Thank you, gracias, danke schon, merci, kiitos, tack. Wherever you are in the world and however it is spoken, we all like to receive thanks and recognition for what we have done. It feels good and motivates us to do more, and also helps us share what we do and how well we do it with everybody else. This can encourage people who otherwise wouldn’t have engaged with a business to do so.

Testimonials and recommendations are powerful things; I personally don’t book a holiday destination or restaurant these days without checking it out on a review website beforehand. Social media sites like LinkedIn and Facebook now make it so easy to provide feedback to a business and to receive feedback from a customer. Whether good or bad, feedback should always be considered valuable as it provides an opportunity to learn from your clients’ perspective, to act upon any negative feedback and constantly improve your offer, products or service for the next time.

Why not put together a few case studies of your happiest customers, the ones who will shout from the rooftops on your behalf. You should indulge in a spot of quid pro quo and return the compliment if anyone asks you for a testimonial. Better yet, why not go out of your way to offer a few words of thanks and encouragement to a business you had a good experience with. It certainly won’t hurt to strike up a good relationship with another business in this way.

Our membership at Buckinghamshire Business First grows largely because of referrals and recommendations from our existing members to other businesses that they know could benefit from what we offer. Personally, as a words of affirmation type of girl I love it when someone I have helped takes the time and effort to say thank you. It makes a real difference to my day and helps me go that extra mile, which is why I keep a record of these “client delights” on my email.

We ask for feedback on every event we run and take the time to evaluate and act upon any comments made by our members. With that in mind, is there something that Buckinghamshire Business First can do for your business? What topics would be of interest to you for future events? Is there a particular need that your business has that you want support with?

You can call us on 01494 568941 or email BusinessSupport@bbf.uk.com with any business support issues you want to discuss, or any glowing testimonials you have for us!