I love my customers. Even though I've automated most of my online activities, I make it a point to send a personal e-mail to anyone who orders my products and to check how her transaction went.

I love the customer who sends me an e-mail and tells me what she thinks of my product. I love the customer who takes the time to thank me for the kind of service she received from me. I love the customer who gives constructive criticisms and suggestions on how I can improve the product she bought. I love the customer who complains and asks for my help.

But there are two types of customer I especially love -- the customer who buys my product, asks for a refund and re-orders a few months later; and the customer who initially sends me an e-mail and tells me how unimpressed he is with one of my products and then buys it a few days later.

Three years ago, someone bought one of my e-books. Barely 12 hours after he ordered it, he demanded a refund. He said he didn't think the information in the e-book could help him and his online business. I issued him a refund along with a note permitting him to keep the e-book in his computer. A month later, he re-ordered it. It was when I was about to raise the price of the e-book and included several time-limited bonuses. In his e-mail, he explained why he bought it again. I ended up with a testimonial from him that I put up on the e-book's sales page and used in my e-mail promotions to convert more sales.

In May 2003, I began selling a simple software I created for writers. I created a free version to promote the paid version. In less than 6 weeks, more than a thousand writers had the free version in their computers. And in those 6 weeks, 3 writers e-mailed to tell me they were unimpressed with my software. Unimpressed as they were, they chose to remain on my software update list and read the writing-related articles I sent out on intervals to the users of my software. In July 2003, just as I was about to
raise the price of the software, all 3 of them bought it.

Everytime I encounter these types, I chuckle and shake my head. There's nothing like convincing these doubting Thomases to buy from me. And I feel I've accomplished something big when I get them to change their minds and pay for my products.

(Originally published in my @ Large on the Net column in INQ7.net)