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February, 2011:

Realize Your Talents = Attract Clients Easily

Feb 24th, 2011
by mcmolitor.
1 comment

What is your truth?

The gift you bring to the world?

The thing that is uniquely you, so much so you take it for granted?

I was recently asked this question by my coach to help me further refine my goals for my business coaching and consulting practice.  Your truth, i.e. your gifts and talents, are a powerful stake in the ground to use as a guide as you grow and expand your work and your business.

Think of it as your inner compass, guiding you as you go along. As you come up against difficult decision points along that path, you can ask yourself does this decision honor my truth and my gifts?  You’ll find that it can be a powerful tool to keep you on track.

And, as you honor this truth and further refine your talents and expertise, you’ll find that you will much more easily attract clients to work with you.

You see, when you operate more fully from your truth – this internal compass of what you know, you’re work will be more satisfying, more effortless and you’ll attract the clients who need your unique brand of talents and expertise. This happens because as you realize your talents, own them and embody them, your energy levels are higher.

You’ll be happier because your operating from your natural well of creativity and inspiration – which is very attractive to others. A happy person is a natural attractor of other good things, people and opportunities…

Question to Ponder:

What is one thing you can do this week to more fully utilize your gifts and talents in service of your clients?

To Your Success~

Michele

Consistency is Key

Feb 15th, 2011
by mcmolitor.
No comments yet

My Guest writer this week is Chip Doyle with Sandler Training. Chip is a great sales trainer who I worked with when I first started my coaching business almost 10 years ago. I’ve found the information I learned from him to be extremely powerful and easy to use even now (especially when I use it consistently…), so I’m delighted to share some of his wisdom here with you!
Most people think that good sales technique is based on one’s ability to adapt their product offering to the wants and needs of their prospect. That is not correct. The job of the salesperson is to identify prospects that have problems that our existing product or service consistently fixes. In today’s information society where prospects have the ability to research and compare, it is no longer possible to adapt our offering without the prospect seeing the re-positioning tactic.

Yes, some companies thrive on their ability to create new products or services that prospects will buy, but that responsibility falls on the shoulders of the Product Development department. Have you ever seen a salesperson repeatedly return from sales calls and ask their manager for a different color, a “stripped down” version or a sample with a new capability your company has never offered? And they want this to sell to just one single prospect? It’s a common issue I see with salespeople. I emphatically agree that Product Development should work with the sales team – I just don’t think that Product Development should be the sales team.

“There must be consistency in direction” - W. Edwards Deming

Lack of consistency is a major culprit in sales and sales management:

- Seller/doer consultants that fail to consistently market causing huge swings in their revenue and production

- Salespeople that refuse to let go of the unlikely prospect rather than consistently prospecting for new

- Salespeople that lack a consistent structure to manage a sales call

- Organizations that have an inconsistent 30 second or elevator pitch

- Sales managers that unpredictably alter their expectations and goals for their salespeople frequently

- Hiring managers select salespeople on gut feel instead of a systematic vetting process

The McDonald’s recipe for success is consistency. It may be a tired analogy but consistency is one key to success in sales for any business.

Good Selling,
Chip Doyle
Copyright 2011 Sandler Training Inc. All rights reserved

You can learn more from Chip here: http://www.chipdoyle.sandler.com

I agree with Chip – consistency of sales and marketing efforts is one of the biggest challenges I see with the entrepreneurs that I’ve worked with over the years. The more systematic you can be with these activities, the more success you will find.

To your Success~

Michele

Working with Educators~

Feb 2nd, 2011
by mcmolitor.
1 comment

Over the last 7+ years, I’ve had the pleasure to work with a fantastic team at RT Fisher Educational Enterprises. Part of my work with them over the last year has been to help launch The Educators’ Institute – a full service professional development training center in downtown Oakland, CA.  Because of my work with The Educators’ Institute, I was recently asked about my work with Educators and how that ties in with my work as a coach so I thought I’d share it here with you.

What is the real passion for you in your work?

Simply put, To help turn on light bulbs. To help individuals find their own brilliance and radiance and bring it out into their community in ways that fulfill their purpose by helping others in their own unique way.

What difference or impact in your community are you wanting to create?

To help folks lead fulfilling lives. To assist others in creating businesses and careers that tap into their genius and passion in ways that expand their life, enrich their communities and create more joy and prosperity in many forms.

What drives you to continue to do this work against all the difficulties educators are faced with daily?

In my work with educators, I see the challenges and struggles they go through with what seems like an uphill battle in a system that doesn’t support our children and teachers as well as it could or should. I know that within each of us there is hope, possibility and the desire to be of contribution. To be seen, heard, and respected for the gifts we each bring.

My desire is to re-ignite that flame, the flame that burns deep within each of us to be of contribution in meaningful ways. To have every teacher tap into this flame and get re-connected, rejuvenated and re-inspired to cultivate their brilliance further, creating a positive and powerful impact one child at a time.

How did you get started in this work?

I’ve been a coach for the last 10 years.  In discovering coaching after leaving the dot com world, I also uncovered a passion for learning, teaching and facilitating. I’ve worked with RT Fisher Educational Enterprises over the last 7 years which connected me with educators in a variety of ways; coaching, facilitating, and collaborating to create a master level tutoring curriculum. I’ve also had the pleasure of working with educators in low-income middle schools from around the state of California for 5 years now, helping to create a College Going Culture with the team at California Gear Up.

What’s your specific focus or expertise?

Through my work as a business coach and consultant, I focus on working with leaders and their teams to help them work more from their strengths, enhance communication skills, and improve productivity for greater results that have a positive impact throughout their communities. This applies to all sorts of leaders from the classroom to the boardroom.

What is a nugget of wisdom that you’d like to share with our readers?

Always believe in yourself. Stay open to learning something new in each day. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you so you can learn from their mistakes. Contribute your gifts and talents as best you can in each moment.

My work with RT Fisher and CA GEAR UP has been very rewarding over the years! I highly recommend that you have a look at the terrific services and programs they have to offer.

Be sure to check out The Educators’ Institute as well – they have over 25 courses for both educational professionals and business professionals to help you amp up your game!

To Your Success~

Michele