6 Things Football Teaches Us About Pet Sitting

After a magnificent win by my favorite football team, the NY Giants, to win Super Bowl XLVI, it only seems fitting to discuss how many of the strategies and qualities it takes to win games can also be applied to success in your pet sitting business.

Vince Lombardi is one of the (if not the) most respected and admired coaches in football.

In fact, it is the Lombardi trophy that is awarded to the winner of each Super Bowl, so the guy must have been pretty special to the game.

Lombardi is known for his motivational speeches and after reviewing some of his famous quotes, it becomes more evident how he was talking about much more than simply football.

6 Ways Winning Football Games Can Help Your Pet Sitting Business

Here are 6 qualities Lombardi felt important to the game and a quote related to each quality.

SACRIFICE

“To achieve success, whatever the job we have, we must pay a price.”

As pet sitting business owners, there is always a price to pay for success. Many sitters have left a corporate world behind that, perhaps, was providing a steady pay check.

The sacrifice in that situation was financial stability in exchange for the opportunity to live a happier life.

Being a business owner or entrepreneur is never easy. Pet sitters must also sacrifice being available on major holidays since those are often our most profitable days.

What sacrifices have you made in order to pursue your dream as a pet sitting business owner?

BELIEF

“Confidence is contagious and so is lack of confidence, and a customer will recognize both.

This is one of the best kept secrets when it comes to succeeding in business, in general.

When a potential client calls, your biggest job is to instill a ton of confidence that you are the perfect one for the job.

The fact that she initially made contact suggests that she wants to get to know you better. She wants absolutely nothing more than to have you ease all of her fears and be her saving grace.

Learn how to speak confidently during the initial phone call. Learn how to lead the conversation by asking the potential client the right questions.

Learn how to be confident in your knowledge and ability so you can turn more potential clients into lifelong happy clients.

How confident are you when you speak to first time callers?

COMMITMENT

“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”

Choosing the path of pet sitter is never easy.

There are no tests to pass, or applications to fill out. You can simply wake up one morning and declare yourself a pet sitter.

The only difference between someone simply calling themselves a pet sitter and someone choosing to pursue life as a professional pet sitter will be their commitment to the business.

In order to succeed in business, you must constantly be learning. You must participate in your industry. You must read to understand the nature of business and the nature of a sale.

You must consisitently grow as a person.

How committed every day are you in your pet sitting business?

LEADERDSHIP

“Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.”

Whether you realize it or not, you are – and must remain – a leader.

You are the leader of your pet sitting business whether you are working solo or have a team along side.

Every pet owner looking to hire wants nothing more than for you to lead. She wants you to lead the conversation. She wants you to lead meet-n-greet.

This shows a great deal of confidence (see above) and puts the potential client at ease. The minute you allow a potential client to lead the way is the minute you lose control of your business.

Remember that you are selling yourself. You are not selling pet sitting services.

Anyone can watch a pet. But not anyone can watch a pet while recognizing emergencies, keeping the client’s valuables safe and taking appropriate action every step of the way.

Your potential client wants to trust that you are the perfect person for the job.

How comfortable are you in the leadership role?

DESIRE

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.”

If I asked you how badly you want to succeed as a pet sitting business owner, how would you respond?

Sure, you’d say something along the lines of “I want to succeed desperately.” But have you ever asked yourself WHY you want to succeed?

Why do you get up every day and pursue the life of a pet sitter? The more clarity you can answer this question with, the more focused you will become.

Yes, you want to be successful. But there is more to success than ‘want.’ You must get up everyday and dedicate your life to growth, knowledge, learning and training.

You must follow (or create) that burning fire for success in your being.

What are you driven by each day to keep pushing ahead?

WINNING

“Some of us will do our jobs well and some will not, but we will be judged by only one thing – the result.”

The result, or ultimate pay off, of our labor of love may not come for some time. Successful businesses take a calculated plan to get that way.

Nothing happens overnight and nothing happens by accident.

Let it be known that no matter what happens in your future, you are already winning!

The fact that you have chosen to pursue a career in the pet sitting industry and have taken action is a massive win.

Your only job now is to continue on this path by having a goal in mind, putting a plan in place, and following it to completion.

Where are you right now on your pursuit to your own Lombardi Trophy?

What do you need to accomplish next to keep moving in the right direction?

Now It’s Your Turn.

The six quotes above each left you with a question to answer. Take a moment to go back and read through the Lombardi quotes.

In the comments below, leave your answer to the quote/question that hit home the most.

Image Credit: ElvertBarnes