Where the Wild Things Are

Maurice Sendak, author and illustrator of Where the Wild Things Are and so many other seminal children’s books, knew a satisfied customer when he saw one.

‍“A little boy sent me a charming card with a little drawing on it. I loved it. I answer all my children's letters – sometimes very hastily – but this one I lingered over. I sent him a card and I drew a picture of a Wild Thing on it. I wrote, 'Dear Jim: I loved your card.' Then I got a letter back from his mother and she said: 'Jim loved your card so much he ate it.' That to me was one of the highest compliments I've ever received. He didn't care that it was an original Maurice Sendak drawing or anything. He saw it, he loved it, he ate it.”

‍Sendak’s work can be found on bookshelves throughout the country. This can include those of Exile in Bookville, the wonderful independent shop in our previous Chicago home, The Fine Arts Building. Like Sendak, the store knows a little bit about satisfied customers — with ongoing book recommendations, regular events, and a loyalty program that keeps me (and so many others) coming back.

Such membership programs are only gaining in prominence. The data supports the decision of every coffee shop, airline, or retailer who implores you to join: the probability of selling to an existing customer is up to 14x higher than selling to a new customer.

At the same time, gaining a new customer is harder than ever. Back in 2014, it cost $9 to attract a new customer. Now, it's $29. There are a few reasons for this. Content marketing can be a little tougher as social media giants seek to reclaim their real estate. Ads can be more competitive. Prospective customers can be more discerning about marketing jargon.

That’s why it’s more important than ever to tell a unique story, with a distinct brand, and a thoughtful experience — one that is heavy on the social proof of other satisfied customers.

But more than that, it’s about what happens once they walk through that door.There is always some new tactic, update, or upheaval. However confusing it can all be to navigate, there’s one truism that can help direct us: those who build durable relationships with the people they serve usually do alright in the end.

Perhaps they love your work. But would they eat it?