Greetings from rural Australia,
A significant number of entrepreneurs don't want to get up close and personal with their customers.
There is a price to pay for that. Not knowing who your customers are. What they care about. Doesn't allow you to drill deep into a relationship with them. And isn't conducive to growing your business with like minded people. Because you actually don't know who those like minded people are. And what influences them.
This thread is to highlight stories that open doors. And provide business growth.
Irene rang this morning. She's been a customer for 8+ years. Before she purchased direct from me, she was given a Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover as a gift. From a friend.
Irene is a quilter. And today she was placing an order for herself. And members of her quilting group.
As is the norm with me. We started chit chatting.
Irene has been attending her quilting group every Tuesday for 20 years. She makes quilts all year long. Maybe 10 a year. And gives them away. To family. Friends. And donates some to her quilting group. Who give them to people in need.
This is one of the few hobbies I know of where the end result is not kept by the hobbyist. Quilters have big hearts. And share their works of art with others.
Irene reminded me of what I've learned about quilters over the years.
'Wrapped in Love' is a poignant story of how one quilter changed a procedure in hospitals.
Lisa is a quilter. Her first child was stillborn. Every prospective parents' nightmare.
The hospital wrapped her stillborn daughter in a hospital sheet. Allowed she and her husband a few scant minutes with her. And then whisked her away. Not to be seen again until her funeral. They had no mementos of her daughter. Not even a photograph.
Because Lisa was a member of one of the largest quilting groups in Australia, they rallied round her. And vowed that no other mother would go through the impersonal treatment she received.
'Wrapped in Love' was born.
Her quilting group made small quilts. Donated them to the hospital Lisa's daughter was born in. With the proviso they were to be given to every mother who had a stillborn child. So that mother could wrap their child in love. And that quilt be given to the mother as one of the few mementos of the short life of her child.
Over time, the hospitals changed their policy with stillborn children. And now allow as much time as parents want with their child. Including taking photographs. And yes. Those donated quilts are a significant part of that ritual.
Twenty years later, 'Wrapped In Love' is a major movement in quilting organisations. Which make quilts not just for stillborn children. But for men and women suffering cancer. And other debilitating diseases.
Every quilt is donated by the members. With no expectation to be recompensed.
Another quilter told me the story of how her group makes quilts for pensioners in nursing homes.
Men and women on the Australian pension. Who live in nursing homes. Have 90% of their pension taken by the nursing home. Leaving them with 10% of their pension. For pocket money. Which amounts to about $30/week.
Yvonne says many of these pensioners have no possessions of their own. Not even a blanket.
Her quilting groups makes about 700 quilts a year. Which they distribute to the nursing homes in their area. To be given to aged men and women. As a gift.
In many cases, it's their one and only real possession. Outside of their clothing.
Yvonne says many cry. With joy. When they receive their gift. And hug their quilts close to them. And share them with no one!
Where am I headed with this?
Because I know all this. Purely from chatting to my customers. Asking questions. And listening to their answers. I've been able to grow my business with this knowledge.
Quilters' have a toolbox. Components of which are an iron. An ironing board. And an ironing board cover. As well as a sewing machine. And an overlocker.
They can't make a good quilt without those tools.
Knowing that quilters aren't interested in money. But are interested in putting joy in the lives of others. I developed a program which I offer to quilting groups.
I offer my tool component, an ironing board cover, through a simple program. If the groups promote my ironing board cover to their members. And any member places an order using a special code. I donate 20% of their purchase price, excluding p&h, back to their quilting group. To help them pay for some of the raw materials they use to make the quilts they donate.
I NEVER discount my products. But I do look for ways to give back when purchases are made.
This 20% donation back to each quilting group has been a huge success for me. And has helped me grow my business by a significant amount.
If I wasn't asking questions. And listening to my customers. I wouldn't know what their hot buttons were. They would just be another customer. In a database.
Irene is part of my quilters program. She prefers to order by telephone. Every club has the option to order online. By telephone. Or via a downloaded order form.
And if they order in bulk, there's a flat postage rate per parcel within Australia. Regardless of how many items are in the parcel.
How big is this market segment? No one really knows. But quilters keep fabric stores in the black. I estimate that there are at least 20K dedicated members in quilting groups Australia wide. That's a significant market for me.
What do you know about your customers?
And how can you turn that information into significant growth for your company?
I'd love to hear your stories. ~Carol❤
A significant number of entrepreneurs don't want to get up close and personal with their customers.
There is a price to pay for that. Not knowing who your customers are. What they care about. Doesn't allow you to drill deep into a relationship with them. And isn't conducive to growing your business with like minded people. Because you actually don't know who those like minded people are. And what influences them.
This thread is to highlight stories that open doors. And provide business growth.
Irene rang this morning. She's been a customer for 8+ years. Before she purchased direct from me, she was given a Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover as a gift. From a friend.
Irene is a quilter. And today she was placing an order for herself. And members of her quilting group.
As is the norm with me. We started chit chatting.
Irene has been attending her quilting group every Tuesday for 20 years. She makes quilts all year long. Maybe 10 a year. And gives them away. To family. Friends. And donates some to her quilting group. Who give them to people in need.
This is one of the few hobbies I know of where the end result is not kept by the hobbyist. Quilters have big hearts. And share their works of art with others.
Irene reminded me of what I've learned about quilters over the years.
'Wrapped in Love' is a poignant story of how one quilter changed a procedure in hospitals.
Lisa is a quilter. Her first child was stillborn. Every prospective parents' nightmare.
The hospital wrapped her stillborn daughter in a hospital sheet. Allowed she and her husband a few scant minutes with her. And then whisked her away. Not to be seen again until her funeral. They had no mementos of her daughter. Not even a photograph.
Because Lisa was a member of one of the largest quilting groups in Australia, they rallied round her. And vowed that no other mother would go through the impersonal treatment she received.
'Wrapped in Love' was born.
Her quilting group made small quilts. Donated them to the hospital Lisa's daughter was born in. With the proviso they were to be given to every mother who had a stillborn child. So that mother could wrap their child in love. And that quilt be given to the mother as one of the few mementos of the short life of her child.
Over time, the hospitals changed their policy with stillborn children. And now allow as much time as parents want with their child. Including taking photographs. And yes. Those donated quilts are a significant part of that ritual.
Twenty years later, 'Wrapped In Love' is a major movement in quilting organisations. Which make quilts not just for stillborn children. But for men and women suffering cancer. And other debilitating diseases.
Every quilt is donated by the members. With no expectation to be recompensed.
Another quilter told me the story of how her group makes quilts for pensioners in nursing homes.
Men and women on the Australian pension. Who live in nursing homes. Have 90% of their pension taken by the nursing home. Leaving them with 10% of their pension. For pocket money. Which amounts to about $30/week.
Yvonne says many of these pensioners have no possessions of their own. Not even a blanket.
Her quilting groups makes about 700 quilts a year. Which they distribute to the nursing homes in their area. To be given to aged men and women. As a gift.
In many cases, it's their one and only real possession. Outside of their clothing.
Yvonne says many cry. With joy. When they receive their gift. And hug their quilts close to them. And share them with no one!
Where am I headed with this?
Because I know all this. Purely from chatting to my customers. Asking questions. And listening to their answers. I've been able to grow my business with this knowledge.
Quilters' have a toolbox. Components of which are an iron. An ironing board. And an ironing board cover. As well as a sewing machine. And an overlocker.
They can't make a good quilt without those tools.
Knowing that quilters aren't interested in money. But are interested in putting joy in the lives of others. I developed a program which I offer to quilting groups.
I offer my tool component, an ironing board cover, through a simple program. If the groups promote my ironing board cover to their members. And any member places an order using a special code. I donate 20% of their purchase price, excluding p&h, back to their quilting group. To help them pay for some of the raw materials they use to make the quilts they donate.
I NEVER discount my products. But I do look for ways to give back when purchases are made.
This 20% donation back to each quilting group has been a huge success for me. And has helped me grow my business by a significant amount.
If I wasn't asking questions. And listening to my customers. I wouldn't know what their hot buttons were. They would just be another customer. In a database.
Irene is part of my quilters program. She prefers to order by telephone. Every club has the option to order online. By telephone. Or via a downloaded order form.
And if they order in bulk, there's a flat postage rate per parcel within Australia. Regardless of how many items are in the parcel.
How big is this market segment? No one really knows. But quilters keep fabric stores in the black. I estimate that there are at least 20K dedicated members in quilting groups Australia wide. That's a significant market for me.
What do you know about your customers?
And how can you turn that information into significant growth for your company?
I'd love to hear your stories. ~Carol❤
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