When a total stranger becomes a customer, it blows me away! I always feel a little surprised, then honoured and delighted when I see a name pop up that I don’t recognize. Someone other than my family is buying something I’ve designed!
How does a person become a customer?
It takes a lot of trust in a small business owner and their products to purchase something online. It’s sight unseen. You’re making a decision based on a photo and a description. You can’t see it up close, touch it, or try it on. It’s a leap of faith.
Based on my own purchasing experience and that of my customers, there’s a very long runway from the point of casually scrolling online to actually entering a credit card # to pay. That’s the warm up period and it could take days, weeks, months, even years.
Maybe we see an ad or post on social media and it piques our interest. Or, a friend makes a recommendation. We might check the brand’s Facebook or Instagram page. From there we might check out their website. We look at the size charts and eventually get around to measuring ourselves. But, first we have to find a measuring tape! Maybe one day we get inspired to add an item to the cart.
Add to cart
Then we get distracted or we’re still not sure so it sits there and eventually gets removed. Hence, the long runway.
However, recently two new customers have come aboard COKANNA. One is in Edmonton, Alberta and the other is in Newfoundland.
Janis in Alberta
The first, Janis in Alberta, inquired about free shipping. I often get questions about shipping and typically that’s where it ends. But much to my surprise, I received an order from Janis shortly thereafter. She explained that my explanation on why shipping was not free convinced her to support me and my business. And there was that feeling of honour and delight!
She first ordered a pair of the Joy bamboo pocket pants. And then, she ordered 9 more pairs, for herself and her mom too. She wrote, “I had to order the rest. I wore my first pair again and remembered how nice they are.” And, now she’s purchased over 20 items in the last few months. She has sent me wonderful reviews. As you can imagine, I’m over the moon!
Janis purchased all the Size 4 Petite & Regular length Joy pants but I still have Tall’s left. At 50%, you can always shorten them.
Pam in Newfoundland
The second customer is from the opposite end of the country. Pam in Newfoundland first connected with me via a Facebook message. She’d been eyeing my clothes for a while but wasn’t sure about size. I totally get that. When she measured herself, she was right on the cusp of a Size 2(M) and Size 3(L). I appreciated how she reached out with questions about the sizing and asked for my recommendation.
Eventually Pam took a chance and ordered a Size 3. I had this niggling feeling in the back of my mind that a Size 2 would be a better fit. I don’t know why because I’ve never seen Pam in person. Long story short, she did have to return the Size 3 in exchange for a 2, all the while keeping her fingers crossed that it would be a better fit. I’m happy to report it all worked out. Pam has since ordered a number of pieces from me including pre-ordering the Pamela hoodie, the Joan trousers, and the new cropped cardi.
Pamela Hoodie in dark charcoal
Joan bamboo trousers in black
Cropped bamboo cardi in black
Pam has commented, “Your clothes are beautiful. I absolutely love the fabric. It’s hard to find quality clothing made in Canada and you provide great customer service.”
I’m so grateful to new customers, like Janis and Pam, for taking a chance on me and my bamboo clothing. And, I never forget my loyal customers who have been with me from the beginning. You all fill me up and make my heart sing with gratitude. Thank you!
Final thought, if you love my clothing, then please spread the word. Word of mouth advertising is how we local small businesses stay in business and grow.
Until next time,
~ Colleen
I’m a recovering Chartered Accountant and Breast Cancer Champion turned Fashion Designer. My COKANNA Canadian-made bamboo clothing is all about comfort and style. Giving back to the community is important to me so I support local breast cancer organizations who treat the whole person and not just the disease.
