Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be the only day of the year you think about showing some “love” to the people you care about, says April-Lynn Levitt, a coach with the Personal Coach in Calgary.
“There are lots of ways to show [clients] appreciation,” she says, “even in a professional context.”
Here are some Valentine’s Day tips to help you express your appreciation to your clients and prospects in a creative but professional way:
> Make a donation
One effective way to show your clients they are appreciated is to make a charitable donation on their behalf.
Follow up your donation with a small card or note telling your client that you made the donation in his or her name.
“It doesn’t have to be a big thing,” says Eileen Chadnick, a certified coach with Big Cheese Coaching in Toronto. “Small gestures and communications letting clients know you appreciate them are nice.”
> Brighten up your office
Keep little treats in your office, like chocolates or biscuits, that you can offer your clients and other visitors.
For Valentine’s Day, for example, Levitt suggests going that extra mile and displaying a tray of heart-shaped cookies that will greet clients as they enter your office.
> Plan for the splurge
If you have clients who like to give lavishly on Valentine’s Day and other occasions, says Mike Henry, senior vice president and head of retail payments, deposits and lending with Scotiabank in Toronto, make sure you have included a “splurge fund” in those clients’ financial plans.
It’s important, Henry says, to help your clients plan and budget for special occasions. They will appreciate your advice.
“Whether it is for romance or a rainy day,” Henry says, “you want to make sure [your clients] are putting back some money in reserve.”
> Posies for prospects
Take the time to buy some flowers. Attach to each flower a small card with a well-wish along with your firm’s name and your website address.
Once completed, you and your team members go out and distribute your little gifts to potential prospects. You could choose a coffee shop, a retirement home, hospitals or wherever you think best matches with your target market. Be sure to ask permission.
Take pictures or video that you can post later to your social-media platforms. You can also highlight this exercise in your next newsletter.
“It will let all of your contacts know how fun and creative your team is,” says Fortunato Restagno, a brand coach with the Personal Coach. “Plus, you can bet the people who got flowers will be telling everyone they know.”