Recently, a new family member came into our home: a beautiful, playful puppy! To make sure that our new dog learns good manners, I’ve been reading Tamar Geller’s wonderful book: The Loved Dog. In it, Tamar reminds me that every interaction is a training interaction. In other words, I’m constantly teaching the new puppy—whether I intend to or not!
The same is true in business. You constantly teach people all around you, all the time, whether that’s your intention or not. You teach your customers what to expect from you, how you work, and how to treat you. You teach your vendors, your employees, everyone! And likewise, they teach you, even when you’re not aware of it.
Like my puppy, many folks are working to get what they want. Puppies want treats, affection, and lots of playtime. Oddly enough, your customers probably want much the same thing. Here’s what training a puppy can teach you about marketing.
Keep your puppy busy so he’ll stay near by. I give my puppy a nice toy to play with when I want him to stay put. He entertains himself so well he doesn’t even know he’s being trained to stay! The same is true for your potential customers—provide them with information and interaction to keep them hanging around. The more contact, the more you’ll build know, like, and trust on the way to buy or hire (or donate or volunteer or…, you get the picture).
From Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer, I learned about projecting calm-assertive attitude. A nervous owner will communicate their unease to the dog—the dog will get nervous or aggressive in response. When you project calm-assertive to your customers and prospects, you’ll communicate that you’re comfortable in your own skin. This gives people the knowledge that you’re competent and trustworthy, along with the sense that you’re in control of the situation. Like dogs, people respond well to those who move with confidence and serenity.
Be consistent. Puppies thrive on consistent routine. My older dog is extremely well behaved. When people tell me what a good job I did training him, I defer—my dog is calm because his owner is boringly predictable. I use the same words to describe everything in his world and he knows exactly what to expect. Like puppies, when people know what they can expect, they relax. It means that you can be depended on to do what you say you’ll do, in the way you say you’ll do it.
Be patient. Puppies forget quickly. If the puppy doesn’t understand or forget, there’s no point in getting angry, upset, or aggressive. The puppy has no idea what you’re upset about. When you’re marketing your business, you may notice that prospects have attention spans that are as short as a puppy’s. Don’t despair! Just keep repeating your message clearly, simply, unequivocally. When people hear things enough times, they get it, just as the puppy will when he hears you say sit for the hundredth time.
Finally, don’t forget the treats! Back home in Louisiana, we called it lagniappe. Lagniappe is the little something extra that is added as a gift that says “thanks for your business.” Just as rewarding your puppy will help him learn faster, rewarding your prospects for their interest will teach them how valuable they are to you.
When you train a puppy well, you end up with a loved (and loving) dog for many years to come. By remembering that every interaction is a teaching interaction, you can enjoy having “loved customers” who will love you back and bring you their business for years to come.
