Coaching to Success

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Confidence

In these times of uncertainty, let confidence be your guide.

Confidence can be portrayed in many ways but not all are necessarily depicting how the person really feels.Most people that know me assume I’m confident in every aspect that they see me in, but this is not always the case. The first few workshops or presentations were not always done with the confidence that others saw or that are run with now.

Let us look at areas, such as this, that show the triggers switches we need to help develop that level of confidence we wish to achieve.

  1. Right over Wrong: Confident people will take a stance on what they believe is correct, however, unlike cocky individuals, they will also listen to others points of views/ideas. It is not a case of simply agreeing to another’s viewpoint but when evidence to the contrary is put forward, they will concede graciously. Others will categorially disregard opinions for fear of losing face.
  2. Two ears, One mouth: Confident people know what they know and do not feel compelled to announce to all and sundry. In coaching, we use the term 2 ears and 1 mouth to initiate others to talk at least twice as much as we do. This way, you learn more without feeling compelled to brag and looking for a blanket of security. Knowledge comes from speaking to those who have the answers without preconception that you know best already!
  3. Help!: Throughout my career, it has been believed that asking for help is a sign of weakness but this could not be further from the truth. Confident people are secure in their own knowledge and unafraid to ask for help when it comes to areas they feel weak in. This request for help quantifies you are not afraid to show you need assistance and you respect them for the knowledge and expertise you seek to acquire.
  4. Oops! That’s mine: “honest Gov, it was their fault!” owning the mistake actually lifts levels of sincerity and honesty in the eyes of others. As well as the confession, confident people will use their errors as a beacon for others to avoid and if the jokes on them, then they will smile and joke along with the rest.
  5. Seeking approval: How many contacts do you have on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn or any other Social Media channel? The more the better, yes? Nah! Quality over quantity is always the winner and earning that respect or trust from a few important people is always better than seeking approval from thousands of people you don’t know. Confidence is about standing out from the crowd and not bowing to peer pressure.

Confidence is about self-worth and belief. We are inundated with adverts on how we should look, what perfumes/cologne or clothing brands we should buy to make us appear more attractive. In reality, confidence comes from respect and trust of others in you and, more importantly, a self-belief in yourself and your abilities.

Remember, never assume that what you know or do at work is less than another. Believe it or not, there are others who look in awe at what you do!

This is but a beginning, the start of building your levels of confidence but should you be looking for help in developing confidence through these and other tools, contact Neil for an informal chat to see how we can help you on 07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk where you’ll be assured a warm welcome to discuss how we can help.

You’ll get a better understanding of Neil too by watching our interview video at https://youtu.be/RvCwOL4hPc.

 

 

Managing frustrations at work…

Whether it be budget cuts, additional workload, staff cuts or a myriad of other concerns we are subjected to at work, emotions can be stretched and even the most placid of people can lose the plot occasionally.

Unlike positive emotions that throw out the feel good endorphins, frustration hits the core and can bring us down if we do not manage it. There are methods to help you relax, like with the ace cbd oil which is focus on natural compounds, it impacts the body positively to the mind and not only physical pain, it promotes relaxation and takes away the anxiety.

Coaching always looks for the positive in any situation and helps clients find them. That said, here we look to some of the techniques to help turn those negativities 180 degrees and find a more productive way forward of thinking.

To begin, what are the main negative emotions that hit us?

  • Anger
  • Frustration
  • Worry

ANGER is one of the most destructive of our negative emotions and ultimate takes our own self-control away. In work, this can make you appear most unprofessional and does not put us in the best light especially if redundancies or promotion raises its head.

  • When it begins to rise – Cease what you are doing and breathe. Yes, it’s as simple as that. In my martial arts and yoga, it’s a great de-stressing tool as you breathe in for 4-5 seconds and out to the same count. Concentrate on this to over-ride the negative emotion.
  • Know the signs – we are aware of our own trigger signs that cause us to be angry. Understand them, recognise them and then know when they appear. From here, you then have a choice on whether you control it or let it take control.
  • View from the outside – an NLP trick is to transport yourself out of your own body and look at your behaviour from an external point of view which gives you a better perspective. Next time the anger starts to rise, step back and imagine how you will inevitably behave as if watching yourself from a short distance away. Change this picture by taking control.

FRUSTRATION occurs all too often when we feel trapped or blocked from moving forward. Before allowing the negative impact to hit you, consider the following:

  • Look back – Reflect back on another time where you felt frustrated and consider how it was resolved. Frequently they never end up as bad as anticipated so take that on board in the next situation.
  • Stop and assess – Usually we plough straight into a situation and reap the negative fallout. Before you do this, use the previous NLP technique and mentally step away. Then seek the positive elements of the given situation, look hard as there will be some.

WORRY can hit us from many directions. Whether it be staff reductions or loss of a contract, worry affects our mental wellbeing. It can stop us from taking those risks we would normally take and certainly impact our productivity levels. That’s the visual aspects and doesn’t even start to look at how mentally it affects us with stress.

  • Focus on improvement – whatever the worst situation befalls you, the sad news is it will happen regardless so no good will come from dwelling on it. Nearly 10yr ago I got cancer. It was bad and nearly beat me but here I am more motivated and positive and refuse to let it worry me that it may (or may not) return, if it does, then so be it. Rather than concentrating on the negative, look at how you can improve your situation even if it does mean taking risks.
  • Schedule your worries to another time – Seema a weird thing to say but in time-management, we learn to schedule tasks in so why not look at whatever ails you and book a future time to deal with it. Although it won’t go away, it means you don’t have to worry about it now as you give yourself permission to deal with it later.
  • Remove yourself from the fallout – By this I mean if there is bad news circulating around the office, avoid the gossipmongers as all they will do is fuel the fire of despair. Seek those who are more positive even in a crisis and feed off the positive vibes

Whichever way you look at it, it is a mindset and one that is difficult to change if you are already in the middle of a situation. Nonetheless, it is not unsurmountable and taking small steps can help you move in a more positive frame of mind.

Others may influence you but ultimately the choice, yes there is a choice, is yours to make and own. The difficulty is having the ability to see it or finding the support to see you through it.

At Coaching to Success, we offer individuals who are struggling to find the positive path and businesses dealing with bad news to help overcome the negative and move towards the positive light.

If this is something that you would like to discuss further, please contact Neil on 07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk where you’ll be assured a warm welcome to discuss how we can help. You’ll get a better understanding of Neil too by watching our interview video at https://youtu.be/RvCwOL4hPc

 Let’s take elevator speeches up a few levels!

It’s suggested that the origins of the elevator speech came from Hollywood when people would bombard producers with scripts but needed to convince them to not only read them but to set up a meeting. It is also reported as an urban myth but, nonetheless, the sentiment is valid.

Having only seconds to ‘reel’ them in (OK, bad filming pun) the message had to be concise but also exciting to draw the producer’s attention.

To this day, nothing has changed but with the increased pressure of all the social media channels, TV, visual and audio that we are continually subjected to, the barriers against success keep rising.

Here are my tips on how to create a powerful pitch that cuts through the waffle and points you in the right direction of grabbing your particular Target’s attention.

What’s the objective? First and foremost, know what you are looking to achieve. Is it to inform, ie about your organisation’s technical prowess, a new product you have developed, to set up a meeting?

What’s your solution? Inform them what it is that you do. Portray it as a solution and not simply a fact. Eg “I’m a business coach and help companies to move forward” is weak and too generalised. “I’m a gap analysis – by discovering where you are and where you want to be. We analyse and close the gaps through coaching” helps the person relate to how I may be able to help them. What problems does the person you are with have? How will your business/service address this?

What’s your USP? For those who have heard of this but unsure what it is, USP = Unique Selling Proposition. A great example: “M&Ms. The milk chocolate melts in your mouth, not in your hand” states a USP and is also memorable. Either yours or your businesses’ USP should make you stand out from your rivals focusing your target’s attention without being too ‘technical’. Show benefit and be memorable.

Ask, don’t tell! All too often we are so excited about our service that we absorb in ‘tell’ and forget to ‘ask’. So engage with open ended questions starting with the W’s (What.. Where.. Why..) and throw in some How’s for good measure. Eg. “How does your organisation handle the continued development of the existing workforce?” which in turn reflects on your specialist area, coaching and training as in my case here.

If you do ask a closed question, know you do it with a follow up ‘open’ question. Eg. To continue my above example, “Unlike others who simply level out, does your organisation look for staff to continually develop?”. In this case, the question is somewhat loaded but you’re looking for the right answer to then ask the open question straight away.

Wrap it up. Prepare your presentation chronologically, as with the above, and should ideally be between 30-60 secs long maximum. Any more and it then comes across as a pitch, any less and their interest will not be captured. It has to be compelling yet swift.

The three R’s. Quite simply, rehearse, Rehearse and REHEARSE. If you have more than one elevator speech, and we highly recommended this as you never who you may encounter, insure you rehearse these too.

This is not necessarily the easiest thing to get right but with more practice, it becomes easier and Coaching to Success are here to help you achieve the desired results and the motivation to see it through.

For further information, call the elevator to our floor, contact Neil on 07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk where you’ll be assured a warm welcome to discuss how we can help. You’ll get a better understanding of Neil too by watching our interview video at https://youtu.be/RvCwOL4hPco

Pleased to Present a Perfect Presentation

From Pink Floyd’s song, Learning to Fly, a chorus line has “Tongue tied and twisted…” which got me thinking about how we can become when doing presentations. Especially in front of those we are not familiar with. With that in mind, this week’s feature will help you look at the different aspects of managing the ideal presentation.

Often presentations are in front of decision makers. Whether these be executives that take your information on to the rest of their teams or a buyer that you are looking to convince that your product is better than someone else’s. I have made some horrendous mistakes from juggling change in my trouser pockets (I’ll leave that image to form!) to arriving late and having equipment that didn’t work as expected. Learning from those mistakes led me to offering this feature to help or remind you of those pitfalls we need to overcome to ace your next presentation.

  • Be succinct – In today’s climate, brevity is the ‘key’ and timing the ‘oil’ to make things run smooth. Refrain from turning up late, or on time if there is equipment like projectors to connect with as “Why won’t this connect” will not sit well with your audience (been there! Not a good place as panic can start to set in).

Introductions are a common place part of the presentation but make sure it is relevant to what you are discussing and not a biography of your working career.

Get to the main point of the presentation within 1 minute. Any more and the person or group you are presenting to will start to have questions raising in their heads and quite quickly, the whole presentation is derailed.

  • Solutions not problems – “The market is down in this area”, “Couriers seem unreliable these days”, “There seems to be too many regulations”, “We need more staff” are problems to overcome but the person(s) you are in front of are not necessarily concerned about those, they are looking forward not back. This can potentially be someone else’s problem to deal with, they are focused on the future.

They are looking to defeat competitors, set long term goals and actions so sell solutions or better still, sell the problems that they will encounter and how YOU or your product, will help them. Promote to their emotional attachment and not the data.

  • Sell the vision – There are numerous sayings around ‘facts tell, stories sell’ and although best not to use this in a presentation, consider the fact that what people buy is solutions to THEIR problems, not (well, not initially) the product.

If you sell the product, then the first conscious thought is “what are the features” followed quickly by “how much” and then “we’ll get back to you” enabling them to take the ‘data’ and find alternative prices/sources.

The attention should be centred on how you can help them achieve their immediate situation or better still, their three, five or ten year plan.

Promote the successes you have experienced. People have seen technology, full of high specs with an armoury of facts and figures fail. They, like you, will also have seen success grow exponentially like the game ‘Candy Crush’ that grew without any high specification. People trust their guts over any data, use stories of how you have helped others (Customers and even competitors!) and how they benefited from your services.

Continually ask “Would this prove beneficial to you” and once the nodding of agreement commences, only then should you start on features and then price. This will be less important as long as you are not way too expensive or, come to that, cheap.

  • Drop any fear – In coaching, we often ask ”what’s the worst that could happen?” meaning, in this instance, that you may not win the contract etc. Yes, this may cause problems to finances but never fear the people you are addressing.

Executives or people in power often appear to enjoy deflating the motivation of even those who are there to help them out. It is a power thing, great, let them feel all powerful but you have the tool(s) to actually alleviate the fears that THEY currently have.

This may seem ludicrous on initial appearance but people with responsibilities have the power to make wise decisions but equally costly mistakes that may well affect their career objectives. Don’t fear them but assess what their fears may be and promote the solution.

  • R and RRR – At coaching to success, we believe the R’s are the answer. Firstly, Research. Know what you are promoting and what the BENEFITS are to your audience, not the data. Therefore research into what ails them, what keeps them awake at nights. The three R’s are the key to presentation… rehearse, Rehearse and REHEARSE. Make the presentation fluid and seamless as possible. This conveys confidence and people buy into confidence.

Coaching to success look to positive outcomes and help clients to impart clear, interesting and beneficial presentations. The above will help you start but should you be looking to make that killer delivery then contact Neil on 07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk where you’ll be assured a warm welcome to discuss how we can help. You’ll get a better understanding of Neil too by watching our interview video at https://youtu.be/RvCwOL4hPco

Change doesn’t need to be so daunting…

Sometimes it is hard to admit we were wrong when something we have worked hard to create later is not working as well as it should.

Maybe that what we had achieved was not appropriate for the audience we were aiming at or, such as computers no longer fit for purpose. Circumstances in house or the market may have headed down a different path. Whatever the reason, this is where change comes into its own.

I have recently looked at my very wordy web site and although a lot of work went into creating the message initially, I realised that today’s market demands quick gratification and immediate response. With this in mind, I am now working to ‘Change’ the existing layout.

Change Management is not an easy subject to broach as we are often emotionally attached to a situation, circumstance or, for example my web site, something we have poured a lot of energy into.

Thoughts of failure may arise. This can be associated with levels of confidence, or the reluctance to let go. But holding onto something, is not always the wisest thing to do.

There are generally 5 stages to work through to insure a more efficient streamlined and timely change-over. Consider the following when implementing change. Remember, these same areas apply to you as well, even if you are the only person dealing with change:

THE INTRODUCTION

  • Consider the shock this will have on those affected. What will change mean to their otherwise normal behaviour emotionally or to their work pattern?
  • Deliberate the feeling of coping. Will those involved feel capable of managing the situation?
  • Help! What information needs to be given and at what stage(s)? How can you include those who will be affected and insure they have a sense of input? Two-way communication is the key

WHO & HOW WILL IT AFFECT PEOPLE

  • Who will be affected and how do you keep them abreast of the situation insuring they know it will have an impact on them
  • Make the time-frame very clear with no room for ambiguity
  • Clarity that this is not a whimsical adventure that will be soon brushed under the carpet. This will happen and business will change

RESISTANCE

  • Even when the old computer system rarely functions well, we still have familiarity with all the quirky habits. This same sense of attachment applies to whatever needs to be changed. Become aware of how powerful this emotion is.
  • Avoidance (It won’t affect me!) – Excuses as to why it won’t work and continuation on how the old way of doing things did will occur. Frequently check steps towards the end result are made while promoting the positive actions
  • Anxiety could step in here. Be conscious of peoples’ concerns and regularly converse (not electronically) to relay/receive vital information to help the transition
  • Questions of motives and reasons will arise. Reinforce the new positives over the old ways whilst re-stating benefits of the changes

ACCEPTANCE

  • Treat confusion and elements of chaos during the early stages as small hurdles to obtain the bigger rewards
  • Encourage exploration to support change in new ways as positive ideas otherwise not considered in the first place. Gives a sense of involvement, participation in the greater scheme
  • Look for the beginnings of enthusiasm and use these as the fuel to ignite other areas as yet to find the benefits. In larger organisations, use those who embrace change to be the stewards of positive

COMMITMENT

  • Once the positive ways can be seen, fuel any visible increase in energy towards the new way or system
  • Fully support and encourage motivated people to share and help one another
  • Publish or share the positive affirmations
  • Encourage conversations but re-iterate you are looking for reasons for this to work, not excuses why it isn’

This is but a simplistic overview on what to expect when change is to be made. Change is not easy but it need not be painful or too onerous either. Planning, communicating, positive affirmations and finding support are key to the success

Coaching to Success specialise in Change-management so no matter how big or how small the next change you are looking to undergo, contact Neil on 07761 187238 or email neil@coachingtosuccess.co.uk where you’ll be assured a warm welcome to discuss how we can help. You’ll get a better understanding of Neil too by watching our interview video at https://youtu.be/RvCwOL4hPco.