Just before Christmas 2010 I took part in a webinar held by Eric Dombach, as did some of my clients. During this webinar I was reminded of the Vision Book, its format and its purpose. I downloaded the sample vision book and set myself a goal of completing this after the break. My wife and I had a Christmas that worse than we could imagine. The stress of all this laid heavy on us both, particularly my wife. The eruption of this stress resulted in my wife walking out of the family home, seeing no way out of the hole she perceived we were in. The home, our relationship, and family rifts were just overwhelming her and she could see no enjoyment and happiness in her life at that point or in the future. I must admit I also questioned the life pathway we were journeying.
I decided to turn to the Vision Book, my gratitude and my faith. I started working one evening on OUR Vision Book. Once completed I invited my wife to sit down and go through it. Reluctantly, but thankfully, she agreed. The words and more importantly the visuals of our vision, what we had, what potential we had in front of us, the actions we would take – all of this together, was incredible. We spent six hours chatting about the book. Our purpose, our life, our gratitude and our faith in our relationship was clearly illustrated and reinforced by the Vision Book. The Vision Book re-inspired our relationship and set forward a clarity that had been missing for many years. The actions we have now taken have strengthened our marriage, introduced enjoyment from our home and improved our daily lives. My wife hadn’t spoken to her sister for over two years. One of our actions, in the book, was to visit this estranged sister. It started with a telephone call by my wife. We have now visited her sister and the day after this her husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor. My wife is now supporting her sister and niece through this process and the love between them is amazing to see. None of this would have been possible without the vision and subsequent action!
Completing the Vision Book enabled me to see the importance of our relationship, of following through actions which are clear and have a purpose, and to inspire passion and vision for the future, together. We review our book weekly and ensure that we take maximum benefit from its contents.
In light of the current election season here in the US, here’s a great question for the best and brightest business coaching minds on the planet. A bit of business coach training courtesy of U.S. politics…
If you were President Obama’s personal business coach, charged with helping Mr. Obama and his economic team implement the most critical Silver Bullets to improve the U.S. economy, which three of the 21 Silver Bullets would you choose? (Haven’t heard of the 21 Silver Bullets? Download the Silver Bullet cheat sheet here. No opt-in required.)
To stimulate your thinking, consider this short list of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) on the U.S. economy…
1. The U.S. is running at a net loss. It’s being projected that the U.S. government will have a budget deficit of approximately $1.6 Trillion in 2010.
2. The U.S. is borrowing like crazy to stay afloat. Total U.S. government debt is now up to 90% of Gross Domestic Product.
3. The unproductive segment of the U.S. workforce is massive. Government estimates of unemployment are at 9.6% according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
4. The most productive U.S. workers are funding the government. Nearly 50% of the United States’ population pays no income tax. It was 30% in the mid-80’s and 40% by the year 2000.
One of the most challenging tasks for any business coach is to help new clients choose the right Silver Bullets straight out of the gate. Failure to deliver results quickly means that you’ll lose the client. Choose the right Silver Bullets and your coaching engagement can last for years!
In my undergraduate and graduate studies, I focused on engineering, organizational leadership, and business administration. I have little formal training in economics, government, monetary policy, and the like. That said, I think some basic business common sense could go a long way in forming public processes and policies that produce positive outcomes.
Here’s my pick for the top three Silver Bullets I’d recommend to President Obama and his economic advisors…
1. Break Even Plan: “a plan to cut costs just enough to stop bleeding while also driving sales to cover your salary and a minimum number of expenses while you start paying back debt.”
The first thing I do with any new business coaching client is a set of quick calculations to identify the break-even point based on revenue, gross profit, and units sold. Then I choose a handful of strategies to SIMULTANEOUSLY drive revenue while cutting costs as fast as possible. Obama and his team need a credible plan to bring the budget into balance immediately: this should be priority #1 for the administration (just as it is for any company or organization in the private sector).
2. Sales Management System: “a system for developing a high-performance sales force by scripting their approach, coordinating their activity with the right Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software solution, measuring their activity, and tying their results to a paycheck.”
One of the classic (and far-too-common!) mistakes of business owners and executives is to DIS-incetivize the revenue producers with austere compensation packages while rewarding non-revenue producers with compensation packages that encourage non-productivity. I n the United States, the revenue producers for the government are those of us who pay taxes on our earnings. O ne idea that has been suggested to incentivize U.S. businesses and entrepreneurs to even higher levels of productivity, thereby contributing even more “revenue” to the government through taxation, is to convert to a flat tax so that business owners stop losing more than HALF their income to federal, state, and local taxes and can reinvest their retained earnings, stimulating faster growth and job creation. Additional strategies include reducing regulatory burdens such as cap and trade, health care overaul, and more.
3. Lean Manufacturing Program: “a process that originated in Japanese auto assembly plants, but that works for any business by rallying your team around a commitment to eliminate wasted time, movement, and materials. This allows you to dramatically improve efficiency and cut production costs so that you can compete more effectively.”
A few ideas that have been suggested to eliminate waste in the U.S. government machine include the privatization of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, less intervention in failing companies so that the private sector and basic forces of capitalism can do their work, and the dramatic elimination or consolidation of wasteful government agencies.
So, those are my three Silver Bullets of choice. What are yours? And why?
Contrary perspectives expected and invited.
And to our readers who are not based in the U.S., please feel free to enter into this discussion with vigor; we welcome your candid commentary as third-party observers of our situation!
I signed a couple new clients and it wouldn’t have happened without you! My total new client bookings for this week are $5,200! What made the difference? I got off my ass and learned your business coach marketing and selling system. I put together your sales binder slides, studied it, used your Silver Bullets. I used your script for handling objections and all the Silver Bullets on a card. I learned the title of the Silver Bullets and the elevator pitch so that I could explain them on the fly and have them on the tip of my tongue. This has made a huge difference and I now feel comfortable using your system. Thanks!
I want to let you know about an opportunity for the right business coach in the Midlands, England area to fast-track their success and earn between £100k – £150k per annum.
For almost 2 years now, Rudi & Fiona Jansen, of Kando Business Coaching in England, have been developing their business coaching model in partnership with Coaches’ Coach.
An inside look at their progress…
Just 24 months ago, having become a little disappointed with their earning potential as professional business coaches, they joined Coaches Coach as premium members. At the time, they were generating just £3,500 per month in sales.
Now, a mere 2 years later, their business has grown dramatically and they’re building a firm of coaches, with 3 coaches on the team so far and no end to the growth in site. They are now seeking more great coaches to join their team.
If you’re an overachiever with a high competitive drive, have a “Kan-Do” attitude, are full of self-confidence, and at the same time a good sense of humour, this may be just the business coaching model you’ve been looking for.
The process – a small investment is required to fund the one-on-one training and fast-track process you’ll receive from Rudi and his team. During that process, both leads and converted client accounts will be provided for you and you’ll also receive extensive training on how to convert leads into paying clients. After the fast-track process, you’ll continue to receive ongoing one-on-one training on how to acquire, coach, and retain your clients.
During the application process, you’ll be required to complete a sophisticated psychometric profile to benchmark yourself against the profiles of some of the best business coaches on the planet. As Rudi and his team are committed to ensuring that only the best are allowed on to their team, this psychometric profile is a requirement.
Interested in fast-tracking your business coaching career with Kando Business Coaching? Have a look at their website www.kandobusinesscoaching.com and get in touch with them.
I thought I’d take a minute and share with you a great new resource I’ve just learned about.
A good friend of mine and former business coaching franchise owner, Dr. Richard Norris, has just written a book entitled Hoof It! 7 Lessons on Your Journey of Success — and it’s available starting today.
Richard has been a competitive athlete, veterinarian, army officer, and award-winning business coaching franchise owner. He knows a thing or two about success and personal development. What’s more, he knows how to teach these principles in fun, unique, and entertaining ways.
Hoof It! is no different.
Not just another dry “how-to” manual, Hoof It! takes you on an engaging journey with an orphaned Wildebeest calf named Vic who is mentored by an old bull on the annual migration on Tanzania’s Serengeti. Along the way, Vic learns 7 key lessons about success.
At the same time, Richard has included several simple exercises at the end of each chapter so that by the end of the book you’ll have a complete action plan on your own Journey of Success.
Anyway, don’t just take my word for it: check out his website and read more about it.
One of the main reasons I want you to see this is because this is EXACTLY the kind of thing that business coaches like you and I can do to generate buzz and provide great value for prospects and clients alike. So take a look and enjoy!
