In the words of Blair Singer in his books $ales Dogs  "You do not have to be an attack dog to be successful in sales."  This is a great book and I have taken the time to relate it directly to the Kitchen Business. 

This book is about 250 pages and I am going to condense it to just a few articles, so I recommend that you get the book after you read the articles. (Especially if you manage sales/designers) Often the mistake Sales Managers make is that they do not recognize the individuality and different talents of their Sales Team!.

 

Each Sales/Designer has their own personality and traits that make them uniquely talented to go after a specific niche in the Kitchen Business. Over the next couple of issues we will be addressing the "Breeds" and how they can be used to maximize the sales results for team.  Even if your a single sales/designer in a small firm, you can recognize how the "Breeds" can impact your approach to your prospect base.  

The five breeds discussed in the book are:

A. Pit Bull

B. Golden Retriever

C. Poodle

D. Chihuahua

E. Basset Hound

We will go into the characteristics and traits of each, and relate it to Kitchen Sales, Prospects and Sales Management.  

 

Let us start with the Pit Bull.  This is the most recognized and famous of the breeds. In fact this breed is what most people that "Don't Like" Salesman think of when they think of this breed. The success of the Pit Bull comes from sheer power and fearlessness.  They will make more cold calls, field more rejections and keep on selling more than any other breed.  Being told No, or Adversity is simply a wake up call. Closing and Objections are the energy this champion feeds on.  In fact the more rejection you give a Pit Bull, the more they will keep coming back for the sale.

Aggressive type prospects love this breed and respect his tenacity;however, they know that they will keep giving objections and getting concessions because this breed is after one thing-THE SALE. This is where management of the Pit Bull is key.

The Pit Bull needs training and guidelines. You must mark his territory clearly and put electric shocks out of bounds to remind him of the rules.  Training, Training, Training is the key to this breed. The Pit Bull will either be Very RICH or Very Frustrated, there is no middle ground with a Pit Bull. Generally,Pit Bulls make less effective Sales Managers. It is because they have little or NO Comprehension or Empathy for the other breeds. Sales Forces will always have many breeds, and the most effective Sales Managers are the ones that recognize the different breeds and "Play to their strengths".  You would never put a Basset Hound in a Greyhound Race.   Recognizing the "Predominant breed or trait" in a Sales/Designer is key to success in your business.

 

All those who read this article reflect on someone you know that is a Pit Bull -Help Them, just do not stick your fingers out because they are liable to be bitten off.