4 Ways to Demonstrate Appreciation for Your Clients

Client appreciation is an essential component of client retention. Happy clients return to your business not only because of your excellent service but because they like working with you.

However, it can be difficult to show your appreciation for your clients when you’re unable to visit their office space during the pandemic. While you or your client may not have access to a secure and socially distant workspace, you can still find creative ways to express your gratitude for their partnership.

Here are four ways to extend memorable gestures of gratitude to your clients when you can’t thank them in person.

Be Intentional about When You Reach Out

A well-timed communication can strengthen a client relationship and promote a lasting partnership. Find a time to reach out that will keep your business top-of-mind. Here are a few appropriate occasions for a client appreciation message:

• Clients’ personal milestones like birthdays or weddings.

• Ahead of a contract renewal or program anniversary.

• Holidays. Warning: high-season gifting, such as December, might mean your message gets lost in a sea of other gifts and letters. The previous two occasions are preferable, but if you do choose a holiday, go with an off-peak gifting holiday like New Year’s so that your message stands out to your client.

Establish a regular cadence that makes sense for your client relationship, such as every program anniversary. 

Stay tuned to your clients’ new personal ventures as well. If a client contact is departing their company to launch their own consulting firm, for example, you might send a congratulatory note and thank them for their partnership at their old firm. By doing this, you establish a personal relationship that will make them inclined to continue your business partnership into the future.

Pen a Thank You Note

A sincere, handwritten client thank you note shows your client that you value your partnership, even if you also tell them in the letter. 

Keep your client appreciation letter brief and speak to the things you appreciate most about working with them. As a general rule, stay away from shoptalk or business particulars in the note. A thank you note should be a gesture that opens up future opportunities, but there shouldn’t be any pitches in the note itself.

If your client is currently in the office, mail your handwritten letter to their company address. If they are currently working from home, an email or e-card is an equally tasteful means to express your appreciation. Just be sure to mention a few specific details about this partnership so that your client knows this wasn’t a generic template but rather a personal note.

Send a Thoughtful, Personal Gift

Consider sending a client appreciation gift that is both classy and will personally resonate with your client’s values and interests. Choosing a gift is a chance to show which values or interests you share with your client as well. 

Here are several ideas to consider:

• Something related to their work or hobbies, like a book you think they’ll enjoy or find insightful. Deep Work is a great read about cultivating a deep work ethic for professionals in any industry. 

• An experience. According to one study, experiential gifts like concerts or activity vouchers improve relationships better than material gifts. Ensure it’s social-distance friendly, such as a restaurant certificate for delivery.

• A donation to a philanthropy or nonprofit that aligns with your client’s company or personal mission, in their name.

Accompany the gift with your thank you note, and explain why you’ve selected this particular gift for your client.

Offer to Get on the Phone

Strong client relationships are built on trust and communication, and a gesture of appreciation can serve as a prompt to start a dialogue about how you can move your partnership forward. A great gift or thank you letter is a natural conversation starter.

Whatever your form of appreciation, in your note, offer to set up a phone or video call to discuss ways you can further help your client or improve your service. Or use your call to simply catch up and chat about the book you gave them or the nonprofit you donated to in your client’s name.

Make the Right Impression with Your Clients, Time and Again

Demonstrating your appreciation for clients is all about upholding your values as a business and making first-rate service your priority.

Logistics can get a little tricky, especially when you’re managing several client relationships. At Firmspace, our member experience managers are onsite to facilitate package shipment to ensure a smooth delivery of your client appreciation gifts or letters.

Your office space is another important element in the impression you make with your clients. When you do return to in-office client meetings, ensure your professional environment reflects your first-rate client service, which is what our proworking spaces are designed to do.