Gratitude

The power of a Thank You Card

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The power of a Thank You Card

Expertise and Professionalism – sometimes they’re just not enough, but a Thank You Card can really make the difference.

Not long ago I met Eric. Eric is an up and coming young chartered accountant who has recently branched out on his own. He is at the stage of development and growth where he has enough clients to make it all worthwhile and risk moving into better premises and looking more professional, but with one little problem. You see, he had picked up the vibe that one of his key client companies, a partnership actually, were looking at other pastures so to speak.

His real problem had been that while their relationship had always been amenable, there has always been an undertow of tension and coldness, probably due to differences in their personalities. He knew they were happy with his expertise and professionalism but they just didn’t seem to gel.

Eric had learnt that one of the partners had a birthday coming up, and so with a little prompting from me, he sent him a birthday card and to the other partner, a thank you card, simply saying that he valued their association and having them as clients.

And remember, at this critical juncture, he couldn’t really afford to be losing any clients.

A few days later he got a call from the birthday partner thanking him for his birthday card and acknowledging the thank you card, and also how much they appreciated getting them. Things seemed to be improving.

Thank You Card

Well. At the next scheduled meeting with his clients, Eric was quite taken aback. What had happened here? They were most welcoming; he was greeted with a firm, warm and friendly handshake. He was then told how he was the only person outside of family that had acknowledged the partners birthday. Even his business partner had forgotten until he saw him opening his card.

They also thanked him for his gratitude and the thank you card. They told him they had been looking around for another firm to work with, but they now wanted to stay put. Wow, a little card, expressing a little bit of thanks saved a valuable client and built a stronger relationship. More than worth the effort I’d say! Wouldn’t you?   

If you would like more information please contact us. 

Ron and Sue

Good Luck – Could Gratitude be the key to good luck?

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Is there more to success than just good luck?

Could Gratitude be the key to good luck?

In town, there lives a man who is very well known in the community. He is a community leader, has a successful business and he has been married for over forty years to his beautiful and only wife. He has a family who love and respect him and actually like to spend time with him. He gives generously of his time and money. Many say his success is due to good luck.  

He believes he is extremely fortunate and that life and God have looked after him very well, so he says that he likes to give back and he does this all the time and he does it well, he doesn’t hold back.

He has a little weakness though; he loves to buy raffle tickets. When he buys them he doesn’t buy just one or two, he’ll buy 20 or 30 or he’ll buy the book. Now, this is important, so take note, he doesn’t buy that many to improve his chances of winning, he really doesn’t care whether he wins or not, he doesn’t do it to big note himself or show-off, NO, instead he buys them to support the cause, it’s to pay back, to express his appreciation and as an active demonstration of his gratitude.  (more…)

Ron and Sue

Practising Gratitude – the easy way to success

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Practising Gratitude – the easy way to success

As a young sales manager in my mid twenties I took a lot of pride in training my people to be better than me and you better believe it, I was good, very good at what I did. I had learnt well from the top professional sales trainers of the day and by emulating them had developed ‘a success system that never fails’. One of my salesmen, Graeme was in his mid forties and he seemed to not only have bettered my system, but he did it all so effortlessly. He did it by practising gratitude.                  

He always met his quota, refused to work weekends and more often than not only worked a four day week and resisted field training.

One day he gave in to my insistence and we went out on field training, where I got to discover the secret to his outstanding success. I don’t know why, but at the time I didn’t really put the proper value on what he was doing. Maybe I was still too young. Or maybe it was because I didn’t want to alter my successful system at the time. You see he had extended what I was teaching which included an attitude of gratitude and put it into an effective and personal action. He was practising gratitude.                 

All of my sales people where taught gratitude as a part of their training, so that every time they made a sale they would say Thank You, almost like a prayer, and feel really grateful for the sale and all the good it would then bring for them. This one little habit really sets you up for your next success and it’s a good habit that I still use to this day! (more…)

Ron and Sue