Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do.
- Voltaire -
The 2022 working year is drawing to a close and it can't come soon enough; I'm a little worn out. It's not been a bad year, I shifted industries and companies, had to learn new things quickly, and have thrived in that environment. It's been a challenge though, which I don't mind as I like to push myself, but enjoyable too, and I've been paid very well along the way so, no complaints really, I'm just tired.
My industry, and my particular role, is demanding and there's little room for error and no room for poor performance as far as bringing in revenue goes so I've worked very hard to ensure I have the ability to finish strong and look back on it happy with my efforts, performance and results. That's left me a little emotionally frazzled and a few weeks off is going to go a long way towards rectifying that, but before I have time off I get to do one of the really good parts of my job.
Over the last month I've isolated some key accounts that I wanted to gift something to as a thank you, a show of appreciation, for trading with my company consistently and strongly. It's a small gesture but one that is well-received. I made a list, submitted it to the State Manager and like magic a pile of alcohol arrived in my office along with company-branded wall calendars, coffee mugs, desk calendars, wireless phone-charging pads, stress balls, truck-shaped USB thumb drives and drink cooler bags.
Over the last few days I've been dropping into my customers and handing out these things, having conversations and generally just schmoozing a little.
The saying, no news is good news, works well for my industry, I'm in transport, trucking and logistics, because when the phone rings with a client on the other end it's almost always a problem. I never shy away from that of course, and do a lot of outbound calls which means I tend to avoid the shock and awe inbound ones. It's a lot of effort, but it saves a lot of pain later on. I regularly call clients and drop in to see them face to face also. This time of year, and with armfuls of goodies, I'm always welcomed warmly.
This process, showing some appreciation, is a huge part of what I do as it helps to build rapport, shows I'm giving back a little and that I care enough to do so, and helps allay any residual issues that may have arisen. The other benefit is that it builds a little credit, keeps my company front-of-mind and gives me a chance to gain some more information I may be able to use later - or just be human and show that I'm a person just like them - and that has value down the track. It's a good part of my job.
Yesterday, I saw the cost to my company for the goodwill, just for my clients...It's a reasonable number...$3,453 worth of alcohol of varying types and the company-branded merchandise on top of that, but the benefit to creating better relationships could be measured in the hundreds of thousands.
I take the time to learn what my clients like, in a conversational way, and then tailor their gift for them and those spending more get more, or better quality. I handed one a bottle of Glenfarclas 25 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky worth $329 (AUD) yesterday and another a Johnnie Walker Blue Label worth $299 (AUD) but most received gifts of around $70-$100 (AUD). All seemed very pleased though, and it's amazing how many said things like, oh, a stress ball, I love these things, and ignored the bottle or carton of alcohol altogether. People are funny.
For me, this is a nice way to end the year, bringing smiles to people and having the chance to talk person to person with a little lightness and in a less business-like manner. I've got a few days of work left for this year and will spend it handing out the last of the gifts and merchandise and will end it on a high. I'll be making the most of the time off too, recharging, and plan on coming back in 2023 to kick some more ass!
How does your year end at work? Do you give or receive gifts as above, do you spend the last few weeks setting up for the new year to come, or is it business as usual all the way through? Feel free to comment below...The best comment gets my last bottle of Glenfarclas 25 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Or maybe not.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind
Any images in this post are my own
