Martin Koss – thinking out loud…

Do you say “thank you”? All the time? Every time someone does something expected or unexpected? Think about it… Seriously think about it.

When you do something for someone – whether they are paying for it or your doing something out of the goodness of your heart – what’s the one thing you look forward to and hope for?

Yes – a simple gesture of appreciation – a “thank you”.

Two little words, less than 10 characters and less than 2 seconds of typing time makes the world of difference to any transaction, any communication, any interaction.

You, or the other person gave something. Gave their time, gave advice, gave some support or mentioned you to someone else, gave their money, gave an extra bit of help while buying a product, gave you public applause for your work – whatever they (or you) did – the bit you remember most is whether or not it was appreciated.

You may have thoroughly enjoyed the experience of giving but if there was no sign of appreciation you can so easily be left feeling a bit deflated. You may be left wondering why you bothered and, perhaps, wondering if you should repeat that effort in the future.

We all enjoy giving. Giving is the most awesome thing we get to do. And, most times, the only act of reciprocation we want is a sign of appreciation.

Every one loves the simple pleasantries…

We love it when whatever we do is appreciated. It tells us that what we said or did, no matter how big or small, was appreciated and it meant something. It means it was not taken for granted.

So next time you pay your newspaper delivery boy/girl, say “thank you”.
Next time someone sends you a bit of feedback about your products or services, send a quick reply to say “thank you”.
When you find a really useful bit of advice, say “thank you”.
When someone helps you through a problem or helps you locate a product (be it online or in a real shop), say “thank you”.

And, one of the biggies – before your next customer walks out of your shop – smile and say “thank you”.

Oh yes – make sure you mean it!

Finally when someone reads your latest blog post – say thank you for sharing this past couple of minutes with me…

Thank you.