The Story of Lucy (or how to get what you want in three simple steps)

I met Lucy in July of 2015. As my wife, Robin, and I walked through the adoption center looking for a dog to adopt, we saw several different dogs, but there was only one Lucy. As I walked by and looked down at her she looked into my eyes with her literal puppy dog eyes and just stared at me. There was something about her that I couldn't put my finger on, but we connected at that moment. I looked at Robin and said, "Oh no..." Robin looked at me and asked what was wrong. "Oh no..." I cried! And in that moment Lucy won our hearts, starting with mine.

We took her home that afternoon and introduced her to the family where she was an immediate hit. The docile, sweet pup that met us in the adoption center disappeared and suddenly she was racing all over the house, showing her true doggy colors. It takes time for a dog to adjust to their new environment, and Lucy was no different. But once she settled down, she attached herself to every member of the family, especially my youngest son. She was a great companion for more than 8 years, and she taught us many things.

She has since left us and, as Shakespeare wrote, “To die, to sleep; To sleep, perchance to dream—For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause, there's the respect, That makes calamity of so long life.” Lucy's life was anything but a calamity. I want to focus on a life lesson she taught me over and over. In a nutshell, it is this: be clear about what you want, ask for what you want, and be persistent about what you want.

1. Be clear about what you want: Lucy always loved her belly rubbed. Always. From the first day I met her, she would turn over on her back and offer her belly for rubs. There are multiple schools of canine thought that say it is an act of submission or even a sign of trust, but it was ALL THE TIME. Whenever she came into the room, she would turn over on her back and offer her belly for scratches. And it wasn't just for me, it was for everyone, everywhere she went. See, Lucy was a bit of a runner. Whenever she had the opportunity she would explore the neighborhood and meet new people. Invariably, when we would catch up to her she was on her back getting belly rubs and scratches from her new friends (whoever they may be). Lucy knew what she wanted from everyone. She was clear in her mind and that presented itself in her behavior.
2. Ask for what you want: As mentioned, Lucy always gave her belly up for rubs. It was the thing she most wanted in the world, and she was not shy about asking for it. Being a dog, she couldn't say the words, and I am not the cool Instagram or TikTok dog dad who trained her to communicate with command buttons, so she rolled over—every time. And I do mean every time. She never missed the chance to get her belly rubbed. She asked for what she wanted in the only way she knew how.
3. Be persistent about what you want: And was she ever persistent?! People didn't always rub her belly, but she still asked them to. And if they said no she persisted and still asked for the belly rub. Every person she met on the sidewalk, at the park, in our home, and everywhere she went she asked for belly rubs. There was never any question about who she was or what she most wanted. Lucy wanted belly rubs, and belly rubs were what she most often got.

From a sales perspective, I would say Lucy had something like a 95% close rate. She wanted the sale, asked for the sale, persisted even if they said no, and got it 95% of the time (and honestly, probably more). Are we going to have that kind of close rate for our sales? Probably not. And let's be honest, dogs are cuter than people, and puppy belly rubs only cost a few moments of time; however, the lessons from Lucy still stand: Be clear, ask, and be persistent. Don't quit. Lucy never quit. She never quit until her very last breath.

There will never be another Lucy. She was truly a special girl and one that I felt blessed to be with as her person. As dogs do, she loved unconditionally and was there for us when we needed her most, as we were for her. I have a couple of other Lucy articles I'll share another time, but for now my message stands as written.

Be like Lucy.