Tip 13: Remember special occasions

People you have a relationship with know and remember special occasions in your life. Whether it’s birthdays, anniversaries, or business milestones, it is always nice when those in your world remember and acknowledge it. This is a great thing to do with your customers. Acknowledge happenings in their life with a note, email, coupon, discount, or special gift.

Examples

1. There are some business that I frequent that keep track of my birthday. So every year in my birthday month I get a coupon with a percentage off something I may buy myself for my birthday. It’s always appreciated.
2. LinkedIn does a great job of helping others remember special occasions. It was nice to get notes from people in my LinkedIn network when I hit the two year anniversary of my business. LinkedIn did a great job of letting them know the milestone was coming up.

Suggestions

1. Create a database to help you collect and remember relevant milestones for your customers. It will help you to always be ahead of the game so you can acknowledge special happenings in your customers’ lives.
2. For bigger milestones, add in special touches. Automation is extremely helpful, but when you can personalize a special occasion with a note or a bigger to-do, your customers will absolutely take notice and appreciate you for it.

Application for your business

1. Brainstorm at least three special occasions or milestones you’d like to keep track of for your customers. Then choose at least one you will focus your efforts on.
2. Determine your action plan for remembering and recognizing those special occasions. Will you utilize a spreadsheet or some other automated system? How will you find out about those special occasions? What will you to do recognize those special occasions?

Previous tips

1. Act like you want your customers to stick around
2. See your customers as individuals
3. Use the sweetest sound in any language
4. Remember your customers’ names
5. Pay attention to your customers
6. Engage your customers
7. Get to know your customers
8. Listen to your customers
9. Don’t let your customers hear the sound of crickets
10. Get feedback from your customers
11. Remember their love for peanut butter
12. Understand your customers’ needs