The value of “Thank you” in your messaging to prospects is too often overlooked. Learning to say thanks is such a large part of life in our early years. A day doesn’t go by when you don’t hear a mom remind a young tot with: “What do you say?” or “Say thank you.” It’s a phrase that should be ingrained in a child’s head by the time they are six. And it usually is. Children learn the polite phrase and remember to use it after a gracious or kind act.
Then what happens? The young child grows, progresses through a number of schools, maybe graduates from college, and enters the workforce. Once the child has become a young adult, you might think “Thank you” would be a natural gesture to respond to a kind act in the business world.
But that isn’t always what happens. Here’s a case in point. I was recently asked to talk to a new college graduate about a potential internship. This seemed like a great candidate – upbeat, quick, smart, capable. I was impressed and sold. Yet, after our meeting, I waited and waited for a follow-up message. No thank you call. No text. No email. No note. No message in any form. I saw nothing. I admit, I was surprised and disappointed.
I thought of the power of the thank you message for outbound prospecting. If someone gives you the time and consideration to engage in a conversation with you, send them a thank you note.
From an overall business perspective:
- It’s professional
- It sets you apart from the crowd
- It’s the right thing to do
- It demonstrates good follow up skills
- It will make that customer, prospect or suspect more pleasant for the next caller
From an outbound prospecting perspective:
- It provides your contact information
- Your “Thank you” message may be passed to someone who is a customer or prospect
- Your message will be remembered and may be the difference between getting a call back or not, when the customer or prospect is ready
- It demonstrates how you treat your customers and prospects
- It shows that you value this contact and your conversation with this person
A thank you takes two seconds to write and deliver in its simplest form. It send the right message. Its conspicuous absence can actually do real harm to your chances of success with your potential customer. The power of such a brief courtesy in your outbound prospecting work is often overlooked. Remembering this simple step can set you apart from others who don’t send this valued message.
This is the third in a series that’s a quick refresher course – a total of 20 tips that can make outbound prospecting a more positive experience, and maybe even a challenge you enjoy taking on.