I have always loved fall!

I have many fond memories of walking around in the cool temperatures as the leaves progressed from green, through yellow into red.  I remember the smells.  I can almost hear the sounds of the wind as it rustled through the trees.  Growing up around the mountains of Northwest Georgia and Alabama gave me access to one of God’s most beautiful paintings during this time of year.

I also have many fond memories of being one of about 25 cousins as we would join my maternal grandparents for Thanksgiving Dinner.  It was always fun.  And it was always loud!  Well, loud until the “sleep fuzzies” came in after eating such a big dinner.

I am very thankful for those memories.  I am sure that I appreciate them more now than I did at the time.  But I am grateful that as I age, I look back on those times and smile.

What are you thankful for this year?

More importantly, how to you express your thankfulness?

Do you go out of the way to let your customers know how much you appreciate their business?  How often to you keep in touch?  Most studies say that you should “touch” your customer base at least 3 times per month in some form or fashion.  Phone calls, drop ins, emails and articles of interest are great ways to bring a little extra value.  The most important and effective touches in my industry were the personal visits.  That was where I built solid friendships and brought insight to my clients.

Sales leaders, do you let your sales team know how thankful you are for them?  Do you do so even during the “non-holiday” season?  What do you do?  Handwritten notes of appreciation are fantastic.  Don’t shortcut the process.  For most of my career, I was fanatical about sending out motivational cards to my top producers, with notes of thankfulness for their great performance.

This year, I am thankful for many things.

• I am thankful for the new friends I have made as I have spoken at meetings across the USA.
• I am thankful for everyone who has read The Unexpected Tour Guide and given me such kind encouragement.
• I am thankful for friends and mentors, such as Bob Burg who have been instrumental in helping me expand the reach of my message.

And most of all, I am thankful for my daughters, my wife, my family and all of you who read my blogs each week.  You mean more to me than I can say…. errrrr, write.  🙂

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jeff