I like boxes.
And cases.
And containers.
In fact, often I like boxes more than the present inside.
(A friend once recognized that.
"The gift is inside," she told me, eyes twinkling,
"but I know you're going to love the box."
It is beautiful deep green handmade paper.
I still use it.)
Four months ago we bought a Jambox. Love it. Carry it with me everywhere. Use it in the car and in meetings, in the office, in the loft, I use it a lot. Today I was cleaning up and decided to throw away the box the Jambox comes in.
(It is a beautiful box.
Lucite on top, black on the bottom.
I might save that Lucite part.)
Before I threw it away I decided to look in the bottom. Lo and behold more accoutrement. There was a USB connector, and I'd already been using the USB connector, so I'm not exactly sure why there's a second one.
And I found a case. This case is really cool. It folds into a flat skinny little slip; it has magnetic closures; it looks like I could leave the case on while I'm using the Jambox.
I like cases.
My Jambox does have a little rub it wouldn't have if I had used this case from the very beginning. Wouldn't this case have been obvious and attractive to me when I pulled the other things out of the box originally? I like cases. I didn't know it was there.
Which got me thinking.
I love my Jambox. I love cases.
I use my Jambox. Without a case.
I don't need that case.
So Jambox is wasting some kind of money, losing some kind of profit, by including that case in the packaging.
If I had seen the case when I bought the Jambox, and if I had thought it was necessary, (and cute! it's cute) and if it had been reasonably priced --- maybe three bucks, or 10 bucks, or $15 even? I would have bought it. Without a second thought.
So now I'm thinking . . . what am I giving my customers for free that they do not see as extra value? And what am I giving my customers for free, that they would be very happy to pay a for?
If you're one of my customers, let me know!
And if I'm one of yours, ask me--- I'll think about it, and tell you.
If you've recently had the same kind of epiphany share in the comments.
What have you received unexpectedly, free, that you would gladly have paid for separately.
Photo courtesy of Frédérique Voisin-Demery