Boni (beau - nee)

As I grew up in India, I watched merchants treat their first customer of the day with a lot of respect. The first customer was thanked, even given a freebie, offered a cup of tea and in some cases if the customer asked for a special deal they often received it. The rationale for this exercise was to set the tone for the entire day. It was considered to be a bad omen if the first customer walked away without making a purchase so merchants were very careful to not let that happen, this practice is called Boni.

To apply this back to email, I would like to recommend the following:

• Activity/ Loyalty points: Award points for their purchases etc. the more points a prospect has should result in more opportunities/ better deals. Advertise this on your site and in your community so readers know what to expect and what will help them build elite customer status.


• First Responders: Let your top customers know about deals first, we should always make sure that our best customers are reassured they will be the first to receive information from you. A furniture company I am working with has taken this advice to heart and actually sends emails on behalf of their salespeople to their elite customers. Additionally they take the extra step of making their salespeople call these elite customers to remind them to check their inbox for that special offer.


• Quote ‘em: Ask your first group of buyers/ responders for a quote and leverage it. Publish their quote about why they are buying the product/ service on your landing page along with the date so others know it is current. This makes your site a lot more interactive, gives you additional authenticity and helps you refine your offer… most importantly you create a bond with your buyers.


• Follow a Pattern: Inform the customer about the order they just placed, ask them for feedback and leverage that feedback to get back to them promptly.


• Cross the Channel: Imagine the excitement you will create if a CSR tells your caller they were the first (or some number) phone order that day and were getting a special deal. More than exciting your customers, this will actually make your employees more enthusiastic about playing along.

What is interesting about this idea of Boni is that people always come back to the merchant they have purchased from – not necessarily the first thing in the morning, but at some point, because they have trust and an established relationship. The goal here is to build sustaining relationships as you create interactive conversations.