Dog Breeds vs Alphas

Sidonia Michoux

Emeryst Ltd

Business Consultant, Cost Reduction Consultant

I am a strong advocate of continuous learning and development and have decided a year or so ago to find out what my counter parts (the Sales People) are actually being taught in order to “sell” me and my colleagues in Procurement their wares/ideas and services.

The Greats I have studied so far include Zig Ziglar, Tom Hopkins, Grant Cardone, Brian Tracy, Sun Tzu, to name but a few. One of the theories of buyer demographics has too many issues for me to talk about here. However, I recently read the book Sales Dogs by Blair Singer. The book’s premise is that there are 5 breeds of sales people which correlates to their personality and natural demeanor which can be likened to dog breeds.

This made me to wonder whether we in Procurement also have demeanors which reflect animal breeds. Thinking back to the thousands of colleagues that I have worked with in the past 15 years in Procurement, I realized that it is not that easy to classify them by breeds of animal, but it would be more accurate to describe them in terms Pack Animal or Alpha.

The Alphas all have outstanding vision and think about their and their organization’s place in the world on a level that is both staggering and awe-inspiring.

Characteristics of the Alpha:

- Nothing is impossible for this person

- Do not work within the limits of “what has been” but draw new lines that will deliver the best solution

- Their attention to detail is so acute that they will and did spot errors in data a mile off

- They rely heavily on facts and

- Are bold in offering creative solutions to organizational challenges

-Passion for the job, the company, their stakeholders and their function run hot through their veins

-They are inspirational to watch and see in action

Characteristics of the Pack Animal:

-Like in nature, this person follows what has gone before and

-Do not function outside of the parameters given to them

-Do not have an original or creative bone in their bodies

-Do the minimum they can get away with

-No attention to detail

-Have lost all sense of adding value to the organization

-Are the complainers and gossipers around the water coolers

-Are waiting for retirement or this misery to end

-Are bums on seats (BOS)

It behooves us all to know who we are and where our strengths lie so that we may work on bettering these. Of course the world of Procurement cannot only have Alphas, but I’d suggest that it definitely needs more.

Procurement
Leadership
Sales

Sidonia Michoux

Emeryst Ltd

Business Consultant, Cost Reduction Consultant

We are a Global Procurement, Supply Chain and Business Consultancy specialising in Supplier Vetting and Management, Business Analytics, Business Interpretation and Translations, Contracts Management,…