If you could read minds, hear what people were thinking, see their thoughts and feel their emotions…how great would that be?! OK, in some situations it might not be all that great, you might find out some things you would rather not know about!

However, apply that superpower to dealing with your customers and just think how beneficial that could be to you!

Have you ever had a situation where you and your customer have had a conversation and you think, “Great, there’s a real opportunity here” or “Fantastic, they’re going to sign on the dotted line”…..only to hear them say “I’ll think about it” or “Now’s not the best time, I’ll get back to you in a few months when things have picked up”?

That’s not necessarily a new phenomenon, however, as people are being more cautious about how and where they spend their money, there does seem to be a bit more hesitation and reluctance to commit……Or is there?

People are still spending money, organisations are still spending money so how do you encourage them to spend it with you?

What I think has happened, is that people’s buying strategies have changed. That is, the process (the thoughts and behaviours) they go through before saying “Yes!” has changed (or is at least being influenced by the economy and the media coverage of the state of the economy).

So, imagine if you could see that process or strategy played out on a screen or hear it described to you in detail, imagine how powerful that could be to you! You would be in a much better position to identify what is likely to make them say yes and what is stopping them.

We all have these strategies, which often we are not aware of, but they guide everything we do. So, before we make a decision to buy a product or service, we go through a specific sequence of thoughts and behaviours which guide our decision making.

We give other people clues as to what our strategies are all the time! In our language, our gestures, our movements, even the way we move our eyes!

Imagine…..
you are going to buy a new suit for work. What is your buying strategy? How do you decide which suit to buy?

Do you pick it up and feel the material, look at the shape, then if it feels right when you try it on, go ahead and buy it?

Do you have a look, maybe try it on but then leave it for a bit to see what else there might in the next shop, before deciding?

Do you go into a shop and ask the shop assistant their advice on a suit that fits your price range?

Do you prefer to have someone with you who you can ask for their feedback on how good you look in it before you buy it?

You will use one or a combination of these approaches when you are buying a new suit, or indeed anything else. The point is that certain factors will have to be “ticked” before we buy and the order in which those factors is ticked is also important and unique to us.

So, the look of something might be the most important factor for you – therefore you need to see it before you buy it.

Or, the feel of it might be the most important factor for you – therefore you need to experience it before you buy it.

Or, it might be really important for you to hear what others think about it before you buy it – so getting feedback from others is important.

All 3 may be important to you but the order in which they are important to you may differ to someone else.

Also, for some of us, we can make a decision really quickly once those factors have been “ticked” for others we need more time and may need to come back to it and see it/experience it/hear about it a few times before we commit.

When you are dealing with your customers, remind yourself that their buying strategy might be different to yours, and in the absence of being able to read their mind, look and listen out for clues as to how they like to make decisions and that will help you adapt your sales approach to them.

Amongst other changes to our website recently, you may have spotted one small but very exciting addition from us.

The ICF scrutinised The Coaching Academy Personal Performance Coaching Diploma and we are extremely pleased to confirm that we have been awarded approval from the ICF for their Approved Coach Specific Training Hours (ACSTH) accreditation programme.

For anyone who isn’t aware , the ICF is a global organisation, with over 21,000 members, dedicated to advancing the coaching profession by setting high professional standards, providing independent certification, and building a network of credentialed coaches.

The Coaching Academy Personal Performance Coaching Diploma has been awarded 54 Approved Coach Specific Training Hours (ACSTH) meaning our graduates will have met the requirements for coach training hours required to apply for further individual credentials from ICF*.

What does this mean?

The programme approval process involves a very detailed analysis on the quality of our training, our trainers and the assessment process that our students undertake.  The quality assurance procedures that we maintain are also analysed as part of the ICF approval.

In short the approved programme demonstrates internally and externally the quality of The Coaching Academy’s Personal Performance Diploma by meeting a worldwide recognised standard.

It also demonstrates our commitment to potential and existing students that as an organisation, The Coaching Academy strives to maintain its position as the market leader for coach training. Something we are very proud of!

Huge thanks and credit must go to our Qualifications Manager Jan Lonnen for securing our ICF approval for us! Thank you Jan!

* Dependant on the requested level of certification. Information regarding the specific credential requirements can be located on the ICF website

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Have you ever felt unsure of yourself as a coach? Scared that you might not have an answer for someone? You have the qualifications to be a coach so what makes you so hesitant? It often all comes down to confidence. What if you have – right now – much more to offer a client than you think? What if you could make a big difference to someone’s life right now?

Here are some valuable things that you can offer a client immediately:

1.) The way you listen

Most people listen in the ‘waiting for my turn to speak’ mode or they are busy noticing whether what they are hearing is boring or entertaining. But the coach listens with undivided attention. A coach listens and thinks, ‘is this moving forward?’, ‘are there actionable steps to take?’ Simply by both of you coming together to look for ways your client can progress, you are  giving your client something he or she doesn’t normally get from a conversation.

2.) Being there each week

It’s amazing how much a person will do because there is someone to hold them accountable. They know next week you are going to ask them, ‘Did you do it?’ Just by being there, you are helping them to discover what is important in their life. It’s like having a running partner. Without your partner there, you might not go very far or even bother to get out of bed to go for a run. With your partner, your attention is focussed on the running and you will run further, faster and with more excitement.

3.) A sounding board

Being able to talk about their issues lends clarity to your clients. Just discussing what has been clanging about their heads all week is valuable. Have you ever tried to solve a problem and got nowhere until you had a chance to talk about it with someone? You are giving your clients an opportunity to do that every week.

4.) A second head

You may be able to see what they are doing in a new light. You may have a different perspective allowing you to see their blind spots. Some things may be obvious to you but don’t even occur to them. You might have different ideas.

These are just a few of your amazing qualities. You can make a difference to the people around you and the best thing you can do right now is to believe this yourself.

By David Wood

Most coaches, consultants or freelancers are involved in the hungry, needy, merry-go-round of meetings, networking, social networking to secure what they believe are quality prospects for possible lucrative coaching contracts.

However, it may pay you well to DO THE EXACT OPPOSITE of what the general marketplace is doing.

In fact, the grandfather of personal development and self-help, Earl Nightingale said that if you can’t find a good role model for doing what you want to do, look around at what the majority are doing, and don’t do it – do the opposite! Because the majority means mediocrity. We think Earl was on to something!

For most coaches, the ultimate brochure, business card, advertisement, promotional document, they could ever own, is – to BE their BEST CLIENT! And then, to deliver their unique style of coaching at every opportune moment.

Let’s take these two ideas and turn them into practical, workable tools you can take into the marketplace, instantly.

Being Your Own Best Client

You’ve probably noticed the big worldwide shift towards, Life Coaching, Life Balance and Coaching in all its forms. In fact, you may already know that the profession itself is one of the fastest-moving professions in the world.

However, many of the very people who promote and stomp their feet about life change are themselves in a chaotic and disorganised mess! Not all. Many.

But look, whether they are in a mess or not, the whole idea of life balance should strike a powerful chord for you – especially if you’re looking to bag yourself a good number of fee-paying clients.

Here’s why.

There are a high number of coaches, consultants and mentors who are focused on the ‘I’ve got to MAKE THIS BUSINESS WORK, COME HELL OR HIGH WATER’ that, they’ve missed the boat entirely.

Whilst they’re busy buying into the idea that sacrificing all else in order to pursue their most cherished want, they’re leaving a trail of chaos for all to see, especially their prospective clients!

• What kind of catastrophic trail are we talking about?
• A body so out-of-shape that a person will soon really detest themselves…
• So neck-deep in personal and business debt, with no attempt to come out and cure it.
• Involved in loveless personal relationships which are heading down the sewer with no way out…
• Mental disharmony because the mind being strewn all over the place like a berserk orangutan…

Engaging in lifeless, lethargic language and communication making social interaction a chore and bore for others…

Do you feel you’re heading towards your own version of the above?

Well, if you’re looking for a goodly number of fee paying clients, here’s the big secret: FIX YOURSELF FIRST!

You see, very rarely does an award or qualification bring you success.

You have to DO something in order to bring it to life. Being your own good example of living a life in balance is the biggest testimonial, the biggest message of value you can send out in to the marketplace.

For, not only will you have that inner confidence and steely conviction, you’ll have a practical, experiential voice to speak from. There’s nothing worse than spluttering and faking it inside about wanting to help others when we ourselves are in the driving seat of our own lunatic life.

On the other hand, there’s a magic that happens when the pieces of our own life start falling into place for others to see. It’s best to lead by example and doing, rather than theory and mere words.

So, what should you be committed to in order to turn your own life into a role model?

Well, we’d suggest that there are seven commitments you should guard and treasure with your life. And, if you follow them and make them part of your daily regime, your daily curriculum of living, you can’t help but draw to you those type of clients who’ll love to have you coach them to fabulous success.

Make it a daily practice to be committed to:

1. your mind

2. action

3. responsibility

4. energy

5. friends and family

6. career and business goals

7. wealth

If you truly make it daily practice to absorb these seven commitments into your life, you’ll create a life that’s example-led. And, you’ll be so on-track, so focussed, so dedicated to your own life and your own work that people can’t help be drawn to you and what you stand for.

And that’s a beautiful moment when it happens. For then you’ll know that there’s no need for all that demoralising, convincing, persuading and selling of your services. It’ll happen because of who you are and what you do.

Yes, effective marketing material is important. However, you’ll find that you won’t be doing it the same way everyone else does. There won’t be that dry-mouth desperation for business. You see, you’ll be creating a distinction. That is a compelling advantage that’ll set you apart in the marketplace based on what you are doing in your own life.

It’s a refreshing way to go about promoting your services; by taking full and complete ownership and responsibility of your life. And it can happen for you in an instant.

The problem happens when we think about things for too long. We let our own head dissipate the power of our intentions. It’s the timeframe we give ourselves to change, that’s where the problem is.

You see, when we really think about it, the decision to do anything, happens in a split second – it’s the thinking time which is what causes the agony.

Go ahead and take those seven commitments to heart and let them weave their magic. For in a few weeks time you won’t believe what it will do to you and how you’ll see yourself.

Plus you’ll get a different feel and vibration from the marketplace towards you and what you can do to help them. I think you’ll find it exciting.

Moment-By-Moment Coaching

And once you HAVE mastered your own life, or are taking great strides to do so, you’ll see a natural, attractive force taking shape. The FORCE of YOU!

Your own confidence in your life starts to exude a spark of electricity with everyone you come into contact with, in every email you write, in every conversation you have. In those daily ‘conversations’, you’ll see that the natural way to make others feel at ease, is to ask warm, non-threatening though bold, fearless and direct questions.

Those questions are NOT to be about you, your practice, your skills, your abilities – your job is to serve others. To listen with intent like you’ve never listened before.

If through your simple, non-threatening dialogue, you just GIVE, SERVE and SHARE in helping others with what’s important in THEIR lives, people will be drawn to you even more.

You’ll find that there’s an irresistible nature to you and what you stand for. People can’t but help be involved in a conversation with you. And, because coaching is such a personal profession, don’t feel that things need to happen there and then in terms of securing a business or personal coaching client.

However, through an ongoing dialogue, a continuing conversation, you’ll see that through this process., and the ‘be your own client’ outlined above, you’ll be drawing prospective, fee paying clients in to your life like never before.

Revolutionaries normally carry guns but in boardrooms across the globe, they come armed with a radical mission – to overthrow old-style management practices and bring in a new order to re-engage employees.

Dictators everywhere – be warned: the days of control freak bosses are numbered.

As report after report comes in showing that the majority of employees are disengaged from their work, which is in turn depressing productivity and profits, it becomes increasingly evident that existing management practices aren’t working.

It doesn’t matter how many times the office is revamped or the mission statement is rewritten, or how employees’ incentives or punishments are raised – it’s not making any difference to how much employees like turning up for work.

Something has to change – and if you’re of the “my way or the highway” management style, that something is you.

Statistics like those from the Gallup Management Journal and Right Management Consultants (the world’s largest career transition and organisational consulting firm) that show only between 20% to 30% of employees are fully engaged (working with passion) in their jobs.

A bigger percentage say they are actively disengaged (causing trouble at work) and the majority are in a sleepwalking type of state, putting in the hours but not the energy or passion.

Engaged employees stay in the job longer, and are safer, more productive and more profitable – so it is imperative that something is done to address a situation where between 70% and 80% of employees are working with varying degrees of alienation from their jobs and companies.

The fundamental problem is that there has been a dramatic change in the workforce – with companies outsourcing and taking advantage of lean manufacturing processes and technological advances, existing employees are being paid primarily to think, create and innovate – and as yet, management hasn’t caught up with that development.

Leaders are still too often using old-style practices where they give orders and expect people to follow directions, instead of allowing them to think and create for themselves.

For the first time in history, the employee often knows more about how to do the job than the manager.

When you don’t have all the answers, being directive may not be the best way to drive performance. One of the things that’s broken and needs fixing is the way we manage performance. In the majority of situations, you get a better performance from people by helping them to think better, rather than by just telling them what to do.

When people start to have ideas and have the ability to act on them, they certainly are significantly more engaged in the job than they were before. Letting people come up with their own ideas is a deep well of motivation to tap.

That is the essence of quiet leadership: improving employees’ thinking – literally improving the way their brains process information, by creating opportunities for people to make new connections themselves. A quiet leader is always focused on the development of their people: they’re putting their people’s learning and development and growth as the number one issue rather than their own ego rewards.

Six Steps to Transforming Performance

These six steps describe a new way for leaders to have conversations when they want to make a difference another to another person’s performance. They describe a new way to interact, to give feedback, to influence, to stretch and grow people and to bring out the best in others.

Step 1: Think about thinking; to let people do all the thinking, keep them focused on solutions, stretch their thinking, accentuate the positive and follow good process.

Step 2: Listen for potential and not to get too close (or involved).

Step 3: Speak with intent; in other words, to be succinct, specific and generous in your communication.

Step 4: Dance toward insight by getting permission for harder conversations, placing people so they know where you’re coming from, using thinking questions so that others do the thinking and then clarifying their responses.

Step 5: Create new thinking. Get people to become aware of their mental dilemmas and reflect more deeply on them by asking questions about their current reality. Once they’ve had an insight, we explore alternatives for how to move their insight into action then we tap into the energy given off by the new connections being made.

Step 6: Follow-up. Following up can make a big difference to the emergence of new wiring (neural connections in the brain) so we focus on the facts and people’s feelings. We encourage, listen for learning, look for implications and then look for the next goal to focus on.

It takes commitment to develop this new management style, but it is worth it.

And like any revolution, it needs massive support and so far, the signs are good – change is indeed in the air.