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 SAVVY
SELLING - JULY
13, 2007
Using
Fido to Clinch the Sale
by Michelle Nichols
EXECUTIVE
OVERVIEW
Try
talking to prospective customers
about their pets. It can be
a great way to make a quick
connection
Long ago it was a common practice
for salespeople, in their quest
to build connections, to ask
potential customers if they
were married or had children.
These days, with half of all
marriages ending in divorce
and a variety of living arrangements,
those questions are downright
dangerous.
A safer line of patter? Ask
your customers about their pets.
There are now more pets than
people in the U.S—about
380 million, according to the
American Pet Products Manufacturers
Assn. That includes 88 million
cats, 74 million dogs, 24 million
small animals, 16 million birds,
13 million reptiles, and 142
million freshwater fish. While
many customers keep their personal
lives private, they are often
happy to tell a salesperson
all about their beloved "Mr.
Kitty" or their new Dalmatian
puppy.
After brainstorming with my
friend, Joan Stewart, founder
of the public relations consulting
firm Publicity Hound, I have
some advice on working pet-related
material into your next sales
call or selling opportunity.
1. The Icebreaker. Early on
in the conversation, simply
ask prospects if they have pets.
It's a great icebreaker question
because it gets them talking
and it also gives you some insight
into their personality. If they
have cats, they are probably
independent thinkers. If they
have dogs, they are probably
social. If they only have reptiles,
they probably like unusual ideas.
If they don't have any type
of pet, they probably don't
like commitments and don't want
to be tied down. Take this guessing
about a prospect's personality
with a grain of salt—
I'm just going with my gut here.
Still, what's great about this
question is that no matter how
they answer, you've got something
to comment on. You can tell
them about your pet. You can
also ask them for advice on
training or selecting a pet.
If they don't have any pets,
you might ask them what kind
of pet they grew up with.
You can use their replies to
segue into their business problems.
For example: "So you're
having trouble training your
dog to sit. How about at work—do
you have trouble training your
employees to get their work
done on time?"
2. The Introduction. When I
am introduced to speak at sales
events, my host starts with
my professional credits, then
adds: "She is a wife, mother
of three children, two dogs,
two frogs, and a pet turtle
named James Pond." It always
gets a laugh. Afterward, audience
members sometimes ask me about
my pets and want to talk about
their pets, too. Try working
it into how you introduce yourself.
3. Extras and Events. When
you get to know a customer,
you might ask him his pet's
birthday. I guarantee if you
send the pet a card from you
and your pet, you will stand
out from your competitors. You
could also have pet-oriented
contests—think about holding
one for customers who look the
most like their pets. You could
hold "Bring Your (Friendly)
Pet to Work" Fridays, and
your customers could come to
your store or offices and meet
your pets.
If your customers are too far
away, it might be fun to post
photos of employees with their
pets on your Web site. That
sure beats the boring corporate
headshots found on many sites.
I know one appliance store that
runs a photo of its store dog
wearing a Santa hat with the
slogan: "Happy Howlidays
and a Happy New Year" every
December. Their customers love
it.
If you're looking for a great
holiday gift for your customers,
how about leashes for their
pets? Maybe even with their
pet's names embroidered on them.
That beats a coffee mug by a
mile.
If you ship products, you might
include a shrink-wrapped gourmet
dog or cat treat in your packages.
Likewise, you could hand them
out when you go on sales calls.
"Who would like a gourmet
treat for their pet?" is
almost irresistible to the most
hardened of gatekeepers.
Some business owners go so
far as to name the company after
their pets. Joan told me about
Barbara Florio Graham, who named
her company after her cat, Simon
Teakettle. Other companies have
named products and product lines
after cherished pets.
4. Showing Up with Your Pet.
Janet Huey, owner of Pet Stuff
Resale in Houston, often drives
around with a dog in her car
as a conversation starter. All
the employees at the drive-through
bank know Janet. They usually
have a biscuit for her dog and
sometimes a referral for Janet.
She often uses a dog to draw
attraction to her booth at trade
fairs. She once brought a very
unusual breed of dog, but that
backfired because prospects
asked about the dog all day
and were too distracted to ask
about her business.
If you need a new way to connect
to your customers, find out
about their pets. You can use
your customers' love of pets—or
lack of it—to connect
with them, differentiate yourself,
and build trust. Happy selling!
Michelle
Nichols is a professional sales
speaker and consultant based
in Reno, Nevada. She is also
the Savvy
Selling podcast host for
BusinessWeek. She welcomes your
questions and comments. You
can visit her web site at www.savvyselling.com
or contact her at michelle.nichols@savvyselling.com.
Her toll-free number is (877)
352-9684 and direct line is
(775) 303-8201.
Copyright
2007. All rights reserved.
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