She laughed at me. Maybe it was the way I hesitantly asked. Maybe it was what I asked for. She was a bank account manager and I was asking for 4 new checking accounts for my business – in addition to the one I already had. I was implementing the Profit First approach and I guess she saw that request as odd.
She said she was disappointed. It is wasn’t what she expected. She was one out of over 200 sales to message me something like this. I know it wasn’t perfect, but it was needed and I couldn’t wait for perfection to put it out there to help everyone that needed the information. And the positive feedback had been *astounding.*
These two are just TWO examples of being laughed at or criticized as a business owner. It never ends. But you just can’t let it stop you from helping those that need your help.
I receive and share tons of positive reinforcement, but I wanted to take a moment to be real with you – it isn’t always like that. Fortunately, I’ve developed a thicker skin over the years and I don’t let it stop me from showing up and helping my ideal clients and customers. The ones who need to hear what I have to say and share.
Persistence is critical. In order to succeed, you can’t be dissuaded by negativity, eye-rolling, or laughing. You won’t be perfect – give up that dream right. this. minute. But that only means that you’re trying to make a difference. You’re putting yourself out there. You’re giving people a leg up in their lives, you don’t need to give them a whole ladder.
Brene Brown puts it perfectly – “If you are not in the arena also getting your butt kicked, I’m not interested in your feedback.”
Keep this in mind the next time you come across someone that wants to give you “constructive criticism.” You DON’T have to accept it. You can let it roll off your shoulders. Your way of doing things is JUST FINE. If they want it differently – they can get their own hands dirty and get in the arena.
Right now, people are scared. They’re angry. They’ve got lots of times on their hands. So this is bringing out the best and the worst in them. Be aware of this as you move forward and continue to navigate these rocky waters. Their words are not necessarily even about you, you just happen to be in the way.
Maybe they’re going through job loss, illness, excessive stress – and you’re within firing range. You are not responsible for their actions even though you might be on the receiving end of them.
Keep moving forward. Focusing on your mindset. Growing your audience (maybe with the help of my 4 week Clicks to Clients social media course for dog trainers). Keep on keeping on while protecting your own mindset.
I re-opened my Clicks to Clients course because there’s never been a better time to develop your brand on social media. There have never been more people online at any given time and many of them need your help! Click here to learn more.
Overcoming these challenging times will make you practically bullet proof. Guard your mental space like it is worth more than gold. It could be the determining factor on whether or not you will prosper through this. I guarantee you that you are already your *biggest* critic, don’t let others intimidate you from showing up and building your dream business.
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This community has been truly inspirational. As dog trainers, problem solving is an every-day practice. No two dogs and situations are the same. We’re really good at taking our understanding of concepts and applying them to find creative solutions.
It’s thrilling to see you all apply your genius to quickly change the way you serve your clients.
You’re offering virtual lessons and classes.
You’re providing dog-only, day-training services.
You’re creating online courses to prevent future behavior issues that might come out of these.
While these are hard times, its important to maintain ownership of what you CAN do to move forward.
Focus on those that need and want your help – even if that has changed drastically.
Think about how you can innovative in your approach, your content, your solutions, and your services.
One thing’s for certain, we’ll all overcome this stronger humans and stronger business owners. This will prepare us for future challenges we don’t even know about yet.
You’ll gain skills during this time that you’ll be able to utilize and use to your advantage for the rest of your life – in this business, in a future business, or wherever life takes you.
These circumstances do not have to be the end of everything as we know it. They are simply the beginning of a new era where technology is more integrated into our services to better serve our clients.
One student privately messaged me this about it: “Thank you so much, Ines! You have shown through as the brightest light in our industry. Today is my first virtual training session!! I took your webinar a couple of weeks ago and am also writing a couple of courses for Thinkific. You have been my saving grace bringing me the easiest way to get going virtually quickly.”
These kinds of responses truly mean the world to me and motivate me to continue showing up and providing valuable information. Like the FREE Zoom tutorial I recorded…
If you want offer lessons via Zoom, make sure you don’t miss the FREE Zoom tutorial I made for my community. (Make sure to join my FREE Facebook group!)
Looking to add Virtual Dog Training Lessons or Classes to your services?
This is the end of “professionalism” as we know it.
News anchors are working from home with their kids as their co-hosts. Conference calls have kids screaming or dogs barking in the background.
The only way to continue working right now is by working from home. The speed at which these circumstances happened has left people unprepared to create proper set ups and with the kids home from school or daycare and no in-home childcare as an option, it’s almost impossible to keep work and personal lives separate right now.
It’s momentarily uncomfortable, but this will break down barriers. People are showing their true selves online like never before. The era of pristine professionalism is finally over.
Maybe you’re hosting classes and lessons from your living room virtually. You clients are dealing with their dogs and their kids at the same time.
Growing up, I was taught that I had to keep my true self to myself, true opinions private, and certainly not post anything I’d “regret” on the internet. *gasp*
With parents that are in Human Resources and Engineering – being professional was taught as a requirement to being a part of the “real world.” And it’s only in the last few years that I’ve started to break down those beliefs. If you’re part of my Facebook Group, you’ve seen me step up this past year and teach loads of live trainings on Facebook Lives. I’ve been slowly letting the world get to know who I am as a human, not just a business coach/teacher/educator.
I’m not going to lie – its been uncomfortable, but I’m thankful these efforts have been mostly met with open arms. And I’ve created real, offline relationships with people because of it!
People need connection. And while it’s easy to fake your personality online, it’s becoming more and more acceptable, expected and welcome to show your true self – flaws and all – online. I believe it is actually bringing us all closer together as everyone is realizing that everyone else is human, too! And that’s it’s okay to be yourself.
What I’ve learned, and what I want you to realize too, is that you can be yourself AND be regarded as an expert AND be friends with clients. That is the future of work that is sustainable, fulfilling, and flexible. Sure, you absolutely have to have policies and boundaries to protect your mental space, but the walls are being torn down – especially right now.
Being overly professional, like I used to be, is now – for certain – a thing of the past. People need connection and just because you’re there to help their dogs doesn’t mean you can ignore the human relationship. People will want to work with you now and in the future because of their relationship with you – not for what you can do for their dogs.
As a service-based, dog business owner, you’re in your client’s daily or weekly network and community. The world can be a lonely place and we all have seen how dogs can bring people together. Take careful consideration of this as you grow your presence online or in-person when we’re able to do so again.
You still have to be a skilled expert in your field. People can easily tell if you know what you’re talking about, but what I’m saying here is that that isn’t the only thing that matters anymore.
Let me know in the comments – what is it that your clients love most about you?! (Find out if you don’t know…)
I used to think that all I needed was the right strategy. I love strategy. I have a unique ability to understand the big picture and break it down in to a plan. It is my jam. I get the big picture. And I get the logistics. The older I get, the more I realize how unique of a skill this is.
If you’re like me, you’re probably thinking that all you need is the exact play-by-play actions you need to take to be successful. If only someone could just hand over the instructions, you’ll have that breakthrough.
What’s understated about success is that it honestly comes down to mindset. I didn’t even know what mindset was when I was first getting started with my own business. Its only just now becoming a mainstream term and its worth understanding what mindset really is because it will literally be the difference between your reaching “success” and not.
I love logistics. I want to know the exact “how.” I’m all about processes and procedures – in case you haven’t noticed with my popular Dog Training Client Lifecycle Roadmap Bundle...
But what’s made the undeniable and surprising difference in my business has been adopting an intentional mindset.
What is an intentional solo-entrepreneur’s mindset?
As a service-based, dog business owner – you’re basically a solo-entrepreneur. You’re the CEO and the service provider. And you’re the customer service. And the pooper-scooper. You do it alllllll.
It is hard. But it can get easier once you realize that you have to be the CEO first and foremost. As the CEO you have to have a vision for your business.
But you can’t make a vision you believe in unless you’re aware of the mindset you’re bringing to the table.
Mindset includes, but isn’t limited to…
The beliefs you have about your capabilities (conscious or subconscious)
The way you show up to work on your business each and every day
The thoughts you choose to think about your life
The way you present yourself to your clients
It feels like every week I become more and more aware of the impact my mindset has on myself, my family, and my business. If I’m not conscious about my thoughts and beliefs, then its easy to spiral into the “what ifs” and be emotionally dragged around by my fearful, life-protecting lizard brain.
Thankfully, I don’t have a knife to my throat so I’m not actually in a life or death situation and I can make decisions about what I want to think, believe, and act.
Your mindset could be leading you astray from your goals without even knowing it. What can you do today to become conscious of your thouhts? To regain awareness? To show up in the best possible way for your clients? To show up in the best possible way for your family?
It’s simple, but it isn’t easy. You just have to journal – simply write down the thoughts that come to mind so you can evaluate whether or not these thoughts are empowering you to take the appropriate actions or inhibiting you from stepping up.
Even if you don’t like writing – no one but you is going to read these words. Just get your thoughts down on paper and you’ll immediately experience a renewed sense of control, hope, and inspiration.
Your brain will try to make you resist this exercise. Tell it that it’s okay. This is just an experiment. Its just to “see what happens.” I’ve got some prompts to get your started:
*What is ONE thought that is not serving me right now? What thought do I want to hold instead?*
*What is one *result* I could accomplish today that would move me in the right direction?*(What could you get done today?)
*What is one thing I could do today to put myself into a good mood?*(Music/ dance/ walk/ etc?)
*If success was guaranteed, what vision would you have for your business? And how would you show up?*
*What beliefs do I hold about myself that aren’t necessarily true/absolute? What beliefs do I want to hold about my capabilities instead?*
You started a business to help your community – four-legged and two-legged. They need you to show up right now. They don’t need another spiral of panic. Be the source of calm, consistent, confidence. It also happens to be the place you need to be mentally to come up with the best ideas for how to move your business forward.
The recent events will permanently change the way companies do business. Whether you’re small and local or a Fortune 100 company, you’re re-evaluating your services, products, marketing, customer service, tools, and systems right now with a magnifying glass.
The coronavirus pandemic has caused every-one to figure out how to make their business virtual on a whole new level. Hundreds of dog trainers began offering virtual private lessons and classes to their customers.
View My Workshop “Deliver Virtual Dog Training Lessons Your Clients Will Love”
Even if their previous opinion about it was that it wasn’t ideal. Or that it is risky. Or that it couldn’t be done. Dog business owners across the world threw those excuses out the window – as they should have a long time ago – to take their businesses online so that they could continue serving their local clients.
The next change? Improving their online presence and digital marketing strategy so tha they can expand their customer base beyond just their local community.
I think this is an opportunity like we’ve never seen before.
Business owners have the opportunity to flex their creativity and get an even better understanding of the people they serve – if they don’t, they won’t make it through.
This is going to make businesses more responsive to their client’s needs and considerate of their real-world customers. And dog businesses are not exempt from this.
Now is your chance to prove that you’re in it for the long-haul. That you’re there for your customers and your community – beyond the dogs. Sure, you might have gotten into business as a dog trainer to help dogs, but starting a business is about helping people. Dogs don’t pay your bills.
Those that understand this, will make it through. You can help dogs in so many other ways than starting a business.
Those that see this mandatory change in their business model as an opportunity will succeed. Those that don’t. Those that shut down (mentally) out of fear of change will not.
I’m already seeing many trainers leading their clients through new services, virtually of course. They’re offering courses they’ve been thinking of. They’re offering services to pro-actively prevent potential behavior issues that could result from this long self-quarantining procedure. They’re helping their client’s families navigate the challenges of being stuck at home with everyone – kids, dogs, family – so that everyone can make it out the other side. Those are the business owners and community leaders that will make it out the other side. THEY are thinking of the people as well as the dogs.
The other thing I’m seeing that those that have a marketing strategy and system are already using that to expand their audience online. Even though digital marketing has been around for two decades, there are still dog businesses that do not even have a website or social media presence.
Obviously, I’ve been blogging here since 2014 so I know first hand the power of social media, Google, and email marketing. It is my jam. Its practically second nature to me now. Those that have ignored digital marketing are now coming to terms with the fact that they don’t have a marketing system at all. At least not one that works for you 24/7 for FREE.
Unfortunately, it can take some time to build this up organically. Fortunately, you now have time to do it and a WHOLE lot more people are online right now just waiting to come across your expertise – they just don’t know it yet.
Earlier this year I launched my new course “Clicks to Clients – A Social Media Strategy for Dog Trainers” that really applies to all dog businesses. I had closed it before the coronavirus circumstances made it silly for me to keep it from you. You can jump into this course and discover how to find potential clients, how to show your expertise on social media to attract clients you love, and begin generating new clients immediately.
View the “Clicks to Clients” Social Media Course
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There’s no one right way to become a dog trainer. Some aspiring trainers enroll in a formal education course (either online or in-person), but not all beginners have the resources to afford this kind of education.
Another popular and far less expensive method is to find a mentor to apprentice under. But how do you find a mentor, and how do you know you’re getting the education you were originally seeking?
Facebook Live Webinar by Ines McNeil, Transcribed by Gem Sheps
Take a Training Class with Your Own Dog
Chances are if you’re an aspiring dog trainer, you’ve got a dog of your own. Taking classes with a trainer in your area is a great way to start learning basic training methods and familiarize yourself with dog body language and social activity.
It’s courteous to be up-front with the trainer you want to take a class with — let them know that you want to be a dog trainer and taking one of their classes would be a good opportunity to get an idea of what classes look like and how things are run.
Lots of people spend time exploring industries before diving in deeper and the trainer will probably give you extra information about the process during classes if they’re aware.
If the trainer doesn’t want you in their class, that’s okay. All that means is that they’re someone you probably don’t want to spend time with anyway. Trainers who are more worried about competition than helping educate others aren’t the trainers you want to learn from.
Attend Local Seminars and Network
Seminars themselves are wonderful learning opportunities; you get to hear unique perspectives from fantastic trainers and potentially even participate in a workshop. But the end of the event is when the networking begins.
Usually, trainers go out for drinks after events! Just like other professionals, dog trainers like to sit down with a beer and some food and share stories and experiences with each other. They also tend to recap what they learned at the event and how they’re going to apply it to their own clients.
Get in on some after-event shop talk. This stuff is priceless; I’ve had such incredible experiences with trainers from all over the nation. You get to hear amazing stories, both good and bad, and it’s a great glimpse into the life of a dog trainer.
Directly Contact Local Trainers
If you’ve heard good things about a trainer in town or you’ve been following a local trainer online and you like the way they work, reach out to them and ask to shadow.
A lot of the time, a trainer would be glad to take on an apprentice because it also benefits them. Apprentices can help out by walking a demo dog or a stuffed animal while the trainer counter-conditions a reactive dog. Apprentices can act as the “stranger” for dogs who have stranger danger problems. While you’re gaining an education, your mentor is getting free assistance.
Make sure you look to see what training methods they practice before reaching out. Wanting to be an R+ trainer and learning from someone who uses different methods won’t work out well.
When it comes to basic dog handling and training mechanics, one especially popular and extremely unique resource I love is the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy. Depending on what “level” course you purchase, you get to fully participate — you take videos of yourself training and submit them, and then receive critiques.
It’s a great experience, and once you complete a course you get access to the Facebook alumni group. There you have access to hundreds of other trainers and their experiences, shared learning opportunities, and more. It’s also nice to socialize with other people in the industry without talking shop — you can make new connections through the group and find a place in the community.
Cultivating relationships with other trainers can be intimidating, especially for people who get along better with dogs than humans. Don’t be scared — industry veterans sometimes seem aloof, but they’re just people who want to make sure newbies are being taught well. If they have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the community by guiding new trainers, then it’s a win-win situation.
Know of any other ways to find a great mentor as a new dog trainer? Let us know in the comments.
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Successfully running a business is no easy feat, but standardizing the way you run it is a huge help to you. Every business benefits from having a standard operating procedure (SOP) manual.
Facebook Live Webinar by Ines McNeil, Transcribed by Gem Sheps
Why Do You Need an SOP Manual?
If you’re used to running things on the fly and making procedures up as you go, sitting down to create an SOP manual may sound finicky and daunting. However, there are a number of ways having one would benefit you and your business:
Increase consistency in organizing your documents and invoices and ensure important paperwork is not lost
Lay out plans for marketing and social media content strategies
Effectively onboard new clients in a way that is stress-free for both you and the client
Productively manage your time and prevent miscommunication with clients
Lay out procedures for potential occupational hazards (such as working with aggressive dogs)
Serve as a guide if you end up taking on employees in the future
A solid SOP manual can be the foundation to a well-organized, successful business. Be thorough — you want your manual to be easy for you (and anyone else who may use it in the future) to follow.
How to Outline Your SOP Manual
Now that you know why you need an SOP manual, you need to know how to start creating one.
Title Page
Open up a new Word or Google Doc and begin by creating a title page with essential information:
“Standard Operating Procedures,” company name, date last updated (which, in this case, is today), your name, your contact info
Table of Contents
SOP manuals can get pretty hefty — you’ll want a table of contents to help you navigate it.
If you run your business solo, keeping your SOPs for all elements of your business (sales, marketing, training methods, etc.) in one document is fine. Later on if you end up hiring employees you may decide to create separate documents for certain sections depending on the kind of help you need.
Add these sections to the table of contents:
Operations — this section will include things like business hours, emails, templates, intake forms, testimonial request process, procedure for documenting case studies, procedure for maintaining client records, tracking mileage, etc
Marketing — this section will include social media process (how you create content, when and where you post, frequency, etc.), branding guide for print and digital, editorial calendar, process for direct outreach, testimonials, referrals & rewards, etc.
Sales — this section will include new client inquiry call response, scripts, discounts, unique selling propositions, monthly & quarterly goals, track results, etc.
Client Management / Customer Service — this section will include new client onboarding processes, client support, communication methods, your rules re: training methods and tools, payments & cancellations & refunds, etc.
Delivery Systems — this section will include an overview of your services and fees, scheduling classes / sessions, how you’re going to launch & market services, handouts, phone etiquette, evaluation procedures, process for running classes, information on behavior modification management, etc.
Adding Content to Each Section
Once you’ve laid out the sections you’re going to use, it’s time to start documenting your procedures. I recommend using bullet points (and flow charts if you’re a visual learner) to keep things clear, concise, and step-by-step.
Use checklists to support your process — things don’t always have to happen in the exact same way. Still, you should at least have a checklist of the steps necessary to successfully complete a task.
Utilize headers — each section’s title should be an H1 or 2, and subsections should be H2 or 3. This makes it so that the table of contents links with the content.
Remember that this is a living document. As your business evolves and grows, it’s okay to change things! You’re going to be adding, removing, and changing your procedures over time. Just make sure you’re appropriately documenting the process to make things easier on your future self.
Grab The Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) Template for Dog Trainers
When you’re considering hiring someone that you’re going to bring into your home — like a housekeeper, plumber, or even a dog trainer — it can make you nervous. You’re letting someone into your home and personal life in the hopes that they will provide a solution to your problem. You want to make sure they’re trustworthy and the right fit for the job.
Facebook Live Webinar by Ines McNeil, Transcribed by Gem Sheps
Why Do I Need Testimonials?
One of the first things people do nowadays when searching for a service is hop on Google or Facebook and check out the reviews.
Here are some tips on how to collect testimonials for your website and social media profiles. Trust me — your potential customers will be looking for them. The more (positive) reviews you have, the quicker someone will be convinced to hire you.
Ask Clients to Submit Video Testimonials
Nowadays, it’s a little too easy to “buy” followers and five-star reviews. There are people for hire who will create batches of bot accounts that you can then purchase to add to follower count or alter their average star rating.
One of the best methods for trust-building with future clients is to request that existing and former clients send in video testimonials. Most people — if they’re happy with the work you’ve done — will be eager to help out!
Be sure to give them a heads-up during your second to last in-person meeting and plan to shoot the video at the last session so they have time to put their thoughts together. If you spring a sudden video shoot on them, they may not be as comfortable with you recording them.
Ask Questions for Them to Answer
To get the best results from your video testimonials, plan on asking your client these two questions:
What motivated you to hire me specifically as your dog trainer?
What would you tell a friend that was considering hiring me?
By asking those questions, you guide them toward getting the best material for your video testimonial.
Brag About Your Accomplishments on Social Media
When a client has had a good experience with the results they hoped to achieve, brag about it! Share your client success stories on your website, Facebook, Instagram, and wherever else you’re active.
For example, right before your last lesson with a client you could say “I think we’ve made awesome progress and I’d love to feature your dog on my website (or social media profiles) with a review from you.”
The client will likely be just as excited to share their satisfaction with the solution you provided to their problem.
Send Out Emails
One of the easiest ways to get written testimonials is to send emails to your last 10 clients following this script:
“Hi! I’m looking to add some fresh material to my [website and/or social media]. I would love to feature [client’s dog]! Would you be able to send over a couple of sentences about what it was like to work with me and how our time together impacted you?”
Say your “thank yous” and “look forward to hearing back from yous” at the end, sign your name, and send it off! Once a month you can follow up with your latest clients and collect their testimonials.
It may feel odd in the beginning, but requesting testimonials is a big part of marketing your services! Don’t be afraid to show off your good reviews.
What if you knew exactly what to say, sell, and do, to work less, earn more per client,get better results, have happier clients?
What if you knew exactly what to say, sell, and do, to work less, earn more per client, get better results, have happier clients?
Know exactly what to post, what to say, how to sell, and how to deliver a high-value, high-impact dog training program in the next 30 days.
This includes all of the sales, marketing, and program design information you need to get jump started into selling high-value dog training programs as a science-based professional dog trainer.
One of the key elements to running a dog training business is being able to manage your time efficiently. Time management is a tricky skill that takes time and dedication to learn, and I’ve got some tips to help you develop that skill.
Facebook Live Webinar by Ines McNeil, Transcribed by Gem Sheps
Schedule Your Time Off
Managing your time off is just as important as managing your appointments with clients. Do yourself a favor and schedule your time off in your calendar.
By blocking off time on your calendar for yourself, you’re making it easy for yourself to see that you do not have time to take extra appointments. If a client tries to squeeze into your schedule last minute on your day off, you’ll have a visual reminder of your unavailability.
Making room for extra appointments leaves minimal time in your schedule to take care of yourself, relax, and recharge for your next workday.
You can simply tell clients that you’re booked for the day and offer them an alternative.
Don’t Accommodate “Special Requests”
Sometimes if you’re too flexible for clients in the beginning of your working relationship, they will continue to take advantage of you over time. This can be a big contributor to burnout.
Accommodating the special requests of every single client is unrealistic. No matter what, you can’t make everyone happy — but it’s a lot easier to make others happy once you’ve taken care of yourself.
Schedule your time off and stick to it. Know how many appointments you can comfortably fit into your day without overwhelming yourself. Your future self will thank you for it. (Hint: You don’t necessarily have to work harder to earn more.)
Schedule Your Appointments by Location and Day
For trainers who drive all over the map trying to speed to private lessons, here’s a tip — schedule appointments based on location and day.
For example, try to get all of your clients on the east side of town to schedule for the same day, and schedule west side appointments for another day. Avoid commuting more than working and your schedule will become less hectic.
Communicate Your Availability Proactively
When you reach the end of a session and it’s time to schedule the next one, many trainers ask the client when they would like to schedule the appointment. This, however, doesn’t give them a guide to your availability and makes scheduling more difficult.
Don’t make clients guess when you will and won’t be available — let them know up front. Offer a few time slots you know for a fact are open and let them choose between those.
Write Down Your To-Do List
If you don’t write down what you know you need to do every day, you’re eventually going to forget something important. A client might get left behind. You might forget to pay a bill. You’re juggling a lot as a business owner and trainer. Put everything down on paper and prioritize!
You can use your phone, a notepad, a sticky note, or anything else that works for you. Just jot it down.
Focus on Methods You Know Work
Eliminate things that don’t drive immediate value to your business.
If you’re posting on social media without a real strategy and you aren’t getting clients out of it, then it may not be the best use of your time. Stick to methods that you have had success with bringing in clients.
You don’t have to post on social media every day — or even every week — just because everyone else is doing it. Though social media is a helpful tool, you may be wasting time on it if it isn’t stimulating your business.
Don’t Answer “Can I Pick Your Brain?” Questions
I don’t think I’m alone in saying that sometimes, I don’t want to mention that I’m a dog trainer around new people. Because they always immediately have questions for me.
Here’s a getaway line for you:
“I actually have a policy where I don’t give training or behavioral advice without having a full understanding of the situation, but we could absolutely set up a [free consult, initial phone screening, etc.] so I can get the whole picture.”
This saves you time and it could protect you from giving incomplete advice when you don’t know the full extent of the situation. It also shows a commitment to actually addressing their concerns and the challenges they may be facing.
Discipline is Self Care
Building the discipline that it takes to stick to your work schedule, rest schedule and other policies is self care! You’re taking care of your future self by keeping your business and your home life running smoothly.
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Whether you’re just starting up your dog training business or you’re looking for ways to improve your current business, you need to know how to set boundaries for your clients and yourself.
Facebook Live Webinar by Ines McNeil, Transcribed by Gem Sheps
For Clients
Almost everyone out there has had to deal with an overbearing, pushy, ignorant, or just plain rude client. It’s aggravating, but a lot of the time these clients just aren’t aware of your policies. Making sure that they know coming in how you run things is critical to preventing repeat negative interactions with clients.
Lay Down the Law Prior to Your First Session
Set your clients (and yourself) up for success by making sure everyone clearly understands your policies.
If you have a welcome packet for clients it should have your contact information and hours clients can reach you, what training tools you do and do not allow, and other things your clients absolutely need to know.
You also want to make sure you limit the amount of access your client has to you after the training package is over.
Once they’ve completed the program, you don’t have to continue talking to them in the same respect.
You don’t want to allow former clients to “pick your brain” over email or text for ongoing help when you could be meeting up with them to have the discussion and charging for your services.
Boundaries to Set for Yourself
Setting boundaries for yourself is often far harder for people than setting boundaries with clients. As a business owner, you have to be able to hold yourself accountable and lay out boundaries to make running everything as smooth a process as possible.
Treat Your Business Like a Business
Something that I’ve noticed during strategy sessions is that many trainers need to build the discipline to treat their dog training business like a business.
You have to have policies, you have to have processes, marketing, sales—and as the business owner, you’re the one who has to do it all.
You have to be disciplined in all aspects of your business. It will allow you to be successful long term and not go back to working another job.
Set all of your policies, processes, packages and pricing, and stick to it.
Stand Your Ground
Many trainers are worried about having to negotiate their pricing with their customers, but you’re a professional and professionals don’t haggle.
If you don’t document your processes, you’re losing valuable information to help you build your business. Be an advocate for yourself and record how lessons went, whether clients found what you told them easy to understand, and cut elements that aren’t working for you.
If you want to run a dog training business that is sustainable and successful, you have to have the willpower and discipline to set boundaries for your clients and yourself.
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