Episode 301: The 5 Hidden Sales Mistakes That Cost Pet Sitters

If there was something in your business that was really a mistake and costing you time and money, would you want to know? There are sales mistakes business owners make that are hindering them from success every single day. This week I am diving into the 5 most common sales mistakes that I see people make and what you can do to avoid them! Biggest Takeaways: 1:16 What sales mistakes? 1:55 Software 3:15 Not having your branding everywhere 6:03 Always Be Closing 7:27 Customer and Employee Love 8:54 Not having the “make it right” mentality 10:29 Always be thinking about solutions Recommendations: Your time is money in your business. Finding ways to elevate tasks and simplify business will help you achieve the desired success. Whether it is content creating, like in Better Marketing With Bella, or finding a community you can lean on for guidance (like the Mastermind group), finding places in your business you can make the system and process easier is key. You wanted the system in place to help you, not hinder you and remembering that is important. Links: Common Mistakes To Avoid When Using Pet Sitting Software Is Your Pet Sitting Software Working For Or Against You? One Secret To Winning Almost Every Sale The Trick To Be Confident In Closing Sales How To Leverage Your Competition For More Sales Mastermind Transcript: This is episode 301 of Bella in Your Business. Hi there, I'm Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting. You might know me from CBS, NBC, Fox, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, or maybe you've seen me speak on stage or read my book The Four Dogs That Every Business Owner Needs. In any case, get ready because you're about to get your hashtag Bella Butt Kickin' in this next episode of Bella in Your Business. So what do you say? Let's get ready and jump. Welcome to another episode of Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta and today we have episode 301. Last week was a big party—it was birthday week for myself and my daughter—but we are now heading into even more podcasts. I never thought when I started off that I would have this many podcasts, but this has become my thing. And I love it because I've been able to really get to know a lot of you guys. And if there's one thing that I know about you, it’s that you want to know what mistakes to look for and what potholes to avoid. I used to say a lot when I first started that being a coach is like saying, “Ooh, don’t go down that road—it’s really bumpy and I hurt my head. Go the other way.” Hopefully, this podcast will do that for you today. We’re going to talk about the five hidden mistakes that cost pet sitters—and how you can avoid them. The first one has a lot to do with episodes 298 and 299, where we talked about how to choose software and make sure it’s working for you and not against you. What do I mean by that? Well, I’ve met some people who literally have intake forms, take that information, and then put it in a three-ring binder, and then they re-enter it into the system. Or they’re not using credit card processing through their software. Or the sales process just stops. Any one of those reasons can cause someone to bounce—and that means you lose revenue. The extra steps, the inefficiencies—they’re costing you time. And if you’re paying someone to do that, it’s also costing you money. It’s super important that your systems and processes are as smooth as possible because that saves you both time and money—and time is money. If you’re one of those people who say, “You don’t get it, Bella—it just takes me a couple extra minutes, I don’t mind,” go back and listen to my mindset episode. That’s a disaster waiting to happen, because all those little inefficiencies add up. They make you feel overwhelmed, overworked, and stressed out. The next one is not having your branding everywhere. Why does that cost you something? Because when people see a logo or visual identity consistently, they start to recognize it—and they begin to feel something about that brand. You might not even be a customer, but you’ve already formed an impression. Think about McDonald’s. The minute you see those golden arches, it’s not just yellow—it means something to you. Here in Arizona, there’s a local Italian restaurant called Oregano’s. They have the funniest sayings, and their colors are always red, black, and white—mostly red. Whenever I see that color combination or their branding, I instantly recognize it and associate it with a certain feeling. That’s what strong branding does. If you want to see an example of great branding in the pet industry, check out Golden Tails Dog Walking—that’s Kathy, an avid listener of this podcast. She has two locations—one in Miami and one in Colorado—and her branding is gorgeous. Another great one is Dog Jogs up in Canada. You’ll start to see how these companies make you feel something just by their visuals and voice. If you don’t have your branding everywhere—or you don’t even have a logo—stop this podcast right now and go get one. You need your logo, brand colors, and visual elements that tie everything together. With Jump Consulting, our signature icon is the parachute. It shows up everywhere in small ways. Every color in your brand should have a HEX number—a specific code for consistency. That ensures your red is always the same red, your blue is always the same blue. Consistency builds recognition, and recognition builds trust. The third hidden mistake is not asking for the sale. You are losing money when you end a call or email with, “Let me know if…” Don’t ever say that—it’s passive, and it communicates, “I don’t care if you choose us or not.” You don’t need to be pushy, but you do need to be intentional. Lead them to the close. Get smaller closes along the way. If you don’t know what I mean, go back and listen to the episode I did with Aaron Miller earlier this year about sales and micro-closes. It was amazing. Ask questions like, “When do you want to get started?” or “If we do the consultation on Friday, we can start on Monday—how does that sound?” That’s how you guide people toward a decision. Let’s recap: Not having software that works for you. Not having branding everywhere. Not asking for the sale. Number four is not showing customer love. People want to feel like you genuinely appreciate their business—that they’re not just another number. This is where Joey Coleman’s book Never Lose a Customer Again comes in. He’s been on this podcast and has joined our mastermind multiple times. Many of my elite Jumpers have created a 100-day customer love cycle based on his teachings. And soon, he’s releasing a version for employees—because the same principles apply. Think about it. When someone signs up with your company, they’re excited but also nervous. “Did I make the right choice?” That’s buyer’s remorse. It’s your job to pop in with reassurance—to remind them they did make the right choice. The same goes for employees. When someone starts a new job, they feel the same doubt. So showing appreciation early builds loyalty and trust. Imagine if you never lost a customer—or an employee. What kind of difference would that make in your business? You’d have more stability, less stress, and more money. And finally, number five: not having the mentality of “How can I make this right?” when conflict arises. Here’s what I mean. I see this all the time in free Facebook groups: people getting defensive or offended—“Can you believe they asked for that? I don’t discount. I’m worth it. My time is valuable.” That attitude doesn’t help. Instead of being reactive, ask, “How can I make this right?” Sometimes we throw money at problems—offer refunds or discounts out of guilt. But often, clients just want to be heard. Ask them directly: “Hey, how can I make this right, Kathy?” It’s simple, but it changes everything. If you’re constantly feeling like the world is doing things to you—like clients are being unfair—you’ll never get ahead. Change your mindset to one of solutions, not defensiveness. These five hidden mistakes aren’t earth-shattering, but they’re enlightening. So while you’re walking dogs, folding laundry, making dinner, or driving, think about these five things. Ask yourself: “Am I deficient in any of these areas? Can I get better?” Because when you improve these things, you save time—and saving time saves money. Maybe that means investing in Better Marketing with Bella to upgrade your branding and online presence. You can learn more at jumpconsulting.net/marketing. And if you’re interested in the mastermind, visit jumpconsulting.net/mastermind. I hope this gave you good food for thought. I’ll keep it short because, as I always say, when I’m done dishing it out, I’m done. Next week, we’ll talk about how to find and hire three amazing employees in two weeks. You won’t want to miss that—episode 302. And remember—when life gets you down, always keep jumping. So what did you think? Did you love this episode? I sure hope you did because I put a lot of love into this for you. The best way you can show me that is by going to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or wherever you listen to your podcast and leaving a review. I just might read it on the next episode. And remember, when life gets you down, always keep jumping. Thanks for listening.