When I first started Tickle and Delight it was purely entrepreneurial. I saw a gap in the market. I understood the business opportunities available and had the knowledge, experience and contacts to make it happen. Once the business was up and running and I was getting up close and personal with my customers, it dawned on me that perhaps this was actually more than just a business opportunity. It was an opportunity to educate and empower women. To teach them about a taboo topic that we all want to know more about but often feel uncomfortable discussing with our friends or partners, and doing this in an environment that makes them extremely comfortable. Luckily for me, Fifty Shades of Grey emerged around the same time and blew the market wide open for women to start experimenting or at least discussing these previously squashed thoughts and desires.

As well as our online store, we operate a party plan where customers get the chance to check out our products in the privacy of their own homes. They throw a party and we send a consultant to introduce them to our products and answer all their questions. I started asking for feedback at the end of each party. This was mainly for my own benefit. I’m a big believer in continuous improvement – what could I be doing better? What more do my customers want? How can we help them further?

The opportunity to get feedback straight from the horse’s mouth at the very moment they have experienced our party service was too good to let pass. I had each participant write their comments onto a piece of paper which they could then drop into a box either signed or anonymous.

As I started to read the feedback, I realised just how important a role we were playing at these parties. These women, who we came into contact with, were not only telling us how much they had laughed or how much fun they had. They were really thanking us for educating them and the way in which we were doing it.

I started off by keeping every single piece of feedback in a big scrapbook to remind me why I was doing what I was doing. These days, our feedback is posted on both our blog and Facebook page every month to show everyone what our customers are really saying about us. It’s fabulous feedback about our consultants and helps in motivating them to continue to educate and empower the women they meet. It’s a great marketing aid for our business too, but for me, it’s the simplest comments that make it all worthwhile. I thought I’d share just one of the inspiring comments we’ve received. This particular lady was in her late 60s and was actually a former nun – yes a nun!

‘Though my inhibitions may be hard to rid, thank you for furthering my education. It’s never too late to learn’

Our Tickle and Delight parties are a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining experience. Yes, we sell sex toys. Yes, we talk about sex.

Are we vulgar or embarrassing? Absolutely not.

I can guarantee that each and every one of our party goers leaves us more empowered, more confident and more knowledgeable about their own bodies, which in turn can only help make happier and healthier women on this planet.

If you could access direct customer feedback in your business, imagine what it could do for you?