Money Comments & Pressure

Sometimes when training people make comments about how much they paid. These comments can come in the form of a joke or they can be a bit snarky. Regardless of the comment, below is some ways to handle it.

Principle: People don’t “pay” us. They don’t “spend” with us. Training doesn’t “cost” money. When people work with us they INVEST in their dog and their long-term happiness with their dog.

Transferring Pressure: People mention how much is riding on this training program.

“That’s why I paid you $1000.”

“This better be worth it.”

“With the price that I paid…"

“You better do everything you said you would, if I’m gonna pay $1000!"

“If you can’t fix my dog, I’m giving him back or I’m putting him down.”

“They better obey me for the amount of money I paid."

“If I refer someone, do I get a discount?"

Client: You guys get paid more than a lawyer or doctor!

Dog Pro/Eval Pro:  Ha!  I wish we did!  If so, we’d be on a sailboat somewhere!  No, most of that money goes to Google, payroll, Uncle Sam, leashes, etc.  At the end of the day, we don’t make that much.  I wish we did though!

How to Handle It

- Smile, be gracious, and don’t respond directly

- Emphasize as you go along that this is a partnership and that we are the lead trainer and coach, but that they will be the ones who do the majority of the work through repetition  

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