Sales Lessons we learn from a Dog

As the saying goes, a Dog is a man’s best friend. Many of us are dog lovers and may have one as pet at home. A dog is a loyal friend who will love his/her master unconditionally & will fiercely protect him against any stranger/ danger. They seem to be good mind readers as well and often understand our moods .

However, a dog also teaches us a lot of basic Sales techniques if we observe them closely. I have tried to analyze some of the Sales skills that we learn from our canine friend.

· Perseverance — One of the basic skills of a good Salesman is persistence. One needs to follow through on a customer, often for months or even years to crack a deal. Giving up is not an option. A dog similarly keeps pestering his master for food or a walk or a game with the ball etc & will keep barking till the mission is accomplished.

· Mark Your Territory — As in sales we take pride in our customers and don’t want competition to service them, a dog fiercely protects his territory as his own and will not allow any other dog to venture into his area. This is true especially for street dogs who often have fights with intruders.

· Map your Account — A dog knows whom to ask for food or a stroll outside & how to get it. Similarly in sales, we need to map our customers well, identify the key decision makers and develop a professional relationship with them to close deals.

· Keep the Relationship going — A dog will love you unconditionally even when he’s not hungry or asking you for a favor ( stroll etc.). Similarly, a key ingredient to a good salesman is someone who maintains a relationship with the customer throughout the year irrespective of any upcoming transaction or otherwise.

· Trust — One of the biggest virtues of a dog is trust. A dog will never lie and is the most loyal friend. Trust forms a big part of any Customer relationship. The salesman should be seen as a trusted advisor to the client who will have the best solution for him at the optimum price. Trust goes a long way in closing deals even at premium commercials.

The dog is indeed a Master Salesman who rarely misses a deal.