I am a Golden Retriever --

I am nearing the end of my second year in my first sales job. Things are going very well and I am still telling friends and family “you were right, I should have been in sales”. But what they were telling me is the reason I should be in sales is because I am the right breed. The fact is we all fit certain breeds of dogs. Friendly and playful dogs like a golden retreiver, working dogs, companion dogs, mutts etc. I’m not saying we have to liken ourselves to dogs, we just have to be accepting of who we are and where we sit in relationships with others we work with. I think it is easier to think in terms of dogs. They are “man’s best friends” after all.

My wife and I have two kids and when my daughter was about four or five years old her great-grandmother compared her to a golden retriever and her cousin to a doberman. You get the picture. Both of our kids are golden retrievers, very much chips off of my block.

My wife first called me a golden retriever about three years ago while I was in a marketing/sales job for a restoration/construction company. She said it was the perfect jobs for a golden retriever because I “can lunch for a living.” The job lasted a year and I was let go as the economy was starting its fall. Fortunately I found my current job rather quickly (actually had seen the writing on the wall) and have found success. I took my wife’s comment as more than a compliment, I made it my mantra.

“Be the Golden Retriever” and it works like this.

My job is to identify perspective clients. I liken my job as a dog running free in a park and going from person to person with the goal of getting a scratch on the ears first. The ear scratch, a telephone conversation. If they like scratching my head, what I have to say on the phone, maybe they will throw a ball for me by agreeing to a meeting. Well, we all know that when you throw the ball once, the dog is going to want you to throw I again. To a dog time means nothing and he will be patient waiting, just hoping for another throw. That’s me. I am just waiting for another throw.

A few days ago I got another throw, actually it was a meaty bone rather than a ball. The prospect, a wonderful woman that I have come to know pretty well after our first meeting more than a year ago, just changed companies and was finally in a position where our company can be a solution. She and I talked for about 15 minutes before even getting to the business at hand. She commented on my “tenacity” and appreciated the fact I “didn’t give up on her”. I gave her my golden retriever line and explained that is was more than just patience. It was that dog (she understood, she has three of her own) that sits at your feet in the kitchen as you are making dinner waiting for that tiny morsel to fall on the floor. It has happened before and the dog knows it will happen again. We laughed, got to the business of the call and made our plan for the meeting.

Now I know I am a Golden retriever, I am not a working dog. I understand my role in this process and will now step out of the way. Because of some personal issues I will not be able to attend the meeting. At first the woman offered to accommodate my issues, but I declined. I am placing my faith in my co-workers, the working dogs in my company. I used the analogy with her. “You don’t want a golden pulling the sled in the Iditarod. You want the sled dogs.” I am the fun dog, the dog to go play fetch with, or to lunch etc. You want the smart dogs being your solution.

I like being a golden retriever, and here is where my prospect, hopefully soon to be client, will also better respect me and my company. I know what my role is. After learning about her company, challenges and goals I can identify the people in our organization that will best fit her needs and will be there for that meeting. The golden retriever in the room just wants to play or fall asleep in the corner. Let the working dogs get it done. Then all the dogs can go for a romp in the park.