Putting thought into the small things - like branding your food wrap or packaging - not only makes your brand look fire 🔥, but also communicates a level of intention to your customers.
Like I mentioned in my previous blog post, when something in your business is sloppily thrown together and doesn’t look cohesive with your brand, your customers might start to ask, Well, what else in here was an afterthought?
Conversely, I want to talk today about what happens when you do the opposite and put thought into the details of your business that a customer (or staff member) might interact with.
Caring about the small things directly affects your customers. When every detail is minded, customers are going to:
(1) Take you/your business more seriously,
(2) Respect your business and its values, and
(3) Become loyal customers that keep returning
We’ll cover the following about the power of details and how you can harness this power for your business:
(1) Small things compound - for better or worse
(2) Details are an unexpected, pleasant surprise
(2) Details are financially accessible (aka - AFFORDABLE!) so you can work on them RIGHT NOW
Let’s get into it!
Small things compound - for better or worse
There’s a book called The Slight Edge that my dad gave me one Christmas when I was in college.
The premise of the book is that small habits executed on a consistent basis, while feeling and seeming insignificant at the time, will eventually culminate in massive progress towards your goals.
Applying that here, I want to suggest that caring about small things in your business - like your paper products or packaging materials - will result in big gains and loyal customers down the road.
Let’s look at a couple of examples:
Success story: DoubleTree
DoubleTree - an international hotel franchise - is well-known for giving freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies to their guests when they check in.
According to DoubleTree’s website, they do this because “it represents our constant dedication to our guests and thoughtful touches that ensure you feel special and cared for throughout your stay.”
It’s not just about the cookie. It’s about the customers and making them feel welcome.
Rationales like this build brand loyalty.
Come on, you’re thinking. A cookie builds brand loyalty?
Maybe not on its own. But as one of many brand touchpoints throughout a guest’s stay, it’s an important part of the equation.
(AND another crumb to nibble on: it’s the FIRST thing a guest is greeted by when they enter a DoubleTree. Interesting…)
This practice of serving homemade cookies - by itself a small thing - has compounded, and now DoubleTree has a cookie recipe that went viral when they released it to the public in 2020.
People remember the cookies, but even more, they remember how they felt coming into the hotel after a weary day of travel and receiving the simple but poignant gift of a warm, home-baked cookie in a place that feels nothing like home.
These kinds of feelings and experiences are powerful!
Now let’s look at a not-so-sweet story about what happens when details are neglected.
Nightmare story: Log4J
You’ve probably heard about this one in the news recently.
A faulty piece of software called Log4J was the center of a massive cybersecurity attack.
I won’t bore you with the details, but according to the Morning Brew, a flaw in the software’s code that allowed hackers to break in has reportedly been around since 2013, but it wasn’t until November 2021 that a warning was sent out.
Now, let me just go ahead and say I am NOT blaming developers for the Log4J cyberattack. I don’t know enough about the issue to point fingers at all.
But I do want to view this as an example of what happens when a small detail, left unchecked, compounds massively in all the wrong ways.
Ignoring the details of your own business may not result in a worldwide cyberattack, but it will send a message to your customers that maybe you can’t be trusted to deliver a top product or service to them consistently.
These messages stick with your customers too. And you know what they say: Hell hath no fury like an unhappy customer.
The details are an unexpected, pleasant surprise
When I visited Pryde’s Kitchen and Necessities in Kansas City for the first time, I was expecting to shop for kitchen supplies.
I was both shocked and delighted when I was greeted moments after entering the store with the question, “Would you like any tea or coffee?”
As an avid coffee drinker, I definitely wanted coffee.
I was planning to go shop for Christmas gifts, but Pryde’s went the extra mile to make sure I was warm and cozy while I shopped.
Details like complimentary coffee are unexpected and, when delivered well, a pleasant surprise. They show your customers you care about them beyond their location within your sales funnel.
Customers will notice and remember the touches that made their experience with you personal. And if they’re anything like me, they’ll be a repeat customer.
With only repeat customers to lose, what’s stopping you from incorporating unexpected, significant details into your business?
How you can start minding the details of your business RIGHT NOW!
Let’s get back to you, the business owner. You might be wondering how you can afford extraneous details when you’re running a business with such close margins.
The good news is that details in your business are financially accessible and can fit any price point.
And regardless of how much you spend, they all have the same return on investment!
Here are a few ideas at varying price points to help you get started:
Price point: free (just costs you your time :))
Send a handwritten thank you note with the customers’ check or inside the package.
Here’s one I received not long ago from one of my favorite vintage sellers on Instagram, @oleanderandpalm
Note from Jeran of Oleander and Palm
Price point: middle of the road ($$ on Yelp)
Physical merch (stickers, matchbooks, a cool postcard)
Here are some stickers and ostcards I’ve saved from various businesses over the years
Clockwise from top left: The Savoy at 21C, Saint Lennon, Cracked Eggery, Le Diplomate, Sunday Suns by Tad Carpenter, KCM Studio Ink, Varsity Donuts
Price point: big investment ($$$ on Yelp)
Branded food wrap and packaging materials for your everyday business needs
Here is the beautifully branded packaging I received from Burny Wilds with a free t-shirt and bottle of BW Adventure Sauce that I won.
Burny Wilds Adventure Sauce and t-shirt with branded tissue paper beneath.
In the new year, I will be releasing a FREE worksheet to help you think through the details of your business - at a variety of price points and for a variety of industries. Keep an eye on my Instagram for the latest updates!
To conclude…
I wanted to start this conversation because I believe that the details in your business really do add up!
Whether it’s a cup of coffee or an extra visual touchpoint in your packaging, the investment is worth it if it means your customers feel cared for or treated to a special experience.
When your customer sees that the paper their sandwich is wrapped in matches the stamp on their takeout bag and the mural on the side of your building, they’ll see that you have your shit together.
Once they know that, they’ll respect you,
And people like to buy from people they respect.
If you want to talk through what this might mean for your business, DM me on Instagram @lucyman.draws or email me via the contact form on my website - I’d LOVE to chat with you about how to apply these ideas in your industry! No strings attached, just a conversation to get to know you and your unique business.
Ready to go all in and hire me to level up the details in your business with sharp design and quirky, unique illustrations? Fill out that same contact form on my website, and I’ll get in touch in 2022!