I have a Take What You Need display in my massage studio, and invite clients to choose a card to take with them as they leave. So far the most popular ones are Breathe, Patience, and You are enough.

I could tell a customer was having a really hard day, so when she came to the register to make a purchase, I gave her a You are amazing card. The last time I saw her, she said she still had it.


Below are seven different opportunities to use Kindness Cards to surprise and delight your customers, clients, supporters, and prospects. That these small actions aren’t required or expected is precisely what makes them powerful. Give it a try and see for yourself!

When You Meet People
Networking events, and simple day-to-day interactions, are great opportunities to make people smile. Carry a set of cards around with you along with your business cards, and when you have an enjoyable interaction with someone, give them one as a way to remember you and the conversation you had.

After a Sales Inquiry
There is no need to wait for someone to buy from you before appreciating them. That they took the time to learn about your business is reason itself to be thankful, and your gratitude could be the deciding factor between you and a competitor. Even if they never become a customer, they are likely to think and speak kindly about you to others.

  • If yours is a service-based business, send them a card and handwritten note after your initial conversation

  • If you have a retail store, hand first-time visitors a card just to thank them for stopping in

After a Purchase
Without customers who purchase from you, you wouldn’t have a sustainable operation! So thanking them for their money is important.

  • For mail orders, include a card along with your shipped product - it’s a little something extra that they don’t expect

  • Send a connection card and handwritten note, or even a small welcome gift, after a customer or client signs up to work with you. Choose messages appropriate to the project (e.g., if you sense that they are apprehensive about the work ahead, send something motivating or reassuring).

At Project Milestones
For long-term projects or ongoing service relationships, use cards to acknowledge breakthroughs & successes, challenges & turning points, and of course, end results. Messages (and if appropriate, gifts) customized to the person are a reminder that you are paying attention and care about their interests and experience. Did they reach a goal? Break a personal record? Persevere through something that scared them? All can be acknowledged with a well-chosen card.

For Past Customers
Your relationship doesn’t have to end when a purchase has been made or project has been completed. You can send a card to follow up after a few months, or to celebrate the 1-year anniversary of a purchase, event, or project completion. You can also send cards each year on birthdays and holidays.

After a Referral
One of the greatest gifts a customer can give you is a personal referral, and one of the best ways to invite more of those referrals is to appreciate the ones you get. This can be as simple as a card and handwritten note expressing your excitement about working with their friend or family member.

For Personal Reasons
Cards don’t just have to be business-related. If you learn that a customer or client is going through a hard time (death, illness, layoff, divorce) or celebrating a joy (birthday, anniversary, birth, graduation) it is okay to reach out to them as one human being to another.