The Gallagher Search Group, Inc.’s Post

Not long ago, I sent a picture of my dog as part of a prospecting email. Not necessarily my finest moment, but there was a valid reason for it. The company I was prospecting into is a large pet supplier in the US. Their entire mission and values align to the love of animals as their customers which is called out across the company website. Most of the employees have something on their LinkedIn with similar callouts. The executive I was targeting even had a picture of themselves with their dog online. I also happen to be a loyal customer of this company, where I spend far too much money on premium dog food for Rudi, our golden retriever in the picture here…and as such they have a significant amount of my personal data in their loyalty program databases. But my Rudi email wasn’t just done as a gimmick, as it included a well researched POV on the company and where and how Rubrik could help, especially as a customer who wanted to help them keep my data safe. I did not receive a response, but it did get opened a lot of times…or the security/spam filter tricked me into thinking so. My hope is it got passed around internally and atleast brought a smile to some faces. Either way, I have no regrets and would do it again. Relevance and quality supersedes volume in today’s prospecting landscape and that will only continue in 2024. How are you standing out? #karpediem

How To Sell To Pet Shops (A Useful Guide) - Know your margins. If I ask you what your gross margin is, please know it by heart. The store owner will immediately know if your product makes sense from just this. - When do you guys deliver? Is it next day? (preferable), if you don't, this will also be another consideration, especially for food. - Do you support independents, or do you say you support them? There are thousands of independents, they are old fashioned, and they are likely to tell you to go away if your company/Amazon is trying to compete with them. - Can they get your products through Pedigree Wholesale Limited or another wholesaler? It's often a lot better for someone to add a few bits every week than to order big every so often. - Is your product good? I'm aware that there is a lot of sh*t on the market, but if your product contains sugar, barley, wheat gluten, rawhide, or is not well differentiated, your product is less likely to sell. There are more and more independent retailers distancing themselves from things like Schmackos or Dentastix as they are utterly rubbish for dogs. - Be persistent! The amount of single visits we get is staggering. Salespeople come in, find out the manager isn't in, leave product, and then never return. Even if you've spoken to the manager once or twice, cashflow can be tight for months on end. But they can be caught at the right time. I understand this might be a tough act to follow as salesforce might be stretched. - Product range: If you only have 4 products, we are less likely to order than if you have many. We get dozens of visits from new companies on a weekly basis (and many more via Youtube & Linkedin), so I hope that helps. BTW, here's a video of a foe of mine, as they sell all sorts of rubbish for dogs and cats that are horrible for them, are funded by Private Equity Firms like TDR Capital that think dog food is akin to NVIDIA chips and have failed to understand that Blitzscaling is not sustainable. https://lnkd.in/e-RCq6wb

Being a good rep in the pet food industry. The best way to start being a great rep is putting yourself into the owners, or stores shoes. Look at it if you were you, and you were them, what would you want. Relationship building is number one in this industry.

Happy National pet day! This is my coworker, Bruno. Despite my attempts to teach him marketing, he is completely disinterested. He's more of a sales guy - intent on making new friends ;) What I love most about my fur baby is that he reminds me to: - Take frequent breaks outside - Pause during the day to say hello to those you love - Enjoy the little things - Embrace interruptions - Sneak in a power nap if you feel tired - Hug and cuddle often Are you celebrating your pet today? Add a photo below so we can praise them! 🐶😺🐰🐸🐟 #nationalpetday #coworker #b2bmarketing

How my dog accidentally closed a deal in one bark... Have you ever wondered how a furry friend could boost your sales? Let me share a tail-wagging story that'll change your perspective on workplace companions! Today, my dog Roy joined me for work, and here's what happened: ↳ The Setup: I had a Discovery Call (Zoom) with a potential client. Those calls usually require follow-ups to seal the deal. ↳ The Plot Twist: 15 minutes into the call, Roy decided it was walkies time. One bark, then another, and... ↳ The Magic Moment: Client: "Do you have a dog there, Elad?" Me: "Yes, he's excited and wants to go for a walk" (apologetic tone) Client: "Nice, what's his name?" ↳ The "Beer Buddy" Effect: I noticed a PING - that moment when you connect with someone on a personal level. It's like finding a potential friend you'd enjoy sharing a beer with. ↳ The Unexpected Close: I showed Roy on camera, and we chatted about him for 2-3 minutes. Me: “I apologize, but can we reschedule the call so that I can take Roy for a walk, in the meantime, you could go over my proposal…” Client: “No problem, I can send the signed proposal by the time you get back!" ↳ Key Takeaway: Identify the "Beer Buddy" moment in your client interactions. It might be vague or crystal clear, but when you spot it - Go all in! Are you taking your dog to your workplace as well? P.S ♻️Repost and leave your barking comment :-)

Tails from an Island Pet Shop (6) Me: I am so terribly sorry but your dog food has not been sent with my stock delivery because it is out of stock. I will add it to next week's order Customer: Can you not get it somewhere else? Me: The other wholesaler I use does not stock it. Customer: I can buy it online at XXXX and they have it in stock why doesn't your supplier? Me: On checking with my supplier I understand stocks were low from the manufacturer and all the stock they had has been sold to other pet shops. Customer: Just buy it online from XXXX and then I will come and collect it from you. Me: If I buy it from XXXX I will have to pay the retail price, charge you delivery and a mark up, given I have to cover my costs so it will cost you 25% more, plus you have already paid me for your order so I need to supply it to you at the price agreed. Customer: OK will wait for it to come in but it is urgent. Me: (Having called in a favour I managed to get item 3 days ahead of my main delivery) Hello. Your item has arrived and ready for collection. Customer:................ 3 days later, item still waiting for collection ! Patience and holding one's tongue whilst killing someone with one's mind !!!! All the tools required when working in retail 🤯🤬🤣

🌟 Hound is growing! To any of the humans out there passionate about the veterinary space, supporting those that are a part of it, and are looking to be part of a team that's flipping recruiting and relief platforms on their heads... Hound is looking to add to their already epic team 🎉. Hound is not only a wonderful company dedicated to improving the way our veterinary space recruits and connects with candidates, but it's also a company that has the most AMAZING, kind, brilliant, and compassionate, humans who genuinely want to make a difference, that you'll ever meet ♡. In a professional world where toxic working environments are sadly all too common, it's more important than ever to find those "needle in a haystack" companies that will value the humans that work for them, just as much as those team members value their company, Hound is 100% one of those "needles in a haystack" companies 🐾🫶🏼. If I wasn't already on an epic team, I'd 100% be jumping to apply! I can't hype Austin Huff, Andrew Luna, Cindy Trice, Lucy Nash, RVT, and the rest of the Hound crew up enough 😎. Reach out to the team if you're interested in learning more, but jump quickly, this opening will for sure close in no time! #hound #houndishiring #customersuccess #veterinaryindustry

I have had quite a number of interviews over the last 4 weeks and only 1 question gave me pause, if you know me that might be surprising as I enjoy talking. The question has now come up four times and here is the question (paraphrased): Recruiter/Hiring Manager: Do you believe in loyalty and if so, share a brand you are loyal to and explain why you are loyal to that brand but do not share the name of the brand until the end. Me: (every time).......I do and I believe through word of mouth that kind of loyalty brings in new business or retains current business. My loyalty falls with observation and experience 2nd hand and I lead with this example first because it has hit me as being so important that I love sharing the experience. First, I have no pets and have had no pets but the company I am and would be loyal to (gifts for others as well as recommendations and if i were to have a pet) would be for this company. Their customer service is beyond that I have seen or heard in years and that alone is huge. Second, why i think their customer service is just beyond the best in the business is this....... When a friend, relative or co-worker have all experienced a loss of a furry family member, this company doesn't push back, they don't require proof, they don't say welp, you should have x or y, they instead hit you with understanding, support and ways to help make that event less (in every way). Usually they are subscription type services (food deliveries, toys, monthly boxes, etc) so when pet food arrives and that person calls in, they aren't met with obstacles and that is apparent through their customer service (tone, next steps, etc). This company will cancel the order or subscription, they will refund that last order or renewal and then without word or request, send flowers w/card as a condolence to their customer. Then they will send out boxes with instructions on if they don't need that food, to donate it (and then share where they can in that local area). To me, this is just outstanding, it is a difficult situation but its the small things. (at this point many of you may already know the company and that is awesome) Usually I can see smiles on the interview and each one has stopped me before i shared the name of this company and proudly said (asked) is it Xx.xxx company? Every time I happily say it 100% is! While these are terrible times for those owners, it brings a smile to my face knowing that this level of service impacts others as well. I will always share that all of this comes from a non-pet owner who hasn't had this happen to them firsthand but to see its impact or hear this impact to my friends, family and co-workers, I will support their business through sharing word of mouth, or gifts for those in my circle, etc. Then when I am able, they will be my absolute go to for pet needs. I think many of you know the company i am referring to, if you want to guess please share who you think it is below.

Will big slobbery dog kisses help your member retention? Probably not, but here are 4 things that your dog can teach you about member retention from the HuffPost archives... https://lnkd.in/gbsMu36H #RetentionStrategies #Dogs

EVERY DOG BITES Ever watched The Pink Panther Strikes Again? There’s this scene where Inspector Clouseau, sees a cute dog and asks the man standing near it, “Does your dog bite?” The man replies, “No.” Clouseau then reaches out to pat the dog and gets bitten. 🐕 He indignantly says to the man, “I thought you said your dog didn’t bite?” To which the man replies, “That is not my dog.” 🙈 What I’m trying to illustrate is that your prospects have been bitten so many times, so they think all dogs bite. If you’re not well known, you’re starting in negative territory. Your prospects are cynical and don’t trust you. You need to gain their trust if you want to convert them into a customer. Here’s how: 👉 Deliver value before you sell to them. 👉 Educate. 👉 Build a relationship. 👉 Create a compelling offer like a try before you buy or a double for the price of one. How do you build trust? P.S. If you liked this post, give it a 👍.