Transaction Marketing - Start with the Little Things

One of the most frequently overlooked marketing angles is also incredibly easy to implement - transaction marketing.  Every transaction that occurs in your business should be part of your marketing mix, crafted, socialized, and on-brand.  Let me share some examples:

1. How do you answer your phone?  If you have a business phone number, and people answer it, take a moment to craft your message.  We've all called a business and gotten the "Thank you for calling MYBIZ, home of the stupendous deals on nearly everything, how may I direct your call" routine.  That's a little much for my taste.  Consider something on the order of "XYZ Business, we're glad you called!"  or "XYZ Business, how can we make your day?"  You're setting the tone for the relationship right from the get-go.  And yes, people do still use the telephone; I'm sure of it.
2. Does your accounting department send emails to your customers?  If so, do they say "Enclosed is a copy of the invoice you requested," and that's it?  Consider a more customer-friendly message:  "Enclosed is a copy of the invoice you requested.  We're so glad to count you among our clients.  Don't hesitate to call me personally if there's anything I can do for you."
3. Are your invoices just invoices?  There's another opportunity to reinforce your brand.  Think beyond the typical "Thank you for your business" boilerplate.  How about "Thank you for inviting us to do this work for you.  If you'd like to discuss anything, Bob Smith, our CEO, would be glad to hear from you."
4. Does your business take appointments and then call to confirm them?  Assuming you don't have a robo-confirmer (like my dentist's office does, irritating), consider "We are really looking forward to seeing you on X date."  Side benefit - people are less likely to cancel on you when you've told them you're looking forward to seeing them.
5. Do you have a corporate standard for email signature blocks?  Create one.  If being environmentally friendly is one of your brand attributes, add the line "Please consider the environment before printing this email."

These are just a few things that are easy changes for most businesses to make, but are often neglected.  Don't overlook any opportunity to reinforce your brand and build brand loyalty. 

What other transactions would you say lend themselves to reinforcing your brand?