3 Ways Giving Thanks Can Help Grow Your Contracting Business

November 13, 2015
Category: Be a Highly Effective Owner,Build an Accountable, Self-Sufficient Team,Business Tips,Get and Keep Your Ideal Clients,Live a Happy, Balanced Life

Our Thanksgiving custom started in 1623 when the pilgrims gathered in November to give thanks for the bountiful harvest. Thanksgiving is still the time each year when we gather with family and friends and give thanks for all the good things we have in our lives.

But why save thanks giving for just one day a year? I’m going to share three simple, but powerful ways giving thanks every day can help you build your business and make you happier with your life.

Thank Your Customers

In this hectic world where people often barely acknowledge you (let alone show you their appreciation) sending customers thank you notes can really help you stand out among your competition. I’m not talking about an email message or an automated voicemail—not good enough. Handwritten thank you notes are the way to go if you want to get your customers’ attention.

Not a good writer? Google “customer thank you letters” and you will find thousands of templates to help.

Customer thank you notes cost only a few cents, take moments to write and, most importantly, they make you memorable and establish a personal connection with a customer. Making this kind of connection with customers will often lead to increased business from your customers and more referrals.

Not a bad return for the price of a piece of stationery, a stamp and a few minutes of your time!

For an even bigger impact, try a bigger thank you at times. One of my clients gives a box of chocolates to each client at the end of a residential job and personally delivers pies to big customers and referral partners around Thanksgiving time. It really makes an impact and strengthens relationships.

Give it a try!

Recognize Your Employees

Research shows that recognizing and appreciating employees for the good work they do is one of the most important things you can do to improve employee satisfaction, motivation, loyalty and retention. When employees are surveyed, recognition and appreciation is always one of the top 4 things that employees want and sometimes (depending on the economy) it’s even ranked higher than pay!

Yet in most companies I talk to and work with, recognition isn’t used consistently and frequently enough. Here are some tips to improve your employee recognition:

• Give a simple “thank you” for a job well done. It is often the most powerful form of recognition. The key is to thank the person or crew for their great work personally and as soon after it happens as possible. A good “thank you” has three parts: of course it starts with “Thank you.” Second, name the specific action you’re thanking them for, and, finally, describe the impact of what they did. Here’s an example: “Thank you for staying late last night. I know you had to miss your son’s ball game, but that job means we can get to Mrs. Jones’ house today like we promised.”
• There is no one size fits all for employee recognition. Some employees want to be recognized in private and others in front of their peers. Similarly, if you want to reward your employee or crew for their good work, some will be more motivated by money while others might like time off or a Starbucks gift card. It’s best to have a few options available and give your employees a choice.
• Add a formal employee recognition program to your recognition tool kit. Having a formal program ensures that you will block out time in your crazy busy life to recognize your employees. Examples of formal recognition programs companies that I work with use include employee of the month and year awards, awards for innovative ideas that improve the effectiveness of how work is done, recognizing company anniversaries and simply reading customer compliment letters at company meetings. Be creative! It’s simple, but important!

Appreciate All the Good Things Around You

Most business owners I know spend the majority of their time focused on what’s not working in their businesses and lives. I think that owners’ are wired that way. How else can you find the things that need fixing to continually improve and grow your business and improve your life? Right? That’s true, but focusing on what’s not working also causes stress, frustration and dissatisfaction with your business and life.

Research shows that taking time every day to take stock of all of the good things in your business and life can increase your happiness significantly, contribute to greater success in your business, improve your health, and even help you recover faster from illnesses and surgery.

Here are a few simple things you can do each day to focus on the positive. I use these myself and they have made a huge difference in my happiness.

• Write down three new things you are grateful for each day. They don’t have to be big. If it’s a rough day, it can be something as simple as “my dog met me at the door” or “the sun is shining today.”
• Write for 2 minutes a day describing one positive experience you had over the past 24 hours.
• Make a game of finding the “silver lining” in a challenging situation.
• When you feel like complaining, make a gratitude list instead. You may be amazed by how much better you feel.

Looking for the good things happening in your life every day helps you see how happy you can be today instead of waiting for some future success to be happy. As a result, you will have less stress, and burnout and more energy to accomplish your work every day.

What you appreciate, appreciates

There’s a saying that I like a lot – “What you appreciate, appreciates.” What that means is what you show gratitude and appreciation for in your life tends to grow. Customers who you thank and show gratitude to tend to refer you more often and use you more consistently. Employees who you appreciate and recognize consistently for their good work tend to be more satisfied, more motivated and stay longer. Appreciating the good things that are happening in your life everyday tends to reduce stress, makes you happier and actually helps you bring more of these good things into your life!

Giving thanks is a powerful tool for success in your business and life. Please use it!

And thank all of you for reading my articles this year. I appreciate you all and wish you a great Thanksgiving!

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