Using Personal Touches to Build Customer Trust (and Boost Sales)

When Brett Hill cofounded lifestyle boutique Due South with his wife and mother-in-law, the trio wanted to offer their small community a warm, individualized shopping experience — something that might be hard to find elsewhere. Located in a historic downtown district of Lafayette, Colorado, the family-owned business sells clothing, home decor, furniture, gifts, and coffee. Due South’s personal touches result in small, thoughtful, handcrafted gestures for its customers.

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Hill said that the guiding philosophy at Due South is simple yet powerful: “One of our philosophies is ‘Just [add] a little thought,’ which for us is rooted in the idea that the little details make a huge impact.” This approach is designed to create a lasting impression and to show customers that they are more than just a sale.

Personal touch

Small personal touches differentiate Due South from competitors that can’t offer the same personalized service. These gestures help build the store’s reputation and create goodwill. “When you come into our store, you’re going to get more of that personal touch,” Hill said. “We’ll do free gift wrapping, things like that. It’s a way for us to show our appreciation to customers who choose to shop with us.”

During special sales events, such as Shop Small Saturday, a local, small-business shopping day held in Lafayette, Due South prepares doorbuster grab bags with $20 items for the first 50 customers. “We know we’re going to draw a certain amount of people, so we’ll budget about 3%–5% of our projected sales and that would be worth it,” Hill said. “The return on investment there is that the customers will also come back — [the gesture] builds long-term loyalty.”

Relationships over profits

Even customers who walk into the store and don’t make a purchase are seen as part of the larger community that the store is building relationships with. Hill added: “Our brand is about building relationships and community. We’re selling an experience more than we’re selling an item. Of course, at the end of the day, it has to fit within the budget. We can spend X amount of dollars toward marketing, inventory, and payroll. And if we’re not on track, we adjust.”

To build strong relationships with their clientele, Due South started to use Square Loyalty for its rewards program, called Southie Perks. The more customers shop at the boutique or coffee shop, the more points they earn, offering them exclusive in-store and online discounts, a Due South-branded tote, and even early-bird access to special events. 

While Hill says that it’s hard to tell which of their efforts make the difference — the personal touches or the rewards program — they do know that 2024 net sales are up 5% from last year. While the economy has made business tougher, especially for retailers, Due South has ended the year with higher sales.

The Due South team also relies on Square Loyalty reports to track repeat customers. Hill said: “We see their faces, we recognize them, and we’ve talked with them a lot. We know their kids’ names, what they do, and what they like.” 

Giving back in times of crisis

The Due South motto of adding a personal touch isn’t just reserved for its customers. Two years ago, when the Marshall Fire devastated Colorado, Due South launched a campaign to support those affected by the disaster. The store matched donations and arranged $500 shopping sprees for 80 women impacted by the fires. “People like to have a sense of ownership in what they’re wearing, and so that’s where we felt like we could help out,” Hill explained. The campaign has made a real difference in Lafayette and is a testament to how positive, personal connections can translate into long-term business success. “The intent was not to gain business from it,” Hill said. “But from that time, we’ve heard many stories from the people who were able to come in and get free clothing. They now shop with us.”  

The selfless act has made a real difference in Lafayette, and is a testament to how creating positive, personal connections can translate into long-term business success. “The intent was not to gain business from it,” Hill said. “But from that time, we’ve heard many stories from the people that were able to come in and get free clothing, that they now shop with us.”

Putting relationships first

From how they approach customer service to community involvement, Hill and his family said that putting customers first pays off for the business: “If you make relationships number one, your decisions based on those relationships will be stronger for your business.” Hill remarked that they don’t spend a lot on the personal touches they use in the business, so valuing the return on investment is more of a trial-and-error process. “It’s okay to take a risk and do some trials to test it out and see what your customers appreciate.”

that they don’t spend a lot on the personal touches they use in their businesses so valuing the return on investment is more of a trial-and-error process. “It’s okay to take a risk and do some trials to test it out and see what your customers appreciate.

Finance in focus: Strengthen your money mindset with financial therapy

Aja Evans is a licensed mental health counselor who specializes in financial therapy. She owns and operates a private practice in New York City.

My book, Feel-Good Finance, is on shelves now! The book dives into how we unpack our relationship with money. Here are three lessons that are especially important for business owners. 

1. The money beliefs you developed as a child will impact you as an adult. Specifically for entrepreneurs, be aware of your past and present money beliefs, as they can impact how you run your business. Money attitudes are formed by age seven. If you heard your parents worrying about having enough money, you may struggle to feel financially secure even when the money is there. A scarcity mindset can play a huge role in determining what enough is. If you were consistently told to save your money without further explanation of why or how to use it, you may hoard your money thinking you’re keeping it safe. This could hinder your growth or ability to scale in making strategic investments for your business.
2. You must be aware of your finances. Something I see in my practice is money avoidance. Burying your head in the sand instead of looking at your P&Ls (profit and loss statement) or finances will never be the answer to your worries. Financial anxiety is very common, and you can experience it no matter how much money you have. Understanding your money is the key to breaking down shame, increasing your own financial literacy, and achieving financial wellness. 
3. You’re more than what you do for work. While your business is an important part of your life, it isn’t everything. Fostering how you pour into yourself outside of work will only make your life fuller. Don’t forget to rest, to spend time with your loved ones, and to enjoy your growth as a person and as a business owner.

Good with numbers: How much do trends cost your business?

Keila Hill-Trawick is founder and CEO of Little Fish Accounting, a boutique CPA firm dedicated to serving microbusinesses through accounting and tax support. 

As an entrepreneur it’s easy to get distracted by new and exciting opportunities. It’s sometimes called Shiny Object Syndrome (not a medical diagnosis), and it describes when we chase trends and technologies without fully considering their relevance or alignment with our core objectives. And it can come at a cost. 

When we constantly make changes to our business and processes, we add more to our plate, often leading to burnout. Not to mention how frequent changes can demotivate and disillusion your team, as they’re distracted from their core focuses and roles. It also takes money and time to make shifts, especially after the team is already comfortable with the current ways of doing things.

So how do we combat the temptation to make a move toward anything new? By staying focused. Define the problem you’re trying to solve with any new tool or strategy so that you can be clear about where to invest time, effort, and money. And don’t forget about the fun stuff — keep exciting but nonessential ideas in a sandbox for future exploration.

3 things to ask yourself if you’re considering a change:

1. What problem are you trying to fix? If the issue didn’t even occur to you until you were presented with the opportunity, you may want to reconsider whether it’s worth your time.
2. Do you already have a resource that could do it? Sometimes it actually is time to make a change — to the process, not the resource. Review what you already use to see whether it can resolve the pain point you have.
3. How much else will be affected? Decisions are rarely made in a vacuum, and often shifting one technology has a domino effect on other parts of the business. Make sure a quick fix on one end doesn’t lead to a bigger problem on the other.

Calculating your return on investment of potential investments can help you better predict the areas of your business to invest in, as well as areas where there is potential to cut back.