Skip to content
Sales & Marketing

Expressing Gratitude Towards Your Contact

Going above and beyond to let your contact know the impression they made towards you is key to establishing stronger bonds.

Expressing Gratitude Towards Your Contact

When it comes to the growth and sustainability of your enterprise, I recommend having a strong network of colleagues inside and outside your industry. Besides attending facilitated events such as meet-ups and conferences, going above and beyond to let your contact know the impression they made towards you is key to establishing stronger bonds. If you’re wondering what going above and beyond might look like, I encourage you to think about expressing gratitude towards your contact.

In an article published by the Harvard Business Review (HBR), being able to express gratitude towards others requires awareness and noticing. Often times, when we meet so many individuals at networking events, remembering and differentiating what each person said might be a little difficult. Keeping notes of what they care about will it make easier to show your gratitude later. 

Expressing Gratitude Towards Your Contact

On a related note, I always recommend writing at least three things on the back of each business card you accept: where/when you met; something particularly interesting that was discussed (which often becomes great fodder for the opening line of your follow-up email); and, the best next step to take or recommend when you do follow-up.  I always like to take an instant smartphone photo of each card, in case the card goes missing prior to being entered into our CRM system.

Eventually, you’ll return to your little pocketbook and wonder how to share your gratitude. Of the 7 ways that HBR recommends, our favorites include: sending something fun with a thank you note; making an introduction; and offering to help… and delivering on your offer.

We recommend reading the remainder of the list here for more ideas.

Learn about trackable mobile-learning video lessons that leave no room for excuses.

Mark Jewell

Mark Jewell

Mark Jewell is the President and co-founder of Selling Energy. He is a subject matter expert, coach, speaker and best-selling author focused on overcoming barriers to implementing projects. Mark teaches other professionals and organizations how to turbocharge their sales success.

SUBSCRIBE-CONCEPT-876110004_727x484

Subscribe to our Blog

Get daily “drip-irrigation” reinforcement. Each day you’ll get bits of wisdom, news, highlights of upcoming courses, and quotes to keep you inspired and motivated.

Latest Articles

Selling Effectively to Homeowners' Associations and Residential Landlords

Selling Effectively to Homeowners' Associations and Residential Landlords

Selling in residential situations takes a specific kind of forethought and expertise. Here’s a primer.

4 One-page Proposal Formats

4 One-page Proposal Formats

I’m often asked how to write a successful one-page proposal. These are some templates that have worked for me over the past thirty years.

How Successful Salespeople Use Language and Intuition to Persuade Customers to Buy

How Successful Salespeople Use Language and Intuition to Persuade Customers to Buy

This week's book recommendation is about "heavy hitters": sales professionals who are able to use human nature, language, and intuition to ...