The Snicker factor

No. Not the candy bar.

I'm talking about the reaction some of us have gotten when we've told our friends/families/co-workers that we were planning to embark on an career path which included animals. Or when you approach a potential customer and they look at you like you are from another planet.

We have all faced the skeptics, at some point, haven't we?

Of course, in the last 5 years especially, the animal boom has been widely documented and legitimized in the mainstream press. Nonetheless, when you mention over lunch to your sister that you are planning to leave that perfectly fine 9-to-5 job to start a doggie day care, you may very well hear some skepticism in her voice. Likewise your parents, your boss, your bank, and most importantly, new customers.

I faced the same reactions. I was a former corporate ladder-type and I was now making a living selling animal massage classes around the world. When we attended a trade show, the reactions were mixed. Some people had heard of us, others were curious, and still others literally laughed out loud and elbowed their companion in the ribs saying "Hey, look! Animal massage! That's the craziest thing I've ever heard."

It used to get me down. Then I read a book called "How to Close Every Sale" by Joe Girard. In the book, Girard (a car salesman) tells the reader that the skeptics are actually more likely to become a customer than you might think. "Objections are an expression of interest," he writes. "I've always believed that when somebody tells me why he doesn't want to buy my product, he's expressing a willingness to listen to why he SHOULD buy."

At the next tradeshow, I tried this strategy. Everytime someone would visibly object, I would say "Yeah, goofy huh. Animal massage...." And then they would always stop. And then I would give them The Pitch. (People are spending lots of money on their pets. Pets are living longer. Animal massage is recognized as a having a wide range of benefits. Animal massage is a great career for someone who wants to work with pets.) Some of these people would become our most loyal customers.

The next time you are greeted with a chuckle or a laugh when you tell someone about your animal career, use it to your advantage. Be prepared and respond with facts and data about your field. Tell them about your training. Tell them about your experience. Tell them in a short, sweet way, how you can help them.

You'll be surprised how well they'll listen and help you turn those snickers into..