Why Tom Hopkins Sent Thank You Notes – The Power of Relationship Building

Tom Hopkins has earned the reputation of being America’s #1 “How-To” Sales Trainer. Over 5 million salespeople, entrepreneurs, and sales managers on 5 continents have benefited from his live training events.

He perfected his selling skills during his 8-year real estate career in which he received numerous awards. In his last year selling real estate, he sold 365 homes – an average of one per day – something that was unheard of at the time and has rarely been matched.

Since that time, he has developed and customized his proven-effective selling skills for over 350 companies. He has authored 20 books on the subjects of selling and success. Over 2.9 million copies of those books have been read by sales pros the world over. He is also the 2013 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Best-Selling Authors. And, he’s been acclaimed as the #1 Sales Guru 2 years in a row by Global Gurus.

He has dedicated his life to helping sales and marketing professionals improve their communication skills and increase sales revenues.

Tom Hopkins learned the value and power of sending thank you notes early in life.

A Lesson from Mum

When he was a young child, his parents occasionally went out with friends for dinner. Invariably, when his parents returned from an evening out, he saw his mother sit down at her little desk in the hallway as soon as she got home and begin to write.

One night he asked her what she was doing. Her answer came straight out of Emily Post: “We had such a wonderful time with our dear friends this evening that I want to jot them a note to thank them for their friendship and the wonderful dinner.”

His mother’s simple act of gratitude, expressed to people who already knew that she and his father appreciated and enjoyed their friendship, helped to keep my parents’ friendships strong for their entire lifetimes.

Having an Attitude of Gratitude

Because he understood that building relationships is what selling is all about, he began early in his career to send thank you notes to people. In fact, he set a goal to send ten (10) thank you notes every day. That goal meant that he had to meet and get the contact information for at least ten (10) people every day. He sent thank you notes to people he met briefly, people he showed properties to, people he talked with on the telephone, and people he actually helped to own new homes. He became a thank you note fool.

And guess what happened?

By the end of his third year in sales, his business was 98% by referral! The people he had expressed gratitude to were happy to send him new clients as a reward for making them feel appreciated and important.

How to Express Appreciation

He understood that you may not be comfortable at first with starting the Thank You note habit. The trick is to keep the notes short and simple. A thank you note is not a dissertation.

To help you get started (aka eliminate any excuses) he invested time writing out ten (10) situations in which sending a Thank You note is appropriate. Then, to help you even more, he drafted the notes for you. Use his words until writing thank you notes becomes so natural to you that you can dash one off in less than a minute.

THANK YOU NOTES - THE SCENARIO'S:

1. Telephone contact Thank you for talking with me. In today’s business world, time is precious. You can rest assured that I will always be respectful of the time you invest as we discuss the possibility of serving your needs.
2. In Person Contact Thank you. It was a pleasure meeting you, and my thank you is for the time we shared. We have been fortunate to serve many happy clients, and it is my wish to some day be able to serve you. 
3. After Demonstration or Presentation Thank you for giving me the opportunity to discuss your upcoming needs with you. We would be honored to serve your needs now and into the future. We believe that quality, blended with excellent service, is the foundation for a successful business.
4. After Purchase Thank you for giving me the opportunity to offer you our finest service. We are confident that you will be happy with your new ______. My goal is now to offer excellent follow-up service so you will have no reservations about referring others to me who have similar needs as yours.
5. For a Referral Thank you for your kind referral of John and Mary Smith. You may rest assured that anyone you refer to me will receive the highest degree of professional service possible.
6. After Final Refusal Thank you for taking your time to consider letting me serve you. It is with sincere regret that I was currently unable to assist you. However, if you need further information or have any questions, please feel free to call. I will be happy to keep you posted on new developments and changes that may benefit you.
7. After They Buy From Someone Else Thank you for taking your time to consider our product and service. I regret being unable, at this time, to prove to you the benefits we have to offer. I will keep in touch with the hope that in the years ahead we will be able to do business.
8. After They Buy From Someone Else, But Offer to Give You ReferralsThank you for your gracious offer of giving me referrals. As we discussed, I am enclosing three of my business cards. I thank you in advance for placing them in the hands of three of your friends, acquaintances, or relatives that I might serve. I will keep in touch and be willing to render my services as needed.
9. To Anyone Who Gives You Service Thank you. It is gratifying to meet someone dedicated to doing a good job. Your efforts are sincerely appreciated. If my company or I can serve you in any way, please don’t hesitate to call.
10. Anniversary Thank You Thank you. It is with warm regards that I send this note to say hello and again, thanks for your past patronage. Please call me with any questions you have about your ________ or the latest advancements in our newer models.

Personally, he believes the hand-written note, posted in the mail is the most powerful. But, if that truly doesn’t work for you, it’s better to send the message via email than not at all. Ideally, you will get the note off within 24 hours of meeting with the people.

The power of expressed gratitude is immense. There are online systems where you can now do this, especially if you are short of time. Put this simple tool to work for you today!

Acknowledgement: From an article for Xtra Credits by Tom Hopkins

WHO IS TOM HOPKINS?

Tom Hopkins Bio

Tom Hopkins carries the standard as a master sales trainer and is recognized as the world's leading authority on selling techniques and salesmanship.

Over 5,000,000 people on five continents have attended Tom's high-energy live seminars. Tom personally conducts 30+ seminars each year traveling throughout the North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and South Africa.

Tom Hopkins is the author of eighteen books, including "How to Master the Art of Selling ," which has sold over 1.7 million copies worldwide. This mega-selling book is considered a must-have reference guide for top selling producers in every field of sales. He has also authored three selling-skills books in the popular " for Dummies " series. And, his latest, "When Buyers Say No" (2014) is receiving rave reviews. 

Tom's talent of teaching in a creative and entertaining style has brought him a tremendous following, as well as constant demand for appearances at regional and national conventions each year. His corporate clients have included AFLAC, Best Buy, State Farm, MaryKay Cosmetics, Forever Living Products, Hilliard Energy, Paramount Pools & Spas, ADT Security Systems and 24Hour Fitness.

One of America's most successful and dynamic businessmen, Tom Hopkins did not find success easily. He quit college after only 90 days. At 19 years of age, married and with a baby on the way, he took a job in construction. It wasn't long before Tom decided that doing physical labor was not the way he wanted to spend the rest of his life. So he quit the construction job and took a job he thought would be easier - selling real estate.

Six months into his real estate career, Tom's income was averaging just $42 a month. He wasn't earning a living, but had fallen in love with the real estate business. After discovering that all the top producers had extensive sales training, Tom set out to learn everything he could about how to sell professionally.

Armed with drive, determination and knowledge, Tom Hopkins built his sales volume to over $14,000,000 within five years including the sale of 365 homes in a single year. Word of Tom's record-breaking sales success soon brought repeated requests to conduct sales training seminars across the country.

In 1976, he founded Tom Hopkins International, Inc., and dedicated his life and his company to teaching and inspiring others through his seminars, books, audio, video and online training programs. Today, over 35,000 corporations and millions of professional salespeople through the world utilize his professional sales training materials daily.