When You Care Enough To Send The Very Best…

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish myself a very happy birthday.

(Hey, it’s my column. I’m entitled to a little self-promotion, no?)

Okay, so it’s not until Friday. But I wanted to give all of you time to find that perfect gft.

So I’ve been checking my “snail” mailbox, expecting to receive a birthday card or two from family and friends. Fat chance.

These days, no one goes through the trouble of going to the store, browsing through hundreds of cards, picking out the perfect one, writing a personal message, sealing the card, finding a stamp, looking up my home address, writing it out and leaving it in their mailbox for the post office to deliver…up to a WEEK later.

But these days, my family and friends usually take the cheap and lazy route. They send “e-cards” online. Awwwwww…they DO care!

Why am I sharing this self-serving tale with all of you? Because yesterday, I received this “electronic” birthday greeting from the salesperson at the dealership that sold me my last car:

Dear Josh,

I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish you a healthy and happy birthday! Hope you and your Honda are doing well and please remember, if you need anything at all, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Once again, have a wonderful birthday!

Wow! I’ve never been so pleased to receive a birthday card from an automated computer system. Yes, it’s only a small gesture, but who doesn’t like to receive a birthday greeting? It made me smile, made me feel good about the company - and made me want to give them more business.

Want to make your customers feel the same way about you? Send your own birthday greetings by email! Be sure to collect your customers’ birthdays, then send them a quick note on their special day. And if you’d like to send something a bit more on the “warm and fuzzy” side, send a free e-card at hallmark.com. They have free e-cards that you can customize and send in only a couple of minutes, guaranteed to make your customer smile.

A small “happy birthday” message can go a long way. If you know your customers’ birthdays, why not let them know you’re thinking about them on their special day? Send them an e-card! Or…how about sending customers an anniversary card on the anniversary of their purchase?

Everyone likes to feel important. Everyone likes to know that someone’s thinking about them. The smallest gestures can win you big brownie points – and with the help of the Internet, it’s faster and easier than ever to show someone you care. Plus – it’s another great example of the FREE promotional tools available to us via the Internet.

So what’s in store for my BIG birthday celebration? Let’s see…I’ll probably spend the day staring at a computer monitor…ruining my “aging” eyes even further…while developing carpal tunnel syndrome from typing…in an office with NO windows…on a gorgeous spring day. What fun!