My heart is hammering as I write this

I've just witnessed one of the most exciting things I've seen in my life, and I need to write about it before the moment is lost:

This evening, as I was walking with my dog Gertie along the river that runs near my home, we both heard a strange noise coming from underneath a nearby willow tree.

There was a commotion… some splashing… and then a loud squawking as a moorhen came charging out of the brush – closely followed by a large brown blur.

"Huh," I first thought, "Someone's dog has gotten loose and is chasing the wildlife."

But after half a second of slack-jawed staring, I realised my mistake. It wasn't a dog at all.

It was a massive, shining, river otter.

The otter galloped past, about 10 feet away, intent on eating the poor moorhen. And before I could even say "Holy sh-Jesus", my dog Gertie barked and ran forward.

Seeing this incoming ginger blur, the otter decided to give up the chase. It slipped smoothly into the river and swam away.

Wow. What a rush.

Otters are one of England's rarest and most elusive creatures. I've only ever spotted a short glimpse of one once before in my life, and even that was so quick that I wasn't 100% sure of what I'd seen.

So to see a gigantic one, hunting right in front of me, so close I could almost touch it, was genuinely incredible.

I'm not sure what marketing lesson I can spin from this little episode. I just wanted to write it down quick while it was fresh in my mind. I'll think about a lesson as I walk back home.

...

Okay, so I'm back home and I've thought about a marketing lesson.

Many of you on this list are big animal lovers. After all, almost everyone in the industry is.

And so, maybe you're reading this and thinking "Hmm. Otters are cool, but what’s the big deal? I've been to zoos, and on safari trips, and whale watching, and I’ve seen all kinds of exotic animals."

Well, that's understandable. And sure, I've done many of those things too.

But here’s why I believe I was way more excited about seeing this otter than any of that stuff:

Because it was a surprise.

You see, when you go to a zoo, you go there expecting to see many beautiful and wondiferous creatures. And yes, it's fun. But you only ever get what you're expecting.

On the other hand, a random meeting with a wild animal is never expected. And since you have no expectations beforehand, it can completely blow your mind and leave a lasting impression.

In other words, the “surprise” aspect makes it 10 times more impactful.

And you can use this same principle in your pet business, too. Surprising your customers with a bonus they weren't expecting – even if it's something small – can leave a big impact on them.

How small? And how big?

Well, let me tell you about my own behaviour.

For years I have been loyally ordering used books from one specific company on ebay and amazon. Why? Because when I first ordered from them, they sent me the book… plus a little cardboard bookmark as a surprise.

So they've gotten years of book business from me. I’ve spent hundreds, probably thousands of bux with them. All because they sent me a bookmark worth maybe 2 cents.

Is this turning any cogs in your head? Regarding your pet business, and how you can get fiercely loyal customers?

If so, I encourage you to follow through. Surprise can be a powerful weapon in your arsenal, if you'll but use it.

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