Last night I bought a new computer online from Apple.

This morning in my inbox there was a message from Apple: "Thanks for purchasing your Mac." Wow, a thank you! In the e-mail were links to tutorials on how to get the most out of my new purchase, with the statement, "We can wait to show you around."

What an amazing thing: Not only did they say thank you (You do thank your clients, volunteers and donors, right?), but the content of the message gives added value and the tone speaks volumes about their excitement and passion for their product. Almost makes me want to buy another one. (Sigh! My accountant only gave me permission to buy one.)

I have already passed this message on to someone and now I am blogging about it. How's that for word of mouth promotion?

We can't all have glitzy product demonstration videos, but we can all add value as a way to show our thanks. It could be in the form of a token gift, an offer to demonstrate, adding their name to a draw, a donation in their name, or a bonus offer. Something as simple as a thank you note card says we thought specially of you. But be creative and memorable - something worth talking about.

How have you said thank you to a client, donor or volunteer? Tell us how in a comment. Join the conversation.