By Kelly K. O’Neil
What are your plans for showing gratitude to your affluent clients this December? With the first seasonal gifts appearing at the mall and early decorators in the neighborhood popping up everywhere, the holidays are upon us. This is the ideal time to express your appreciation to your most important customers with a standout holiday VIP experiences or gifts to surprise and delight.
Here are a few ideas to demonstrate to your clients that you care about them and value them, especially in the giving season:
o Holiday Cards – It’s easy to pick-up a run-of-the-mill boxed set from the stationery store, but something individualized helps you stand out from the competition and expresses your specialness in a way that reminds your customers why they chose you. Three years after I sent a card with my puppies dressed as Santa and his elves, I still get comments.
• Low Investment
o Complimentary Teleseminar – This is an excellent way to offer added-value to your best customers at little or no cost to you. As your clients think about the year-end and the impending New Year, providing usable content specific to the time period keeps your services top-of-mind.
o Audio CD or Download – Repackage content you already have (a well-received, previously recorded call or new content you haven’t shared yet but recorded specifically for this effort) and gift it to your clients as “a something special” for the season.
• Medium Investment
o Information Product – Send your VIPs a complete info product to say ‘thanks’ for a great year. This high-value, medium investment represents only a fraction of their yearly spend on your services.
o Designer Cupcakes or Chocolates – What could be better than a sweet treat for the holidays? Be sure to include a personalized card or box when you hand deliver a holiday dessert to your affluent clients.
o Coffee Table Book – I LOVE to give a good book to my most important clients…especially one that aligns with my business philosophy. A good way to individualize it is with a hand-written note on the inside front cover.
• High Investment
o Custom Labeled Bottle of Champagne – Your clients can toast in the New Year with bubbly that includes your company name and/or logo right on the label. A provider like, www.mylittlewinebusiness.com, can help you.
o In-Home Masseuse or Personal Trainer Visit (for January) – Initiate this experience with a holiday card and then a follow-up call to schedule the appointment so it occurs AFTER the holidays. Ask your trainer / masseuse for a discount since this offers many new client opportunities.
o VIP Party – An ultra high-end, client appreciation holiday event helps your retention efforts and furthers repeat business. Don’t overlook any detail: catering, staffing, valet parking and a photographer to capture every memorable moment.
The affluent expect what is unexpected. This holiday season create just that and make your affluent customers say, “Wow!” In return, your affluent clients will express their appreciation in loyalty and referrals all through the coming year!
© K. O’Neil, Chief Strategy Officer, UpLevel Strategies, Inc. Award Winning Strategic Coach and Marketing to the Affluent Expert Kelly O’Neil publishes the ‘Arrive!’ weekly ezine for small service businesses and information marketers. If you are ready to learn the best strategies to market to the affluent so that you can make more money and have more freedom and fun in your small business, get your FREE audio download “7 Surefire Marketing Strategies to Market to Millionaires” at http://www.marketingtomillionairesgift.com.
More great holiday gift-giving articles and ideas can be found in our new Holiday Gift-giving Guide at http://bit.ly/1Z6LSF
