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The ROI is Always in the Relationship!

Tag Archives: appreciation


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A simple please will do…

Common courtesy seems so uncommon these days. It’s also a critical part of building strong relationships with your clients, donors and the members you deal with.
I was prompted to write this blog after going through drive thru this morning to be greeted at the speaker with an abrupt “hold on”. Wait a minute, I haven’t even ordered and you’ve made this a negative experience! Not a great way to make your customers feel welcome and wanting to come back for more!
What happened to manners anyway? I remember working at Baskin Robbins as an ice cream scooper throughout high school. We were told to greet customers with a smile and “how may I help you?”.  If a customer said thank you after we handed them their cone our response was to be “thank YOU” and another smile.
Why is it then that we’re greeted with grunts and groans and we leave our purchases the only ones saying “thanks”? It’s a little twisted isn’t it?
Do you remember the last time you had a wonderful purchase experience? Chances are that the person serving you was warm and friendly and sincere with their appreciation.
Remember that clients, donors and members leave to work with other companies if they feel we’re indifferent to their patronage. So even if its a bad day or morning “hold on”, smile and show sincere thanks to the people you serve.  Mere manners will set you apart and keep them coming back for more!


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Magnetic Gratitude

Magnetic Gratitude

Magnetic people share something in common, an attitude of gratitude and a love of life and the people in theirs!

I started a gratitude journal this year and this reflection has made my personal and business relationships so much stronger. When we become grateful for the little things in life we realize that they actually reign in a positive and powerful way.  Our attitudes towards our spouse, friends, employees, co-workers, clients and vendors dramatically changes.

My first journal entries contained a few elements for which I’m grateful.  My list gets longer and longer each day!  Things that bring a smile to my face; like the ability to purchase nutritious food, wake up in a warm bed while others are sleeping on the streets, down a glass of clean drinking water and work with an amazing team at a fulfilling job!

This leads me to my great discovery! When you truly reflect on what you’re most grateful for in life it’s not the cars, the house, the material possessions but the people, the relationships, intangible joys that bring meaning and purpose to continue cultivating great relationships both with the people around us and with ourselves.

Having a grateful heart and finding the pleasures in small things makes us focus on the positive, the abundance rather than the scarcity. My challenge would be this;

If you’re a membership coordinator at an association, will you reflect on how many engaged members are positively impacting your organization or the members who didn’t renew? Will you show appreciation to your existing members for their loyalty and what focus is more fulfilling?

If you’re a fundraiser, will you focus on the donor who has stayed committed to your cause for the past ten years or dwell on the fact that his or her level of sponsorship went from gold to silver? Will you show your sincere thanks by letting them know just how much you value their contribution?

If you’re an entrepreneur, will you look at a 5% growth this quarter and wish you had met your 10% goal or thank the clients who made it possible to realize growth while so many others in your industry are struggling to remain at status quo?

Gratitude is a wonderful way to keep our personal and professional relationships in perspective.  Show your gratitude today with a small inexpensive gift or random act of kindness towards someone who has made you thankful!