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Say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to your customers and staff, and as a benefit, you will have JOY this Holiday Season and every day.
“Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other.”
Randy Pausch
Saying thank you is the simplest form of expressing gratitude, and the attitude of gratitude is what keeps us happy. Being grateful for what you have in life, even the smallest things, brings more abundance and happiness in your life.
When it comes to manners, one of the first lessons parents teach their children is always to say thank you. As parents, we work to instill the virtue of gratitude in our children before we even teach them the alphabet. Expressing thanks is important.
“Appreciation can change a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.”
Margaret Cousins
Gratitude is not only polite but also powerful. Living a life of gratitude will not only have a positive effect on your associates and your customers, but it is also good for you.
Associates
Saying ‘thank you’ is the simplest way to say ‘I appreciate you.’ It is a well-known fact that people like to be valued at their jobs, with appreciation being one of the most sought-after forms of praise in the workplace. Research has found that a significant number of employees value kindness over money in the workplace.
Associates feel more motivated when they are appreciated and praised. When they realize that you recognize their efforts, it may even encourage them to go the extra mile in their job. When you make your employees feel recognized and rewarded, they will be more grateful for their job and loyal to your company.
Bob Negen with WhizBang! Training teaches that every time you give a sincere thank you, compliment, or praise for a job well done, you are making deposits into your associate’s emotional bank account. You need to make sure you make at least 10 positive deposits to account for every 1 negative withdrawal (correction) that you need to make.
Another benefit to making your associates feel appreciated is that having happy and engaged employees directly translates into positive interactions and communication with your customers.
Customers
The last step in the 6 Steps to the Perfect Purchase is to say, “Thank You.” Your goal is to strengthen and deepen your relationship with your customer, so they will come back and shop with you again and again. These two words may be the most important words in your entire selling process, “THANK YOU.”
Be sure to say “thank you” at the end of every single sale. By saying thank you, you’re expressing gratitude for their time, for their purchase, for the things that they’ve shared with you as you build your relationship.
If the customer is in your store, be sure every associate thanks every customer every time they come to your store (not just when they buy something). You should also consider sending them a thank you card, email, or text. If the customer is shopping online, be sure to send them a thank you card or email. These thank you cards, texts, and emails need to be personalized to reflect something about their purchase or their interaction with your store to be the most effective.
Make sure your customers know how much you appreciate them. Do not take them for granted; they have many other options of places to shop.
Businesses that practice gratitude are more likely to earn customer loyalty.
Yourself
Being thankful positively affects your mood. Studies have shown that the simple act of saying “thank you” can lead to a happier life. When you express your thankfulness to others, it not only makes others feel great but also makes you feel great. It provides peace of mind and inner happiness. People are attracted to people who spread positive energy, and saying thank you is one of the simplest and most effective ways to spread that energy.
Whatever you are feeling will come through. If you are stressed out and panicked, that is what your associates and your customers will see and feel. So, start with yourself this season and practice having an attitude of gratitude. You may begin journaling each morning about all of the things in your life to be thankful for. Focus, pray and meditate on these things all day so that they can seep into your daily thought life. When you take time to appreciate all of the ways life is being kind to you, you attract more joy, happiness, and abundance.
Say Thank You, Show Gratitude, and Genuinely Appreciate People, and you will experience more Joy this Holiday Season!
“The heart that gives thanks is a happy one, for we cannot feel thankful and unhappy at the same time.”
Douglas Wood
If you feel overwhelmed and could use a daily dose of inspiration, hope, and retail how-tos, be sure to watch Bob Negen on Facebook each morning at 9:30 am eastern. Each day he will host “Your Retail Holiday Hotline.” If you miss it live, you can always go back and watch it anytime.
