Saying “I really appreciate your business”
Notice I did not write, “Success Consists of Thanking your Customers.” Showing appreciation is much more than just thanking them for their business. Everyone says “thank you.” All of your competition thanks their customers for their business, thanks their customers for working with them, and thanks their customers for recommending them. “Thank you” has become a very overused phrase. It’s vanilla. It’s passe. Make 2013 the year that you appreciate your customers.
“I really appreciate your business” is superior to “thank you for your business,” partly because it’s not used as often. People don’t hear it. It’s more memorable, and shows a deeper interest in the person.
One of the definitions for “thanks” in the Oxford dictionary is:
plural noun- “an expression of gratitude.”
Contrast that with the definition for “appreciation” in the same dictionary:
“recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something”
See that? RECOGNITION. You are more fully recognizing your customers. You are establishing a closer bond with the person, and helping validate their contribution to yo
ur organization.
When you tell a customer, co-worker, or business contact you “appreciate their business / input / thoughts,” make sure to be SINCERE. It does no good to be phony with people. People are hungry for sincere, true recognition. Make sure to slow down your speech just a bit, make eye contact, and enunciate:
“I really appreciate your business.”
Questions for Reflection:
Do your customers know you appreciate them? How?
What does your word choice say about your customer service?
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