What's the best way to tell clients/ business partners "thank you" when you're on a budget?

Agree with Matt! I used handwritten cards and send them to people that give me referrals, clients, etc.

Sometimes I also send out gift baskets!

@SandraBaptist

A sincere thank you, with a handwritten card or note is always the very best thing to do and ultimately, the safest. Many companies have very strict policies, as they should, about the company as a whole or individual employees receiving gifts. Gifts that are given only to management or certain employees can create resentment among the other employees.

I have always advocated in articles and newsletters that givng to a charity in the name of your client or business partner (or a company) not only can help you stay within budget but also give back to your community. If the company is a national one, then give to a national charity but if it is more local then give to your local food bank to help those less fortunate.

This is also a good idea in lieu of the Christmas business gift. The President of a company might get 5 hams and turkeys when he/she could well afford to buy their own while the rank and file get nothing and may be struggling to put food on the table. Unless you can afford to give something to everyone in a company then opt for a donation. Other companies will respect that you are demonstrating a social conscience and trying to help others. If they don't respect it, then you might want to rethink that relationship.

I agree with all the above, but would add that the thank you note should not only be handwritten, but personal, mentioning something that was part of an interaction between you or a conversation, so it's not a 'stock' thank you note.

And one of the best ways to say thank you to customers or partners is to exceed their expectations and give great service.

Forgive me if I'm not answering the specific question, but the best way to thank you customers "on the cheap" is to do it all year. Train your customer-facing teams to say "thank you" more often. Include thank you messages (in a variety of forms) in all of your customer communications. Occasionally "surprise" your customers with a little something extra, don't charge for that extra quarter pound of pastrami at the deli counter,

I wrote about this earlier this week, implying that this week is probably not the best time to start thanking your customers. More on that below:

http://www.heinzmarketing.com/2011/11/this-is-the-wrong-week-to-start-thankin...

Caty, my answer will necessarily give a huge shout out to one of my favorite vendors.

About 2 weeks after I enrolled with AWeber, I received a phone call directly from my sales rep. It did NOT contain any offers of upgrade or other services. She ONLY said 'Thank you for enrolling with Aweber. I truly appreciate having you as my customer and if I can help in any way, please let me know.'

Now I am going to divulge a secret. I have a $25 gift card to Olive Garden in my wallet. I honestly cannot remember who gave it to me.

Which was the better "thank you"?

I think a personal, human voice expressing genuine appreciation trumps "stuff" every time. It is biologically wired into us. And after all these years, it is AWeber I remember, not what's-their-names.

Together, lets put the fun back into work!
Belldon Colme
belldoncolme@gmail.com

For clients I sometimes provide them with a discount coupon or a price reduction on their next bill. I know all my customers birth dates so I regularly send them a "Tim Horton's" $10 coffee pre-paid card on their birthday. For those clients who have also done work for me and have gone above and beyond, I will post a sincere and well earned recommendation to LinkedIn or Facebook.

I try to thank my business partners as often as possible and share ideas with them also. Many appreciate the feedback and the fact that you're simply paying attention.

Most people know times are tough, so a thank you in even the simplest terms carries a great deal of weight. When you truly care about your customers and partners they give it right back to you. When we're all rolling in the greenbacks, then you can take them for that filet mignon at the Ruth Chris steakhouse.