This is just a quick story that shows that with a little thought you can make customers feel valued and how it is often the most simple marketing ideas that can generate new customers.

My sister lives in New Zealand and loves Liz Earle cosmetic products, she can’t buy them out there, so I decided to surprise her with a gift box stuffed full of her favourite face creams and shower gels. I ordered the gift box on-line last Thursday afternoon and got a nice email thank you from them along with confirmation of the order. However, Liz Earle didn’t stop there, the next day (Friday) I received a small package, and inside was the following:

• Printed order confirmation
• A thank you note for buying from their website
• A good sized sample of their facial wash and polishing cloth, complete with a set of instructions on how to use their cleansing system.
• A compliment slip, with a hand written signature,  letting me know who had packed the envelope.

Blimey, I thought what a nice gesture, all this stuff just for me and I only made the order yesterday. So I took the facial wash and polishing cloth upstairs to the bathroom and have been using it (as per their instructions) for the last few days. I know that when it runs out I will order a full size tube of it, as it smells great and what’s more my skin does feel lovely and soft.

There was no need for Liz Earle to send me any of the stuff they did, the confirmation email would have been OK. Put that’s the point,  many companies just focus on the bare minimum of what they “need” to do.  By sending me the package they made me feel valued, and the sample was a simple way of getting me to try their products, as they know that I don’t normally buy from them. The cost to send the package was probably only 1-2% of the cost of the purchases I initially made. And from that they will get another order from me for the facial wash I have been testing. In addition they will definitely get future orders for gift sets for my sister.

What’s more my sister rang me this morning, to let me know that she had received the surprise package from me quite a few days ealier than I would have expected. She was absolutely delighted, she said that the box was lovely and the products had been wrapped in beautiful tissue paper and that they had included some samples as well.

So, think about ways that you can make your customers feel valued,  and how you can gain new customers from the ones you already have. Often a small sample, or free gift etc can make all the difference and convert cold prospects in customers hungry for your products and services.