---
title: "Author Post: Small Customer Gestures Can Have A Big Business Impact"
description: "While the vast majority of companies remain hyper-focused on sales and revenue targets, the most successful ones have centered their business around building and maintaining authentic relationships wi"
type: "news"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/46601652.md"
published_at: "2021-09-27T13:46:46.000Z"
---

# Author Post: Small Customer Gestures Can Have A Big Business Impact

> While the vast majority of companies remain hyper-focused on sales and revenue targets, the most successful ones have centered their business around building and maintaining authentic relationships with their customers.

The most successful companies have centered their business around building and maintaining authentic relationships with their customers.

getty

Humans are highly social creatures, and our relationships with one another are vitally important. Not just in our personal lives, but in business as well.

While the vast majority of companies remain hyper-focused on sales and revenue targets, the most successful ones have centered their business around building and maintaining authentic relationships with their customers. Like all relationships, it requires ongoing commitment, investment, and effort. And, as many are learning, sometimes the smallest gestures have the biggest impact.

Think about the things you do for the people you love.

You recognize and celebrate their birthdays and anniversaries. You check in periodically to see how they’re doing. You express how much you enjoy and appreciate them. You carve out time and make an effort to get together. Maybe you send unexpected notes or surprise them on occasion with a small gift.

These are little things, not grand gestures. But they go a long way in showing you care. In doing so, they help strengthen the foundations of the relationship as well as the fulfillment both parties receive from it.

And yet, we rarely do these things in business. Instead of small acts of thoughtfulness and appreciation, we send invoices, surveys, and contract renewals. We ask for likes and shares and endorsements. And we show how much we care about the \*next\* transaction, not the person, people, or relationships that make it possible. 

In 1992, author Gary Chapman popularized the “Five Love Languages” for expressing heartfelt commitment to a mate. They include:

1.  Acts of service
2.  Gift giving
3.  Physical touch
4.  Quality time
5.  Words of affirmation

With the notable exception of physical touch (professional and romantic relationships aren’t completely synonymous, of course), I believe all of these “love languages” can be applied within a business context. Not in a formulaic or programmatic way. Just little, semi-spontaneous gestures that show you’re paying attention and that you care. 

Maybe that means reaching out on your customer’s birthday or when they receive a promotion. Not via LinkedIn, because everyone does that, but with a phone call or handwritten note that will be far more memorable. 

Maybe it’s a Home Depot gift card when your customer moves to a new city. Or a gift certificate for an ice cream celebration after their child’s team wins a big sporting event.

I’m a Dallas Cowboys fan, and someone sent me a Cameo with a personalized message from Troy Aikman a while back. It was a small thing, but it made my day, gave me something fun to show my friends and family, and I’ll never forget it. 

Even company schwag, when delivered unexpectedly and with the right message of appreciation, can delight customers and provide a lasting reminder of your brand.

The right gesture depends on the individuals involved and the depth of their relationship, of course. But all employees – not just sales and marketing staff – should be encouraged to build better relationships with customers. And they should be empowered to do the little things at the moment of truth, whether it’s a special occasion or unique circumstance or opportunity to help.

But not for every customer, and not all the time. 

These gestures must be special and unexpected. They must be sincere and unselfish, without any expectation of something in return. If an act of kindness or appreciation is a thinly veiled nudge toward a contract renewal, the customer will see right through it. 

Although it’s difficult to measure, these gestures can have a dramatic impact on your business when executed correctly. In reinforcing the foundations and fulfillment of the relationship you have with your customers, they foster goodwill, word-of-mouth promotion, additional followers and positive reviews, and repeat business. 

After all, it’s the littlest things that often have the biggest impact. 

*Jeff Pedowitz is the President and CEO of The Pedowitz Group and author of the new book,* F The Funnel: A New Way To Engage Customers & Grow Revenue*.*

## Related News & Research

| Title | Description | URL |
|-------|-------------|-----|
| 埃克森美孚旗下品牌因误导性宣传被罚逾 1100 万美元 | 澳大利亚联邦法院对美孚澳大利亚公司处以 1600 万澳元（约 1130 万美元）罚款，因其在昆士兰州部分加油站销售的燃油存在误导性宣传。澳大利亚竞争与消费者委员会指控该公司虚假宣称其 “美孚 synergy 燃油” 含有特定添加剂，实际与其 | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276483171.md) |
| 特朗普暗示违法征收的关税不退了，美财长称今年关税收入将 “基本保持不变” | 美国总统特朗普暗示不会退还被最高法院裁定违法的关税，预计 2026 年关税收入将保持不变。特朗普计划签署行政令，对全球商品加征 10% 进口关税，取代被推翻的关税。财长贝森特表示，政府将利用替代法律权力维持关税收入，强调国家安全和财政收入不 | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276494362.md) |
| 特斯拉 Cybercab 已取消方向盘，中国为何还紧握不放？ | 特斯拉的 Cybercab 车型已在美国量产，设计为 L5 级完全无人驾驶，取消方向盘、踏板和后视镜，专为共享出行场景打造。该车型目标是实现高达 0.2 美元/英里的运营成本，预计长期产量将超越特斯拉其他车型总和。与中国的无人驾驶车辆如百度 | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276501836.md) |
| 美财政部让步，拟修订主权财富基金税收提案，此前遭私募业警告 | 美国财政部正就一项针对主权财富基金和公共养老基金征税方式进行全面改革的提案作出让步。相关提案此前由美国国税局提出，拟更新税法第 892 条，将这些基金持有的多数美国债务投资归为商业活动，这将令其面临被征税的风险。此前，私募信贷和私募股权公司 | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276491732.md) |
| OpenAI 计划到 2030 年投入总计约 6000 亿美元用于算力建设 | OpenAI 计划到 2030 年投入约 6000 亿美元用于算力建设，较早前的 1.4 万亿美元目标有所下调。预计 2030 年总收入将超过 2800 亿美元，支出计划与收入增长挂钩。OpenAI 正在进行超过 1000 亿美元的融资，主 | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276493385.md) |

---

> **Disclaimer**: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice.
