Our Sales Trainer, Chris Loudermilk, knows a lot about sales and a lot about puppies.
Not only is he an expert sales coach, but he is also an expert dog trainer. He has a pack of highly trained bird-finding machines.
If you have ever upland bird hunted, you know the value of a well-trained bird dog. Not one who flushes the birds 100 yards away out of range, or one who is gun shy, or even one who won’t listen to commands.
Now, you may be wondering what bird dogs have to do with sales. Stay with me and I’ll show you.
First, let me introduce the pack: the left side is Sir Pappy Van Winkle, upper right is Lord Weller, and the lower right is Madam Manhattan. (More pictures below)
Here are 5 Lessons from Training Bird Dogs that directly relate to sales:
1)The Bird Dog Knows their Role:
There are many types of bird dogs. Sir Pappy Van Winkle and Madam Manhattan are pointers. Their job is to locate birds and point them for the flusher, Lord Weller. This is like a technician knowing how to set the lead up for the comfort advisor. One great tool is the repair vs replace worksheet.
2)The Bird Dog Follows the Rules:
One of the greatest indicators of a well-trained bird dog is honoring or backing. This is when a dog sees another dog on point, they also freeze and point to the dog who is already pointing. This is like a bread crumb trail for the hunter to follow to find the bird. It also helps to reduce the likelihood of the bird being spooked away by too many dogs being too close. Honoring is also important in sales. Too many hands in the pot can scare away a customer. Let the comfort advisor do their job.
3) Not Being Afraid of the Gun:
A gun-shy bird dog is a very expensive couch dog. The same can be said for a tech or sales pro who is afraid to offer the big-ticket solutions to a homeowner’s problems.
4) Listens to Commands:
A well-trained bird dog will follow instructions. If we tell Pappy or Hattie to “whoa”, they will freeze in place until we release them. (Weller will do the same with the “hup” command.) This is not only for the obedience factor, but also a safety factor. A champion technician or sales pro will follow the organizational rules and procedures set up by their company. This not only will lead them to greater success but will also protect themselves, and the company, from negative consequences.
5) Bird Dogs Love Results:
Nothing makes a bird dog happier than birds in the bag. Dogs know they have been successful when they get to bring back a bird. Just like sales pros and techs need to know their numbers and be focused on results.
None of these traits happen by accident, they are all trained into bird dogs. That is one of the reasons for training for sales pros and techs is so important. If you want your team to be the best in the field, check out our upcoming program.
