Tag Archives: Personal Development

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I Teach…

once uponFor those of us who are new to coaching, this blog article is all about connecting with your customer. Sometimes it’s easy to build a relationship, sometimes it’s hard— but it is a crucial part of your work. You must be able to connect with the people who hire you. Let’s look at some steps that will help you build up your clients. It’s not as hard as you may think.

Warn Them, Inform Them… Let Them Know What to Expect

When you meet with a client for the first time, it would be advisable to explain to them what they’re expected to be able to do. Give them some notice. You can turn an advance warning into a relationship-building opportunity. Ask them about things they’ve wanted to do, what they’ve been trying to achieve, and actually show interest in your clients.

Take Responsibility

You’ve made an error? Turned up late to a meeting? Accepting full responsibility, while recognizing the consequences of the error, shows that you’re prepared to take it like a grown-up. People respect that.

Tone Down Your Voice When Giving Bad News

Literally. Lower the tone of your voice and your rate of speaking. Generally, when people get excited or emotional about ideas they tend to raise their voice pitch and pace. When you’re giving bad news or feedback that could be construed negatively or critically, you want to give the impression that you are thinking clearly, logically and reasonably – not emotionally – and certainly not irrationally.

ALWAYS Begin with the Good News

When you have both good news and bad, start with the good. When people hear bad news, they have an internal stress reaction that causes them to tune-out other information. Try to ensure that the client fully comprehends and appreciates the entire message by making sure you give the good news first. Always give them something to feel good about.

Express Those Negatives as Positives

Rather than saying, “We can’t meet until Tuesday,” instead try, “We can meet up as soon as Tuesday.” It’s the same information, but wording it positively enhances your message. It makes the client feel important.

Try to Remind Them of the Bigger Picture

Sometimes clients don’t realize that the ‘bad news’ is in their own best interest. Try to always frame things inside the bigger picture. Yes, this is negative today—but how does it change the plan positively? Don’t let them go away feeling as though they failed.

Follow-up! Always Follow-up!

With some clients, a well-timed phone call after bad news goes a long way in proving to the client that you’ve gone the extra mile. “I just wanted to check with you to see how things are going with that discussion we had…” That raises the perceived value of your service without spending more money. Try it. People like to feel important.

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I Teach…

sleepThis week, we are going to look at coaching and beginning a career in coaching. You’re now in a position to be a coach, and you’re ready to begin… but where do you start? How do you get those crucial first clients? How do you know how much to charge? What do you do? What have others done? This article is all about the first crucial steps towards success as a coach. Let’s take a look…

A Clear Path to Success

One of the most useful pieces of advice is to have a plan and see how you will fulfil your goals. In the meantime, have smaller, doable goals, so you know you’re on track. Each time you achieve one of the smaller goals, you will find yourself closer to success with the bigger goals. You should always be looking at the bigger picture—where are you and where do you want to be?

Keep It Simple

Nobody in the world can do it all. That being said, you should plan on putting in lots of hours and energy into your business, at least for the first year or two until you have a good clientele base with a waiting list, and you have a reliable marketing engine. Later, however, you will want to learn the power of saying “no.” Nobody needs to work 100 hours a week.

Family Support

Your loved ones can also assist you in your endeavors and make it easier. Rather than feel bad that you’re not doing as much for everyone else, use your coaching skills to fully communicate what you’re really up to. When you share your inspiration and how much this means to you, the people who care most about you will whole-heartedly join your team, and they may even help you find clients.

Look After the Money

When you know you have enough money coming in already, you can afford to trust the process of attracting clients. Starting a business is not like starting a new job. You won’t get a reliable paycheck every two weeks. But your time investment up front will pay off handsomely if you go the distance. Reduce debts by negotiating for lower interest rates. Stop paying for things you aren’t using. Be careful with your money, and you’ll go far.

Promote, Promote, Shout

In your first year of coaching, even if your coaching skills aren’t fully honed yet, share your excitement and inspiration about coaching with pretty much everybody. Don’t be attached to getting them to understand coaching the way you do. They probably won’t. But do share your energy.

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I Speak…

writingA huge part of public speaking is knowing about your audience, and knowing how you are going to approach that audience. This week’s public speaking article is all about your relationship with your audience. How do you capture their interest, and how do you know what their interest is? How do you turn a mundane subject into something people will want to listen to? Well, buckle up, and let’s take a look at some of the steps!

Research and Understand Your Audience

When you are in front of a business audience, it is important to know their background. Are they colleagues, middle managers or trainees? Finding out about their business experience and their companies will be very important. Armed with this information, you can make a passing reference to their company’s history or profile, which they can relate to. You can tie your information to the subject that matters to them.

Go Beyond Your Words…

You are communicating a message or information, or entertaining. Or it may be a combination of all three. The words you are using are merely a vehicle for conveying your ideas. They are not sufficient on their own. You must feel what you are saying.

Don’t JUST Read Your Speech

There are several reasons why this could be disastrous. If you just stand in front of the audience and read, you will be in danger of boring your listeners. Remember that really dull college professor who droned on for hours on end? That would be you. The more you read, the more you will chance mumbling and failing to make eye contact. Improvise, and feel your way towards a great speech.

Practice, Practice, Practice

You need to get really familiar with the contents of your speech. If you lack confidence, the best way to do this is to try and memorize the main points, and you can use a list of notes for this. You have to go over and over it again, timing yourself so that you do not go over the time allocated. If you prefer, you can also use cards with the main points on them, just in case you forget. A good idea is to number the cards, just in case you drop them! Give it a try—it’ll work like a charm.

Become Personal

No, don’t take this the wrong way. Nobody wants to hear the ins and outs of your divorce. But people still love stories. An anecdote or two can work wonders. Tell them about your personal involvement in a project and what went right or wrong. Jokes are great, too, although these should be kept to a minimum. All these things are important for bonding with your audience.

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I Write…

writingAs we’ve been talking about content over the last few weeks, I’d like to discuss creating good content this week. The kind of content people will actually want to read. The fact is that you can hire a great content writer, but you still have to understand the rules of content—you have to get the basic marketing facts. And some of them can be found below!

YOU Not Me

People love themselves. It didn’t take the advent of the selfie for that to be evident. So, create content that is customized to your audience. Use their names, their faces – anything that makes the content about them. Make everything about the people you want to sell to.

Everyone IS Listening…

One of the most overlooked sources of content is your customers. They ask questions about your brand everywhere. The content might not go viral, but your customers will appreciate being heard and responded to, and it will lessen the burden on your content writer. Plus, the feel-good factor will really please your customers. A company that actually listens to people? Who’d have thunk it?

We’re Only Human

Try to capitalize on the human side of your brand by being human in your content. And remember, just like humans, brands are not perfect. They make mistakes, and they can laugh at themselves. It’s okay to make fun of yourself—seriously!

Content Is FREE

Creating content that is free does not mean endless self-serving, evergreen articles replete with shameless plugs and links to your product pages. It means investing the time to create something of value to people. It can be as simple as one piece of useful, well-designed content, like a cooking cheat sheet or in-depth, brand-free buying guide. Become a trusted resource for valuable information first. For example, look at the toys McDonalds gives away—those are useful gestures that bring kids back again, and again, and again. Think of your content in the same way.

Cute Is GOOD

It is never more evident that we are sold by sentimental content than when the ads with cute turtles, kittens, or doggies come onto your TV. Cute means sales.

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I Speak…

sleepSo, we’ve spoken at length about public speaking and ways to excel as a public speaker—but we haven’t spoken about actually getting work as a public speaker. This blog is all about ways to find work. It’s not easy to convince someone to pay you to speak—sometimes it will seem impossible—but if you truly want to be a paid public speaker, you should be exploring these avenues.

Universities, Colleges and Schools

Look around you. Chances are, you live close to a university, college, state school, technical school, or some other educational institution. Team up with a professor or department head to hold a forum a subject relevant to you and the educator’s interest group. Invite people from the community to attend, as well.

Network in Your Business Groups

These lead exchange or facilitated networking groups are designed to be a tightly knit group of individuals from diverse businesses who meet regularly for the purpose of bringing business opportunities to the other members. Popular groups are Le Tip, Business Networking International (BNI), and Local Business Network (LBN). Join your preferred group and let the members know that you’re interested in speaking opportunities.

Clubs and Special Interest Groups

Music fanatic? Mother of a child? Coder with mad skills? No matter what your interest or circumstance, there’s a group for it. And if you can share information on a topic that’s relevant to its members, they’ll welcome you as a speaker.

Local Publications

Most areas have a magazine or newspaper devoted to area business news. Check out the periodical’s Events page (in print or online), then contact the organizations who have listed presentations and pitch them for speaking.

Your Clients

No need to get all fancy and overlook one of your most highly qualified sources! Ask your clients which groups they belong to and whether they accept outside speakers.

Other Professionals Who Speak Professionally

Look around at your colleagues, competitors, and other professionals who target the same audience you do. Check their websites and LinkedIn profiles to see where they’ve spoken. You can follow in their footsteps.

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I Teach…

coachFor those of you who are wondering about the possibility of working with a coach, I’d like to talk a little about the ways a life coach can actually add to your life and encourage change for the better. I think we’ve talked a lot about reasons for getting a coach, and finding the right coach—but today this is all about coaches and their abilities. For me, a coach has to be someone who has experience, expertise, wisdom and the ability to listen. For you, the coach may be someone who gives you confidence or helps you discover new things about yourself. Let’s take a good look at coaches…

Finding Your True Purpose

Life coaches know that finding one’s purpose isn’t something that requires meditating for a few years on a mountaintop. That’s just unrealistic. A good life coach knows that an individual’s true purpose comes from a special combination of their hidden talents and passions. A good life coach will help you uncover those talents and passions that will then reveal to you your true purpose in life.

Motivating YOU

Sometimes, when we least expect it, life punches us in the face. We lose our jobs, we lose a loved one, we fall into old bad habits, we sink into depression, and so on. And if left alone, it could take years – if ever – to get back to our old awesome selves again. A quality coach will help us move past these obstacles and learn from them.

Building Your Confidence

Whatever it is you do in life, you’ll do it better and with more enjoyment when you’re confident. The opposite is also true – even the simplest tasks can be outright terrifying when you don’t have the confidence you need. Life coaches understand this better than anyone else.

Developing Your Spirituality

As happiness and success starts flowing into your life, you may find yourself at a very interesting crossroads. While you are happy with how amazing your life has become so far, there’s still something, or several things, missing. These ‘missing’ pieces are why even the seemingly most successful people in the world still turn to life coaches for guidance. Everyone needs to heal, grow and develop.

Guidance, Guidance, Guidance

Have you ever read or heard news of superstar athletes, famous politicians, and influential politicians who make careless decisions that ruin their careers? That’s the danger of success – it can take you places where your character can keep up with you.

Your life coach may keep you from going too fast. They will keep you accountable both to your life plan and to your deepest values. That way, as your success grows, your character will grow in stride with it.

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I Teach…

fear11We’ve discussed how coaches can succeed, but I’d like to talk a little today about how both you and your coach can fail. There are many reasons for a failure to happen—and they often do—but why? Let’s find out…

Both Parties Have to Want It

All too often, coaches are assigned to people who don’t think they need help or don’t want help. Imagine being approached after delivering a speech and being told by that person that your boss thinks you need a coach to help with your presentations. The immediate reaction of most people would be, “I don’t need help. I’m doing just fine.”

For coaching to be truly successful, the person receiving the coaching must want it. Otherwise, it will be like dragging a horse behind you with one hand tied behind your back. Eventually, you may succeed, but not without a series of constant uphill battles.

When Your Coach Shouldn’t Be Coaching

Anyone can call himself or herself a coach. But that doesn’t mean they have the expertise or the experience to improve your condition. Before engaging the services of a coach, ask them to provide specific examples of how they have helped people with similar objectives to yours achieve their full potential. Ask questions regarding their background, and don’t be afraid to probe deeply. There are lots of coaches who have no business coaching. Make sure yours doesn’t fall into this category.

Coaching in Perpetuity

An effective coach works with their clients to set objectives and measurements of success before the engagement begins. The coach gets the job done within an agreed upon time period and disengages when their work is done. Compare this to the model where a coach comes in to work on a specific issue and never leaves the organization. A good coach knows when his work is done and encourages their clients to soar on their own.

You Have a Mentor, but Not a Coach

Lots of people think they have coaches when in fact they have mentors. Ask one hundred people to explain the difference between a coach and a mentor, and you will most likely get a hundred different answers. Most people would agree, however, that there is a difference. Before you start looking around for a coach, you must determine what specifically you are looking to gain from this type of relationship. Once you’ve answered this question, you’ll know whether your needs are best served by a mentor or a coach.

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I Speak…

coachLast week, we touched upon a problem many public speakers have. That problem is not knowing how to breathe correctly. Now, we all know that we are born with the ability to breathe—but to breathe correctly when speaking in public is another thing altogether. I thought it might be a good idea to share a few tips with you about correct breathing—tips you can take with you and help turn your speaking engagements into huge successes. This week, we will discuss relaxing before your speaking engagement, so these are tips to help you breathe to relax. Let’s try them out!

Deep Breathing Means Relaxing

For those who do not regularly practice deep breathing, they may not know all the health benefits. Learning how to properly deep breathe, and letting that breath fill your lungs and travel through your whole body, can help you to relax and take on anything that may be going on in your life. This is at the heart of your well-being and healthy living, so it is crucial to learn how to deep breathe properly and practice it regularly.

Breathing for Better Health

Deep breathing and learning to embrace this practice is part of healthy living and well-being. Learning to embrace it, and develop and practice breathing patterns that work for you, is a huge part of living the best life possible.

Exhale Longer Than Your Inhale

You should be letting the exhale take twice as long as the inhale to get the most out of it. This will take some practice. Take the time to take each breath in but then take twice as long to let it out so that you can really feel it throughout your whole body.

What Stress?

Stress can be easily melted away if you learn how to make deep breathing a part of your life. As you feel the stress coming on and starting to settle within your body, take the time to step away and take a few good deep breaths to allow the stress to simply melt away in no time.

What Pain? Is Pain Distracting You?

There is a reason why women in labor practice breathing exercises — it really does help with the worst pain!   By practicing deep breathing exercises, you can block out the pain and focus instead on this therapeutic exercise for your well-being.

Stretch for Well-Being

Yoga is a great part of a healthy lifestyle, not just for the exercise that it brings, but for the stretching and breathing that it incorporates. When you are stretching and focusing on your breathing, you are working on your overall well-being, and this can work wonders for your physical and mental well-being.

Breath Yourself to Energy

As you take in deep breaths, you will feel rejuvenated, and this brings natural energy to your body. Learning to take breath in the appropriate way and holding it will pour energy onto every bone and muscle in your body, which will bring you the natural energy you are seeking.

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I Teach…

once uponThere are many reasons to seek out a life coach—but before you do, you should know a few facts about life coaching. Many people see it as an opportunity to go through therapy without going to see a therapist; others see it as the answer to all their problems—but there are certain realties you have to realize. Let’s take a look at them…

Focus – Life Coaching Allows You to Focus on Yourself

Many people often leave themselves behind. Life coaching actually puts you first, for perhaps the first time.  Life coaching takes the necessary time with you to discover your true values, goals, and talents, and will help you create a plan to fulfilling them. After all, YOU are important! Repeat that to yourself now—YOU ARE IMPORTANT!

Order – Life Coaching Gives You the Opportunity to Get Your Life in Order

In life coaching, you immediately take action. You stop being a person living on the sidelines, letting your life pass you by. A good life coach helps you understand yourself better and helps you to live a life aligned with your morals, values, and core beliefs.  It is NOT long-term psychotherapy. With support and encouragement, YOU are urged to sit in the driver’s seat in your own life. With your coach as your strongest advocate, YOU decide when you have met your goals. Try it!

Professional – Life Coaching Is Unbiased

When you have a life coach, you get to talk through your struggles with someone who is not going to interrupt you or push you towards what they think you should do. A great life coach would never make judgments or criticize your choices, but instead offers suggestions and give you the space and time to think through your challenges and options. Of course, everything you say to your coach will be kept in total confidence. It’s all about you.

Therapy – Life Coaching Is Not Therapy

Life coaching is never about treating mental illness and working through deeply rooted psychological issues. You should seek professional help in those situations. Therapy is great for people with psychological problems that require intervention with a mental health specialist. Life coaching is an empowering process for normal, healthy people to get help making their lives better, happier, and more fulfilled.

Fun – Yes, Life Coaching Can Be Fun

Expect to laugh a lot during your coaching sessions! Sometimes making change can be more than a little scary, but coaching is actually fun and empowering. It feels great to get things out in the open – so you can get clarity and take action.

Accountability- Life Coaches Hold You Responsible for Yourself

If you’re feeling negative and lacking in motivation, your coach will help you challenge limiting assumptions and beliefs you may have about yourself and the situations you find yourself in.  He or she will help you work through the issues that are preventing you from moving forward and, above all, keep you focused on your goals!

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I Speak…

coachOne of the biggest problems with writing a speech is knowing where to begin. There are many people out there who would happily write your speech for you—but for those public speakers who really want to hit their audience and hold their sway, there has to be a level of self-knowledge. You need to know how to open your speech—how will your audience react to what you have to say? How does your personality grab your audience? Are you patriotic? Are you revolutionary? What does the world think about you and what you have to say? Take a look at these speech openers, and see if you can see yourself starting with some of these…

Thank You Very Much

Some of the best speakers start by thanking the audience for coming and thanking the organization for inviting you to speak. Refer to the person who introduced you or to one or more of the senior people in the organization in the audience. This compliments them, makes the feel proud and happy about your presence, and connects you into the audience like an electrical plug in a socket. As someone once told me—manners are more important in business than degrees.

Think Positive, Start Positive, Be Positive

You can begin by telling the audience members how much they will like and enjoy what you have to say. Explain how positive you feel the audience is towards you, and that you are excited to get to know the people in front of you. Keep a level of positivity and people will engage with you.

Compliment the Audience

You can begin by complimenting the audience members sincerely and with great respect. Smile as if you are really glad to see them, as if they are all old friends of yours that you have not seen for quite a while. How about telling them that it is a great honor for you to be here, that they are some of the most important people in this business or industry, and that you are looking forward to sharing some key ideas with them.

The Audacity of Hope

Remember, the ultimate purpose of speaking is to inspire people to do things that they would not have done in the absence of your comments. Everything you say should relate to the actions you want people to take and the reasons that they should take those actions.

Question Time…

You can open by making a positive statement and then asking a question requiring a show of hands. How about starting with one crucial question that everyone in the room will have an answer to: “Who here wants to be a billionaire?”

Refer to a Recent Conversation

Some of the greatest public speakers start by telling a story. Some of the most effective stories are recent conversations. “I was talking to Bill the other day—we were discussing this event, and he told me that the people in Louisiana are some of the best people you could ever hope to meet. I have been here for a few hours, my first visit to the great state of Louisiana, and I have to say that Bill was completely correct. This is the best event in the country, bar none.” See? Complimenting, telling a story and engaging will have them listening from the get-go.

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