Give customers a thank-you worth remembering

Before ordering gifts for your holiday outreach, take a look at the message attached. Will customers feel appreciated? Or will they feel recruited for your next referral?

That distinction can shape whether a seasonal gesture becomes a meaningful conversation or just another piece of marketing.

Writing for Inman, Kyle Crawford, vice president of strategy for Century 21 New Millennium, encourages agents to put the recipient at the center of their holiday gift-giving. A thoughtful thank-you gives people a reason to reconnect without turning the visit into a sales pitch.

“The gesture is the gift. The price tag was never the point,” Crawford wrote.

His suggestions offer several ways to make that connection easier:

• Give people a reason to visit. Crawford’s offices host pie pickups, allowing customers to stop in and spend a few minutes with their agents. An invitation creates room for conversation that a doorstep delivery might miss.
• Get the cards off your to-do list. Schedule a card-writing session with colleagues. Shared supplies and a little company can help turn a task everyone postpones into an afternoon of finished notes.
• Shop with someone specific in mind. A small kitchen item for someone who loves cooking or a toy for a customer’s dog shows you remember more than their closing date. The gift doesn’t need to stretch your budget.
• Leave room on the calendar for January. Holiday schedules fill quickly. A new-year thank-you offers another chance to connect when customers may have more time to talk.

Before sending anything, review the packaging and note. If the logo, headshot and referral request dominate, give the message another pass.

Crawford suggests using the next 60 days to try an approach, then considering quarterly outreach based on the response.

Start with something manageable: a few personal notes, a small gathering or gifts chosen for particular people. Leave enough time for the conversation, too.

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