The Power of Gratitude

Here's a quick lesson in marketing from a cottage industry crafter on the other side of the globe. Earlier this year, I purchased a unique poncho on Etsys from a lady in Turkey.

I had reached out to this Etsys shop owner Bilges to see if she could create her striped poncho in custom colors of the Irish flag for St. Patrick's Day. 

We spent time back and forth on the site looking at the colors. We agreed and she hand knit my poncho. It arrived in time for the holiday, directly from Turkey. The global community of crafters that is Etsys never ceases to amaze me, one world indeed. I truly believe commerce and trade is the way to world peace.

So here's the lesson we can take back to our savvy digital marketing world: it is that there is power in authentic gratitude. Along with my poncho, a handwritten card was included in the package.

In the note, she shared her joy in creating the poncho and included a small token from her culture before asking sincerely for a rating which would help her grow her business. Of course I happily helped out by spreading the joy with a 5-star rating. 

Sometimes it's the small thoughtful extra touches that build a relationship. In business we can apply this to something as simple as sending a handwritten card at the close of a project. Maybe even a gift basket of cookies or fruit for an office. The reminder here is to pause to say thanks. 

Margee Moore is an inbound marketing professional, digital marketing consultant and mother of two teens. She is author of the book Sleeping with the Laundry: Notes from the Mommy Track available on Amazon.