????“我們沒有銷售任何東西，整個活動非常低調。我們只是站起來，自我介紹了兩分鐘，”卡萊特說。然后，她們開始派發入場獎品和“紅包”。

????鮑威琳當時還邀請當地十幾家商戶參加了這次午餐會，他們也有意會見她的客戶們；這些合作伙伴和其他商家現在都成了活動的贊助者，還在各自的商圈內充當起這家豪車租賃公司的“宣傳大使”。

????答謝餐會產生了很好的效果：去年，該公司的收入增加27%。在鮑威琳看來，這主要應該歸功于每年大約舉辦10次的客戶答謝午餐活動。2009年9月份，她將租金提高了10%，并開始征收燃油附加費，但是“客戶們連眼睛也沒眨一下。因為我們已經建立了長期持久的業務關系，”她說。

????“當初我想出這個主意的時候是為了幫助好友海蒂，但沒想到最后我自己反倒成了最大的受益者，”鮑威琳說。

????譯者：任文科

????"We don't sell anything. It's very low key. We just stand up and introduce ourselves for two minutes," says Kallett. Then they give away door prizes and swag bags.

????Bouweiri came up with a dozen other local business owners who also would be interested in meeting her clients; these partners and others now sponsor the event - and serve as "ambassadors" for the limo company in their circles.

????The appreciation lunches have paid off: Last year, revenues at the company increased by 27%, mostly as a result, she says, of the client appreciation lunches, which are held about 10 times a year. Even when she raised rates 10% and added a fuel surcharge in September 2009, "customers were not batting an eyelash. We've created long-term lasting relationships," she says.

????"I came up with this idea because I was trying to help Heidi -- and I ended up helping myself," said Bouweiri.