that they may have snuck in my package before shipping!
These surprises may be small but they hold a mighty impact with the customer who will likely remember the extra effort they were shown by a business they support.
Solve For The Customer
Delighting your customers is another way that businesses can really strengthen or improve their relationship with consumers. Going above and beyond with customer service is one great way to delight and boost confidence in the customer, improving the odds that this customer will not only be a repeat but also promote your business via word of mouth. Word of mouth marketing is one of the greatest tokens of gratitude your customer can offer you and with that, help you build your customer base with referrals.
You can also delight your customers by solving issues for them with your product or service. To do this, you first must develop your buyer personas so you know who your ideal client/customer is and what you can do to solve their problem. A buyer persona is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer based on market research and real data about your existing customers. Having a strong buyer persona will propel you into success by having a clear solution for a clear consumer. The Diamond Group offers a free buyer persona workbook to get you started - how delightful!
Small Gestures - Big Impact
So the next time you’re preparing to express gratitude or take your services to the next level, consider these small gestures in order to make the biggest impact while surprising and delighting your customers:
- Send a handwritten thank-you note
- Start a customer loyalty program
- WOW them with customer service
- Prioritize your customers interests and needs
- Repost your customers photos on your social media accounts
- Send a birthday postcard or personalized email
- Simply follow up with them and after a purchase to see how everything is going as it pertains to your businesses or products
