Unable to afford company t-shirts, the early Astronomer team would research a customer's college major and gift them a relevant used book. This hyper-personalized, low-cost action demonstrated genuine care and attention to detail, building a stronger brand connection than generic merchandise ever could.

A great cold email is judged on three criteria: 1) Packaging (subject line and preview text), 2) Body (personalization, problem/solution language, and social proof), and 3) Style (personal flair, formatting, and length). Mastering all three is key to getting replies.

Go beyond transactional perks. Unexpected, tangible gifts—like a pumpkin delivered in the fall—create a powerful emotional connection. This "surprise and delight" strategy fosters extreme loyalty and word-of-mouth marketing that a standard service call, no matter how perfect, cannot replicate.

While gifting is useful for cold outreach, its greatest impact comes when you have an established relationship but the prospect isn't ready to buy. This nurtures the connection and keeps you top-of-mind, optimizing for when they eventually enter the market.

Instead of focusing only on the primary decision-maker, send thoughtful gifts to stakeholders who do the heavy lifting but are often unappreciated, like procurement or operations teams. Acknowledging their work builds allies within the account and can remove friction from the buying process.

Use customer data to perform radically thoughtful, unexpected acts of kindness. Sending a customer a personalized gift related to their hobbies (like a signed jersey) can create a powerful story that generates referrals from high-value connections within their network.

Instead of trying to convince prospects of your product's value in an initial message, focus on being an interesting person they'd want to talk to. If your targeting is correct, a genuine conversation will naturally uncover their demand and lead to a sales call.

When a prospect compliments your opening line and asks to "steal it," enthusiastically agree and offer to send it over. This act of generosity immediately builds rapport, reframing you as a helpful peer rather than a pushy salesperson, making them more receptive.

Instead of generic postcards, send customers useful branded items via direct mail, like magnets with school calendars or sports schedules. This utility-focused approach ensures your brand remains visible and top-of-mind in their home.