Written by Erin Leigh of The Choice Life

With the crazy-busy speed at which we do business in the 21st century, it's easy to find ourselves focusing - or perhaps even fixating - on our client funnel. Where will the next client come from? How will you stay ahead of your competitors? Is it time to try a new marketing tactic? What about the economic impact on clients' buying behaviors?

It's almost enough to make us want to throw in the towel. Yet we persevere...we push forward...we stop sleeping...we cross our fingers...and we allow ourselves one tiny breath of relief when the next client signs on. Then, in the blink of an eye, we refocus all our energy and efforts on the vicious cycle of client acquisition.

What if there were an easier way?

Enter the concept of gratitudism. Yes, that's a made-up word, but it's one worth adopting. Gratitudism is the regular practice of sharing your appreciation with those you care about (ahem, that includes your clients!).

How, you ask, are you supposed to continuously show appreciation, when all your efforts must be focused on acquiring new clients in order to keep the business afloat?

Easy - stop pushing, and start thanking. Studies have shown it is 4-10 times easier to solicit repeat business from a happy client than it is to seek out and onboard a new client. That means you have the opportunity to grow your business WITHOUT constantly stressing over where the next client will come from.

By far the easiest way to demonstrate your appreciation is to set up a SYSTEM for expressing your gratitude. Ask yourself the following questions to get started:

Who has contributed to the growth of your business and deserves your thanks? (This means clients, team members, partnerships, etc.)
When a client engages with and chooses to invest in your product/service, at what times during the course of their engagement do you want to thank them? (when they sign on, when they buy for a second or third time, when they're a long-standing client when they purchase a high-ticket item, when they refer a friend, etc.)
How will you demonstrate gratitude in each of these instances?
Who will be responsible for executing these steps, and how will that person be notified that it's time to take action?
How will you follow up to ensure your gift was well-received?

Document your steps, communicate expectations with those who will be involved in your system, and determine how you will track your activity. With the steps and people in place, you'll be ready to roll out your system for appreciation.

You'll find that the more you practice gratitudism, the more loyal and engaged your existing client base will become. Loyalty leads to repeat business AND referrals - and that means the end of the panic-inducing craziness of incessant prospecting.

Stopping the Client-Acquisition Craziness