Secrets
from the Playbook:
-
Kickstart Your Coaching
Practice
-
Downtime
-
Resolving Conflicts at Work
-
Our Morning Mindset
-
Start Promoting Your Business
-
Empower
Yourself Through Language
-
Overcome Your Stress of Career Change
!
-
Manage Your
Anger: Gain Respect and Improve Your Leadership
Kickstart Your Coaching Practice
Gerry Schmich
What do you do when your business is dropping off? What actions can you take
to stop the hemorrhaging and turn the situation around? How can you quickly
kickstart your business to new levels?
Many books, essays, newsletters and articles have been written to answer
these questions. Still the questions appear and reappear depending on the
whims of the business cycle, economy, business person, seasons of the year
and numerous other things. Some of the reasons are real....some are
imagined. And you know what? It doesn't matter what the excuse is....you
need to take action and generate positive energy in the form of clients and
customers.
This article will not cover all the ideas in the universe. I hope that it
will create action to do something which produces sales within your
business.
* First of all ask, "Am I authentically passionate about what I do or
offer?" Excitement and passion provide positive energy which people are
attracted to like bees to a flower. Without it you will not even be noticed.
Take a look inside and see if the fire is still burning. If it is
burning---great! Remind yourself why you do what you do and the benefits you
create for others.
* Ask, "Do I know what my current clients want and need?" If not then call,
email, fax or send out a carrier pigeon and ask them. We all want to be
listened to and heard. It is flattering when someone asks about what you may
help them attain. One idea is to mail out postcards to your past and current
clients who are satisfied customers. It is way easier to get repeat business
than to earn new business from new customers. You know that.
* Add value. Think about your customer. Why have they bought your
service/product in the past? What was the value then? What might be
additional value for them now? Offer it on a free trial basis. That way they
receive something for nothing and they will remember you for it. Its the old
story of karma. If you want more from life...give.
* Recognize that your service business isn't about service...it is all about
relationship. You are selling relationship not expertise. Most prospects for
your service are unable to evaluate expertise but they know relationship and
if their questions are answered in a timely manner. They understand trust,
attention, appreciation and respect.
* Make it easy for your customer to buy. In fact make it easy for them to
reach you any time they need you. Ease of accessibility allow us to buy
service and product from out of habit. Our service is predictable and
safe...customers and clients love this.
* Educate the customer on the benefits of your service or product. What
results can they expect from using your service? Always ask whether your
service or product has met their expectations...assure that they do.
Customers and clients usually have to be reminded to look for the value they
are receiving.
* Get out the old Rolodex. Talk with friends, neighbors, family and business
associates about your wanting to increase your business activity. This
sounds almost too simple but people love to help and they will respond to
your request.
* What do you want for your business this week?
* List at least five things you can do this week to achieve the above
question.
* Just do it.
Top of Page
Downtime
Gerry Schmich
So there I was one morning sitting in my office waiting for
the phone to ring. I had just completed a month of work in planning a
seminar for new managers and lining up a conference room in which to hold
it. The brochure design, printing, writing the sales letter, endless running
to the print shop and mail room were finally done and now I waited
expectantly for the thundering hordes to call and request seats.
One small problem..........no one was calling........... the silence was
deafening.
Since leaving my corporate job my calendar was full with appointments for my
free lance leadership and management training seminars. Of course my old
company kept requesting my services and they were my primary client until
now.
I wanted to run my own show and offer it to other businesses. The hurdle I
had to leap entailed marketing my services to people who didn't know me.
My naive strategy was to do the mail out package and wait for the calls to
come in. Oops! It doesn't work that way. I found that I needed to be more
proactive and market from several vantage points. Anyone who has been in
their own business for any period of time knows this and they also know that
eventually they will reach a plateau where business is slow--it is just not
happening at this time. Sometimes people just forget about you until you
show up in an ad, phone call, email, personal visit or seeing you by
accident. What matters now is staying focused and putting your time to the
best possible use.
Clients have told me that when they hit the plateau they lose momentum and
begin doubting themselves because they are not doing or accomplishing
anything. How quickly we lose confidence when we are not in demand.
What can we do during this period of downtime? What choices can we make that
will grow our self confidence? What things can we work on to improve our
business? Improve our marketing?
Here are some ideas that have helped clients and myself get through the
desert:
* Remember this time will pass.
* Network with those you know. Include family, friends, associates--let them
know what you do and that you are looking for business!
* Follow up calls to both present and previous clients. What value can you
provide them at this time?
* Spiff up your business! What needs attention? What's missing? Think about
simplification, organization or new services not yet offered.
* Master your craft. Practice new skills, gain new knowledge, read, take
classes or workshops. Become expert.
* Care for yourself. Exercise and proper diet are staples for optimal
living.
* Meditate. Give yourself space to grow. Picture your growing business.
* Manage your brain. Use positive self talk to remain in a receptive state
of mind. Negative self talk closes down our brain to possibilities.
* Chant your mantra. Affirmations of who you are or who you are becoming
make you stronger and reinforce your positive self talk. Write out three
affirmations of qualities that you want and read them to yourself for ten
repetitions 6x per day. This helps defeat the negative voice within
yourself.
* How about this......take afternoons off to rest and relax.....this might
be the best use of down time.
* Call your coach or mentor or just a good friend. This can create a new
energy or ideas to refresh your business.
All of these strategies work. Its just a matter of choosing the best ideas
or combinations for you.
Remember this time will pass.
Top of Page
Resolving Conflicts At Work
Gerry Schmich
What is it costing you to have unresolved conflict in your life at work? Do
you lose endless hours complaining about others who don't see things your
way? Do the situations you disagree over get settled or do they just lie
there festering, wasting time and energy? Is your productivity going in the
tank? Maybe you have a physical reaction to the conflict...you know pains in
the neck, back or belly?
And who else in the organization is being hurt?
In daily events we can expect opposition from others due to differences in
values, beliefs, understanding, information and many other things too
numerous to mention. Other people do not "see" things the way we do!
In the workplace we constantly deal with conflict through some form of
negotiation. Many times we are not aware that we are negotiating when taking
responsibility to work out the conflict, fix the situation, and move on.
Without taking personal responsibility the conflict takes on a life of its
own with many of the above listed costs.
Herb Cohen author of "You Can Negotiate Anything" tells us that workplace
opposition comes in two forms:
A - Idea opposition
B - Visceral opposition
Idea opposition is based on a conflict in viewpoint of how something should
be done. This opposition is really a good thing in that it gives us creative
energy through new ideas, information, experience and feelings. The result
may be greater than the sum of its parts. In other words the final agreement
gives both sides more than expected.
A more sinister form of opposition is visceral or emotional. This adversary
disagrees both with your point of view and with you as a human being. The
environment created by a visceral opponent is one of high stress, judgments
on both sides; mistrust, accusations, name-calling and scorekeeping. This
negative energy is not where creativity lives!
Because visceral opponents are emotional it is extremely
difficult to win them over. The sharing of facts, ideas, information, and
logic are of little help in negotiating. Hurt feelings and damaged pride
block this individual from reconciling relationships. Once you make a
visceral opponent they stay with you for a long time. Avoid creating a
visceral opponent like you would avoid the flu.
How do you make someone into a visceral opponent? What sets them off? You
do. By not showing respect and demeaning another person you may quickly form
an enemy. If you purposely humiliate someone they suffer a loss of face and
damaged pride. Now emotions take over and color all future interactions
between you and the person you stepped on.
Even though this is the worst kind of conflict to create it is possible to
turn the situation around.
Here is an example of how a visceral opponent can be won over; Chuck was an
executive with a team of 40 managers. His attributes were self-confidence, a
quick mind, high energy, and endless drive. In his pursuit of production and
perfection he was relentless and highly critical of his management team many
times "chewing out" individuals in public. Over time this public humiliation
of many individuals had a telling effect on the morale and performance of
the team. He had created many visceral opponents within the team. There was
much active and passive resistance to his programs and ideas, which was
damaging the organization.
Chuck saw the effects of the problem and decided to bring in a professor of
communications from a local university to further define the problem. The
professor interviewed the managers individually and presented his findings
back to Chuck.
Then Chuck did an unexpected and courageous thing.......he called in all
managers for a meeting and reviewed the findings from the interviews with
the managers. These were not pleasant to read as there were many scathing
comments about Chuck and his management style of publicly humiliating
managers. He bravely kept reading the report which was embarrassing for him
and everyone in the meeting. After two hours of this torture Chuck finished
with a humble apology to all 40 managers! This public display of contrition
followed by his supporting actions over many months eventually won over his
opponents.
I was on the team and witnessed this turnaround which took great courage on
Chuck's part. Chuck was a highly respected, loved, and successful executive
with this company for 18 years until his retirement.
Here are the steps Chuck took to resolve this conflict:
1 - Take personal responsibility for the conflict. No
pointing toward someone else.
2 - Use the ground rule of respect for all individuals in
all business dealings.
3 - Apologize to your opponent. If you have publicly
humiliated someone then publicly apologize to them. This
is important! You will build trust with the individual
and your team by doing this.
4 - Do not seek vengeance against any individual.
All negotiation works within a web of tension arising from competing views
and ideas. Collaborative negotiating cannot work with mistrust,
maliciousness, vindictiveness, intimidation or manipulation present in the
relationship. We must work first to eliminate the visceral conflict within
the organization...then collaborative negotiations can take place. The steps
outlined above, when followed consistently, will turn around hostile
conflict and allow collaborative negotiations to take place with mutual
respect between people.
Finally, Abraham Lincoln once wrote," I shall do nothing in malice. What I
deal with is too vast for malicious dealing."
What do you deal with?
Top of Page
Our Morning Mindset
by Gerry Schmich
So how is your day going? Did you jump out of bed with sunny expectations
for a
great day filled with promise? Were you expecting people that you meet to
greet
you warmly and with interest? Are your work projects progressing smoothly
and
on time?
What affects how we start each day? How can we help ourselves to enjoy and
achieve more each day?
The hotel lobby was empty as I sat down on the cold leather sofa to tie my
running shoes. I looked around for Pat who was my partner for this morning's
workout of walking and running. It was 6am and still dark with a cold wind
blowing through the pines outside the lobby. I knew we would be cold for the
first
10 minutes, and then warming up, we would be lost in a world of talk about
work,
people, projects, money, problems and life itself. Pat was a participant in
an
intensive leadership program given by a local university in Denver and I was
his
coach.
Stepping from the elevator Pat yelled, "OK, coach; help me to see why this
form
of self-abuse is good for me. Its freezing outside, the wind is blowing, I'm
getting
divorced, my kids aren't talking to me, management problems are piling up as
we
speak, this program is draining my time to say nothing of my energy and here
we
are taking a morning stroll."
Every problem he touched on was true.
I laughed and said, "Pat let's talk about what is working well for you this
morning." Walking from the lobby Pat began to tell me about some new ideas
he
had gleaned from yesterdays' session. Several new opportunities came to
light
for him. His excitement was obvious and seemed to grow as we discussed his
ideas. By the time we returned to the hotel his frame of mind was very
positive...even gung-ho. He was ready for the day.
Our Morning Mindset, from the very instant of getting out of bed, sets our
compass for the day.
Wake up and begin thinking about your needs and wants which aren't being met
and very soon you will find yourself wallowing in self-pity and anger. This
can ruin
your morning coffee. And it may last until bedtime. First its just your
thoughts that
bother you and then things like road rage, mistakes, inability to talk to a
real
person on the phone, computer glitches, breakdowns, missed deadlines, yadda,
yadda. Now we're talking about serious stuff!
Our brains are very much like computers where putting garbage in will equal
garbage out. A focus in the morning of our shortcomings, failures or
frustrations
will carry over throughout the day. Take positive action to increase your
daily
chances of success and enjoyment. Here are some ideas that will get your day
off to a good start:
Stand in front of a mirror and speak out loud:
* This the first day of the rest of my life, I will make it count.
* I handle problems and opportunities with ease.
Then write down 3 things that you are grateful for today.
That's it. That's all. As my friend Pat found, that by acknowledging and
appreciating his strengths, skills and good fortune he creates a powerful
Morning
Mindset to start every day. Pat made all of his goals for the leadership
program,
including being promoted to Sr. VP six months later, and he told me that
changing over to a positive focus in the morning was key to his success.
Top of Page
Start Promoting Your Business
By Gerry Schmich
How do you market your business? What grabs people’s attention? What
attracts people to your business? Why do they come back for more? Can you
explain how your business is unique from others offering the same products
or services? Should you focus on marketing and promotion over networking and
one on one contact?
These are just a sample of questions that people starting a new business
might ask themselves. When first starting out we are snowed under with
questions, doubts and fears that we won’t get it right. The questions loom
large when our startup is a one-person business. Our time, energy, ideas and
resources are at a premium. We wonder, ”what comes first?” Good question.
There must be a million answers. In my experience of working with
corporations, small businesses and entrepreneurs there are common themes
that come up time after time and can be used as guidelines for any new
business.
First of all, don’t worry about perfection! It wastes time and energy and
you can’t achieve it anyway. So --
Start from where you are with what you have. Allow tasks to lead your
planning and strategy. This is especially true when clients are banging on
your door for your product or service and you’re not ready yet. Keep your
focus on improving the quality of your product or service. You may not have
business cards, brochures, advertising, logo or signage that goes with an
established business. Move ahead anyway and perform for your clients like a
Fortune 500 company. Later you can look back on what you have learned and
then revise your strategy.
Follow up on referrals. Referrals are among the most powerful of marketing
methods. Chances are when first starting out most of your business will come
to you through referrals. Author C.J.Hayden in her book “Get Clients Now!”
says that the top two most successful ways to get business are 1)Direct
contact and follow-up 2)Networking and referral building. If you are using
Voice Mail or an answering machine, make it simple for the client to respond
to the menu and RETURN the call as soon as possible. Delay today means lost
business. One final thought. Whenever you have a satisfied client ASK them,
“do you know of someone personally or professionally who might benefit from
my services?”
Business cards. People have to know how to contact you. As soon as possible
have business cards printed even if you know there will be changes to them
later. They are a low tech but efficient way for people to contact you with
business in the future. Build your identify by the name of your business and
a very short statement of purpose. Design your card to point out a key
benefit that a client will get from you and they will remember you by.
Build relationships. Smile. Begin with a warm reception and even a little
small talk if it seems appropriate. People want to trust and to take an
active part in decisions. Listen to your client’s needs and wants, reflect
back your understanding, then offer possibilities for the client to
consider. Work with them until they develop comfort with you and your
suggestions. Once the client has decided on your product or service surprise
them by giving more than they expect.
Give your business away. People love FREE! Webmaster Bob Buford, of Estes
Park, CO (www.InterMarkUSA.com) offers this gem for bringing in new accounts
to any business. Giving a small piece of your service or product away will
help convince people of a want or need that can be fulfilled with your
business. If they decide they don’t want your service then time has been
saved for both of you. Simple..... samples sell.
Remove the risk. Marketing guru, Jay Abraham, promotes this idea in his
programs. It is really all about risk reversal. You remove the risk of
satisfaction from your client and place that risk on yourself. It convinces
the client that you will work hard to satisfy their needs. In my business it
is important to me that the client is satisfied with the services I’ve
rendered....... or they are not billed.
Get it right. Keep working on your business to improve it beyond your
wildest dreams. In his book “Selling The Invisible”, author Harry Beckwith
offers this treasure........“Write an ad for your service. If after a week
your best ad is weak, stop working on the ad and start working on your
service.” When you can make an attractive promise through your ad and then
be able to back it with your service, you have hit the mark.
Be thankful. Thank the new client for their business. Thank the person who
referred business to you. Send a card, flowers, box of brownies, or take to
lunch the person who referred business to you. I personally like giving a
finder’s fee for referred business....it is always appropriate, appreciated
and remembered.
These are a just a few ideas that will help you start marketing your
business. In reading each idea ask yourself,” What can be done to improve on
this idea?” Once you find an idea that has merit, then find a way to test it
out. Track all marketing tests to determine which provide the best results
for your business.
Developing your marketing and sales strategy is like taking a hike through
the wilderness. Sometimes the trail is faint and cluttered with obstacles,
twists and turns. Using persistence and imagination you can create your own
pathway to marketing success.
Top of Page
Empower Yourself Through Language
by Gerry Schmich
Stop self limiting language! It tears down your resolve, takes away from your
commitment, keeps you from taking risks and stunts your growth as a person.
You know the language I am talking about--I can't do this because......I'm too young,
I'm too old, too short, too tall, I'm not qualified, (the one I love) I'm overqualified,
I'm stressed out, burned out, fragged out, yada, yada, yada. The rationalizations and
exaggerations run rampant. We tell ourselves all sorts of disempowering things. If only
.........., I should.........., I would have......, I could have........., I am depressed,
I'm beside myself, I'm scared, I'm overwhelmed.
Words are powerful tools and choosing the right word can affect how we see life and the
possibilities around us.
Taking responsibility is the first step in empowering ourselves. Change the if onlys,
shoulda's, coulda's, woulda's to --- I choose to, I will do, I can. Let others know that
these are my decisions, my actions, my results (good and bad). That puts you in the
drivers seat. You are not being controlled by some ill defined set of circumstances or
individuals whom you are trying to please. You are empowered.
Words have emotional power and we need to choose them carefully for maximum positive
effect on ourselves and others around us.
The lesson here is to identify which words hold negative emotional charge for you. Then
substitute a word which is less charged and more empowering. Avoid exaggeration! Don't
make things sound worse than they are as this serves to increase emotional intensity and
lowers rational thought. Some word examples are: insulted vs. misunderstood, destroyed vs.
setback, stressed out vs. busy, painful vs. uncomfortable, dread vs. concerned, failure
vs. discovery, depressed vs. down.
By choosing words with less power and intensity it becomes easier to reframe problems
and situations. A business owner that I was working with had a huge cash flow problem
which caused him to meet payroll by giving out personal checks. I mentioned the word
bankruptcy---he replied," this is a temporary accounts receivable bump in the
road". There was no mass exodus out the door during this period. His business has
grown by a factor of ten in the past six years.
Remember when working with others that how we say something is just as important as
what is said. Panic is not a prerequisite to action. A calm and steady voice soothes,
relaxes and allows us to open our hearts and minds to new possibilities. .
Words are powerful tools. Poorly used they can weaken and harm. Used well they act to
strengthen and empower.
Top of Page
How
To Successfully Overcome Your Stress of Career Change
by Gerry Schmich
So there you are feeling stressed out, overwhelmed,
tired, confused and fried
You are in the midst of a transition from your old familiar work world to
a new world that is still vague and foggy. Not quite sure of where you are
going or how you will get there. To make things worse your self confidence
has been shaken.
Career changes are happening with increasing frequency and exact a price
on the person and their organizations going through them. The changes you
are making may have been thrust upon you by the "powers" that be
or they may be self-inflicted. It doesn't matter who is responsible for
the change---you are the one who must deal with it. Continuous career
changes, normal in the business world today, require people to be flexible
and resilient in order to handle the ambiguity of transition.
Below are five proven strategies that have worked in developing resiliency
to help you minimize the unhealthy and demoralizing effects of transition.
The 5 C's of
Resiliency:
1 - Take as much CONTROL of your situation as you
can. This is especially important if you are being downsized
and have no say in losing your present career. Exercise choice whenever you have the chance ----
own your decisions. Provide yourself with a structured environment both at home and at work. Your self
confidence will strengthen as you realize you are in control.
2 - COMMIT yourself to following a plan of
action to complete the career change. There can be no turning back
regardless of how nauseous and confused you feel. Following through with action will in turn build more committment to your new
direction
3 - View this CHALLENGE as an opportunity. Look
forward to the possibilities that exist --- stretch your imagination of
what you can do and become. Perception is everything and having positive
perceptions of your future stacks the deck in your favor
4 - COLLABORATE with people who give you
selfless support. Maintain connections and network with business
colleagues, and friends. These people are sources of support
and ideas as you move through transition. They also keep you
grounded ---- keep them informed of
your progress as you move toward new goals.
5 - CONDITIONING is really number 1! You will
need all the energy you can summon-- transitioning is hard work. Diet and
exercise is important. Rest is paramount! The goal here is to
generate--conserve--focus your energy in moving through transition to
a new beginning.
For the past fifteen years I have observed, counseled
and coached managers, executives, professionals and others going through
career transition. What I saw in others and myself was that people who were resilient bounced back quickly with zest
to take on the challenges of their career transition. Those who lacked
resiliency were slow to respond to their new situation, lacked spirit or
appeared depressed, and had numerous health related problems.
I know of no shortcut in getting through career
transition. It will take a reserve of guts, energy, willpower, creativity,
perseverance, initiative, the help of others and a hundred other things
not mentioned.
Stack the deck in your favor---be successful---build
resiliency to build reserves. You can do it .
Top
of Page
Manage
Your Anger: Gain Respect and Improve Your Leadership
by
Gerry Schmich
Pounding his fist on the table, everyone stared speechless. "I want to
reach 90% yield on this product by the end of the month!", Don shouted. More silence from the team as his ranting covered items of their
intelligence (lack of), ancestry (questionable), and chances for continued
employment if they didn't meet the goal.
Such was life some time ago when Don was managing a department of technicians. His frequent outbursts were affecting everyone at work and at
home. Work performance suffered when people knew that he couldn't accept setbacks without blowing up. Passive resistance, the equivalent of
managerial hara-kiri, was standard."Just do as he says or give him what he
wants" was the employee mantra. Then there were the "with holds". People holding back critical information for fear of Don's reaction. Suggesting
new ideas or directions to go were risky behaviors for Don's team. The fear
of failure was too great for many of his staff to overcome. Department performance was suffering and I knew it was time to talk with Don. After
witnessing a tirade he had with his department, I called him aside. The monologue was short. "Control your temper or you might never realize your
potential with this company", I said.
Outbursts, rages, tantrums were part of who he was and with all the practice he was becoming real good at these behaviors. He said," I know
that I'm having a bad effect on the team. Can you help me figure out how to
change"? This was just the opening I was hoping for and we sat down to brainstorm what might work for
Don
Over the next two weeks we explored ideas of what might work. Don settled
on a three pronged strategy to substitute calm rational behavior in place of his destructive anger.
Don was an extrovert and loved activity. Pounding tables, waving arms and flapping gums were part of his extroversion. Away from work he played
softball, volleyball and especially tennis. Maybe more activity would work
off the angry energy. He decided to take up jogging. It helped somewhat. Then one day after losing a close game of tennis and tying himself in knots
over the loss........it hit him. Too much competition! At work or at play he never allowed himself any down time from it. He was always geared to
prove himself, be right, be first, win. He decided to eliminate competitive
sports played on a regular basis. Jogging and bicycle riding took up the slack for physical activity giving Don mental space for working out
problems and appreciating his surroundings. This one change was huge!
Work life and home life are intertwined for everyone, Don was no exception.
His temper on the home front was creating relationship problems with his family. He decided to enlist the aid of his wife by asking her to set a
boundary with him that allowed no temper outbursts around her or their children. This opened up the communications between them and gave him
permission to accept her mild chastisement without becoming even more angry. In fact it worked to calm him. After seeing success with this
approach at home he decided to ask an assistant at work, Carole, to let him
know when he began to "lose" it. This didn't work right away. The trust level between Don and Carole wasn't strong and he realized that he had to
keep asking and reassuring her that it was okay for her to "call" him on his behavior.
The last thing that Don used to raise his level of awareness were
affirmations such as ....... I am a calm and controlled person.....or..........I maintain my calm and wisdom in all situations.......repeating them in front of the mirror each
morning and several times throughout the day. He found these also work when preparing for meetings
that he suspected could be a flaming disaster. Author and speaker Shad Helmstetter has made a career from the study of self-talk. He says that
affirmations repeated consistently help to strengthen new behaviors by reprogramming our minds. This certainly helped in Don's case.
Several years later Don no longer has the angry outbursts. In fact he is seen as someone who is calm, wise and measured in response to any
situation. The strategies to manage his behavior are no longer used.......his behavior has changed.
Top of
Page
|
EMAIL