How to make your pet business stand out from the crowd….
‘If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles’
(Sun Tzu, 5th Century BC)
When I’m sitting down with a pet business coaching client (or as is more likely, zooming them) one of the BIGGEST problems they come to me with is ‘How to do I stand out against the ever-growing competition?’
On one hand I can understand their fear. Surely, if there are only so many dogs to go around in any one town, increased competition means you have less chance of attracting enough dog owning clients to put bacon and beans on the table for you and your family.
However, I am quickly able to dispel these fears by sharing a fundamental business truth. And that is ‘the majority are always wrong’.
Not only that, but the majority of pet business owners in your town WON’T be doing very well in their business.
They won’t be making much money.
They will be working long hours for little pay.
They’ll be doing the most basic marketing possible (usually just social media)
They won’t be doing any email follow up or direct mail, they won’t be offering upsells, or charging premium prices, they won’t have a referral system in place that clones their best clients…
Phew.
This means you don’t have to do very much to stand out from the crowd with your marketing.
But.
You might be reading this now thinking ‘Well, I don’t have any of those marketing systems either??’
Don’t worry dear reader.
I can teach you how to do all that if you grab a copy of my pet business bible here.
In the meantime, here’s something you can do RIGHT NOW, that will make you stand out from the crappy competition.
And I’m going to steal and slightly change this Sun Tzu tip.
Sun Tzu says, ‘If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.’
My version is ‘If you know the enemy and SHOW thyself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. ‘
See, most pet businesses are incredibly boring with their marketing.
Like, sleep standing up boring.
They think they are being professional, but really they are boring the pants off anyone who lands on their website.
So, an easy way to stand out is to SHOW YOURSELF and share your personality more in your marketing.
Share what you like, love and hate, about your profession and the dog industry in general.
Having an opinion will make you stand out from the crowd, and you’ll more quickly connect with your ideal clients. See, when you use your personality in your marketing you pull towards you the people who are a great fit for you AND you push away from you the people who disagree with your values (who you would hate working with anyway!)
Don’t believe me?
Have a google of your competition today.
You’ll find they are (for the most part) all the same.
Boring.
Skint.
Struggling.
Want to do better? Be different and use your personality more.
For more pet business marketing tips and advice sign up to my FREE Pet Business Report HERE
In 2011 Dom Hodgson revolutionised the pet service industry with his first business Pack Leader Dog Adventures, the UK’s first, award winning ‘dog adventure’ company. Now a respected dog trainer, author, speaker and mentor to pet business owners, Doms calling is to help dog walkers, trainers and groomers to excel with their marketing, so they can help change the lives of more dog owners with their amazing skills.
Take that leap today. You won’t regret it.