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By Rachel Doran, Tell Your Tails 

One thing we’ve all learned one way or another: people can easily take things for granted. And the same holds true when it comes to your business. Maybe you have pet-sitting clients who constantly book at the last minute. Or perhaps you have that one client who asks for things just out of your scope of work. Maybe some clients violate your policies. Or perhaps you just get the impression that your clients don’t really value you as a professional pet sitter.

Whatever your situation, we’re here to remind you that you are valuable. Your knowledge, expertise, and time are all important. Now, it’s time to figure out how to make sure your customers see you that same way!

Whether you’re raising your rates or just feel like it’s time to remind your clients of your background, experience, and amazing customer service, we’re going to walk through some ways to communicate your value to your pet-sitting clients.

What Does it Mean to Communicate Your Value?

Communicating your value means telling or reminding your clients or potential clients why you are the right (and only) choice for their pet-care needs. They can see and understand how your services line up with your prices, and they don’t doubt your knowledge or expertise in the field.

So, understandably, communicating your value to your clients is incredibly important. Not only is it a tool meant to sell yourself and your services, it’s also a tool to build loyalty with your existing clients.

7 Easy Ways to Regularly Communicate Your Value to Your Customers

Want to make sure that you’re regularly communicating your value to your pet-sitting clients? Here are seven easy ways you can do that.

Schedule regular check-ins

Checking in with your clients regularly to let them know what’s going on in your business is important. A yearly recap is a great and popular way to do this. What happened in your business last year? What are the business’ goals for this upcoming year? What changes can clients expect? What lessons have you learned? Address the answers to these questions in an email that goes out to your pet-sitting clients.

You can absolutely send out these updates more often, too. A monthly newsletter is a great way to stay top-of-mind. Or you could choose to send out news quarterly or twice a year.

Reintroduce yourself often

Your pet-sitting clients are living their own busy lives. You can’t expect them to remember every little thing about you, your background, and why you started your business. Remember to reintroduce yourself often. This is an opportunity to answer your customer’s important question, “Why would I book with so-and-so?”

A great way to reintroduce yourself is on social media. Schedule these reintroduction posts on a regular basis within your social-media calendar. But don’t just copy & paste or repeat the same old facts. Find new ways to share your expertise and past experience. Play around with social-media features. For example, post a reintroduction post via Instagram Reels. Then next time, hop onto Stories to reintroduce yourself. This keeps things fresh and exciting for your audience.

Share your hiring practices

If you have a team, don’t forget to tell your customers about your hiring practices. Thorough hiring practices show just how much you value having the most qualified and professional team. Remember that your team reflects on you! And as the saying goes, “you’re only as strong as your weakest link.” So all team members should exemplify the same level of skill, thoughtfulness, and professionalism that you offer to your pet-sitting clients.

Don’t forget to share your professional development accomplishments

Got certified as a Certified Professional Pet Sitter (CPPS^®)? Share this with your customers. Similarly, any other certifications, classes, or ‘brush-ups’ that you do need to be shared, too!

Just meeting up with a friendly local dog trainer and chatting through some common issues? Share that! Any additional education or professional development that you undertake shows your dedication to your business and your ongoing commitment to the safety of your pet clients.

Stick to your guns

At some point or another, you’ll get the dreaded “can I get a discount?” question. When it comes to your prices and policies, you make the rules. It’s important to stick to those rules in order to build a client base that respects what you do - and understands your value! Any exceptions to these rules tend to open up a big can of worms. Remember that you are a service provider, so any discounts you offer are really just discounting your expertise and value.

Important note: Some pet sitters offer discounted rates or packages when clients book or buy in bulk (for example, dog-walking packages). If this is something you’d like to offer, it’s totally acceptable—you are rewarding your clients for sticking with you!

The same goes for anyone pushing back on your policies. Stick to your guns here and enforce the policies that you spent time to develop.

Remind your clients that you’re a hot commodity

Having to say ‘no’ to a booking request is no fun for anyone involved. Set your clients up for success by reminding them to book often. As you approach busy seasons or holidays, give your clients a few reminders to make sure they get what they need. As you do this, you’re simultaneously reminding them that you are a hot commodity in your area!

Collaborate with others

There’s nothing quite like collaborating with other businesses or organizations in your area. When other businesses work with you and support you, this sends a message to your community. It reveals that you are a trusted professional and resource and that other businesses respect your expertise in the industry.

When communicating your value to your pet-sitting clients, professionalism is key. Remember that, first and foremost, you are operating a business. Reminding yourself of this will help you maintain boundaries and give the right impression to your clients.

Needless to say, providing your clients with an understanding of your value ensures that you have a loyal fan base for years and years to come!