I love you, [ Client ]

Why not make this year's Valentine's Day more memorable by showing "the love" to your clientele? How many times do we miss an opportunity to do something special for our clients... just because?

Well, don't let it go unnoticed this year. And as for ideas... you can use all the tried-and-true methods from your personal life - just re-gifted as original thoughts for business!

1. Write a love letter. Start off your hand-written letter with this phrase: "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..." And list the ways in which you are thankful for your relationship. You might find the exercise enlightening (as well as helping you regain your focus on why this particular clients makes for a good fit with your firm.)

2. Send a romantic card. Find the sappiest, drippiest Hallmark card available and send it to your client, complete with a lipstick kiss on the envelope. Memorable, cheap and good-natured fun.

3. Send flowers and chocolates. Make sure that the flowers and the chocolates are fresh. Few businesses are expecting anything on this day. Your thoughtfulness is sure to score a few points - and the gatekeepers will hold a warm spot in their hearts for you.


4. Send anything heart shaped and edible. OK, almost anything (you may want to skip the panties). Pizzas, cakes, pies and cookies can all be used quite effectively. Remember, even though it only takes a phone call to order, the effects of ordering enough for everyone at their office will make quite a nice splash, next time you walk through their hallways.

5. Buy a ring. Well, maybe not a ring per se, but why not a trophy, plaque or anything else that can be displayed in their reception area? Even if you don't have a Top Vendor Award, or a 5-Year Partnership Plaque... you do now. If it can mean something special — fantastic! And if not — fantastic! What client doesn't want to display an award that at least looks the part?

Coming up with something further for your client? Be our guest, but when it comes to this special holiday, send something off soon. The 14th is this Sunday and your best laid plans should be in their hands by Friday. It just might save you in 2010 from the slings and arrows that are par for the course in any client relationship.

— XOXOXO
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Getting 1000% ROI... or higher!

Hyperbole. Crazy.
Not possible.

"What? Do I look like a sucker?" you ask.

"No," I answered. "You just haven't thought about your clients lately. I'll bet a buck that you can generate that kind of Return On Investment if you just listen to a few thoughts I have for you. Sound good?"

For a very low cost, you can expect some big time success - not every time, but consistently, over time, you'll see results you won't want to give back.

Here's how:

1. Pick up a pen, a postcard and stamp and write a thoughtful thank you to a spotty client. Your great clients hear from you all the time, and those at the bottom of the barrel should probably be released anyway... but those in the middle often get left out in the cold. Not a big enough pay day to warrant full scale attention, but not so small that you'd care to ever see them move over to your competition. A simple postcard or letter, that's creative (but not contrived) - you'd be surprised what a campy retro card wishing you "Aloha" can do to an otherwise dreary day. "Hey Pete, was thinking of you when I saw this - hope your next trade show is a smash. If you need a little help, just drop me a note or give me a ring!"

2. Buy a lottery ticket for a prospect or client and hand it to them. In fact, buy up a bunch for your next networking meeting and hand 'em all out. Don't ask for anything. I guarantee you, they will be thinking about you and your business until the time they lose. That could be days! (Hope that they win... and win big.) I wonder if they'll share the wealth? And if they win the lottery and keep it all for themselves. Ouch - and yet, what kind of story would that make on the Today Show? Might anyone want to deal with your business then?

3. How about YouTube? Rummage through and find the perfect pick-me-up video for one of your long lost clients. You know he loves fishing... why not the video where the fish jump into the boat? She just came back from maternity leave - maybe this would do her good? Who doesn't love a little Monty Python to brighten their day?

4. What was their favorite song? Doesn't matter... did you know you can get a printable gift certificate for iTunes for as little as $10? Who can't use the songs that they love most? Completely custom. Genuinely thoughtful.

5. Costco sells gorgeous flowers for under $10 a bundle. Careful, that one might actually lead to romance and you shelling out $10,000 for the wedding.

6. Can you ad a page to your own website? Create a client of the day, post their logo, add a link to their site, a custom message and a vanity URL (you know, www.yoursite.com/clientnamehere). Send out the e-mail and see what happens.

The point, of course, is to make a memorable "touch" of a client you may not have been holding hands with for some time now. Doing so may rekindle the trust and bond they had with you on the first days of your business relationship - when all was new. Just how many sales orders or project requests will it take from them to make your thoughtful gesture worthwhile?

1?

I tried no.2 awhile back and it netted over $5,000 worth of business. Business that I doubt I ever would have seen. For a $1 purchase, that's a 5,000% ROI. Not bad, not bad at all. What will you do?