Thank You Lesson

When I was starting out in sales many years ago, the vice president of sales at my company always said "thank you" for everything and anytime someone helped him even in the tiniest way.
It kind of became overkill is what I thought. I finally asked him why he always said thank you to everyone.

My boss had already been in sales for several years when he learned this lesson.
He told me a story about when how his former sales manager rewarded him with a golf trip because of his sales for the year. A few days after my boss got back from the trip he was called into his sales manager's office. The sales manager expressed his disappointment with my boss because my boss never said thank you for all the work that was done to get him the trip. My boss said it was one of the worst feelings he has ever had. Since that time my boss said he would rather thank people all the time then to forget again. I've adopted that and hence why I sign this blog and my emails with "thank you."

As a result I respond faster to people and companies when they take the time to thank me.


One one occasion I bought life insurance. I was a young investor in my early 20's.
The agent not only said thank you at the closing several times, they also wrote me a thank you card, and took me to lunch, and followed up every few months.


When that agent retired, the new agent that took over my account met with me once and never returned a call or email after that. That agent became a big shot in sales. Not on my referrals because I never gave him any! I was just a small investor to him I guess and not worth his time to educate.


I went to his competitor. The competitor has helped me get what I want from my investment. Even though I'm still a small investor, he treats and thanks me like I'm his biggest investor. He treats me to lunch and follows up with advice and referrals for me. He gets all my business, and referrals, and follows up with thanks. Take the time to appreciate your clients and they will appreciate you in a way you can appreciate.
My insurance agent realized that. So did my former boss, and myself.
See what two little words and maybe a stamp can get you?


THANK YOU for reading my blog!
Ev
"A Heck of A Nice Guy"