As an author, speaker and business etiquette expert, I submit articles to EzineArticles from time to time. When going through the incoming mail on Monday this week, I was in receipt of a small package. It was from EzineArticles.

The package consisted of a nice coffee mug with a card from the CEO. It was basically a thank you for being an expert author and true authority in offering unique articles on a continual basis. The note continued by stating the company looked forward to future articles and furthermore, thanked me for being a part of the EzineArticles community!

Although this was unexpected, it was such a nice gesture, I feel it is important to highlight REAL acts of Lagniappe Service when it happens in day to day business.

Here are some thoughts:

It was a surprise, something not expected.

It was thoughtful and told me I was valuable.

It created a sense of belonging and appreciation.

Think about how you can do this for your clients and customers. What can you do that is unexpected, thoughtful, and shows appreciation. This is where the rubber meets the road and how you turn a contact into a connection. Cultivating influence and loyalty takes effort, but with a little thought it can pay big dividends.

I plan to use this as an example for future training to show how the little things do make a difference.