Gaining more sales (Part 1) Your Unique Selling Point

Gaining more sales as a Dog Trainer by creating a business development SYSTEM
by Malla Haridat

If you are a dog trainer and looking for a better method to find, secure and maintain clients, I’ve got some great ideas for you.

Rather than spinning your wheels always searching for new clients, my recommendation is to spend some time planning for your sales and create a system for managing them.  It will save you time and energy in the long run and ensure you have a constant stream of interested clients.

Thinking about “The Business of” your dog training business.

Being a dog trainer is no easy feat!  I applaud all of the new and veteran trainers, because I admire the skills that you need to use in order to properly train dogs and more importantly their owners.

My first experience working with a dog trainer was a few months after my family adopted our first dog, a three month Rottweiler puppy.  She was incredibly lovable, loyal, kind hearted and….. full of energy!  After a few months, it became clear that we needed the guidance of a trainer to help teach her commands and ensure she was sociable with our neighbors and in public places.  She astounded us as she was very smart and quick to learn – once we had the right trainer in place!

The type of skills that make a good dog trainer are exactly the type of skills you will need to develop and grow your business.  Not only do your clients need you to be balanced, assertive and kind, confident and offering ongoing feedback but they need a trainer who is passionate, up to date on the trends and willing to listen to their particular needs.   What can separate you from a dog trainer who finds it hard to locate new clients and one who is overbooked is if you spend time on the “The Business of Your Business.”

I’ll share the first of three tips for you to work on this topic

First you need to identify:

What makes your business unique – what is your company brand and your unique selling point?

People like to do business with people they like.  They also enjoy working with companies who have a unique brand – something that sets them apart from other competitors.

•    Do you focus on certain breeds?

•    Do you have a specialty niche working with apartment dwellers or owners who have several dogs?

•    How about the types of behavioral problems that you specialize in?

Spend some time thinking about how you can niche your business.  Finding one or two areas that you can focus your business in will help you build a unique selling point for your customer and makes it easier to recommend them to friends and family.  Instead of being just a “dog trainer,” you’ll rise to the status of being an expert in your area.  This allows you to find clients more quickly as your customers have a better understanding of the unique problem you can help them solve.

 Consider the following when developing your unique selling point:

1.    Why would customers use your training services vs. other trainers?

2.    What results can you point to?

3.    What do customers often say about your successes? (This is often a telling area so don’t be afraid to survey former clients to hear what they enjoyed best about your service and what they would recommend changing)

Stay tuned for Part 2!

Malla Haridat is a recognized expert in the specialized field of entrepreneurship education and has trained over 1,000 students. She has traveled extensively throughout the United States working in partnership with companies developing creative solutions for entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs.  A dynamic strategist and speaker, Malla works with a wide variety of organizations applying her creative talents to the challenges of business transformation. Her company was awarded the New York City Small Business Award of the Year by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a finalist in the Count Me in Urban Rebound program and has been featured in publications like The New York Times, BlackEnterprise.com, Inc.com and Fox Small Business.  https://mallaharidat.com/