Blair Singer
1 Blair taught me how to be a good dog
In this Advisor Series addition to the Rich Dad Poor Dad collection you get a preliminary dose on how to play to your best strengths in selling. What I liked about this book is it demonstrated some mindsets that help you sell without having to change who you are.
I never cared much for selling until I read this book. I always tried to become the model of a succesful salesman and found it didn't agree with me. Blair showed me how to sell with my personality.
Bill White
Pres/CEO
thebiggestdeal.com and co-creator of sleepyourwaytoriches.com
2 An enlightening novel
I haven't yet begun a career in sales, but I am going to begin tis summer. In preparation I have been reading books that I think will help me. So some of the ideas he talks about were harder for me to relate to, but he explains everything really well. The first part of the book, identifying which breed you are, was the most difficult for me to figure out, because I haven't tried to sell anything yet. But the rest of the book, I enjoyed immensely. My sales manager has been talking to me about dealing with rejection and objections, and Singer goes into great detail about how to deal with both. Additionally, Singer stresses the importance of a positive outlook.
Some of this book was over my head, but I plan to read it again at the end of the summer. Even though some of it was hard for me to relate to, he did a great job explaining what it takes to be a successful salesman. He also does a great job of building anticipation for a career in sales. The book is well written and easy to read.
3 The Dog's Have It!
I was first captivated by the title of this book and then was drawn in
more deeply by the no-nonsense approach I read throughout.
I actually laughed outloud about some of the Myths about
Selling which are argued (humorously -- I might add) with
facts.
Ahhh, I have heard this one COUNTLESS times before:
"What does selling have to do with building businesses,
managing people, raising money and investing?"
Rich Dad's answer -- "EVERYTHING!"
I also appreciate the section on who your most important sales
contract is with... YOURSELF... as you are your own harshest
critic, your own most difficult client and your own
personal objection and rejection machine -- all wrapped up
in ONE body!
The Five Sales Dog types are outlined more fully in the book
but even in their titles you may begin to recognize yourself
AND your staff (if you are a manager.)
Pit Bull - stereotypical, aggressive sales person
Golden Retriever - bundles of love customer service is everything
BEGS for the PRIVILEGE of selling to YOU, my fav customer!
Poodle -- Intellectual and high strung with the focus on looking good....
Chihuahua -- Don't be fooled by their small stature, they have TEETH!
Basset hound -- they look like they will roll over and take anything, what
they are really doing is building long term, loyal relationships.
and then... there are the BIG DOGS.....
The Sales People who want the biggest stage, the brightest lights,
the packed crowds and the FAST TRACK DEALS. They will put them
together, get the signature and for goodness sakes, get someone
else to follow up.....
The book goes on to teach the reader how to leverage their own
Sales Dog style to make the most of the bottom line.
With this book you can learn a LOT and enjoy the lessons as
you go. Its all delivered in the Rich Dad style PLUS yes, there
is even a free audio download available.....
A sure winner -- "The Dog's Have it!"
4 Sales' "Dogs Comics"
This is a good PR book for small and medium business owners, especially retailing, e.g. flower shop, grocery shop, etcÁK
As a business owner, you may have to do many messy stuff that they just stop you from thinking ways for your shops to make more money. This book will really touch your nerve, Á¤OpsÁKI should have thought of this long time before, why I cannot think of it?Á¬ E.g. invite media to have a shop visit of your candy shop; contact reporter for the latest promotion that you shop is running; promoting your product in newsgroup; organize a Á¤one-dayÁ¬ tour with a community organization for seniors if you are engaging in travel business, etc.
PR beginners would appreciate this book very much as it provides tips for practicing PR that some other PR books may overlook. E.g. tips for dealing with media, and preparing speech, etc. This is actually a PR handbook with blanks for you to fill in so that you can participate in the book and find your own way to do PR with its guidance.
I like the 12-week plan at the end of the book as it even prepares a matrix for you to fill in your PR plan in 12-week. It pushes people to take action right after finishing the book.
5 Awesome Book!!!
This is a great book. I am new in Direct Sales and this has helped me tremendously. I now know how to target prospective clients and identify their natural tendencies. This helps me out on how to sell to certain 'breeds' of clients and how to close them. This is GREAT!!! Thanks Blair Singer.
6 WHAT IS HE TALKING ABOUT?
I probably read 100 or more books each year, including a significant number of business and sales books. I enjoyed some of Robert Kiyosaki's other advisor books, but this one really [is bad].
It is full of vague analogies to whatever kind of "dog" you are -the point that you do not have to be aggressive to be in sales is also foolish and false. You can certainly bring your own personality to sales or any other profession, and you SHOULD, but all this psychobabble about "being your own dog" or whatever is just that - silly psychobabbly designed to seperate you from your money and put it in an author's pocket who really has nothing useful to say.
If you really want to learn something about selling that you can actually USE, read Zig Ziglar's "Sales 101" or Donald Moine's "Ultimate Selling Power".
7 This is a reprint
I have read this book in its original incarnation. Apparently the Rich Dad's publishing is going after several good books and reprinting them.
This book does an interesting job of breaking down salesmen into various dog analogies. From French poodles to dalmations and even golden retrievers the author carries the theme throughout the book.
In his bid to develop sales archetypes his work comes off a little shallow. Mr. Singer even concedes that a good salesman is a combination of archetypes and will find themselves having to strech their natural archetypes to fit the sales situation they are in.
It's a good read, I just don't know how appropriate it is for a sales book to be in the "Rich Dad's" series.
8 No substance
Well written with some interesting theories and ideas. But there is nothing here that will help you do your job better, serve your clients and customers better or most importantly go to the bank more often. Some of the ideas and analysis about personality types may be useful to sales managers, but that's about it. If you're looking for good nuts and bolts stuff that you can put to use tomorrow look into Schiffman or Sandler.
9 Which Pooch Are You?
I am a person that was (is) in sales and am not a manager. This book can be helpful for those new to sales, and help them find or become more aware of the style that works best for them. Some of the pooches described in this book I've worked with, such as the Poodle and Golden Retriever, for example. A person can also innately have some of the elements of more than one or each pooch.
The most important thing I like from this book was the fact that there is no one particular style or character trait to be successful in sales. In certain industries with certain products and clients one breed will in general be more conducive to positive results than others. But the main point is that there is no perfect way (i.e., the Pit Bull) to achieve your goals. Each person is an individual and they can recognize and improve their natural strengths they posses as well as import a couple of characteristics from other breeds of pooch.
Another great book that notes the disadvantages of the Pit Bull is "Low Profile Selling," by Tom Hopkins. He uses the metaphor "Act like a lamb, sell like a Lion."
10 Sales Dogs is for Puppies
Sales Dogs is the most common information on the personality types a sales team will have. The book is geared more toward management of a sales team. Blair Singer took basic sales management and tried to make it interesting by talking about dogs. This would be a good book for a first-year college course on sales management (same material from a first-year sales management textbook). For someone brand new to sales this would be a good start.
11 INCREDIBLE BOOK TO ADD TO YOUR BOOKSHELF
I think that this is truly one of the best books that I have read in awhile...it breaks it down very simply the various people that you know into 5 pedigree breeds and then there can also be "cross-breeds". Specifically they are: Pit Bull, Golden Retriever, Poodle, Chihuahua and Basset Hound.
I am truly looking forward to putting the information that I have learned in this book into practice, and really taking the time to think about the different personalities you deal with daily.
Big Dog Chihuahua
12 Don't spend the money
This was a cute book with really great pictures. If you looking for real sales information don't spend the money on this book. You might want to check out How to become a Rainmaker by Jeffrey J. Fox. This is a great book with real information--and no pictures.
13 A great introduction to sales!
Sales Dogs is a great book. It should the first book you read if considering being in sales. The books shows how salespeople are very similar to dogs. (Not to be taken literaly) The pit bull being the aggressive yes or no type. The chihuahua knows all the facts he gives you fact after fact after fact and you just cant say no. The golden retriever is best for customer service because he is committed to being the nicest. The basset hound is the type you rely on for trustworthiness and reliability and the poodle is best for marketing because the person is dressed the best and looks the best. Sales Dogs is a great book for starting in sales and it is humorous as well. You will enjoy it.
14 Excellent for the Young Sales Professional
As a sales manager I am always looking for books that will not only help me but more importantly help my employees. Sales Dogs is perfect for this. I purchased it at an airport bookstore and was nearly finished with it by the time I landed at my destination. It kept me engrossed and was very easy to read. The comparison of various breeds of dogs to different sales styles was quite creative and helped keep the material lite and enjoyable while at the same time educational. This book is perfect for the young sales rep with under 5 years experiance. It will help them identify what sales style fits them best rather than trying to be something they are not. Sales Dogs also will help them understand the importance of stretching beyond their own sales style and adopting some of the positive traits of the other "breeds" of sales reps, even if it takes them outside of their comfort zone. I manage a group of 12 inside sales reps selling office equipment for a forutne 500 company. All of my reps have less than 5 years experience in sales so I will be purchasing 12 more copies of Sales Dogs. For the more experienced sales professional, this book is still very enjoyable and offers some helpful insights, however, if you've been in the sales game for a long time (and your still at it) you've probably already figured out, the hard way, what style works best for you. I only wish I had had this book when I started out, it might have saved me considerable time and frustration.
15 Very Creative, Interesting and USEFUL Book!
SalesDogs is a MUST READ book! It will shake up your organization, provide common terminology, and give you a new way to look at the sales dogs in the kennel. If I had to choose one book that would make the biggest, most dramatic difference in any sales organization, it would be SalesDogs! It's a fun read, but one that makes its point, helps people understand themselves and those they work with, and most importantly, will make you money...if applied! A fun read...not like those boring sales and marketing text books!
Kim Peek, Publisher, Ad Genius Newsletter.
16 DO NOT BUY
Did you read that heading? It is a waste of money considering that there are SO MANY more worthwhile books on sales. I have loved the Robert Kiyosaki books, but so far, I have found the Advisor series seriously lacking. This book MAY be for nobody; too simple and gimmicky for people experienced in sales, and too jargony and managerial for those just beginning.
17 Great book.. but readers might have to "visualize" a bit
Being a person whoes English is a second language, it's quite daring for me to review this book. So, please accept my apology if any of my English seems out of place.
This book does help me a lot in getting me through the day at work.
Coming from Engineering and Science Background, but was given a position on Marketing, I don't know where to turn to..
I was a salesperson for a very short period, and wasn't a successful one.
My boss back then was kinda kept pushing and pushing me to do like what she did, and like the guy before me did.
I wasn't comfortable with it. I don't know why then.
But after read this book, I now know why..
Both of them were partly-most partly, Pitt Bull, but I'm a Retriever..
(check out the book for what I meant.)
And I got myself frustrated on why couldn't I made any sale.
but now, the things the author wrote in later part of the book show me how to handle rejection. that's a big thing fo me.
no matter what's your profession are, this book may be able to help you..
(unless you're already a Big dog.)
18 Not Every Salesman Is The Same...
Just about every other "how to sell" strategy/book assumes that there is one path to sales success. This book distinguishes between different types of sales expertise, which is huge. It point sout that different "breeds" of salespeople do best in certain situations, or facing certain situations. And perhaps best yet, the book coaches an approach to sales management in which salespeople are encouraged to leverage their personal styles. So obvious, you gotta wonder why so many other definitive sales strategy books have missed this point...
19 Good
I thought this a helpful and optimistic book. I was cynical thinking the Rich Dad series was beginning to be a "cash in with as many books as possible." But this is a genuinely good book. If you don't like the simplicity and "fable" quality of the book then you should stay away from all the Rich Dad books. Most of the techniques are very simple, but often simplicity is the best thing. I'm a literary writer and film maker, and admit to artistic snobbery that sneers at "salesmanship." But I have to pitch my movie ideas and, whether I like it or not, that is "sales." So, while part of me fought this book, the rest of me embraced it.
20 A Must for ALL people involved in Sales
NO business succeeds without salesmanship, even if it's only in writing or on a video, website, or audio cassette. Many business owners and entrepreneurs try HARD to avoid that reality, simply because they have an incorrect perception of the sales process and the people who do it. Even doctors "sell", so just learn to accept and even like it. It's no where near as bad as most people make it out to be, and it's one of the most profitable occupations in the world to be involved in.
In all honesty, I actually avoided buying this book for quite some time!
When I first saw it in the bookshops, and had a quick flick through its contents, my initial impressions were that it was hokey or childish to compare Sales People to dogs. Even though it came recommended by Robert "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" Kiyosaki (as part of his new Rich Dad's Advisors series) I decided not to buy it... I did not think it could teach me anything of value.
Many months later, I had occasion to visit the Sales Dogs website and review some of the information listed there, and was most intrigued with what I read. I learned about what kind of sales person I am (for those of you who have read this book or done the test, I'm primarily an even split Retriever/Chihuahua - for those of you who wonder what I'm babbling about, visit the website and do the FREE Sales Dogs profile test - lots of fun!)
Here's the silly part: I must have been daydreaming, because for some reason, I suddenly got the idea from the website that the book Sales Dogs was actually a follow-up to the first book I'd seen in the stores, and what I read about it on the website intrigued me enough to actually go out and buy it the next day.
Remember, I did this thinking it was NOT the first book!
When I got home and actually read it, I realised my silly mistake, but by that stage it was too late to do anything about it. Thankfully, I LOVED the book.
Blair Singer really captures the essence of the 5 major types of Sales People out in the marketplace. He just chose to represent them by using the dog metaphor - it adds a little fun to the whole proceedings. I could see myself in the various descriptions within this book as well as some of my friends who are also involved in sales in some form or the other.
Contrary to what the VAST majority of people believe, most sales people are NOT pit bull terrier attack dogs who love to latch onto a prospective customer, and then won't let go until they've bled them dry! Thank goodness for that, otherwise I would never have succeeded as a sales person, nor would many others out there in the business world either.
I guess that's one of the things that really appealed to me about this book - that a GOOD sales person can be low key, non-pressuring, service-oriented and open to their customers needs, all while achieving sales and business success. This is GREAT news for people who view ALL sales people in the same category as the used car sales person or door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman.
In my opinion, there is NO PLACE for the SHARK sales dog (heck, they're not even a dog!) in our modern age, and the sooner we run them out of town, the better!
This book will help sales people understand their strengths, weaknesses and how to improve in all areas. In addition, sales managers and business owners will gain a valuable insight into what makes their sales people tick. After all, if you can better understand each one of them, you can better support them in the way they need to become a superstar performer (which IS the goal, I assume?).
The beauty of Sales Dogs is that it covers 5 different types of sales people, who are very different in their priorities and goals from the other - most of us are a mixture of multiple dog types. The book explains how they think, what they want, and what gets in their way of being successful.
Now that I've read the book, I'm sold on Blair Singer's excellent metaphor of Sales Dogs. It's a winner in my opinion, and this book also comes highly recommended by TheProfitCoach.
21 Not just for Sales Dogs - for Marketing Dogs too
Sales Dogs is an inspiring read. The title is intriguing to start with, giving a hint that it is not going to be a run-of-the-mill sales motivational book. Coming from Robert Kiyosaki's "Rich Dad's Advisor" stable was a recommendation in itself and pointed to it being an alternative view on what makes the sales person - or sales dog - in us all. From the onset Blair Singer's drawing of parallels between sales people and various breeds dogs is both poignant and droll, with some observations simply laugh-out-loud funny. What's true in the book is the fact that there is a sales dog - or cross-breed in all of us, whether we are sales people or not. "Selling" is part of being human and embracing that - and the possibilities in life that this creates - is really brought to life in Blair's book. Oh, and there's some great cartoons too.
I am in marketing and while there is always a healthy "love-hate" relationship between sales and marketing, better understanding of what makes a salesperson - what breed they are - and how to work with them makes working together more productive and joyful. I have found that I am much more understanding of sales people since reading the book and take delight in trying to identify their "breed". Moreover, the book has inspired me to "be in touch with my inner dog" and be true to my salesman tendencies. I can recommend this book to anyone looking for an amusing, slightly off-beat look at the human interaction side of the art of selling, whether you are in sales as a profession or not.
Go find out what breed you - or the people around you are. You may be in for a surprise!...
22 Sales Dogs
There is a critical point to this book that is relevant not only to individuals in sales, but anyone who is trying to get their way, every day of the week.
Yes the dog labels are simple. And they are also a very effective way that supported me in understanding that the very thing I didn't like about sales was not the process, but that I thought I had to be a hyperactive attackdog....definitely not my style....I'm more of a golden retriever.
Even if you haven't read the book, I'm sure you'll appreciate the difference and you can imagine the effect it has had on the way I operate with all those around me. I suggest that if you are not getting the results you expect, then you too, may be operating under a false sense of dog-identity.
This book is definitely worth a look and is ideal for Sales Managers who have a young team, as well as anyone who wants to improve the way they are doing things. And, as someone else wrote.......the cartoons are just great and will surely end up as those ubiquitous crooked photocopies on sales department walls all over the world.
I suspect that if you are a Big Dog (read the book) you may not think you can get any value. Don't be fooled....and certainly those around you will appreciate your magnaminous gesture in buying it for them.
23 Disappointing
I enjoyed reading Rich Dad Poor Dad, Cashflow Quadrant, and the Guide to Investing, but this book does not measure up. The book repeats itself quite a bit, and although the Dog analogy is somewhat appropriate, it really gets carried away to the point of being distracting. I agree that Sales is very important to the success of a businessperson, but I don't see this book enhancing a person's sales knowledge or ability.
24 Disappointing.
I'm truly shocked. I rarely see a book as a waste of money but in this circumstance I should have played the lottery. Blair Singer, "Sales Communications Specialist," makes a pitiful attempt to present common sense in such a way to reap the rewards from ... like me. The dog analogies are never-ending and overly relied upon. You cannot read a page that does not mention whining, whimpering, or slobbering. There is very little organization--a topic will jump from "dog to dog," wildly trying to tie together bits of traits and characteristics that could be explained in one well-thought and organized sentence. This is not written by a professional, successful salesperson for professional, successful salespeople. This is a Dummies book stuffed in a big chew-toy.
We all know about our own individual characteristics. We know there are times to get to the point and ask for the sale and other times require certain rapport. We all know that we may be lacking certain traits and that by adapting and learning those traits we will be more successful. This book may be great for those people frightened of entering or being new to sales. Perhaps all the talk about canines will give you a nice, warm and fuzzy feeling so you may overcome your fears. In an ever-advancing world of sales, I want an edge. I already know I can succeed without being an agressive corporate shark. I wanted to read more psychology, more techniques, more insight--even refreshing widely known ideas (which the book does to some small extent.) I'm disappointed that I instead wasted my time reading a book that tells me that I can succeed by adapting myself--by barking loudly and courting a leg now and again.
25 Worst
Disappointed again. Surely he sells books - lots of them. But he probably ran out of stories. Not worth the money.
26 Helpful for People New to Sales and Sales Management
$ales Dogs has two potential applications: (1) As an introduction to the ways that people sell and (2) as a humor book for those who have been involved in selling as a career.
Since this book came in as an adjunct to the Rich Dad, Poor Dad series, it also has to be evaluated in terms of how well it fits. That is where the book falls down. Although Mr. Kiyosaki is correct in describing that his rich Dad said to him, "If you want to enter the world of business, you must first learn how to sell," this book doesn't pick up enough on that perspective. It is a cross between a book for someone already in sales, and someone new to sales management. Although there is a little material in here about how people new to sales can learn, that isn't really the focus.
The strength of the Rich Dad, Poor Dad series is that each book is extremely simple and focused. $ales Dogs tries to be too much like a standard book on sales.
The book's basic point is that sales people start out tending to emphasize one of five selling styles: "sheer power and fearlessness" -- the pit bull; "customer service is everything" -- the golden retriever; "incredibly well connected . . . Ultimate Marketing Dog" -- the poodle; "technical wizards" -- the chihuahua; and the "trustworthy . . . strength of personality and personal rapport" of the basset hound.
Readers are then encouraged to learn lessons from the best traits of the other styles. If you put them all together, you can be a "SuperMutt." Within all of these styles are people who prefer to shoot for the big sale, and they are Big Dogs -- meaning they want a big deal or no deal.
The book does a nice job of explaining some of the mindsets and key skills that help in sales and sales management. However, each is explained so briefly that the information will only be helpful to those who have not been exposed to these ideas before. Mastering the art of delivering powerful presentations is something that you can never learn enough about, and this is often the topic of entire books and courses. So I graded the book as a three because it was too much of a compromise between too many different types of books. As a result, it gives too little to any particularly type of reader.
I should mention that the illustrations are terrifically funny for those who want to use this as a humor book who have been involved in sales for some time. I can see these being taped all over the sales offices across America.
After you finish reading this book, think about what one thing would make you more effective in making sales. If you're not sure, go ask the last people who did and did not buy from you what they would suggest.
Build on your instinct to help . . . to get the stamina you need to persevere in your sales challenges!
27 Sales Dogs Weakest of the series
Words cannot convey my disappointment with this book. I can appreciate the effort the Rich Dad books put into simplifying the complex subject of becoming rich. Mr. Kiyosaki does a great job of teaching the subject in his books as do the other Rich Dad advisors. I've read all the books and this one is the most disappointing. I feel the author gets carried away with the dog analogy even though I know he's trying to simplify the subject of good selling. He admits to not even owning a dog until he wrote this book. I would have liked to see this book tie in, or reference information in the Rich Dad books. Instead it seems this book was written quickly without thinking it through. I especially didn't like the cheesy illustrations. If you took those out this book would be half the size. Buy it used or check it out from the library. Not worth full price!
28 Sales Dogs
If you are in sales or manage sales people, this book is a must read. The canine comparison is right on target and helps the reader see the good and not so good side(s) of specific breads in the sales business. I found it helpful in understanding others in sales and how to handle their traits. The book is easy to read and a fast read. The illustrations were cute and made me laugh out loud a lot. I highly recommend it.
29 To sell, must you bark or bite...?
This is a wonderful new book written as part of the new Rich Dad's Advisors series. Robert Kiyosaki has asked some of his closest friends to write books on their areas of expertise. Blair Singer stepped forward to contribute his take on salsemenship.
'Sales Dogs' is pretty straightfoward. It's a series of comparisons between different types of sales people and different breeds of dogs.
Have you ever seen the movie 'Glengary Glen Ross'?? I kept thinking of those characters as I read this book. There's the fierce Pit Bull (Alec Baldwin) who moves in quickly for the kill. There's the old fashioned, loveable Bassett Hound (Jack Lemmon)... who gently walks up to you and nudges your leg and then there's the ultra smooth talking, highly polished french poodle (Al Pachino).
I loved this book. It makes some really great comparisions between man's best friend.. and man's (occasional) worst enemy. If you are in the pursuit of financial literacy, I highly recommend this one, with any or all of the other 'rich dad' books.
