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How a Fishing Lodge Can Use Thank You Cards to Get Repeat Business

There are many businesses that rely on repeat business and the fishing industry is a great example. A thank you card with a picture of the client catching fish is a great way to follow up with them after they have stayed at your lodge.

Here is an example of a fishing lodge, Millbrook Lakes, situated in Victoria, Australia.

I simply cut out and scanned an advert to create this card as an example. The owners of this lodge would be able to make their own cards depending on the images they have. It is a simple matter of uploading the pictures and the card is basically done.

A simple thank you card with a few great pictures of the client catching fish will always be appreciated. It is said that when a person receives a card with a picture in it, the chances of them throwing it away are very slim. When it is a picture of a fisherman holding a nice fish that they caught on a fishing trip, 9 out of 10 will no only keep it, but display it for all to see.

Most fisherman love to show off their catches and so a card from a fishing lodge with the customer holding a great fish is more than likely to get displayed in a fairly high profile location in the house or office.

The Positive Effects of a Thank You Card on a Fishing Lodge Business:

1. Every time a client sees the card with your lodge on it, they are reminded of you and the good times they had at your establishment.

2. When the client sees a picture of them holding a great fish that they caught, it forms a strong association in their mind of them catching fish and your lodge.

3. When friends and other people see this card, it becomes a talking point. Old memories are rekindled and future fishing trips are hatched.

Gaining Repeat Business Through the Use of Greeting Cards

The fishing industry is very seasonal. People get busy and sometimes the great times the client had at a fishing lodge may get pushed into the back of the their mind.

A month or two before the fishing season is due to start is a perfect time to send another card with a different picture of that person holding a good fish caught at your lodge, or just a nice shot of the client fishing early one morning.

There are many opportunities to take snap shots of clients which can then later be sent in a card, like sitting in front of the open fire on a chilly night, drinking nice wine and on it goes.

When someone is in the middle of a busy year, a simple card like this will bring all of those happy memories right back into the forefront of their mind.

If they have not yet seen the picture it will most certainly be a pleasant surprise in the middle of a busy and hectic year.

I would say that 9 out of 10 people will actually call and thank the sender for the card. Knowing fisherman, the very next line in the conversation would be;

“So how has the fishing been?”

This will consolidate the customer relationship and at the same increase the lodges repeat business tenfold.

Periodically throughout the year, it is a good practice to send birthday cards and just keeping in touch cards. This is a very low cost way of gaining repeat business and referrals. It is always better to keep existing customers than having to continually advertise in order to new ones.

There are many ways in which greeting cards can be applied to this industry. The ability to upload clients pictures into the inside of the card with minimum fuss makes it a perfect way to periodically remind the client of the great times they have had at your fishing lodge.

Get a Thank You Card Custom Designed Free For Your business Today…

Popularity: 18% [?]

Thank You Card Journal - Day 4

Thank You Card #1

I have two ladies that I work together with in our greeting card business. These ladies joined my organization earlier this year. I have not had the pleasure of meeting either of them yet, but we talk a lot on the phone and correspond via email.

They really are great ladies and are very productive and forward thinking in relation to Internet marketing. Occasionally I need to help them here or there with the odd thing, but for the most part, they just get in and get the job done.

We always have great conversations about marketing and the industry in general. It is a real privilege to work with these ladies.

I like writing but unfortunately, spelling is not one of my strong points. One of the ladies, Di, is a real stickler for typos and spelling errors. The first time I sent something to her, she replied with all of the mistakes she had found. She was very diplomatic about at that time as I guess she was unsure how I would take it. I am not to proud to admit that I am not the greatest speller in the world and I was thrilled that she had taken the time to correct my work for me and I told her this.

I guess that was like a red flag to a bull because she now routinely points out any little typos. I am really grateful for this and am so glad that I have her as my editor. When ever I have a document that I want checked, I send it to Di to look over.

As usual I couldn’t help making a card using an image from iStock. You can find lots of images in the bargain bin and it will only cost you $1. The cards that I send cost me $0.93 and so an extra $1 here or there is fairly trivial. It is still under $2 for a card which I think is very good. Of coarse taking your own pictures with a digital camera is the best way to go.

My greeting card service has over 16,000 cards to choose from but the main reason I like to choose my own pictures is so I can put my own slogan on the front of the card. It is easy to get the right picture for the right situation and then add a personal slogan that has a meaning for the recipient. It is not exactly necessary but hey, I am having fun so what does it matter.

Thank You Card #2

This was a very nice thank you card to write. I am an acupuncturist in a small country town on the east coast of Australia. I am in a small town of 8000 people named Cooma, which is in the Snowy Mountains.

We have a number of physiotherapists and one in particular refers many patients to my acupuncture clinic. I have spoken to Amelia on the telephone many times but have never actually meet her in person. She is very busy and so am I and we just haven’t had the chance to catch up in person.

I have been meaning to thank her for some time now and so this little project of sending out 2 cards everyday is having a good effect on me.

As it is coming into December I was able to also wish her a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and so I was able to send 2 messages with one card.

It is always a great feeling hitting the send button knowing that my custom made card will be printed, put in an envelope, stamped, and sent out within 24 hours. All this for $1.34, with a first class stamp and all!

Popularity: 16% [?]

Strengthening Customer Relationships

Customers are the life blood in any business. When you sit down and crunch the figures, in most cases it will cost a lot more money to acquire a first time customer than it does to keep one happy and satisfied by good customer relations stratergies.

Once you have acquired a customer to have them buy off you again and again makes perfect business sense.

Many big companies will happily take a loss of the first sale because they understand the value of a customer once they have them in their system. Customer Management stratergies are very important in order to avoid customer leakage.

The old adage;

“The Fortune is in the follow up”,

should not be taken to lightly, unless you want to leave money on the table that is.

Here are some pretty scary business stats:

• 79% of all leads generated at trade shows aren’t followed up.

• The average company loses 50% of its customers every 5 years…the cost of replacing them can be 6-7 times more expensive.

• A 5% increase in customer loyalty will add 20%-80% to your bottom line profit…it is much wiser to spend money on customer retention than acquisition.

• For every month that you don’t contact or communicate with your clients, you lose 10% of your influence.

• 82% of all homeowners can’t tell you the name of their Realtor if they bought their home more than two years ago.

• Just saying thank you to your clients…particularly new clients, can increase your business by 17%.

• Only 3% of our mail is personal…how do you feel when you walk out to the mail box and see a personal card addressed to you? Your clients/prospects are no different.

To most business owners who spend any amount of money on advertising to acquire customers, these statistics may be a little frightening. The problem of customers falling off your customer list as fast as you can add them is not such a difficult one to solve. The answer lies in consistent contact and a attitude of gratitude.

Send A Thank You Card and Show Your Customers That You Appreciate Their Business

Two Powerful Words - Thank You

The very simple act of sending a thank you card to your customers to let them know that you appreciate their business will yield results that you will find totally surprising.

Using my system, keeping in touch with your customers and letting them know that you appreciate them has never been easier. Sending personalized thank you cards; thanking customers for their business; thanking them for referrals they have sent you; or just sending a card to keep in touch during holiday seasons is as easy as clicking the mouse.

Allow Me To Create You a Custom Thank You Card Unique to You and Your Business

I will custom design a card for you and send it directly to your office so that you can inspect the quality before you send it off to a customer of your choosing. The card will;

• Come in a real envelope

• With a first class stamp

• With the option to add your picture, company logo, and your signature

• With a message of your choice

If the customer doesn’t contact and thank you for sending them such a great card, I will insist you send a 2nd card at my expense.

*We respect your privacy, your details will never be, shared, sold, or rented.

Popularity: 74% [?]

What a Wonderful World

What a wonderful world it is that we live in! Even on the grimmest of days, we don’t have to look far to find something or someone to be grateful for.

“It may be a dear friend that just called to say hi, a stranger that lent a helping hand as they passed by, a glorious blue sunny day, a colorful bird that made your troubles drift away.

Perhaps it was the cool crisp water of a mountain stream, or someone who encouraged your eternal dream.

Thankful for that day thats been, thankful for the day unseen, thankful each day before you start, the feeling of gratitude is what unlocks the heart”

One of the greatest things about showing appreciation is the joy of seeing other people receive acknowledgment for their efforts. Everyone needs to feel recognized, whether you do it with words, a gift, a reciprocal act of kindness, or just a warm smile. Showing people that you recognize them for their good qualities gives you and them a great feeling.

I started this site by committing to send 2 thank you cards each and everyday. As time went on, it was getting harder and harder to find people to thank but, somehow I managed. The practice of looking out for people to thank is a really good one. The more you do it, the easier it is. How many people have you thanked today?

Popularity: 65% [?]