Jun 28, 2010

A little thankfulness takes Dandelion Patch stationery stores a long wayBy Vickie ElmerWashingtonPost.com

Two years ago just as the economy was sinking, Heidi Kallett urged a group of business owners to write 50 thank-you notes over a year, calling it “the Heidi challenge.”

She told them: “I’m willing to bet that your business will improve as a result.”

Sure enough, she said, sales increased “exponentially more” for three companies whose owners wrote them vs. the companies of those who did not.

These days, the owner of a pair of upscale stationery stores is still espousing the importance of thank-you notes, not just for the sake of old-fashioned good manners, but as a tool to improve relationships with employees and customers. “It’s one very easy way to differentiate yourself from your competitors,” she said.

Kallet’s Dandelion Patch shops have grown faster than the weed they are named for, with sales increasing from $125,000 in 2005 when she bought her first store to around $2.5 million last year. The gains came from a new larger store in Vienna, a second location in Reston, the addition of more gift items aimed at women and a clear focus on well-heeled brides. Yet the thank-you notes really helped when the economy was struggling.

Kallett, who said she has “a passion to make things more personal,” wrote more than 100 thank-yous to her vendors, people she met at networking events and especially her best customers. Those customers received handwritten notes that said, “We are so glad to be part of your life. If there’s anything we can do, here’s my personal e-mail,” and that helped build customer loyalty and repeat sales.

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