It’s harder than ever to get the attention of potential clients. There is always another business competing for their attention. You have to make yours stand out. Show your clients that you care about them and their endeavors.

Whatever your preferred method is – sending cards to care for your clients is easy. Send them a thank you card, an invitation, or a get-to-know-you card. You can even send personalized gifts. Set prompts to send cards for birthdays, anniversaries, or appointment reminders. And the best part? A physical card is a unique touch that will show your customers that they matter to you.

Make your customers feel special

Meeting a new client can be nerve-wracking. First impressions matter, and it doesn’t take long to make an impression. Research has shown that within seven seconds, you have indicated whether you are trustworthy. That’s not long. If you’re nervous and it shows, your first impression may not be solid.

Steph Curry, a star basketball player of the NBA Golden State Warriors, switched from an endorsement deal with Nike to Under Armour because of a bad first impression. The story goes that the executive he met with at the pitch meeting for his contract renewal mispronounced his name. To make matters worse, once the PowerPoint presentation started, the Nike team had fellow player Kevin Durant’s name in it instead of Curry’s. The experience soured Curry’s relationship with Nike.

Bad first impressions and innocent mistakes like that of Nike can ruin a client relationship. Sales of Curry’s shoe with Under Armour are greater than any Nike shoe ever, except for a record set by Michael Jordan. Nike missed out on a significant opportunity for their business. What can we learn from this?

• First impressions matter. It’s essential to make an excellent first impression. Be prepared when you meet new clients and make sure you know how to pronounce their name!
• Make each client feel important. Curry was further turned off by Nike because of their impersonal sales pitch. Make your client feel special. They’ll know if you don’t value them.
• Be ready to apologize. Nike could have salvaged their deal with Curry. They still had matching rights in the existing contract they had with Curry. If they had been willing to match Under Armour’s offer, they could have kept his business. Instead, they choose to let his business go and lost a significant revenue source. As an entrepreneur, you may make mistakes. Be ready to apologize and show your clients you are prepared to make it right.

Don’t let an important deal fall through as Nike did. Work hard to make an excellent first impression, make clients feel acknowledged, and apologize if you did make a mistake. Thank clients for a great meeting, to apologize if warranted, or even to arrange meetings. It is easy to create a card for every occasion. Show your clients that you care with a personalized greeting. We are here to help you succeed. Ask me about easy to use solutions for sending cards for your business today and master the art of customer retention.