LittleBigStuff

via cellardesigns

They DO Add Up

In this edition of Work It Wednesday, I'd like you to think about the little things and how they affect your business.  (Remember, I've said it before, a lot of the stuff from Work It Wednesday can be applied to life in general).

Do you pay attention to the little things? Or do you think 'little' things won't make a difference? Do you subscribe to the belief that you need to make a 'big' splash to get noticed and be successful?

Personally, I am a big proponent of 'little' things. I think it's the little things, that are often overlooked, that give us the biggest bang for our buck and make the most impact.

via heritagevalleypotter

What little things am I talking about? Well, these are just some of the little things that I do, that I believe make a difference and helps to set me apart from others:

• letting a customer know that you've received their order
• thanking a customer for visiting your store
• writing a personal note to go along with a product shipment 
• offering a 'thank you discount' to people who have purchased something from you
• including 'something' extra in a product shipment, that a customer is not expecting (think--- blue dinosaur) with their purchase
• sending a link along to another shop owner I know, that I think they'd be interested in
• saying thanks to those who take the time to include our shop in a treasury
• paying it forward by sponsoring giveaways, not just here on Mercantile Muse, but on other blogs to give them a helping hand
• package my product thoughtfully and include our logo on each thing that leaves my little office/studio

That's just for starters. What? You're not convinced that these things make a difference? Consider this:

"If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in the dark with a mosquito." -unknown

The little guy, that's you and me, can be effective,when we use our 'littleness' to our advantage and employ all the things we have at our command. Some of the easiest, and least expensive marketing tools you've got are your very own 'little things'.

Lessons To Be Learned From The 'Hangry' Pillow

Remember the 'hangry' pillow I featured last week, from the etsy shop mybeardedpigeon?

via mybeardedpigeon

As I do with any post where I feature a fellow etsy shop owner, I sent a message to each one that I had included in my favorite finds that day.  Most people usually respond with some kind of thanks, which is nice. On more than one occasion however, some shops who could probably do with some more sales, have not responded. Not at all. Not with 'I'll check it out', or 'thanks so much', or 'hey that made my day'. With nothing. Nada. Zippo.  What's interesting is, on more than one occasion, a successful shop owner that I've featured, one whose shop is rocking and rolling, has taken the time to say even more than thanks.

Case in point, Cath, from mybeardedpigeon who sent this nice note:

"Thank you so much for the lovely feature on your blog. My daughter says to me mum you need to eat something... you are HANGRY. Before I made this a cushion I didn't know anyone else who got HANGRY, seems to be a lot of us.

Now off you go and eat something!

Kindly
Cath"

See, the thing about this note is that it made me stop and think. Here's this woman over in New South Wales, Australia, a world away from me and who has had close to 1700 sales since March of 2010, who still managed to take to time to say thanks and make a personal connection.

Then I thought to myself, hhhhmmmm, I may have read something by Cath before and if I remember what she wrote correctly, she is doing exactly what she advised others to do. 

A few messages back and forth between us and we figured out that I had read some of her thoughts on Epheriell Designs, Jess Van Diem's blog. I think you should read it (btw, if you don't subscribe to Jess's blog, you should do that too).  It's all about doing the little things and how doing those things made a difference to her etsy business. (Don't miss what Cath has to say about marketing your product. She is really tuned into what makes her product unique and how that helps her market her product, something we've been discussing on Work It Wednesdays).

via AccentsbyAustin

Now, before you dismiss the little things and decide they aren't what will make a difference to your business, think long and hard. When was the last time you did business with someone who went above and beyond what you expected and how did that make you feel? Pet Peeve Alert: What about the last time you walked into a store and the clerk, who may have even been the owner, didn't even acknowledge you? How that made you feel? Personally, I choose to spend my hard earned money when and where I feel appreciated, not when I am made to feel like I don't matter.   

To hit the point home about little things, check out this great story about LaCoste on Jim Joseph's blog The Experience Effect, which also addresses how little things make a difference. Please note the name of Jim's blog......because whether you're selling and product or a service, it's all about the 'experience you create' for your customers.

What little things do you do to set your business apart? What experiences have you had as a customer that proved to you that little things make a difference? What new 'little things' do you think you can employ to make your business stand out from the crowd?

I encourage you to share in the comments so we can all help each other learn and grow. That's what it's all about here on Work it Wednesday.

See you on the flip side,