What SalesDog breed are you? Or rather, what is your Sales Personality?

This is a book which i enjoyed going through repeatedly. I have the hard copy in my office in Kuching, Sarawak. And also the audio version which I listened to in the last few days. It is my third or fourth time on repeat! Here are some snippets which I got from Blair Singer:

Contrary to popular belief, here is no one-size-fit-all successful sales professionals in the world. So Blair Singer attempts to categorise the various traits and types of sales professionals into 5+2: the infamous Pit Bull, the high flying Poodle, the pleasing Golden Retriever, the techie Chihuahua, and the Bassett Hound amazing with personal touch. And then you have the Big Dog and the Super Mutt. On his website, SalesDogs.com, he describes in brief the various types of breeds in the sales perspective.

Five main SalesDogs Breed – from SalesDogs.com

1. The Pit Bulls are those ever-aggressive salesperson. When I was actively in the unit trust consultancy and insurance line, these guys scare me! Just as the namesake, pit bulls are the aggressive go-getters. They are the legendary instant closers. To them, sales is a numbers game: the more shots you take, the better greater your commission!
2. Poodle are high flyers. Not because they get the sell every time, but the tactic they employ. You see them at mixers and networking events. They need to be in the limelight: giving talks at conferences or in the golf course. Ever conscious of their presentation and appearance, every visible and subtle details matter. Ultimately poodle work so hard to get known so that prospects come to them.
3. Golden Retrievers embody friendliness, service with a smile, readiness, and reliability. They get the sale by delivering exceptional customer service and experience. If you have an account you want to retain in the long run, this breed of salespeople must be on your team!
4. The chihuahuas are the yapping men and women. While their barks are noise to most, it is filled with the latest tech-speak and jargons only technical guys can appreciate. They sell because they are the expert. They know every form, function, and limitation of the product or service by heart. Their brainpower is amazing – and they are into the data, information, and research other breeds could not be bothered with.
5. Finally, there is the bassett hound. Cupid is probably their patron deity. These sales professionals can connect straight with your heart. They stick by clients through thick and thin. Looking for ways to solve a problem, even though they may not offer the services. One-to-One Rapport is their specialty.

Taken from SalesDog.com, the website promoting the book by Blair Singer.

1. Big dogs are not exactly a breed of their own. Big dogs, Singer puts it, is a mindset. These fellas go big or do not go at all. Their deals, though may be far and in between, have so much zeros behind it they can be the darling of the company. Big dogs do not go after scrap or bones, but hunt down the prime ribs. Yet they are generous to the young pups in the office, ready to help and guide.
2. While the pure breeds are common and prized in the canine world, Singer says it may not be so in the sales world. We can embody various traits and strengths from two or more SalesDogs breeds. We are the Super Mutt. But which skills to adopt? Which strengths to play? Understanding the different default behaviour is crucial. From there, we grow our skills and strengths – focusing and compounding them as we go along.

My SalesDog Breed…

Taken from http://www.salesdogs.com/index.php/salesdogs-breed-analysis-report/

Yeah, I think it is quite obvious that I am more of a Poodle. At the same time, I have other traits which I can agree with while listening to the audiobook.

Based on the results, I have a potential to be a Big Dog Super Mutt. As a friend, and Feng Shui Consultant, once told me in 2014, I will need a lot of training and practice. He uses Dato’ Joey Yap’s example on a Geng Metal. Geng Metal, or Yang Metal, is the only BaZi element that can appear in two forms:

• An iron ore
• A sharpened Sword or Axe forged in Flames

The journey is not an easy one, but it does not have to be boring. Nor does it need to be too painful. It will be trying. There will be mistakes. But better movement than none at all. Build the momentum.

Continuing with SalesDogs

There are other major points which Blair Singer wrote in his book. This includes:

• Changing the way we look at “Closing the Sale“. For many sales professionals, and prospects, the closing stage is the scariest. Singer wrote “no one wants to be closed or cornered”. Instead of closing the sale, Singer proposes a different view on it: making arrangements.
• Adopting rapport creating techniques taught in basic NLP courses: matching & mirroring, being alert to submodalities (visual, auditory, kinesthetic).
• Understanding that the first meeting is rarely ends with a close, but merely a step through the door. Follow up after the meeting is crucial after that. In fact, a pre-meeting preparation is crucial, although it needn’t be as intensive as a Chihuahua’s level of preparation.
• When managing a team, or kennel, appreciating the various breeds is crucial. Knowing who to put in which situation can help the company go far. This is important for both the sales professionals and their managers. Applying a pit bull-big dog concept can drive out other breeds except the pure breed pit bulls in the team. Motivations and drives for the different breeds are different, yet may vary within the breed themselves.

The book, or audiobook for busy people, is a good eye opener for both newbies and seasoned sales professionals. Hopefully you benefit from this review.