Lessons in Salesmanship from Man's Best Friend.

Dogs like Ruby are experts in paying attention to their owners, whether it's through body language, barks, or whines. Salespeople can learn from this by honing their listening skills and tuning into their customers' needs.

By actively listening to their customers, salespeople can understand their pain points, motivations, and goals, which can help build trust and rapport. Listening also helps salespeople identify opportunities to provide solutions that will meet their customers' needs.

In "How to Become a Rainmaker," Jeffrey J. Fox has a chapter called "Think Like a Dog" that's all about using a dog's persistence and focus to succeed in sales. Fox says, "Dogs have a never-give-up, never-give-in mentality that is essential to being a rainmaker."* He argues that dogs are great role models for salespeople because they never give up on chasing after something they want. They're always keeping their eyes on the prize, just like successful salespeople. This chapter is just one of many helpful tips in the book for anyone looking to improve their sales and business success.

Dogs like Ruby have a lot to teach salespeople about building relationships, persistence, empathy, playfulness, and listening. By emulating these qualities, salespeople can create stronger connections with customers and achieve greater success in their work. So next time you're trying to close a deal, just remember to channel your inner Ruby and listen, be loyal, persistent, empathetic, and playful!

*Source: Fox, Jeffrey J. How to Become a Rainmaker: The Rules for Getting and Keeping Customers and Clients. New York: Hachette Books, 2000. p. 40.