To Get the Most Out of Your Team, Ask Better Questions

To Get the Most Out of Your Team, Ask Better Questions

by | Nov 19, 2014

“There’s no such thing as a self-made
 millionaire. Only TEAM-made millionaires”

Teamwork is to my mind the most effective way in business to create success.  Being in business is tough and there is simply no way that you can do everything by yourself. Each of us has own our brilliance and working with team members enables you to focus on your brilliance whilst letting others do theirs.  The net effect is that everyone is in a state called flow, which is the state of least resistance.  Then business becomes easy and fun.

But how do you get the best out of team members and inspire them to give of their best to help your business grow and be successful.?  The answer is to ask better questions. So  are you a teller or a questioner?

In other words, when you’re working with your team members (or outsourcers) do you tend to tell them what to do or do you engage them in a conversation by asking questions?

If you’re like most entrepreneurial leaders, chances are you’re the former. If that’s true, then my question to you is “How’s that working for ya?”

My guess is it’s not working out as great as you’d like it to. In fact, I find that most entrepreneurial leaders are pretty frustrated with the people they’re “leading.” See if any of the following statements ring true for you

  • “They never do what I tell them to do!”
  • “It always takes her ten times longer to do what I asked her to do. If she’d just listen to me, she could get it done in one tenth of the time it’s currently taking!”
  • “I can’t understand why it’s taking him so long to do what I asked him to do.”
  • “I can’t figure out why she just can’t follow my directions.”
  • “I didn’t hire him to think. I hired him to do what I tell him to do.”

Ouch! And I fully understand those sentiments. As an entrepreneurial leader myself I understand why you want people to do what you want them to do in the way you want them to do it (after all, you are the BOSS, right? And it is YOUR company. And you do pay THE BILLS. And they do work for YOU, right?).

Furthermore, I get the whole driven part of the entrepreneurial personality. According to Talent Dynamics I have lots of dynamo energy so, by personality, I like being a teller. I like saying, as chances are you do, “Here’s what I want you to do. Now, just go do it. No questions. No debate. Just get it done EXACTLY how I told you to do it.”

But, as you well know, that approach doesn’t produce the best results

The Problem With Being a Teller

What I learned, and hopefully you are as well, is that being a teller is a counterproductive leadership approach. Why? For a number of reasons. I’ll give you three.

1. Telling doesn’t create buy in. As you know, people own what they help create, which, by definition means they don’t own what they don’t help create. So, if you or I say, “Billy, I want you to do X in Y way,” how much does he own that? Virtually nil. And if someone doesn’t own a task or project or process/procedure or event or strategy or tactic, the chances of them producing the best result will always be lower than if Billy is involved in creating the solution. Telling doesn’t work because it doesn’t create buy in or ownership.

Note: We’re not talking about following systems here. We’re talking about solving problems or creating something new.

2. Telling doesn’t produce the kind of people you want/need. In other words, if you’re a teller, you’re NOT developing your people to be their best (whether that’s to be a better leader or problem solver or innovator or coach or process person, etc.). Or to put it another way, if you or I are always in the telling position, then we’re not creating independent thinkers. And if we’re not creating independent thinkers, then we’ll have to keep doing all the thinking—which leads to the third reason why you don’t want to be a teller.

3. Telling doesn’t create leverage. If you or I still have to do all the thinking, then we’re not creating leverage. We’re simply creating more work for ourselves. We become the bottleneck to growth. If our people don’t own the task, then we have to invest more time in managing and leading the task. If our people aren’t really excited about a task or project, then more conflict will occur, which means we’ll have to invest more time. Or, if the only people we’re happy with are people who will just do what they’re told, then we’ll always put a lid on the quality of the kind of employee we can hire (which, again, kills leverage).

Any way you add it up, being a teller, just isn’t the smartest leadership choice you or I can make if we want to grow a fast growing business or organization.

The Better Option

The better option, if you want to get the best from your team is to learn to connect, engage and communicate with them. Even if this isn’t your natural bent, you can learn to do this. In fact, the reason I’m writing this post today is because one of my clients said to me this week—when we were discussing an employee situation and I was role-playing out the conversation for him, “Julia, one of the things I appreciate about you is that you’re so good at asking questions. I’m not. That’s just not how I’m wired.”

To which I responded, “Thanks for the compliment, but I’m not wired that way either.” Learning to use questions to lead isn’t a natural ability for most of us, it’s an acquired skill. And it’s not that hard to do on a skill level, it’s only hard on an implementation level. So, here are a few ideas to help you get started on unleashing your inner questioner.

1. Learn to see yourself as a developer of talent, not a boss. At the end of the day, most of us like to be tellers because we see ourselves as “the boss.” When we own the boss hat, most of us like to be in the teller role (I hired you. I pay you. Do what I tell you to do). And as long as we own that mindset, we’ll struggle with asking questions. However, if you can make the mental shift from boss to talent developer, you’ll begin to see your role completely differently (which is key because talent developers create leverage, whereas bosses don’t).

2. Make questioning your first response. I know this may feel pedantic, but when someone asks you a question, ask them a question back. Refuse to just give the answer (something that most of us who are male will always struggle with :-). Instead, when someone asks, “So, what do you think I should do?” throw it back to them, “First, tell me what you think you should do?” If they say, “I asked you first.” Just respond, “Well, how do you think I’d respond?” Return question for question. As hard as this is, don’t give the first answer.

3. Open your team conversations with questions. Instead of saying, “Taraji, we have a problem here. And here’s what I want you to do.” Open the conversation with a wide open question. “Tariji, as you know, we have a problem here. What do you think is creating it?” Or, “What’s your best thinking about how to solve this?” Or, “Do you have any ideas about how we can eliminate this in the next 30 days?”

Yes, there is an art to asking good questions (for example, wide open questions are better for creating independent thinkers), but what’s more important is that you embrace the principle that being a questioner is a better leadership choice than being a teller. Once you do that, you’ll acquire the skill set over time through trial and error. But you’ll never get there if you don’t embrace this concept as a core leadership practice.

So do you? Do you really believe that being a leader who leads through questioning is better than being a leader who leads by telling? I hope so because the choice you make will have profound consequences for you and your company for years to come. So, choose wisely! Remember,

“If you want to get the most from your people, then you need to draw the best that is in them—out of them.”

By the way, if you’re thinking, “But asking questions sure takes a lot more time than telling,” then you probably don’t own the idea that a leader isn’t a boss, a leader is a talent developer who leverages the time, talent, treasures, resources, intellectual property and connections of their people to produce a result.

Oh, and one last thought. This practice is irrelevant to size. It doesn’t matter if you’re leading a two person team or a two thousand person team, the same principle holds.

Go forth and ask better questions.

The number one reason why networking doesn’t work?

The number one reason why networking doesn’t work?

by | Oct 26, 2014

If you run your own business I’m sure you are always been told that you need to attend networking events because this is the one of the fastest ways to gain visibility and let people know what you do.

I agree that visibility is vitality important for any business owner because if you are the best kept secret on the planet no-one knows to buy from you. In fact I’ve known many great businesses fail simply because no-one knew about them. Today, however, it is easier than ever to get visibility and let people know what you do.

So then, why doesn’t networking work for most people? The simple reason is that most people spend their time networking telling people WHAT they do. For example, they are a social media consultant, a coach, a trainer or a landscape gardener. You get the idea.

However, people don’t really care WHAT you do they care WHY you do it.

The why is the reason that you went into business and it is what motivates you to get out of bed in the morning and continue on with business even on the toughest days. The why is your driver.

So for example Virgin’s WHY is to change the game and challenge the status quo by providing a product or service of great use.  Us shoe retailer Zappos WHY is to make customers happy whilst Disney use imagination to bring happiness to millions.

When people share Why they do something this stirs feelings in the limbic part of the brain – the part of the brain responsible for decision making and behavior. It helps people connect together through shared feelings and emotions. Contrast this with the neocortex part of the brain which is rationale and analytical and is concerned with what we do. The problem is that the neocortex does not drive behavior which is why when you tell people what you do at a networking event they often don’t take any action and help refer business to you.

Networking Neighs is networking group with a difference as the entire focus of the event is on sharing with people WHY you do WHAT you do. Based on the proven formula developed by Emma Taylor of The Bay Horse Speaks the levels of connection that have been built up between the members in other Networking Neighs Groups has been astounding as has the level of business passed between each other.

Forming relationships and connections is vital for business success and really helping others understand more about your own drivers really helps accelerate this process. Plus the event being held at Gallabar Farm, where the mere presence of horses somehow unlocks something hidden within each of us to connect and be seen as who we really are.

You can find out more about the Networking Neighs meeting in Yorkshire here. You’ll also find Networking Neighs in Warwickshire and Sussex

Next time you are at a networking event I challenge you to start sharing with people why you do what you do. You’ll be amazed at the results.

Are You Procrastinating About The Big Rocks?

Are You Procrastinating About The Big Rocks?

by | Oct 4, 2014

I’m sure you have all heard the story about the big rocks. It goes something like this.  A professor asks his class of students to fill up a jar with some big rocks, small rocks and  sand.  He gives them no idea of which order to put these three items into the jar.  What order do you think works best?

If you put the sand in first then it’s more than likely that you won’t be able to get all the big rocks in, but if you fill the jar with the big rocks first, then the small rocks and finally the sand, if by magic everything fits.  I share this story because it is the same in business. You always need to focus on the big rocks and generally these will be the revenue producing activities of your business Do these things first at all cost.  Then you can focus on the small rocks and finally the sand

The problem that I see happening to business owners time and time again is that they focus on the sand (tiny activities like social media etc) rather than tackling the big rocks. And the one thing I know to be sure is that you don’t tackle the big rocks first they will never get done

I’ve been having my own experience of this lately as I am writing a new book.  Every day I used to say that I would get to the book later in the day, but it never happened. The result was that I was severely behind schedule and my book coach was getting frustrated with me.  The only option I had eventually was to start my day writing the book, and guess what, with two concerted weeks of writing I completed the first draft. It feels great.  I know there is still lots to do before it can get into production however, it is a major accomplishment for me.

So what was stopping me getting on and writing the book to begin with.  Well it was my good old friend procrastination. He is a sneaky scoundrel who has an amazing ability to sabotage my business if I let him. So here are my top tips to defeat procrastination.

1. Set goals. Decide what you want and what needs to happen to get it. Be specific. Create a realistic timetable.

2. Commit. Make a contract with yourself. Tell a friend or co-worker or family member your plan. Ask for help when you need it.

3. Set priorities. Make a list of things that need to be done in order of their importance.

4. Get organized. Have the right tools and equipment to do the job. Make lists. Keep a schedule.

5. Think small. Don’t let the whole of the project overwhelm you. Stay in the present and do what you are doing.

6. Break tasks into parts. The “Swiss cheese” approach to getting any major project completed is to break it apart and work on one piece at a time. Reward yourself when you complete one step.

7. Use positive self-talk.

8. Replace excuses with rational, realistic thinking.

9. Realize there is no such thing as perfection. Begin the thing knowing it can never be done perfectly. You’ll do your best. You always do.

10. Reward yourself. Often and generously for accomplishing the smallest of tasks. Celebrate. Pat yourself on the back. Enjoy your accomplishment.

Like many other self-defeating behaviors, procrastination can be overcome. The place to begin is where you are.  If you’d like my help in getting you out of procrastination why not apply for one of the limited number of complimentary  Success Breakthrough Sessions that I offer every month.  This is a sure why way to motivated and back on track.

5 Road Blocks To Business Success

5 Road Blocks To Business Success

by | Sep 22, 2014

Building any type of business is not easy… if it was everybody would be doing it and success would not come with the financial and spiritual rewards it brings. Pushing through the tough stuff is what makes the difference between the Entrepreneurs and the Wantrapeneurs.

So on your journey of development and growth you’ll need to look out for these potential Roadblocks…that can Stall your Sales, Plateau your Profits and Destroy your Dreams!

1. Not Knowing your IDEAL BUYING Customer – Sounds simple but so many business owners just don’t have enough clarity or detail on the identity of their ideal buyer so they waste money marketing to people who will never buy their product or service. Remember that a “buyer is a buyer and a non buyer is always a non buyer” as Dan Kennedy has said. Take time to evaluate who exactly is buying your products or services and then start looking for ways to find them in large quantities…

2. Not Investing in Scalable SYSTEMS – As I often say to my Coaching Clients if it’s not Scalable your business is not Sale-able should you wish to sell it. Under investment in IT Systems, Sales and Marketing Systems, Delivery Systems or HR & Recruitment Systems will catch up with you and cause your business growth to stop in it’s tracks. Start investing now to build Assets in Systems and Cash always follows Assets and will accelerate your growth going forward.

3. Recruiting the WRONG Talent into Your Team – Yes, as you build your business you’ll need help from other people and not hiring the right talent at the right time can be fatal to your Growth. This is why I am a big fan of Talent Dynamics as part of your recruitment systems to make sure that you attract the right people who will be in “Flow” in the role so you get the most from them and they love getting up and going to work ever day. Not getting professional help when you recruit your team is in my view a huge mistake that costs businesses more time, energy and money than they ever realise until they get it wrong and have to deal with the fall out. It starts by knowing your own Talent profile so you understand who you need around you to magnify your value

4. Lack of a Blue Ocean STRATEGY – As the saying goes “Hope is not a Strategy” and neither does it work for driving growth in your business. You need a clearly defined Strategic Plan that knows where the Blue Oceans are, how to tap into them and what to sell them. Without this your growth will stop as your market becomes more competitive, crowded and red with volume based price competition.

5. Not Developing Your Business and Leadership SKILLS – There is no way around it, as the Leader in your business it will only grow to the levels of your personal skills. As author of the book Jab Jab Jab Hook Gary Vanderbeck says, “If your company is growing 30% a year, you have to be 30% better by this time next year”. Failing to invest in YOU will lead to challenges in Focus, Finances and Future growth. People often ask me what is the key to the success of my coaching clients and it’s a matter of their mind set…they realise that the hidden key to Growth is to Keep Investing in Yourself until you reach your Growth Goals.

Not investing in YOU is a road block if ever there was one.  So if you’d like my help to Jump Start Your Business to the next level then just get in touch. I’ve currently got openings for just a few new clients to help them propel their business forward.  Will you be one of them?  Just email me at julia@businesshorsepower.com and let’s have a chat to see if we are a great fit for each other.

Believe in Yourself

Believe in Yourself

by | Sep 15, 2014

“If you can conceive something in your mind and believe it to be true, then you can achieve it.” – Napoleon Hill

Napolean Hill said it best when he said, “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.”

But what he said next is even more important and often not quoted. He then goes on to say “…regardless of how many times you have failed in the past or how lofty your aims or hopes may be.”

In his book entitled Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill states that it is scientifically impossible to conceive something in your mind, to believe that you can do it, and then not be able to. The very fact that you can conceive something in your mind, and believe that you can do it, means that you can.

Belief is an ever important aspect of creating a thriving business. If you can imagine it, but you truly don’t believe it, then you will not be able to achieve it. Your worry, doubt and uncertainty will act as a barrier that prohibits your financial goals or any other goals from manifesting themselves.

Most of us have not begun to tap into our true greatness and all that we are capable of achieving. In fact in his book The Other 90% Robert Cooper suggests that as much as 90% of our potential is untapped.  Wow.  That’s amazing.  Just imagine what would happen if collectively we all tapped into some of this. Just think how much more we could all achieve. So do you want to know the secret for unlocking your greatness? It is in your mind.

The power of our mind is truly amazing. Most people doubt themselves. For some it’s occasionally, for others it’s often. We also tend to put other people on a pedestal. The funny thing is that the people we idolize often doubt themselves as much as we doubt ourselves. We all have problems, insecurities and challenges. What distinguishes the truly happy, successful and fulfilled people is how they handle problems and challenges. Belief is the best tool!

The more you believe in yourself and your abilities, the more likely you are to accomplish your goals and reach your dreams.

So what do you need to believe in order to achieve your dreams?  If you heard me on SineFM last week you’ll know that one of my favourite songs is Believe by the amazing Orgena Rose.  You can download the album and single on iTunes.  It’s so inspiring that I try and listen to it every day.  Here’s the link in case you missed it.

http://sinefm.com/UserFiles/File/show_podcasts/180714to240714/feelgoodfactor220714.mp3
3 Practical Steps For Getting In The Zone

3 Practical Steps For Getting In The Zone

by | Jul 22, 2014

Great athletes put the odds in their favor by having a routine that helps them start each day right. Most top athletes go through a preparation routine before every game, which starts long before they get on the field.  The best ones usually start the moment they awake.

I have found that the way you start something sets the tone, pace and rhythm for how you will sustain and finish something. This is true for your day as well.

How you START the day will very much dictate how the rest of your day will go. It will set the tone, pace and momentum of your performance for the day.

How you START the day will very much dictate how the rest of your day will go.

So if you are going to rebuild your life and lifestyle around one of health, vitality and high-performance, then you need to start at the beginning with how you start your day.

Many of us are aware that top athletes follow the pattern of a preparation routine with a fierce devotion because it activates all sorts of subconscious and autonomic systems that puts them “IN THE ZONE.”

“In the zone” describes a condition of readiness and awareness that helps prepare that person for success.

As a business owner and leader, you set the pace for the rest of your organization. Your company, even if it has just a few employees, is a reflection of you. Sharpen your company by first sharpening yourself at the dawn of each day.

Here are my top three tips on you can get your body, mind and spirit into “the zone” first thing in the morning.

1. BODY

Coming out of bed, your body needs three things for certain–water, protein and movement. Your systems were all working through the night and need to complete their cycles. Starting with 16 ounces of water gets you started on the eight glasses you already know you need to get anyway and begins the benefits that moving fluids through your body starts.

You need protein in your first food of the day, even if you are going for a run or a workout. A protein shake will do. The rest of the food pyramid is open, but even if you are a very light breakfast eater, protein is important.

Movement gets the blood moving, clears the mind and releases energy. Workouts with weights or cardio are great–but sometimes ten minutes of stretching is all you have time or space for. Regardless, don’t let the first 30 minutes of the day get started without moving.

2. MIND

Your mind needs focus or you will waste time and energy in your morning and in your day. The most effective business owners and CEOs that I know actually focus on very few things. Those that receive their focus, receive all of their focus.

I recently heard of a billionaire who shared that one of his keys to success  is accomplishing only one thing per day. A very big thing, of course, but from the moment he wakes up until he finishes his day, he throws every available effort at that one thing. Most of us measure our days in volume, not in scale. How many things can we check off on our to do list, rather than how important one particular thing  might be. Pick the one BIG thing to accomplish and let your morning open up with that as the focus for your first thoughts.

3. SPIRIT

Part of putting yourself in the zone is achieving alignment of your core energy and your positive emotions. A proven way to do this is through a simple reflection of gratitude. Being grateful, aware of all you have, is a centering action. It starts your day with energy and calm. When you greet your employees, clients, and suppliers throughout the day knowing that you included them in your reflections, they will feel that in your interaction and it will make for a better exchange regardless of the circumstances.

So remember, if you want to be a top performers in your field, put the odds in your favor by putting yourself in the zone first.  Then you allow others to follow your lead.

From “Selling” to “Serving” – 5 Steps to Becoming A Trusted Sales Adviser

From “Selling” to “Serving” – 5 Steps to Becoming A Trusted Sales Adviser

by | Jul 8, 2014

More people than at any time before have taken the leap to start their own businesses. This includes chiropractors, dentists, osteopaths, massage therapists, coaches, consultants, speakers, and a host of other professions.

Starting a business on your own has many challenges. For many people, the biggest one is “selling.” You can’t grow your business if you don’t sell your products and services to someone.

Yet, for many, “selling” brings up visions of sleazy used car salesmen who try to manipulate others to get what they want. Who wants to be like that? So, you’re faced with this dilemma: How do you grow your business and be a good, authentic, loving person at the same time?

The secret is to transform “selling” into “serving.” Let me show you how you do that.

Changing the Game

Selling is sleazy when it’s manipulative. Let me convince you to do something so I’ll get what I want.

If you want to grow your business, and feel good about yourself at the same time, it’s necessary to change the way you think about “selling.”

Everyone buys things. If you provide a product or service that has real value and helps people solve real problems, there is someone who will want to buy it. That someone is struggling with the problem you are prepared to solve. They wouldn’t want a solution if solving the problem wasn’t important to them. So if you can help them solve their problem and do a good job of it, you have become their new best friend. They not only will want to buy what you have to sell, they will want to buy from you again and again because now they have begun to trust that you are someone who can help them solve their problems.

When you are able to shift your thinking from “I’m selling something” to “I’m serving someone by helping them solve a problem that they care about,” you’ll find yourself feeling great when that someone buys your stuff. Here are 5 ways to make that shift.

Step #1 – Get Clear on the Value You Offer

It all begins with you understanding what are the problems you are uniquely qualified to help your clients or customers solve.  Knowing where you are most trusted in business is a great place to start and you can do this by taking the free Trust Test at http://bit.ly/trusttest

But you can’t stop there. What problems does your product or service address? What resources do you bring to help your customer or client solve those problems? Why should people believe that your proposed solution really works?

Make a list of the problems and then list how your product or service solves each problem. Make a list of the resources your customer or client will have at their disposal when they purchase your product or service. Then gather testimonials, endorsements, case studies and anything else that will demonstrate your solution really works.

It’s been found that people are 10 times more likely to respond to a solution to a problem they have than they will to an opportunity to achieve something they want. So, make sure you really understand how you can help others solve their problems.

Step #2 – Understand Your Client/Customer/Partner’s “Critical Need”

Once you’ve understood in general the types of problems you are uniquely qualified to solve, the next step is to understand who has those sorts of problems and would be attracted to your particular solution.

You may think that everyone needs what you have, but that’s never true. Even if we assume everyone has the problem you’re solving, only certain types of people will be attracted to the way you solve it.

Apple has done an amazing job of helping people solve problems they didn’t even know they had–like the ability to carry their entire music library with them in a pocket size device, or to watch TV shows or videos on a book size device. Most people will agree that Apple’s products are good quality. And just about everyone wants to listen to music or watch videos these days, but not everyone is going to buy an Apple iPod, iPhone or iPad. For some the products are too expensive. For others, the products don’t go well with other equipment they already use. Apple’s success has been successfully targeting people who are willing to pay more for a product that helps them feel special and unique while being useful at the same time.

I define your perfect alliance partner as “that person or organization for whom you are uniquely qualified to fulfill their most critical need and in fulfilling that need you fulfill your own critical need at the same time.”

You’re in the business of solving problems. Step #2 is about finding the people who have those problems and consider them significant enough that they’re willing to pay to solve them.

Step #3 – Build Trust

People will only buy from or work with people they trust. These days, building trust begins by establishing a relationship with people who have the problems you are prepared to solve. You build trust by getting testimonials, endorsements, or case studies from people who have benefited from your products or services. You can also build trust by demonstrating you have had success in the past. And you can build trust by offering knowledge, service, or even products for free so that your potential customers and clients have the chance to see how well you can help them solve their problems.

You can read some of of my clients at https://www.businesshorsepower.com/success-stories/

Step #4 – Remove the Perception of Risk

Anytime someone purchases something there is a risk that it won’t serve their needs. To the extent you can show others that the risk that your product or service will not provide the promised value is very low, the more likely it is that people will be willing to invest in what you offer them.

One simple way to reduce risk is to offer a guarantee. If they’re not happy, they can return the product or service and get a refund within some period of time. A guarantee allows the customer to see if the promise matches up to their experience.

But you can reduce risk in other ways as well. You can offer additional bonuses and extras for free so the value customers receive is so much greater than what they’re paying that they feel the risk of not being satisfied is low.

The more you build your reputation, the less risky people will feel about doing business with you. When you have endorsements or support from well-known or trusted authorities, you inspire confidence that you can deliver on your promises.

Step #5 – Genuinely Care About Your Customer (this is the most important one)

When you see yourself as “serving” rather than “selling” then you let go of your attachment to “making the sale.” Your focus and concern is with making sure that your customer really has a need you (or your products and services) are uniquely qualified to fulfill. This is the place where the Golden Rule comes in: treat your customers as you would want to be treated. Your job is no longer trying to sell anyone. It becomes identifying people who have problems you can solve. These are the people you are here to serve and serving them becomes fun.

Going Deeper – Join Me at the Get Clients Fast Telesummit

On Thursday 10th July at 10am GMT I am being interviewed by Helen VandenBurghe as part of the Get Clients Fats Summer School about Mastering The Inner Game of Sales: 5 Secrets To Becoming a Trusted Sales Adviser So You Can Effortlessly Convert Prospects Into Clients

How would you like getting clients to become an effortless task that you actually enjoyed?

Wouldn’t you just love prospects to be magnetically drawn to you?

This is possible when you fundamentally change your mindset and energy about sales and instead become a trusted sales adviser. I’ll be sharing with you:

•   #1 mistake that most sales people make when talking to clients

•   My proven 5 steps formula to becoming a trusted sales adviser

•   7 mindset traits of successful trusted sales adviser

and much more…..

You can join the call for free, simply register at: http://www.getclientsfast.net

Are You Hungry for Growth?

Are You Hungry for Growth?

by | Jul 4, 2014

As many of you know I recently became certified as a Growth Accelerator Coach.  So to help you demystify how this programme can help you I have put together this short review.

Could your business benefit from a successful growth strategy?
Are your everyday responsibilities getting in the way of thinking time?
Have tactics overtaken strategy?
Have your processes fallen behind the pace of growth?
Could your managers be better equipped to step up?
Do you want to unlock your capacity for innovation?
Do you need to discover new routes for funding and investment?
Do you want to build on the power of your people?
Could you benefit from a more united and inspired leadership team?
Do you want to see relationships with your clients thrive?

Answer YES to any of these questions and there’s a good chance you could benefit from joining the Growth Accelerator Program.

As a Growth Coach and Growth Accelerator Trainer, I’m often asked to explain the program to people so I thought I’d produce this helpful little guide.

What is the Growth Accelerator program?
Growth Accelerator is a government funded UK initiative targeting high growth businesses who want to enter their next growth phase and have the determination and potential to get there.

Alongside the Regional Growth Manager, we work with you to develop your growth plan, bespoke to the needs of your business.  This will typically focus on one of three areas; Access to Finance, Business Development or Growth through Innovation.

Who can join?
To be eligible for the program, your business must be registered in the UK and be based in England.  You must have fewer than 250 employees and a turnover less than £40m. It’s for both B2B and B2C businesses.

What do I get?

  • A free consultation with a Growth Manager to assess your needs.
  • A free GrowthMapper assessment, giving you new insights into the barriers holding your business back from growth.
  • A Growth Coach (chosen by you) and funded by a grant of £3,500 to be used to support your needs for growth.
  • Up to £2,000 matched funding for Leadership and Management training for all your managers.
  • 6 half day workshops (strategy, sales & marketing, change management, leadership, achieving more for less and high growth teams).
  • Free membership to the Growth Community.

What’s the Investment?
It depends on the number of employees

  • 1-4 employees = £600
  • 5-49 employees = £1500
  • 50-249 employees = £3,000

(all packages incur a VAT cost of £700 which is worked out from the full grant award of £3,500)

To get cracking with your business and personal growth, call me on 01423 788229 or email  me at julia@businesshorsepower.com.  Either myself or the Growth Manager will come out to assess your needs.

Organising Your Space For Success: Are You In The Right Space At The Right Time?

Organising Your Space For Success: Are You In The Right Space At The Right Time?

by | Jun 26, 2014

If you want to grow your business and reach the next level of success it is imperative that you create an environment around you that supports this.  In my previous blogs I have shared my best tips on how and why decluttering your environment is key to your success.  In this blog I will be sharing why it is imperative to create different environments to undertake the different roles that you need to get done in your business.

The big mistake that most business owners make is that they insist of doing all the activities in their business from the same place.  You create an office in your home and then conduct all the activities from here.  This is a big mistake as it results in us mixing up the different energies of business and this creates stress and overwhelm.

Sitting at a desk to try to study your finances, getting interrupted by phone calls, and then going back to your spreadsheet is like trying to freeze ice and boil water all in the same place. An enormous amount of energy is spent simply trying to switch from one state to another. Of course this is going to cause stress.

The key to cut stress and increase flow is to create a rhythm in your space and time, with five different places linked to your talents.

The ultimate example of this can been seen at Vision Villas in Bali where Roger Hamilton has designed five different pavilions that create five different types of energy. Each of the different energies speaks to each of the different activities of – what, who, when how  and why as defined in the Talent Dynamics Pentagram.

Dynamo Space: This is your space to brainstorm, write creatively, come up with new ideas, and answer the question, What? Make it a place where you can pin things up and see the big picture. Don’t take phone calls here or text-message or use any kind of social media. Don’t get stuck in details or distracted by others.

Blaze Space: This is your space to have conversations, answer emails, take phone calls, and answer the question, Who? When you step into this space, you will have everyone’s contact information close at hand, photos of people who are important, and Post-it notes of conversations and threads to follow. Make this a space of conversation, where there is no room to daydream or procrastinate.

Tempo Space: This is your space to be calm and grounded, and to sit with team members to plan or with clients to listen. This is where everything has a When? and Where? This isn’t a place to promote or sell, but a place to provide care and service and take care of smaller people-related activities. Don’t let any overly positive or overly negative energy into this space.

Steel Space: This space allows you to concentrate on the detail, get quiet time, and focus clearly on the How? This is where you keep all your finances and spreadsheets, and where all your detailed files can be easily accessed. Keep out all interruptions, and have no phones, emails, or distractions in this space. Be willing to be critical and to take criticism from here.

Spirit Space: This space inspires you and allows you to reflect on your higher purpose and bigger mission. This is where you get to breathe and bring out your inner smile.

Initially many of you might be thinking Julia there is no way I can carve out all these different spaces at home. I’d invite you to think again.  I know a professional speaker who goes to a coffee shop to get inspired and do his creative writing.  The energy and the buzz of the coffee shop inspires him. For myself, my spirit space is my hot tub where I can rest and relax in the evening whilst looking at the night sky and become connected to nature. I often find that some of my best creative ideas come when I spend time with my horses – sitting in the field my mind has the opportunity to be free from any constraints and I always find new ideas for my business surface pop up.  What environments can you create for yourself that will impact your business success?.

Think about a chef. When they get in the kitchen, they mark out a “Dynamo” Space to “grow” (to keep things fresh), a “Blaze” Space to “glow” (the oven to cook in), a “Tempo” Space to “slow” (the chopping board and blender to separate and connect), a “Steel” Space to “know” (keeping things cool in the fridge and freezer), and the “Spirit” Space to “flow” (the serving space where it all comes together). Then with the ingredients, the recipe and their spaces, preparing the meal is all about right place, right time.

What are the productive environments that you can create to redesign the standards by which you place your mind, body, and spirit each day? What’s the pallet in which you’re creating your masterpiece? Even if you have a full-time job or have your hands full with children, there is always a way to reorganize your time and space to bring out your best self.

Remember there’s an order to everything, and organizing your time and your spaces allows you to move through the seasons with more ease and grace, the way nature meant it to be.

In nature, nothing is rushed, yet all is accomplished.

Coach Charlie Teaches The Finer Points of Sales

Coach Charlie Teaches The Finer Points of Sales

by | Jun 17, 2014

Coach Charlie has been excelling himself this week teaching some new clients the finer points of sales and marketing, particularly as it relates to energy. Julie won a Horse Assisted Coaching session with me as a raffle prize to raise money for the Harrogate Neo-Natal Unit. I was delighted to be able to support this organisation who have supported a number friends through their challenging times.

Julie selected Coach Charlie to work with during her session on over-coming her fears around selling. Making sales is a key activity for any business owner but one that many of my clients don’t relish. Charlie taught Julie the subtle art of selling – how to manage her energy, when to lead, when to follow, when to pause and how to keep him engaged.

You see the biggest challenge you have in business is not competition for your products and services but rather people’s apathy and inertia.  Your potential clients have so much going on and are over-loaded with information that sometimes they stop engaging.  (The average person gets 147 emails per day and I know I get a lot more than that). Your challenge like Julie’s is how to attract the attention of the client (in this case Charlie) and keep him engaged so that he wants to follow you.

At first Charlie just stood still rooted to the spot, unable to move. Julie did a great job of keeping his attention but her energy was not compelling enough to get him moving – and guess what, Julie shared that often happens in her business. Her prospects are interested in what she has to offer but like Charlie never take action and buy her services.

Charlie taught Julie how sometimes you need to be a little directive to get the first step, because this is always the hardest.  Once the first step is taken however, then momentum can keep the horse (and your potential client) moving forward.  When Julie raised her energy and gave Charlie some clear instruction he walked alongside her.

How many times have you not led your potential client through the sales conversation for fear of being too salesy? This is the lesson that Julie learnt in the round pen from Charlie – sometimes your clients need a gentle nudge to get them moving in the right direction. They need to be told what to do in order to take the first step and it needs to be easy to take. Set things up for success. So in Julie’s case getting Charlie to walk across the round-pen to join her was too much of a step but when she made that first step easy, by joining him and being much closer to him, he willing walked with her.

The horses have been teaching me so much about sales recently so I’m delighted to be a guest speaker on The Get Clients Fast tele-summit happening next month. Stay tuned for more details and how you can grab a copy of my hot off the press free report Attract And Convert Clients By Being A Trusted Sales Adviser.

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