The Appreciation Call

I want to share with you something I call The Holiday Appreciation Call.

This is about simply picking up the phone and calling all of the people you appreciate throughout the year, just to say hello, thank you, etc.  Some people will see this as a sales strategy.  And, you know what?  They might be right.  However, it can also be about just keeping in touch with people because you are thinking about them.  And, it isn’t just for customers.  It is for anybody and everyone you want to call, just to let them know you are thinking about them.  While I still like holiday cards, I feel this is a different type of opportunity to reconnect and show appreciation.  It is like an appreciation note or than you letter, but you are using your voice instead of a pen and paper.

Here is what we are doing at Shepard Presentations.  We take all of our clients we’ve worked with in the last ten years, yet haven’t talked to at all this year, and call them.  I express my appreciation for past business, but don’t bring up future business unless they do.  I like to ask how they and their families are doing.  If they want to talk about business, they can. Otherwise, it really is just a call of appreciation.

We also do this with the vendors that have helped us over the year.  This is kind of a role reversal.  Usually the vendors are thanking us for our business.  But we like to let them know we appreciate them as well.

In addition, I also pick up the phone to call friends and family I haven’t talked to in a while. Just to say, “Hi.”

All of these calls take quite a while to make.  I’ll spend several days just making calls, but it is worth it.  I don’t mind getting a voice mail.  I leave a nice message and tell them they don’t have to call back.  (But just in case, I leave my number anyway!)

Try making a few calls to people you haven’t talked to in a while.  I’ll think you’ll enjoy reconnecting with some of your friends, past customers and people you work with.  I’m almost willing to bet you’ll want to make even more calls!

Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops at www.Hyken.com. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.

(Copyright ©MMXI, Shep Hyken)