Borrowed from the Italians I was introduced to this word & concept a couple of days ago on Seth Godin's blog.

Basically sprezzatura describes a level of service that looks effortless. It's the opposite of whining when customers ask for something beyond the norm. It's a feeling of strong eagerness and grace that makes the person providing the service look like it's easy and a pleasure to deliver. The great thing about this is you won't necessarily find this trait at the number one retailer, the best restaurant, the top rated ad agency - often it's the smaller, less well known businesses that know how important it is to "wow" the customer.

In the web world sprezzatura is the internet service provider who goes the extra mile to make sure broadband high speed really means broadband high speed. Personally it took at least 5 calls to my service provider to find sprezzatura in a single repairman who really listened and did more than just "check the lines" without being asked.

It's the web development pro who understands in advance that does more than what was requested because it's the right thing to do for the website and customer.

For example: Noticing that the navigation with keywords is in images (without alternative tags), knowing that text is read easier by search engines, and taking the extra step to add the alt tags and text navigation at the bottom of the page - without being asked. The customer may not notice but when the search engines give the sites a lift, it looks effortless.

Another example: Adding a call to action message and easier access to the order / contact form by removing unnecessary steps. The customer only notices that suddenly they are getting more contact requests (conversions) from the site. Again, it's very much appreciated and looks like it was no trouble at all.

My premise is this: Everyone expects sprezzatura, very few deliver. As long as it's a rare trait to find, the value for this service will remain high and will be well rewarded.

Many times the focus for any marketing campaign is to gain new customers and customer retention. What about customer reactivation?

When you loose a customer, or a customer doesn't buy for an extended period of time, they become dormant in your system and basically fall of the radar. Getting that former customer to buy again is considered reactivation.

Think about the people who haven't purchased for a long time - do you know why? What are you doing to bring these potential referal sources back to doing business with you?

One way to approach this group is to introduce them to a new product or service that was previously not available. This will give you a reason to send an email and remind them about your company. As part of the email you could provide interaction by including a survey to guage interest level.

Get creative in your approach, don't just offer a discount on their next purchase, recognize that there was a specific reason they bought from you in the first place (price, selection, promotion) and strive to meet their needs again.

Remember that the easier it is to do business with you, the more likely it is that you can bring these customers back. Give them a direct link to any promo you offer with clear benefits.

Don't restrict yourself to just email, use your social media tools as well. If you know your customers are active on Facebook and Twitter, include those. If you can reach them via LinkedIn, include that as part of the plan.

Once you have the attention of your prospect, be sure to follow through with excellent customer service and sincere appreciation for their patronage. Remember, people buy from people they like, not websites. And when your customers are happy (or not) they let people know!