Puppy Dog Closing Technique

I was reading about different closes this morning and found the "puppy dog close". Does anyone use this with much success? -bridger480

What is the puppy dog close and how big is its bark? -MitchM

In brief, the Puppy Dog Close is a sales technique that is based (aptly) on a method that pet store salespeople use to sell puppy dogs. The idea is that while it may be difficult to get the customer to make a large commitment (buying the puppy), if we can break down the sale into a smaller component with a "guaranteed/no risk" offer, the customer may be willing to make an initial commitment.

For example, the pet store salesperson tells you that you can take the puppy home with you and if you don't like it, just bring it back. So what happens? You take the puppy with you, you play with him and run around outside with him, he licks your nose in the morning and waits for you faithfully at the door at the end of the day. And the sale is made. Not by the salesperson, but by the puppy. --quote from CollegeGrad.com -bridger480

Understood.

My experience has been that selling on the basis of a need/want is much stronger than selling on the basis of a guarantee although satisfaction guarantees have some qualified value. -MitchM

I'm pretty sure that the "puppy dog close" is just a close. -bridger480

The biggest guarantee I've found is that what I sell is exactly what someone wants - it's not 100% water proof but close.

Other guarantees can be a pain-in-the-neck but have some value. What needs to be guaranteed up front is that clear communication guarantees the right fit between customer and seller. -MitchM

Mitch, are you thinking this close is about a "guarantee"? -bridger480

I have used it effectively only when I made myself the puppy dog. What that means I will "lend" my full expertise and care to a prospect up to a point where I see a prospect is not willing to commit.

Once, after listening to a prospect tell me how "interested" he was, and what a "fine job" I had done answering his questions, and how I would hear from him "either way" within a day, and how he was "90 percent sure" we would do business, I took back myself by shaking hands, smiling brightly, and saying, "Well good luck to you on this project in case I don't get a chance to ever see you again."

His face dropped and he mumbled sort of a half sentence--and followed me out to the parking lot, invited me back in, expressed a concern, had it resolved by me--and bought! -Gary Boye

Here is my take on what I've seen so far in this thread:

Bridger did not state that money was exchanged for the puppy, so I don't see this as a guarantee. More like a free trial.

One statement that I think makes sense is that when the customer is not comfortable making a large committment, you get him to make a smaller committment that he is comfortable with. I agree with this wholeheartedly. I have found this to be very effective (Not necessarily as it relates to a free trial, but as a general principle).

Mitch, you made some terrific statements about money-back guarantees (much to my surprise, I have found them to be true). -RainMaker

That sounds like the "Take Away Close". -bridger480

Similar--but not the same. My product is not puppy dogs but consultation. When I am engaged in the sales process, I am lending the prospect my consultation skills (not to be confused with consultative selling skills--a different subject). I allow them to benefit from my advice and sharing--up until a point.

Just like the puppy can be hugged, petted, fed, and fallen in love with--for a short time.

The "Take Away Close" is not exactly the same. Maybe I'll address that on your other thread. -Gary Boye

I was once taught that the "fear-of-loss" and "take-away" [creating the fear-of-loss] was pretty much one in the same. I used that and didn't like using it - I believe if it's an effective thing to do it has to be connected to something other than a gambit to get someone moving in another direction to change.

What you say, Gary, makes sense to me in the sense that if I'm giving you some of my time and information and sense or hear you just taking up my time and information for free - it's time for me to do what you did when the fellow followed-you out.

That's not fear-of-loss or "take-away" in the sense I was taught it. The whole value system is different. -MitchM

Not quite, Mitch. It's not about "fear of loss". It's about feelings of loss? -Gary Boye

I see. The fear-of-loss as I was told was to get someone to feel that he will lose something if he doesn't act. The feeling of loss is that I have already lost something. Do I understand the difference, Gary? -MitchM

Regarding the puppy dog close, I thought the idea was once you trial period was over the customer decided to keep the product. -bridger480

That's the objective. -Gary Boye

I just bought a piece of software after downloading the trial offer. That too is a puppy dog close and it worked with me. :) -Mikey

I've read that car and truck dealers use this technique a lot too. -bridger480

All the things sold on TV especially the hot CDs/DVDs and immediate emotional response items offer the guarantee - just order it and see if it's for you. Paul Harvey is a master at that approach too. -MitchM

I've been thinking about the example you provided and really can't see how that is a puppy dog close. Where is the connection? -bridger480

Bridger, it is not about puppy dogs. I don't sell puppy dogs. People who sell puppy dogs sometimes lend them out for reasons that have been described here. It is from that sales idea that the term, "Puppy Dog Close", was derived from. I sell my consultative services--an intangible. Similar to the way a puppy dog merchant lends the puppy, in the sales process I lend my consultative services. The puppy dog seller wants the person using the puppy to keep the puppy and pay for it. I want my prospect to keep (retain) my consultative services and pay me money for doing so. If the puppy dog prospect doesn't want to pay for the puppy--then he can't keep the puppy. If my prospect cannot decide to commit to retaining me for my fee--then he can't keep my services.

The parallel idea is that by lending the puppy, the prospect will want to keep the puppy and pay for it because he likes the puppy. By lending my services, the prospect may like my services and keep me and pay me.

Sometimes they call all of that a free trial. -Gary Boye

From your example I got the feeling the close wasn't about a trial offer but more about when "I took back myself". Where was the trial offer? -bridger480

I think you have to do some work and look for it. What you think of as closing, I've done successfully over 107,000 times in my life.

Maybe you can get something out of the stuff I'm sharing. I'm not sure you're trying. As a matter of fact, I think you're not. Everytime I post an example you say you don't understand or post a conflicting point of view from someone else. If I had to bet on it, I would say that you are unwilling to let go of your beliefs of what the sales process is about. That is quite common. -Gary Boye

I don't have the 107,000 experiences or as much sales knowledge as you boast to knowing. This is true. Forgive me for asking for your guidance. It won't happen again. Please grant me one last request. Please ignore my posts and I will ignore yours. This will save you any discomfort and will keep my threads from being sidetracked. Thank you in advance. -bridger480

If you've done it, it ain't bragging. Glad to honor your request about ignoring you so long as I can correct you on something. You don't own any threads--neither do I. This isn't your thread. I'll continue to post on it if it's interesting. -Gary Boye

Bridger, this technique is used widely because it works!

Here is a quote from Kevin Hogan book, "The Science of Influence";
"In the profession of selling, everyone knows the "puppy dog" close--the technique of getting your product into your customer's office or home for a short period of time. Why? Because once we possess something, we value it more highly than we did when it was in the store. Once we do that, the "price" of the goods goes up in the human mind. That price is more than its price tag at the store, and the invididual then buys it."

Good Luck! :) -SalesGuy

Thank you for your input Salesguy. :) -bridger480

I have heard Brian Tracy touch on this method before, but IMO it should probably be used as a last defence, especially since it takes a lot longer than if you close the sale on the spot. -Entrepreneur