38 thoughts on “Should We Thank A Prospect? Please Read And Weigh In!”

1. I always thanks the prospect for the time I have been afforded. Hopefully they are busy and have taking the time to see you. It is good manners and is normally received well. The start of all good relationships so to speak….

   1. Thanks for kicking us off Shaun!

2. Always thank them for their time. Courtesy never appears desperate. 25 years ago I had a client – a huge client whom I needed more than she needed me – who thanked me (every time!) for returning her call. Ever since working with her and the fine example she set, I am a firm believer that courtesy wins every time.

   1. Thank you Lisa!

3. My time is valuable and limited. I always view the prospective client in the same way. “Thanks for meeting with me today, I appreciate your time.” is a common thing for me to say as we shake hands at the end of a meeting.

   1. Thank you Teresa!

4. Paul, I can genuinely say that I have converted many prospects into customers by thanking them for their time. I have two businesses and in one of them NOBODY sends out any sort of thank you to their prospects. I have
   gotten first orders the next time I walk in just because I took a minute at night to send them a thank you card without any promotion in it. And my thought process is at the very least I’ve created a new relationship that might ultimately bear fruit in the future.

5. Courtesy costs you nothing. Neither does respect and gratitude.

   1. I agree Tom!

      Thank you!

6. Definitely thank them for their time. It’s etiquette and leaves it off on a good note. I do mostly inside sales, and I send them a handwritten thank you note and business card

7. I Always thank a prospect for their time. It is not only courteous, but shows that you may genuinely care about them! I have started many accounts and business relationships by just being nice, even if I know there is probably nothing in it for me right then, but isn’t this when the sales process starts (just after the research and meeting set up). Many of these types of meetings have turned into long lasting relationships.

   1. Thank you Blane!

8. I think thanking people for their time is only the courteous and proper thing to do. it shows respect, not subservience. we are all busy, so the fact that someone took the time to meet, share and discuss with us should be recognized with thanks.

   1. I agree Heidi!

      Thank you!

9. Thanking them leaves such a great impression. Pressures from bosses and coworkers, they could use some attention and it’s all bonus. A new client told me my thankfulness for orders from him is one of the reasons he is replacing his unappreciative former label supplier. Never hurts to be nice

   1. So what I’m hearing is that it’s not only the proper thing to do, it can lead to new/more business!
      Thank you Rich!

10. Unequivocally!

    1. Thank you Francey!

11. Thanking a client for their time is common courtesy. We get in our own way when we worry about how we appear to others. Making the other guy feel good is always good business.

12. Well put Jess!

    Thank you!

13. A wise man, my father, shared some advice early in my sales career that I still put in practice today. The advice was to follow up any key prospect/client visit or discussion with a handwritten thank you note. During follow up visits, numerous prospects produce my thank you cards and a couple have said- “I knew we were going to business with you as soon as I received your card”. Handwritten notes show that you took the time to express your appreciation and generally get read more often than an email. As our lives and work environment get busier and busier, we should remember that the small things truly do make a difference.

    1. I learned the same lesson from my father too and it’s served me well!

       Thank you Kristin!

14. I agree with all that has been said in earlier posts. Building on what Jess said: When we making others feel good it is good business and it should make ourselves feel good.

15. Are you desperate and subservient if you thank your friends for having you over for dinner ?? Same goes here – even more so. A prospect owe’s you nothing , their time is valuable so thanking them is common courtesy. If a prospect finds that desperate and subservient
    what kind of client would they become ??

16. Very true Todd!

    I wouldn’t want them as a client!

    Thank you!

17. Good manners are always appropriate and appreciated.

18. Thanking a prospect for their time simply means that you understand their time to be valuable and it extends professional courtesy. There is also a common courtesy element, especially when you ASKED for a person’s time to begin with. Think of it this way, when is it NOT appropriate to thank someone when they give you something that you ask for?? I believe most of us were taught the courtesy of “thank you” as soon as we were old enough to say it.

    However, when it comes to whether or not to ask for someone’s time at the beginning of a call….I think there are good arguments on both sides. After all, you want to be courteous but you also don’t want to give them an easy “yes/no” out. But, that is a discussion for another thread!

    1. Thank you Jordan!

19. I say “thank you” at the end of every voice mail I leave. I say “thank you” to the client who gives me a print project. I say “thank you” to every prospect that gives me the time on the phone. I say “thank you” when they agree to an appointment. It is proper manners, but it also says “I respect your time and your willingness to part with some of it to listen to me.”

    1. Great points John and now I get to say “thank you” for taking the time to stop by and share your thoughts!

20. Yes, we should always say thank you, not only for a job we get, but for the time a customer dedicates to us. Sometimes I forget to do, but will have it more in mind and always be grateful for it.

    1. Thank you Jose!

21. A Big YES! Shows respect for their time and good manners. I would prefer to work with someone who respects my time.

    1. Thank you Jamie!

22. Absolutely! It would be extremely rude not to say “thank you!”

23. I think so, and if they don’t thank me then I was not good enough.

    1. I like that Mark!

       Thank you!

24. Good morning everyone,
    I thank every prospect and client for their time or business. Paul, thank you for asking for our opinions.

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