No matter who you are, or what line of work you are in, most everyone suggests Facebook is the way to go.

Or at least part of the way to go.

But I’m not so sure…

Is Facebook Right for Pet Sitters?

The strangest thing happened to me on Facebook recently.

You know when you are on your profile and they “suggest” friends for you?

Well one of my suggestions the other day was my best friend David’s mother.

I know!

Facebook thought that I’d be interested in being FB friends with my friend’s mom.

Now don’t get me wrong, there’s surely nothing wrong with David’s mom, she’s a wonderful woman.

I’m just not sure if being in each others’ feeds will accomplish anything.  And we’re not even in the same part of the country.

Sure, it doesn’t cost anything to friend request people, but where does Facebook for personal life end and Facebook for business start?

I’m not sure of that line anymore.  Does it even exist?

Do You Have A Pet Sitter Account on Facebook?

So, I’m quite certain you have a Facebook personal profile, right?  But do you also have a Facebook Fan Page for your pet sitting business?

You know, that page that everyone swears will bring you heap of new clients.  Now I know there are pet sitters who swear by Facebook and have found new clients that way.

Yet the majority of pet sitters I speak to are struggling to make it work.

What’s your story?

Do you have a Facebook account for your pet sitting business?  Do you “use it?”  Is it working?  Can you share any tips or tricks to help bring in more clients?

Do you use it to keep in touch with and communicate with current pet sitting clients?  Or are you able to locate and attract new clients?

Also, feel free to list your Facebook links in the comments below.

Related posts:

1. Is Your Facebook Fan Page Hurting Your Pet Sitting Business?

And how often do those conversations directly lead to gaining a new client?

Imagine spending 10-15 minutes on the phone with a pet owner and have a play date set before hanging up each and every time.

Are you keeping track of, or aware of, the biggest objections you continually hear?

You know the ones I’m talking about:“I need to discuss this with my husband.”

“I’m just gathering information for the future.”

“I just can’t afford it right now.”

If you’re not keeping track, you may want to start. Only at that point will you be able to focus on changing your success rate.

Here’s an interesting point to remember: Each and every person you are given the chance to speak with about your pet sitting service CALLED YOU.

You are not cold calling pet owners and offering to watch their pet, right? They call because they are in the market for pet care.

Your website gave them a brief overview of how the service works, a bit about you, and perhaps information on your fees. So what went wrong?

Don’t miss another opportunity to gain a new client by falling victim to “I’ll have to discuss this with my husband and get back to you” or any number of other stalls.

Why Not You?

There are dozens of reasons why you don’t win a new client after a phone call with them. A few of these reasons include:

They don’t trust you

If I’m going to be handing over the keys to my home to an otherwise stranger, I better be able to trust that person completely.

They don’t see the value of your service

Your pricing structure may either be too high or too low – both of which can hurt the deal. Or you simply didn’t communicate the value effectively.

They don’t see the benefit of your service

I always say “Why should a potential client go with you over the next name on their list?” If you don’t know this answer, find it.

They don’t think you are the most qualified

Anyone can say “Pet Sitter for Hire.” Are you talking like the qualified, experienced pet care expert that you are? How so?

Keep this in mind before your next call to increase the chance of adding a new name to your client list:

Build rapport, establish a relationship, listen closely, ask questions, display credibility.

What Do Your Phone Calls Sound Like?

In the early days of Alitia’s Animals, we recorded a bunch of phone calls so we could perfect and adjust as necessary. They have also become a great training tool for others who have never taken a phone call before to hear the general gist of things.

Here’s a phone call Alitia took:

How Much Money Are You Missing Out On?

Can your pet sitting phone pitch use improving?

Perfect, cause I have something right up your alley.

I’ve got something brewing that is sure to make your life easier and your pet sitting business more money. I’m looking for a few good pet sitters who want in.

It’ll take less than an hour of your time and won’t cost you a red cent.

If you’re ready to take part in my maniacal plan, leave a comment below and I’ll email you privately with details.

Related posts:

1. Pet Sitting Business in a Box Free Give-away
2. Are You Treating Your Pet Sitting Clients As Wonderfully As Their Pets?

It’s one thing to boast on your website that you’ve grown up around animals you’re entire life and that you are the most caring, loving and professional pet sitter this side of the Mississippi.

And it’s an entirely different thing for someone else to say it.

The truth of the matter is that when someone else toots your horn for you, the impact is tremendously greater than saying it yourself.

I’m talking about the good ol’ fashioned testimonial and review.

Are you constantly working to get feedback from your pet sitting clients? No? Sort of? Sometimes?

Meet The Welcome Home Email

When I’m chatting with a potential client on the phone and she says “I called you because I read wonderful things about you online,” I consider that a win.

Your reputation plays a huge role in the pet sitting business world, and one way I keep that reputation visible is through a simple welcome home email.

Sending your clients an email a few days after the job has ended accomplishes a few key things:

It shows your appreciation for their business (or continued business)

Studies show that the single most reason clients do not go back to a service provider is because they feel under appreciated or forgotten about. Don’t forget about or neglect your current clients.

It keeps you on their radar

You should embrace any chance you get to legitimately keep in touch with your clients. Naturally, the more often they see your name on their screen or in their email inbox, the more likely they’ll call you again for service.

It gives them a voice

Part of the reason for the welcome home email is to solicit feedback. And we all want to know that our opinion matters. By offering your clients a direct chance to be heard by saying “I’m here to listen” will make a world of difference. The vast majority of your clients will be thrilled to provide a review of testimonial for you to use.

Preparing for The Reviews and Testimonials

When I first started asking for client testimonials, the plan was to gather a bunch for use on our website.

When we reached about a dozen, we started to request clients review us on some of the more popular review sites.

A potential client who comes across your website may very likely do a separate Google search on you or your company name to see what other non-biased info is out there. (Are you keeping tabs on your business reputation?)

The best way to control the flow of positive information regarding your business is to get listed on some top review sites and ask your clients to post a review there. There is no fee to be listed on these sites.

A short list of review sites for your business is:

• Google Maps
• Yahoo Local
• Yelp

Fill out a free business profile on those sites then lead your clients directly to the listing in your welcome home email.

Use Our Welcome Home Email Template

I have a welcome home email that I send to our clients a few days after their job has ended.

Feel free to download, use, edit and adjust the email to suit your needs.

The HTML email can be a bit tricky, since it’ll take some knowledge on how to make the changes and send it to the client.

How to send HTML email using Outlook

Since it’s best not to send the html version as an email attachment, follow these steps to quickly and easily insert the html file directly into the ‘compose’ window and send it using Outlook:

1. Compose a new message, and click anywhere in the body (if you don’t do this part, you won’t see the option available in step 2)
2. From the top menu bar, click “Insert > Text from file…”
3. Under the ‘File name’ field, change the ‘Files of type’ drop-down menu to HTML files.
4. Find your Welcome Home Email HTML doc and double-click it to insert it into the body of your email.
5. Voila! You should now be ready to (edit and/or) send your welcome home email. Fill in the subject, add a recipient and you’re good to go.

Or perhaps a bit more simpler, you can download the plain text version and copy and paste it into whatever email program you currently use.

Download Welcome Home Email Templates

Right-Click on the links and save the file to your desktop (or another folder you can access later).

Email Template in Plain Text Format

Email Template in HTML Format

I hope this is helpful. If you do wind up using these, I’d love to know.

In any case, welcome home your clients and watch your reputation soar.

Related posts:

1. Are You Treating Your Pet Sitting Clients As Wonderfully As Their Pets?
2. 10 Ways To Tell If Your Pet Sitting Clients Like You
3. Set Your Pet Sitting Clients At Ease By Developing Your Personality

Of course you are, it’s a trick question!

We can all use a spike in our bank accounts right about now and one way to increase our available balance is to increase our client base.

The holiday season is no longer just around the corner; it is squarely upon us. And it’s no secret that the last few months of the year are the most profitable for working pet sitters.

But no matter what time of year, in order to gain many new clients, you must first begin to focus on gaining just one.

That’s right. The easiest way to gain many is to focus on gaining one.

Once you are able to celebrate the success of gaining one new client, you can then repeat the exact same process on a bigger scale and find many new pet sitting clients.

Focusing on just one to start will keep you from becoming overwhelmed and will place the goal in a very achievable light.

Read on to see how you can promote the heck out of your business by winning your own personalized pet sitter t-shirt!

The 3-step Process To Grow Your Pet Sitting Business One Client At A Time

1: Make your plan.

One of the best ways to move forward is to plan backwards.

Keep thinking backwards until you arrive at tasks you could do today. This will help you to attain the goal’s starting point.

You already know what your goal is (one new client) so now it’s time to sit down and come up with your game plan.

How will you go about reaching this goal? Brainstorm a list of possible ideas.

• Directly ask current clients for recommendations
• Post an ad online, like on Craigs List
• Partner with a local business to help get the word out
• Offer a coupon, discount or other incentive on your website for new clients

Whatever the plan, get it down in writing and set it in motion. Write down every little thing – no matter how small – that you must do in order to reach your goal.

2: Set your time frame.

Begin by defining a realistic timeframe for your goal.

Find the sweet spot based on your past history. Make it challenging but keep it achievable. If you don’t give yourself enough time, you’ll be setting yourself up to fail.

How long will it take to gain one new pet-sitting client? 1 week? 2 weeks? 4 weeks?

Once you decide, mark that date on a calendar and keep it visible at all times. Jot down tasks along the way so you stay on track and keep a clear picture of your goal in mind at all times.

What you focus on becomes reality.

3: Monitor results and adjust as needed

What’s one of the biggest reasons people do not successfully reach their goals?

They simply are not watching the results of their efforts and adjusting things along the way.

A plan is pointless if you are not actively tracking the day-to-day results. If you partner with a pet store, for example, are people taking your marketing materials? Are those people getting in contact with you? Are they becoming new clients?

Where might the system need to be adjusted?

If you’re not getting calls, rethink the marketing material. If you’re not closing the deal on the phone, consider a new approach.

Monitor every aspect of your plan and consistently evaluate where things may be falling short. Then adjust, and repeat.

Keep Your Eye On The Prize

Remember, the goal is for just one new client. You can do it!

As soon as you gain one new client in this systematic way, you will be well on your way to gaining plenty more (just repeat the process over and over).

This Month is “Official Gain More Clients Month”

If you’d like to officially take part in this movement and take on this challenge of gaining just one new client, here’s what to do.

Leave a comment below letting me know you are on board to gain one new pet sitting client.

Take some time for yourself to make your plan, set your timeframe and monitor the results.

By leaving a comment below and saying “Yes!” you become accountable. Accountability is a huge motivating factor for us all to reach any goal.

My Gift To You

To help you continue to promote your pet sitting business, I will say “I knew you could do it!” by providing one lucky pet sitter a free customized pet sitting t-shirt, courtesy of the new Pet Sitter Shirt Store.

Choose from any of the 10 designs and I’ll even print a personal message on the back, if you wish. (IE. Your website, twitter name, business name, tag line, etc…)

Hop on board now by leaving a comment showing your commitment to gain that one new pet sitting client and let’s celebrate together.

Related posts:

1. 10 Ways To Tell If Your Pet Sitting Clients Like You
2. 8 Ways To Market and Promote Your Pet Sitting Business With A Custom T-Shirt Design
3. Set Your Pet Sitting Clients At Ease By Developing Your Personality

As we approach the finals, it’s becoming more and more apparent.

America’s Got Talent is not about talent at all. Sure, the finalists certainly have talent, but the show is not actually about talent.

“What?!” you may be thinking. “But it’s got the word talent right in the title!”

Fair enough. So let’s back up for a second. It’s important to note that none other than Simon Cowell created the show. Mr. Cowell is certainly no stranger to producing compelling and exciting television shows.

To fully understand what the show is really about, ask yourself this: Why do you tune in week after week to watch shows of this nature?

Naturally, to enjoy a possible train wreck we can chat about with friends in the morning, but more specifically, we tune in to watch the journey of the contestants unfold.

That journey itself becomes the story. And each contestant has a specific and engaging story.

The chicken catcher from Kentucky who never performed on a stage before, the cancer survivor given a second chance at life, and the male dancer who was made of for following his dreams are 3 good examples of the stories of contestants.

The producers understand that millions of people are tuning in to root for their favorites. And they work hard to position each one to fit a perfect story.

So if America’s Got Talent is not about talent, what is it about then?

It’s about the person, their story and their journey – not their specific talent.

Enhance Your Pet Sitting Business With Your Story

How can you as a pet sitter find your own story and benefit from raving fans that will turn into clients?

Instead of selling your services, sell yourself.

Potential clients will hire you as their pet sitter quicker than you can say ‘Am I hired?’ if they feel a genuine connection with you as a person first.

Clients buy into the person, not the service.

Entrepreneurs understand this concept when it comes to finances since investors invest in the individual, not the business.

Go back to the drawing board and think about why you became a pet sitter in the first place. Think about what you love about doing what you do.

How can you develop your story and use it on your website? Let’s take a look at how one pet sitter gets it exceedingly right.

A Decadent Case Study

Decadent Dog founder Rob Nager (recent PSI Pet Sitter of the Year award recipient) understands and executes this concept perfectly.

On his company’s Who We Are page, Rob dives right into his story. As noted, he spent a lifetime in Corporate America, needed a change, wanted to make a difference, and followed his dreams.

You can be sure when potential clients read that first paragraph alone, they are nearly sold. Why is that?

Because they get it. They can relate to him, and they understand where he’s coming from. A potential client will rush to root for him by becoming a raving fan.

They know what it’s like to take a risk and follow your dreams. And they know what it’s like to want to find something meaningful out of life.

In other words, they will easily hop on board and become a client.

The more you can engage and connect with your users through the use of story, the more he or she will become emotionally invested in you and your service. And that becomes a win-win.

Find specific ways to relate to each and every potential client on a personal level and you will have a much easier time finding new clients.

Interact with your potential client in a sincere conversational way and find the common ground. You both already love pets, want the best for them and probably have a hundred stories to share.

Share one. Build rapport with a potential client and sell them on you first.

You’ll spend less time trying to sell them on your services. And that’s talent everyone can enjoy.

Image Credit:

Related posts:

1. What Pet Sitters Can Learn From Amazon.com
2. Hiring Pet Sitters? The 12 Most Fun, Direct and Eye-Opening Questions You Must Ask.
3. How To Be A Better Pet Sitter – Part 2

I pointed out a wonderful section the PSI website written for pet owners and how to use it to your advantage.

Today in Part 3, we pull out all the stops and get you to be a better pet sitter by focusing on yourself. We start with a straight forward question:

Are you insane? No, seriously, are you insane?

Before you brush off the question, allow me please to accurately define the word ‘insanity’ as only Albert Einstein could have defined it.

According to the mad genius, insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Sadly, according to Einstein’s quote, I’ve been insane for most of my life! At its core, this quote translates to mean that if you wake up every day, head into a job you dislike and do absolutely nothing to change the situation while holding on to a hope that one day things will miraculously change, you are insane.

This is an incredibly profound quote. Most of us, whether consciously or subconsciously, go about our days doing the same thing over and over again and expect different results.

So, fellow pet sitting business owner, what are you doing day in and day out in your business that is simply not working; yet you continue to do it?

Think long and hard…

It might be a marketing effort you keep going back to, like posting up fliers, posting on Craigslist or leaving business cards in a store.

It might be the way you talk with potential clients that rarely turns them into happy, repeat clients.

It might be your struggle to turn your pet sitting business into your full time job.

For me, it was feeling completely overwhelmed and becoming frozen with fear at all the tasks ahead. Day in and day out would present its new list of things to do, and I felt like I just couldn’t keep up.

So I simply didn’t.

Yet I still wondered why my life wasn’t where I wanted it to be. I’d grab anybody’s ear to rant about the unfairness of it all. See that, I was doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results.

The minute I forced myself to ‘break free’ from the overwhelming feelings, I put a system in place that allowed me to take small steps to accomplish my goals.

Finally, I was insane no longer. I still must constantly remind myself never to become frozen again and to keep my eye on the prize.

Now It’s Your Turn

Once you discover your own personal insanity, you must begin to trim the fat. Stop doing what ever is not working and try something else. If you are doing absolutely nothing, for example, and wondering why your phone’s not ringing… well, you got some work to do.

Earl Nightingale stated it perfectly (truth be told, everything that came out of that man’s mouth was perfectly stated). He said: People are where they are because that is exactly where they really want to be – whether they will admit that or not.

Profound, no doubt. But really, what he’s suggesting is that we all have the ability to achieve anything we set our minds to.

In order to achieve different results (new job, new lifestyle, financial freedom, more time with family…) you must change part of what you are currently doing that is not working. That is the first step in realizing your full potential.

Once you make one small change, the world around you begins to support your small effort and slowly but surely you will start to see things around you in an entirely different light.

I assure you, the world responds accordingly to what you focus on.

So, are you insane? Let me know with a comment below…

Related posts:

1. How To Be A Better Pet Sitter – Part 2
2. Pet Sitters: What You Can Learn From America’s Got Talent

And finally, I revealed the 6 rules to bring out your absolute best.

Today in Part 2, you’re going to discover how to be a better pet sitter by ‘amazing’ your potential clients. How, you ask? Simply by giving them exactly what they want even when they had no idea they wanted it to begin with.

Let’s see if we can make some sense of all that.

Who Wants A Burger?

Let’s pretend you and your best friend are out grabbing a bite to eat at a new restaurant. You’re in the mood for a cheeseburger and the “Cheeseburger Deluxe” catches your eye on the menu.

Suppose you ask the server exactly what comes on that burger and he responds with, “ketchup and cheese.” Clearly there’s nothing deluxe, new or exciting about that.

But now suppose he responds with “ketchup, lettuce, tomatoes, and crispy onions all drizzled in our homemade special barbeque sauce.”

Whoa! Perhaps you’ve never had homemade barbeque sauce drizzled on a burger before, but now that he mentions it, that’s exactly what you’re in the mood for.

You no longer care about price and you know you can’t find that homemade barbeque sauce anywhere else. A round of burgers for the table.

Start By Thinking Like Your Clients, Not Like Other Pet Sitters

So, what do burgers have to do with pet sitting?

Well, all too often, we’ll spend time reading article after article about ways to become a better pet sitter. We’ll try and gain insight from the pet sitter’s point of view without ever considering what the client may really want.

The minute you start to adjust your thinking to reflect what your ideal client wants, you’ll be in better shape. Don’t just offer the same level of service that everyone else does. Add some homemade barbeque sauce to your offers.

Wondering how to get inside your potential clients’ heads?

I was browsing through the PSI website recently and came across a section that read, “For Pet Owners.” This is an entire library of valuable content that PSI provides pet owners to help them understand and be best equipped for the pet sitting process – Including a section titled ‘How to be a Better Client.’

So what would happen if you, as pet sitter, devoured the content and followed each piece of advice that PSI recommends to the pet owners? That’s right, you may freak them out at first cause you’d look like a mind reader, but they’d quickly get over it.

Initiate the points that are spelled out in these reports and you’ll instantly become a better pet sitter. Imagine taking control of the conversation or meet-n-greet by asking questions like “Is there any food in the fridge that may go bad while you’re away?”

“Oh, yea, now that you mention it…”

See that? You already begin to look like the pet sitter of their dreams.

You’re A Winner

Here are the 4 sections of content that PSI offers. Add them to your checklist of questions and make your competition look mediocre.

Getting To Know You

In this section, you’ll make sure the animal is up to date on all shots, get advanced notice on favorite hiding places and any unusual habits you should look out for.

Preparation is Key

Here, you’ll make sure you have all the necessary items and products to do the best job possible. You’ll know where to find the leash, extra food, paper towels, cleaning products (if need be) and find out if any rooms in the house are off-limits (for both you and pet).

Pet Proofing Your Home

We all know that common household items can be hazardous to a pet’s health. Make sure all cabinets, cupboards and pantry doors are securely closed. My Beagle, by the way, would rather drink from the toilet than his dish. (He’s a riot.) Make sure toilet seats are kept closed.

Securing Your Home

That’s right, a pet remains safe inside a safe and secure home. A pet sitter’s responsibility extends past the well being of the pet. Alternating lights, closing gates and informing their neighbors will help keep your client’s property protected.

This is, of course, just one example of many, but spend time thinking like your ideal client to create a better level of service. Also, try thinking about all the things that you yourself would value in a pet sitter and add those to your mix.

Like, if you could magically create the perfect pet sitter experience to care for your pet when you left town, what would it look like? Would the pet sitter leave you cupcakes to enjoy? Would she leave a poem behind detailing the time shared with your pooch?

As you can see, turning the tables to think like your clients, opposed to thinking like other pet sitters, could give you the competitive advantage you so rightfully deserve. Now who wants to celebrate with some burgers?

Up next in Part 3 of our series, we get up close and personal and ask you point blank: Are you insane?? Stay tuned…

Related posts:

1. How To Be A Better Pet Sitter – Part 3
2. How To Be A Better Pet Sitter – Part 1
3. Pet Sitters: What You Can Learn From America’s Got Talent

Chances are we can all benefit from a bit of competitive edge over our competition, wouldn’t you agree? You know, doing something just a little bit extra, better or different from your competition.

First of all, remember this: Every potential client you find yourself chatting with is yours to lose. She is clearly in the market and desperately searching for the highest qualified pet sitter around. If she doesn’t hire you, she’ll be hiring the next pet sitter on her list.

Your ideal client doesn’t want to spend all day on the phone or sending email. She wants nothing more than for you to be able to offer and provide the most ideal service money can buy, so she can get back to her day with one less thing to worry about.

Thank You, Next!

During my days of holding auditions in the entertainment world, I learned a fascinating fact about most of the actors who came in to read for the parts.

They were petrified. And more often than not, they felt that those of us on the opposite side of the table were against them and wanted them to screw up and fail.

Now while that thinking may no doubt make for great television, Simon, Randy or Paula were nowhere around us. In fact, the truth is that we desperately wanted nothing more than for each actor to give us the audition of a lifetime and to be exactly what we were looking for.

That would have made our lives much easier and we would have been thrilled to find an amazing actor we could cast and be proud of. So the truth of the matter is that we were rooting for each and every actor who came in to audition.

And your potential pet sitting clients are rooting for you, too.

Imagine how exhilarated you’d feel by providing your clients a level of service they didn’t even know existed.

Take pride in what you do, how you do it and why it’s important to you and you’ll begin to see immediate results.

Start to bring out the best in you by following these 6 rules:

1) Gain the respect of your clients.

Before rattling off your credentials or the details of your dog walking service, take a few minutes at the beginning of a conversation to make a genuine connection.

2) Believe and trust in yourself.

Make decisions and trust your instincts. If you don’t believe in yourself and the quality of your work, you can be certain no one else will.

3) Follow your plan.

Stay the course, yet be open enough to adjust your route along the way if something is not quite working the way you hoped or if you see a better option.

4) Think creatively.

No need to reinvent the wheel if you can implement a better way of utilizing the wheel. There is plenty of room for new innovations in the world of business.

5) Explore your skills.

Get cozy with your strengths and really understand them. Only then can you begin to utilize them in a way that others cannot.

6) Envision your success.

Take time each day to envision how your business will look at various levels of success. What will your successful lifestyle look like? How will your business look, function and operate in your ultimate and ideal world. Intention is a powerful tool and all successful entrepreneurs understand the power of intent and visualization.

So the next time you are given the opportunity to WOW a potential new client, remember that she wants nothing but the best from you. You are not wasting her time – unless you offer a sub-par solution.

Your only job is to tap into and bring out the best inside you. Here’s a way to start: What are some of the things you bring to the table that others do not or cannot?

Let us know with a comment below, and in Part 2 of this series I point out specific ways you can become a better pet sitter by thinking like your clients. Stay tuned…

Related posts:

1. How To Be A Better Pet Sitter – Part 2
2. 5 Ways To Build A Lasting Relationship With A Vet And Become The Preferred Choice As Pet Sitter
3. How To Increase Your Chances of Succeeding As A Pet Sitter

Believe it or not, a prospect that says such a thing rarely means that she can’t afford to pay that kind of money for your pet sitting service.

In fact, studies have shown that when you hear an objection like this, you actually still have a great chance of winning the client.

How? By asking the right questions to uncover her true objection. It may come down to not seeing the value in your offer or not quite trusting yet that you are the best for the job.

In any case, all hope is far from lost so imagine the disservice of simply accepting her objection at face value without getting a further understanding.

Let’s uncover some things a person may really be saying when you’re told your price is too high.

Here are 3 possibilities of what a price objection may really mean:

1) Not Worth It

When someone says ‘your price is too high,’ she may mean that the service you spelled out isn’t worth what you’re asking. In this case, you’ll need to go over the actual benefits of using your pet sitting service over other alternatives.

Focus on things like the pet remaining in a calm and familiar environment, the fact that you’re trained to notice any inconsistencies in the animal’s behavior and that you can provide glowing reviews and testimonials about the quality of your service.

Before taking your next phone call, jot down at least 10 different ways that you are the better choice over all others. Focus on what makes your service unique and what the distinct advantages of hiring you might be.

Keep this list by the phone and refer to it as necessary.

I’m also a big proponent of establishing trust and building rapport early on before even getting into the details of business. See how you can connect on a real and genuine level with your callers to help form a bond early on.

Keep this quote handy:

“All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like, and trust.” — Bob Burg

2) Can’t Afford It

We all know we’re pinching pennies these days. And really, some people may simply not be able to afford your service on a financial level. If this is indeed the case, see if you can adjust the service to better meet her budget.

There is no shame in asking a client what she was looking to spend? Perhaps you can then customize a solution in her price range to make this a win-win. Never feel obligated to lower your fee for the stated service. It cheapens your value and you loose credibility.

Also, if she says she can’t afford it, see if you can work out a payment plan to help ease the number. Work the deposit angle.

3) A Better Deal Elsewhere

In this situation, a client may say your price is too high in relation to another pet sitter or company she received a quote from.

This one can be tricky since you’ll need to make sure that what you’re offering is identical to the other offer.

For example, are you both offering a 30-minute visit? Is there an additional fee for extra mileage? Key pick-up and drop-off? Weekend visits?

In other words, make sure the potential client is comparing the same service (not just a similar one) before she mentions your competitor is offering a better rate.

Keep The Conversation Alive

No matter how you deal with the price objection, don’t let it immediately end the conversation. Remember, your job as a pet sitter is to offer the best service possible at the best price profitable.

Seek to engage the client in determining what benefits are in fact the most important to her while looking for a pet sitter. Maybe you’ll touch on something you took for granted that she wasn’t even made aware that you offer.

Also, asking things like, “Is the price too high in relation to what you were expecting to spend, or have you found a better price elsewhere?” can quickly get the ball rolling in the right direction.

And that direction is a win-win situation for both you and your new client.

So, please comment below with how do you typically deal with price objection? And how often do you hear it?

Related posts:

1. Pet Sitters: What You Can Learn From America’s Got Talent
2. Your Pet Sitting Phone Pitch is Killing Your Business
3. What Pet Sitters Can Learn From Amazon.com

Yep, Amazon now owns Zappos. Purchased for over $800 million.

As intriguing as that may sound, it’s not the part of his 8 minute video that, as pet sitters, we can learn something from.

Mr. Bezos, casually standing in front of his home and a big board for visual effect, reveals everything he knows (his words). He then states that everything he knows “is a very short list.”

Just 3 things, in fact. Imagine that; Jeff Bezos just knows 3 things and credits those things as the success for his multi-billion dollar company. The same company that started out of his home. How cool is that?!

What Does Jeff Bezos Know?

OK, so what are the 3 things Jeff Bezos knows and how can we learn from them to wildly succeed in our own pet sitting business?

1) Obsess over the customer

Jeff Says: He credits this one concept as the only reason Amazon even exists today in any form. Pretty bold statement.

As Pet Sitter: Your customer is your client. How are you obsessing over your clients? How are you making certain that you are giving the best experience possible so they will come back to you over and over, and tell all their friends about you?

Are you making it easy for them to find your website? To make contact with you from your website? To reach you anytime they need to?

Are you asking for a review or feedback so you know how you can improve? Are you going out of your way to make the entire experience an absolute pleasure?

How are you obsessing over the customer?

2) Invent

Jeff Says: Whenever he runs into a problem, he’ll never accept ‘either – or’ thinking. This means if you run into a problem, you need not sacrifice. You can invent your way out of any situation if you believe that you can.

He also states you need to invent on behalf of customers. It’s not a customer’s job to invent for themselves.

As Pet Sitter: When first chatting with a client, you need to listen closely so you can offer the absolute best solution for her specific situation.

It’s not the client’s job to know all services you offer, how you offer them and which is the best for her needs.

Be creative. Be inventive. And always be on the look out for new opportunities to grow or enhance your pet sitting business.

3) Think long term

Jeff Says: Any company that wants to obsess over their customers, and any company that wants to invent absolutely must think long term. Nothing happens overnight and thinking long term allows a willingness to be misunderstood.

As Pet Sitter: Learn to invest in your pet sitting business. You need not only invest money, but more importantly, you need to invest your time, you knowledge and your resources into your business.

I assume you want to be a successful pet sitting business owner. Perhaps even a pet sitting business owner who makes your entire income through pet sitting.

It is certainly possible. My wife and I were lucky enough to do just that. We started small and have now grown our pet sitting business into a six figure per year operation, with more than 20 independent contractors on our team.

We got there by thinking long term. The weeks before we officially opened for business we mapped out our growth path for the next few years. We knew where we would start, where we wanted to go and how we planned on getting there.

We even wrote plans to replicate our business model into various cities throughout the U.S. That’s one example of thinking long term. Make sure you have a plan.

Let yourself envision a bigger, and more profitable, pet sitting business for yourself. Let yourself dream and really picture how you can continually expand your business to sustain over the long haul.

Remember this: Jeff Bezos started Amazon.com out of his garage.

Related posts:

1. Pet Sitters: What You Can Learn From America’s Got Talent