How to Show Appreciation for Clients

There’s never a wrong time to connect with clients and show them how much their business means to you. Appreciation comes in many forms, but which methods of reaching out to clients are truly effective, and which ones are just tacky? The answer to that question comes with experience, and you can develop winning strategies by learning from the success stories of other companies.

We’ve studied lots of customer-appreciation techniques that have paid dividends for businesses and compiled a list of strategies we love.

Send a Greeting Card

Greeting cards are a classic personal touch, but they’re timeless, too! In an age when online greetings and well wishes can be dashed off in seconds, a greeting card shows you’ve put time, effort, and care into communicating with your customers. Greetings cards range a great deal in tone -- some are silly and humorous while others are serious and elegant. You can express yourself any way you want in a memorable package!

Certain providers of greeting cards, including Cards for Causes, donate 20% of your purchase price to a charity of your choice. It’s a great way to do some good for the world while keeping in touch with important clients.

Browse our great selection of Thank You Cards

Free Samples

People love to try before they buy, so bring free sampling opportunities front and center! Whether you’ve got a product that can be sampled by mail or are more interested in in-person sales, free samples create goodwill in the mind of the customer and help them experience the quality of the goods or services you offer.

Send a Gift to Their Office

To make sure you and your business stay on your customers’ minds, sending a gift to their office is a friendly reminder that you’re there for them. Whether it’s a plate of cookies, a basket of snacks, or a much-needed office gadget, the gift, even if small, will put a halo over your business in the client’s mind.

Special Events

Sporting-goods retailer Tennis Express did big business in 2018 when it began hosting in-store “Watch Parties” during marquee tennis tournaments like Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. These parties enticed customers into the store with free snacks, alcohol, and live tennis televised on the big screen. While customers were in the store for the party, they also made big purchases on tennis gear that they wouldn’t have made otherwise.

If your company has the space and the concept to host an in-person event, it’s a great way to draw in customers and win their loyalty with free perks. Be sure to have snacks and drinks on offer (nothing greases those retail wheels like alcohol!)

Charitable Giving Program

Consumers love the feeling that comes with giving back to their communities when they purchase goods or services. It’s a great idea to set up some kind of partnership with a charitable organization that’s close to your heart and relates to your business’ mission. If you sell eyeglasses, you could work with a charity that provides assistance to the visually impaired or supports eye health in developing countries.

Give Out Branded Products

People love to get free stuff, even if it’s just a bottle opener, keychain, or a pair of socks. The great thing about these items is that they can also serve as advertisements for your business! If the giveaways are made at a reasonable level of quality and with an eye toward style, your giveaway recipients will be happy to wear them and show them off in public.

Movie Tickets Related to Business

If you’re working with a basketball team and there’s a big new basketball movie coming out, why not pick up some tickets for their players and staff to see it? Going to a movie together is a great bonding exercise for coworkers, and everyone loves to have fun on someone else’s dime!

Books Related to Business

Is there a hot new bestseller on the horizon that’s related to your client’s business? This could be a great freebie to distribute and solidify your connection with that customer. Diligent workers always jump at the chance to learn more about their field, and they'll be thankful for the knowledge you've provided.