href="http://www.360connext.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Thanksgiving.jpg"> class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1795" title="Thanksgiving" src="http://www.360connext.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Thanksgiving-300x240.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="240" />This is Thanksgiving week in the United States, so this is probably about the 16 billionth blog post on gratitude. We all know we SHOULD be thankful, and this time of year I believe many of us actually are. A few years ago, Oprah’s cause du jour was gratitude journals. Each day, in an act of enlightenment, we should really be recording several things we’re thankful for and why we are grateful. I love the idea of this, but I admit I’m pretty bad at executing it. I find that at the end of the day I’m so grateful for a nice bed and a few minutes of mindless tv or reading that I want nothing else at that moment, let alone additional assignments.

In the spirit of this holiday, however, I started thinking about my clients. Of course I’m grateful because they pay my invoices and allow me the opportunity to title="Naming the Demon" href="http://www.360connext.com/naming-the-demon/">work for myself. However, thinking about the true depth of my gratitude created an awareness of all the amazing things they bring me – not just this month but every month.

href="http://www.360connext.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/thankyouwords.jpg"> class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1799" title="thankyouwords" src="http://www.360connext.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/thankyouwords-300x202.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="202" />My clients allow me to explore industries and environments I otherwise wouldn’t.

I’m perpetually curious, so this is a great thing. This year alone, I’ve tapped into cloud computing, beauty retail, education, flooring and community banking. It’s exciting to learn about various industries, and I wouldn’t be as title="Apathy as Your Company’s Main Competition" href="http://www.360connext.com/apathy-as-your-companys-main-competition/">educated a consumer without the work I do for my clients.

My work allows me to meet awesome, inspiring people. Thanks to social media, conferences, and introductions, I have met really incredible friends, partners and connectors.

Evaluations I do on a title="Customer Experience Investigator: A Day In The Life" href="http://www.360connext.com/customer-experience-investigator-a-day-in-the-life/">nearly daily basis prove to teach me things I don’t necessarily want to keep learning – like patience and starting from scratch when things don’t go as planned.

These same evaluations also provide many “a ha” moments which make it all worthwhile.

I’m so fortunate. Thank you to my clients, colleagues, friends, foes and competitors for all you do for me.

Customers provide so much – not just a paycheck. Have you considered what you should really thank them for?

Artwork Credit: href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bennthewolfe/" target="_blank">bennthewolfe & href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/" target="_blank">woodleywonderworks

class="evernoteSiteMemory"> href="javascript:" onclick="Evernote.doClip({title: 'Real Gratitude for Clients and Customers on 360Connext',url: 'http://www.360connext.com/real-gratitude-for-clients-and-customers/',contentID: 'post-1793',suggestTags: 'Customer Experience,linkedin,networking,Thanksgiving',providerName: '360Connext',styling: 'text' });return false" class="evernoteSiteMemoryLink"> src="http://static.evernote.com/article-clipper.png" class="evernoteSiteMemoryButton" />

class="evernoteSiteMemoryClear"> 

Comments