OUR BLOG

I think sometimes people believe that just because you’re a life coach … or a business coach for that matter … you’re possessed of some kind of innate wisdom and insight.

Ha! Would that it were so. While it may be true for some, I had to learn everything through trial and error, often the hard way … and it seems there are times I have to learn the same lesson with a different twist before I “get it.”

Here’s a recent case in point.

I’ve been a full-time business coach and life coach for 18 years now and I get to see some of the biggest mistakes people make in their sales and marketing efforts.

Here’s something that’s been bugging me lately … the common use of two “dirty” words in marketing. I’ve had several clients use them with me recently, which motivated me to go on a bit of a rant here.

Please note, I’m not talking about just avoiding these words in your speaking. The use of these words does nothing less than reveal how you conceive of the sales interaction!

If you’re using them, I’d like to see you engage in a mindset change where you completely transform how you conceive of sales. It’ll greatly enhance the results you produce.

So what do you think the dirty words are?  Take a guess!

What do you do when the situation you’re in as a business owner isn’t working … but you can’t clearly see a way to create something that does work? My former partner, friend, and business coach extraordinaire, Barbara Mencer, published a newsletter last month that got me musing on the subject.

I want to expand on what she said with a real life example I hope will give you the inspiration to move forward in the face of uncertainty.

I’m writing this two days after election day.

You can breathe easy … it’s NOT about the election.

It’s about something else entirely.

Waiting.

The Unexpected Value of Saying No

Do you have an issue with telling a service provider no? … something as simple as, “I’ve thought it over and thanks, but no thanks.” It’s been my experience as a business coach and life coach over the last 20 years that a lot of people do!

Some people’s way of saying no is silence … avoidance. They may have said they’d get back in touch to close the loop, but you never hear from them again.

Does that ever describe you?

For example: You have three contractors come out to bid on building a retaining wall. You decide to go with one of them. Do you call or email or text the other two to tell them you won’t be using their services?

How about if you’re looking for an accountant … or a graphic designer … or a coach?

Do you let them know directly, in an upfront, unequivocal, and timely communication … or do you just kinda let it slide and figure they’ll get the message?

Why do I ask? Because how you “say” no matters … especially when you don’t actually say it.

Here are some of the potential impacts your silence has.

People’s lives have been disrupted and they have concerns around money. Those concerns may keep them from using your services. As a service provider, you want to bend over backwards to help. I understand. AND, part of my job as a business coach and newsletter writer is to keep you from making mistakes.

It’s a trying time to be in business for yourself. This business coach understands that firsthand!

But what you do now … and what you don’t do … will make all the difference in the long term sustainability of your business.

So, what’s the biggest skill you need right now?

As a business coach and life coach, my job is to listen to people. I listen to what they’re saying … and what they’re not saying.

I recently had a conversation I want to bring to your attention, because there’s a message we can glean from it that’s important to your business … especially if you’re looking to bring in new clients and business.

The Jones sisters, BBQ Pitmasters of Kansas City, have to be some of the hardest working folks this business coach has ever seen! I LOVE these ladies.

They start work at 2 am, smoking meat and prepping for the day ahead. They’re on their feet for 12-14 solid hours a day, working hard to maintain rigorous standards of quality, as they uphold the legacy passed down from their father.

And they’ve been doing it for 39 years … since they were little girls just tall enough to stand on a milk crate!

People start lining up at Jones BBQ at 9 am, and the sisters typically sell out of food every single day as lunchtime winds down!

They’re great people with a great little business. So, why would they need a Netflix Queer Eye makeover in the spring of 2019? And, how will what they learned help you in your business?

As a life coach and someone who writes a couple of newsletters a month, I stay open to receiving insights and revelations from every imaginable source … insights and revelations I hope will help guide and inspire.

I came to a revelation recently as the result of pondering the lyrics of the song, On My Way To You.

It’s a romantic song about finding love through it all … all the ups and downs … the pain and suffering … the wrong turns … the “mistakes.” But the message relates to life itself … your life … my life.