‘Tis the season for gluttony! Business owners are some of the biggest culprits of gluttonous behavior during the holiday season. Constant ads fill inboxes, TV shows, websites, and mailboxes as businesses try to end their year on a high note.

But it is precisely this time of year that business owners can really benefit from taking a step back and giving thanks.

Gratitude is something that is often overlooked in the hustle and bustle of holiday preparation. Taking a few moments to stop and show a small gesture of thanks can have a profound impact on someone’s day, and on your business.

Here are five easy gestures of gratitude you can make that will leave an impression:

1. Give Your Top Clients a Call

Many small businesses fear the phone these days. They don’t want to be seen as that typical cold call that interrupts your family dinner. Yes, you should probably time your calls a little bit better than risking your favorite clients dinner from going cold, but picking up the phone to check in can leave a lasting impression when done right. Setup an appointment, or check in midday to say thanks for their business. This may open a discussion that can expose new opportunities for your business and keep your best customers sticking around for the long haul.

2. Send a Public Shout-Out

Take the time to spotlight a member of your community as a way of saying thank you for spending some time with them. What a better way to give back to certain members of your community than by highlighting what they do? This is an easy, meaningful, and highly effective method for saying thanks for sticking around. You can create a blog post, or a social media post to say thanks — but be sure to @mention them so that they will see it!

3. Send a Personalized Thank You Gift

I was recently swept off my feet by a kind gesture made by General Electric. They saw an article I wrote and sent me a terrific book to say thank you for my insights. What was especially surprising about this was General Electric was not referenced in the article at all. Still they took the time to reach out to me via Twitter, get my address, and write a handwritten thank you note along with sending me a hardcover book about the topic of my article and some delightful stickers. Pretty amazing gesture of gratitude that certainly did go a long way in my household – and you can bet I’ve told anyone and everyone I can about their kind deed (how’s that for word of mouth marketing?)

4. Give a Charitable Gift

Tis the season for gift giving not only to your customers but also to those in need. As a business, social responsibility should be a priority. Many non-profit organizations sell goods that you can buy where the proceeds go toward a good cause. Find a charity that hits close to your industry or community and make a donation or invest in a good amount of these goods to give away to your customers. You’ll spread the joy of the season not only to your customers but also to those in need.

5. Take All of Your Customers Out for a Cup of Joe

Think you can’t take all of your customers out for a cup of coffee? Think again! Sending a gift card for the coffee chain of your choice allows you to take your customers out for a cup of Joe without traveling the country just to sit one on one with each and every person your business serves. When you send your customers a gift card, you can bet that they’ll think about your business the next time they need a caffeine boost to help them through the day. You can take this gesture of gratitude a step further and invite them for a conversation over the cup of coffee they purchase with your gift card via the telephone. Then dig in and really listen to find new opportunities for how your business can do even better in the coming year.

Saying thanks is an easy way to leave your customers feeling good about working with you. What small gestures of gratitude will your business do this holiday season?

Photo credit:  shannonkringen