Send a photo of the mutt and win a regular customer

A personal greeting for the customer can help people remember you. In 2010, I received a photo in the post from our vet. It wasn’t just an advert, but a photo of our own Dalmatian.

A personal greeting for the customer gets kept

The dog’s name was Karma, and the photo showed her collar and everything. I thought it was a cool idea. It was the kind of photo we’d put on the fridge or noticeboard rather than throw away.

There were plenty of vets to choose from. But the one who sent a personal photo of my dog had a better chance of being remembered next time we needed to go.

Send something that matters to the recipient

You can certainly send a fridge magnet with your company’s address. That can be useful too. But I was interested in what happens when the item becomes personal and is about the customer themselves.

It was an idea I thought could work in several settings. The interesting part was making something people actually wanted to keep, so the company’s name and address stayed visible.

An idea for the future from 2010

I also started imagining what you could do with 3D printers. Perhaps one day a garage could send a little model of the customer’s own car, with the garage’s name and address on it.

It was an idea I was playing with in the video, not a service I’d tried. The prices and technology I discussed were from back then.

My inspiration was simple: What can you send customers that they won’t throw away, and that reminds them of a good experience with you? Also read Iværksætter til jeg dør about my experiences of developing a business.

Another small gesture is to say thank you and give someone a pat on the back. I’ve experienced the importance of that myself.

A photo of Karma among all the adverts

It’s Sunday, and I’m relaxing with the family. I just want to say hello and show you something fun we got in the post the other day. Normally, it’s full of adverts, but this time there was a photo of a Dalmatian.

It wasn’t just any dog. It was our Dalmatian, Karma. I recognised my wife’s foot further down in the photo, the dog’s collar and everything. Her name was on it too.

Of course, Karma goes to the vet now and then, and that’s where the photo came from. I thought that was bloody cool. A fun idea that’s actually quite easy to do. Anyone can buy a photo printer.

You don’t throw away a photo of your own child or dog

You could use an idea like that elsewhere. I mention a paediatrician, for example. Who the hell would throw away a photo of their own child? It goes on the noticeboard.

It’s the same with the photo of Karma. It won’t get thrown away. It’ll go on the fridge with a magnet or somewhere else we’ll see it.

That’s interesting for a local business. There are lots of different vets and lots of things that can build loyalty. But the one who sends a photo of my dog that stays on the fridge or noticeboard has a better chance of us using them again.

It feels personal and well thought out. I still have a bit of a cold in the video and am not very good at brainstorming, but I think the idea could work in lots of settings.

Make it personal so the customer wants to keep it

The whole idea is to make something people won’t throw away. I know lots of businesses send a fridge magnet with their name and address. I think that’s a good idea too.

But try thinking further about what happens when things become personal. It’s my own dog in the photo, so it means something different to me from an ordinary advert.

What if the garage sent a model of your car?

In 2010, one of the things I’m looking at is 3D printers, which are starting to emerge. Imagine being able to send people a little 3D model of themselves or their own car.

You take your car to a garage. A few days later, a little model of that very car arrives in the post, with the garage’s name and address on it. Those are the kinds of possibilities I’m playing with.

It’s still a little expensive at that point. In the video, I say I think you can get 3D printer kits for a few thousand kroner, and professional models start at around 50,000. Those are my price estimates from back then, not current prices or specific buying advice.

My point is that imagination can open up all sorts of things you can send to people’s homes. The dream for a local business owner is that customers and potential customers keep your name and address and remember you.

A little inspiration trip for four entrepreneurs

Before I end the video, I also mention something I’m planning: A little trip where four entrepreneurs can come over and visit me for inspiration.

I’ve said a little about the trip in one of the latest posts on the blog at thorborg.dk. At the time, I refer to the photo of me that you could click to reach the blog. I’ll say more about the trip in a future video, but only four people will be coming.

That’s a mention of the plan at the time. Today’s business idea is the photo of the dog: Send something the customer wants to keep and that helps them remember you.