This is the week when many are scrambling to find last-minute gifts to give colleagues, clients, employees, vendors and whoever else makes the list of recipients.
We search for the newest, coolest, most innovative (but useful) products that will produce the wow never realizing that we have it right under our noses.
Here are three things that in the end, will be much more memorable, available to you instantly, and will cost next to nothing but may have a huge positive impact on both you and your business.
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Write a five Star Google Review
According to the reputation management industry, a five-star review increases the probability of a customer moving forward or buying by 76%.
If you have ever gotten a referral to a doctor, have you looked at their Healthgrades rating before you made you appointment? Researched a hotel or a restaurant before you booked a reservation?
People are judicious about giving five-star reviews.
You can offer to give a review by sending them a note on a card offering to do this (please follow through immediately).
Make it short, show them what you will post or if you hate to write, or, ask them to write it and you approve it and send in on the link that Google will send you.
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An Alternative to the Five Star Rating – A Spectacular Testimonial
These can be used in any marketing collateral from a website, postcard, social media- the list is endless. It can be difficult to ask for testimonials and even harder to receive them in a timely way. Again, you can ask them to write a short paragraph that they would appreciate seeing in print, and next, send it to you for approval. Easy peasy. How many people do or give this as a present?
Answer: Hardly any…ever.
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Write a Note of Appreciation to an Employee or a Former Client
Many studies show that employees would prefer appreciation over a gift.
A handwritten note of appreciation with specific attributes or actions that this person gives to the company, team, vision, clients, etc. will produce more good will than you would ever guess. It’s a no-brainer, but it’s amazing how many people never get around to understanding how necessary this is.
These are all gifts that keep on giving and better than everything already mentioned – they will give more back to you than you ever imagined possible.