Building Your Dog Training Business: Essentials Collection

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You became a trainer to help dogs and people—but to make a living at it, you need clients. We can help. This collection brings you the videos that will help you feel good about selling, learn what marketing is really about, and help you figure out exactly how to build a rockin' website. The Essentials collection includes three recorded live-stage lectures from Veronica Boutelle and Gina Phairas of dog*tec, a leader in business consulting for dog trainers Plus, the collection offers a bonus track about successful client management, particularly with demanding clients. The bonus track is led by Laurie Luck, of Smart Dog University, a seasoned trainer at ClickerExpo and a social media maven.

The collection includes:

  • Marketing 101 for Dog Trainers, with Veronica Boutelle & Gina Phairas
    To train dogs for a living you must have clients. To get clients, you'll need a marketing plan. And if the thought of marketing sends you running for cover or finds you snoring, this Session is just the trick. Gina and Veronica will share innovative marketing approaches designed specifically for dog trainers. Learn creative projects to get vets referring to you without having to sell yourself to them, fun projects to increase your local exposure without spending a fortune, and easy ways to increase business by staying in touch with current and past clients. The best part? You’ll be educating your community about positive reinforcement and clicker training all along the way. Preview this video.
  • Feel Good Selling: How to Make the Sale and Keep Your Soul, with Veronica Boutelle & Gina Phairas
    You’re a dog trainer, not a salesperson. If, like most trainers, selling your services is a confounding, nerve-wracking process, this Session is for you. Learn simple, comfortable strategies for turning an inquiry into an initial consult, and an initial consult into a full, pre-paid training package. Learn how to help potential clients take the step to hire you and how to avoid common mistakes that leave you with unfilled appointments. Veronica and Gina of dog*tec will walk you through step-by-step processes for handling email and phone conversations (including what to do when you can’t take the call live), and for tackling the sales moment during your initial consults. They will share sample sales language, including how to handle that most dreaded question gracefully: “What will it cost?” Preview this video. 
  • Websites that Work: Keys to a Successful Trainer Website, with Veronica Boutelle & Gina Phairas
    A good website doesn’t just exist—it works for you. Your website is your ultimate marketing and sales tool, and it’s a shame to have it firing on anything but full cylinders. Your website should answer client questions and make sales, so you don’t have to. Imagine phone and email inquiries from clients ready to hire you, instead of working to convince potential clients, who are full of questions, that you’re the right choice. Veronica and Gina will share examples of website “do's and don’ts,” best and worst practices, and before-and-after case studies to show you what makes a website really work. The examples will provide inspiration and an action plan for building or improving your own most important marketing tool. Preview this video.
  • FREE BONUS VIDEO! Help Me Now! Effective Management for Desperate Clients, with Laurie Luck
    Dog trainers get called when a dog's behavior has become a problem. They are often expected to bring immediate relief at that first session with the clients. In response, and too often, we offer the client the same tired phrase: “The problem didn't develop overnight, and we can't solve it one session.” Owners need immediate relief from a problem that is causing stress within the family, costing money (or their sanity), and creating potential liability for damage or injury. Gaining client commitment quickly and easily—which ultimately makes our job easier and produces a better outcome—is as easy as setting up a management plan for the client. This Session will provide a framework in which management fits into almost every training plan. It will also explain how to describe and integrate management into your comprehensive training plan, and how sometimes management is all the client was really after (and why that's 100% ok!). Preview this video.

Veronica Boutelle & Gina Phairas | Laurie Luck

Veronica Boutelle & Gina Phairas

Veronica is the founder of dog*tec. She is the author of How to Run a Dog Business: Putting Your Career Where Your Heart Is and the co-author of Minding Your Dog Business: A Practical Guide to Business Success for Dog Professionals. She also writes the business column for the Association of Professional Dog Trainers’ Chronicle of the Dog. Veronica is a sought-after speaker at conferences and dog-training schools across the country and internationally. She is the former Director of Behavior & Training at the San Francisco SPCA.

Gina Phairas, a central force behind dog*tec, the dog pro industry’s leading business consultancy, and a former instructor at the San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers, Gina now develops products that help trainers succeed and works one-on-one with dog pros to help them build their dream businesses. She is a dynamic speaker who teaches business workshops across the country. Gina previously ran a successful dog training business of her own and consulted nationally for shelters and rescue groups.

Laurie Luck

A faculty member of ClickerExpo and KPA, Laurie Luck has been involved in the dog world for 20+ years. An entrepreneur (Smart Dog University) and social media enthusiast, Laurie delights in sharing her knowledge and experience with dog owners across the country. Laurie has spoken at regional and national conferences about both dog behavior and social media. Her YouTube channel offers free dog-training videos, and her blog details training experiences and ideas that every dog owner will find helpful. As a volunteer puppy-raiser for a service-dog organization since 2001, Laurie has had a hand in raising and training more than 16 service dogs, and enjoys being involved in the education of dogs that go on to do so much good for their human partners. Laurie and her Labrador retriever, Tango, are a certified R.E.A.D. therapy-dog team and enjoy working in the classroom with elementary school students to improve the students’ reading skills.