By Rex Hammock

On the Tuesday before each Thanksgiving,
we share this idea. And with it, we send our deepest thanks.

Not long ago, the most powerful word in marketing was the word FREE.
That era ended with the creation of filters that automatically translate that word into spam.

Now, we believe the most powerful word in marketing is THANKS.

In his book The Thank You Economy, Gary Vaynerchuk explains how the internet has created a shift in the way businesses are expected to behave—one that evokes an earlier age when customer and seller knew each other by name.

In this new era, the word thanks isn’t merely a clichéd coda to a business transaction. Gratitude is now the necessary mortar for cementing relationships in which buyer and seller are bound by mutual trust and respect.

Of course, the word thanks is not merely a powerful marketing word. Scientists are discovering that living with a sense of gratitude is connected to a wide array of physical and emotional benefits.

On Thursday, as Americans commemorate the prayerful thanksgiving of our country’s first European settlers, we will celebrate a holiday focused on an even higher role of gratitude.

In her book Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers, Anne Lamott writes about this kind of thanks:

“Gratitude begins in our hearts and then dovetails into behavior. It almost always makes you willing to be of service, which is where the joy resides … When you are aware of all that has been given to you, in your lifetime and in the past few days, it is hard not to be humbled, and pleased to give back.”

Happy Thanksgiving.

And once again, thank you for letting us share these biweekly Idea Emails with you throughout the year.

Image: Getty Images



About Hammock Healthcare Idea Email |
This post is part of Hammock’s award-winning Idea Email series. Idea Emails are sent every other week and share one insightful marketing idea. Idea Email comes in two flavors: Original and Healthcare. To subscribe to the original Idea Email (general marketing ideas), click here . To subscribe to the Healthcare Idea Email (healthcare marketing ideas), click here.