Does anyone send "thank you" note or cards?

[10degreesbtdc]

I'm working on some sort of "Thank You" card to send to recent customers. Anyone use these? Have any examples? Costs?

"Thank you"

[02zx9r]

Re: Does anyone send "thank you" note or cards?

good idea actually

[10degreesbtdc]

Re: Does anyone send "thank you" note or cards?

good idea actually

That's what Im' thinking, 02zx9r. Send a folded thank you card with a little personalized note and my logo on the outside with maybe a discount or "refer a friend, get 10% off your next service" promotion on the back. Mail it with a few business cards in the envelope too. Anything to raise awareness that I'm not your average "detailer", you know?

[CieraSL]

Re: Does anyone send "thank you" note or cards?

I'd put your picture in there with a caption underneath, so it would look something like this:



"Hey you! Stop! If'n you refer me, I'll be nice and not throw this rock through your window! Plus, I'll even give ya a discount!"

[10degreesbtdc]

Re: Does anyone send "thank you" note or cards?

Ernest T. Bass Classic!

[Hemin8r]

Re: Does anyone send "thank you" note or cards?

I've sent out "Thank You" cards for a while with a picture of their car in it showing an after shot. One of the customers said he had come across the card after about 2 years after I detailed his car. Once he saw the picture of his car in the card and how clean it came out he scheduled for another detail. So that one worked.

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Does anyone send "thank you" note or cards?

I think it is a great idea. Maybe you could also add a reminder your next detail is........ . Then you would have it etched in their mind when you are coming back.

[02zx9r]

Re: Does anyone send "thank you" note or cards?

Like JA said, maybe you can get them on some sort of a "maintenance plan" and at least wash/rewax the vehicles every so often(if you dont mind doing it) , and get referrals through them

[ColonelCash]

Re: Does anyone send "thank you" note or cards?

I like fridge magnets or window stickers (similar to oil changes). Still, sending cards around the holidays seems like a logical thing to do as well. Guess this also depends on how many details you do.

[10degreesbtdc]

Re: Does anyone send "thank you" note or cards?

I like fridge magnets or window stickers (similar to oil changes). Still, sending cards around the holidays seems like a logical thing to do as well. Guess this also depends on how many details you do.

Fridge magnets...now there's a great idea for later down the road! I'm just thinking of a handwritten folded card for now to get as much mileage out of satisfied customer's and their referrals as I can. Once I get busy, a box of fridge magnets in the truck would be sweet.

[john m.]

Re: Does anyone send "thank you" note or cards?

I actually think this is a good idea. To me if I got a thank you card after you did my car I would be more inclined more than before to send more work and come back. Especially with some people the time you take to sit down write a letter and send them everything means a ton to them. Sounds like a good plan to me

[PaintPolisher]

Re: Does anyone send "thank you" note or cards?

As a business I want to keep clients coming back to me and that they inform their friends of my services.

Easy way to do this for me without being pushy is a Thank You.

I send a Thank You email with link to my site showing after pictures of their car within two days of doing the work and follow up quarterly with another Hi type of email. Keep this Hi email short and to the point. People are busy.

I also do send out thru the post office old fashion Thank You cards at the end of each week. You can pick up a box of them for little money. Inserting a couple of business cards and my referral payout for paint re-conditioning services.

Start a profile on your clients.
What was/is their favorite car?
What do they like and dislike? What makes them tick?
Letting the client talk while you listen and they will tell you almost everything about their lives.
If you are shy or do not know how to get them to talk here are a couple of open ending questions I have used through my business career to get them talking.

What is your favorite sports team or athlete?
Their favorite movie, actor or actress?
Their favorite band? Rock & Roll, classic, hip-hop, jazz, country...
Their favorite vacation?

If you can not get them talking about any of the above topics they might be a hermit!

Use common sense and treat the client the way you like to be treated.

al

[10degreesbtdc]

Re: Does anyone send "thank you" note or cards?

As a business I want to keep clients coming back to me and that they inform their friends of my services.

Easy way to do this for me without being pushy is a Thank You.

I send a Thank You email with link to my site showing after pictures of their car within two days of doing the work and follow up quarterly with another Hi type of email. Keep this Hi email short and to the point. People are busy.

I also do send out thru the post office old fashion Thank You cards at the end of each week. You can pick up a box of them for little money. Inserting a couple of business cards and my referral payout for paint re-conditioning services.

Start a profile on your clients.
What was/is their favorite car?
What do they like and dislike? What makes them tick?
Letting the client talk while you listen and they will tell you almost everything about their lives.
If you are shy or do not know how to get them to talk here are a couple of open ending questions I have used through my business career to get them talking.

What is your favorite sports team or athlete?
Their favorite movie, actor or actress?
Their favorite band? Rock & Roll, classic, hip-hop, jazz, country...
Their favorite vacation?

If you can not get them talking about any of the above topics they might be a hermit!

Use common sense and treat the client the way you like to be treated.

Thank you PaintPolisher! Great stuff. Can I ask you a question? I'm in the hardest part of the process of starting this business officially now and for me, the worst part. I really dislike selling. Give me some tools and something to work on and I'm in! I know I'll have referrals from pretty much all of my customers, but networking will take some time to have some sort of steady schedule. In the meantime, I need to cold call potential client's at their workplace, talk to high performance automotive shops the my area, etc.

So, do you have any tips you've learned through experience that might aid in selling one's self to the public and make it a little easier that you could share? Any links to free references on selling? Once I get past the first few minutes of a cold call, I'm fine, usually. By that time they've either said "no thanks" or they are interested in hearing more. I'd like to reduce my odds of getting "no thank you" replies. Sometimes (days) that initial break-the-ice period gets me.

Should I imagine my audience naked to ease the stress of the situation?

Thanks in advance!

[john m.]

Re: Does anyone send "thank you" note or cards?

Just do like those guys that wash windows at stoplights! Show up at their house and do the car and then ask for the money just ignore them when they ask what your doing and to stop

[PaintPolisher]

Re: Does anyone send "thank you" note or cards?

Thank you PaintPolisher! Great stuff. Can I ask you a question? I'm in the hardest part of the process of starting this business officially now and for me, the worst part. I really dislike selling. Give me some tools and something to work on and I'm in! I know I'll have referrals from pretty much all of my customers, but networking will take some time to have some sort of steady schedule. In the meantime, I need to cold call potential client's at their workplace, talk to high performance automotive shops the my area, etc.

So, do you have any tips you've learned through experience that might aid in selling one's self to the public and make it a little easier that you could share? Any links to free references on selling? Once I get past the first few minutes of a cold call, I'm fine, usually. By that time they've either said "no thanks" or they are interested in hearing more. I'd like to reduce my odds of getting "no thank you" replies. Sometimes (days) that initial break-the-ice period gets me.

Should I imagine my audience naked to ease the stress of the situation?

Thanks in advance!

Sent you a PM if you are interested.
al