Your competition can be very predictable. They will probably do what they’ve always done. Very few people are really creative enough to break through the clutter and get a prospect’s attention at little or no cost. Remember that nobody notices normal, so sometimes you have to break the rules to get through to that prospect and build a relationship with them.
If you have face to face contact and run a small to mid-sized business, then this is a great idea for reaching out to your prospect list. On a hot afternoon, load up a cooler full of ice-cream bars, popsicles, or cold drinks and go customer to customer serving everybody a treat on a hot afternoon. I doubt anyone has done it for them in the past and it’s unlikely anyone other than you will do it again in the future. It’s a great opportunity to hand someone something free and refreshing to remind them that you truly want their business.
Most people are looking for something different. They don’t know what they want, but they’ll know it when they see it. Make sure they see you!
To do:
Get your group together and brainstorm some things you could do, such as the popsicle and ice-cream idea. There are many opportunities with holidays and special events. Be creative and reach out to prospects. Don’t just wait for them to come to you.
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“You never get a second chance to make a good first impression,” goes the old saying. When someone asks who you are and what you do, how do you respond? You need to know your elevator speech in sixty seconds or less to be able to tell them who you are, what you sell or what you serve, and why a customer should do business with you. You may get one chance to make that good first impression.
A business owner was interested in changing his local zoning laws. When he met a member of the event delegation, they got on the elevator together to go up to the conference room. The legislator pushed the button for the 18th floor, and when the elevator door closed, he turned around and said, “What do you want from me and what can you do for me? Tell me in 60 seconds or less.” Amazingly, this business owner was prepared. He had a well-defined answer and by the time the elevator stopped on the 18th floor, the legislator was ready to help him, and also to get the benefit of having the business owner as a promoter for the upcoming reelection campaign.
Can you tell people in 60 seconds or less why they should buy from you?
When someone slams the door, do not put your food in it. Stick your head in it so you can keep talking.
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Coaching is remarkably effective as a range of learning activities and training processes, when an individual has potential that can be best developed through a focused relationship with a more experienced and senior colleague.
The manager often works directly with the learner in coaching sessions, and offers the opportunity to try things out and supports the learner in finding areas for further improvement. Coaching may also effectively involve bringing in other people with relevant skills and experience to run specific sessions, with the manager coordinating the overall coaching strategy.
Coaching can be part of mentoring, but different training techniques are involved. Mentoring has to do with longer-term development or progress within an organization. Coaching is more effective for passing on specific tasks or skills that can be measured and mastered.
Making It Happen:
1. Plan the approach
Conduct a preliminary meeting with the learner to establish ground rules.
- Identify, agree on and prioritize the learning needs to be addressed by the coaching sessions.
- Agree on and set learning objectives – clearly state what the learner should achieve (for e.g. “By X date you will be able to explain / demonstrate how to do YZ.”)
- Agree on success criteria, or task objectives
- Review the options and make a detailed plan – this is where the coach prepares to demonstrate, explain and review a task or skill.
2. Identify the learner’s preferred learning style
Everyone learns differently.
For effective coaching, it is crucial to understand what these might be for the learner.
Explore and test a mixture of methods, including watching, listening, reading, thinking, observing, trying things out, reflecting, to identify the approach that yields the biggest payback, or the combination that seems most suitable.
3. Identify the opportunities for coaching
The learner should try out skills in an actual task.
You need to plan the occasion and place to conduct. From the identified list of priorities, agree a time for the first session.
4. Cary out the coaching session
Bearing in mind of the learner’s preferred learning styles:
- Watch for signs (E.g. body language or revealing qns) that the learner has missed something.
- Give clear and easy-to-follow demonstration while explaining to the learner the detail of what is happening and why.
- Summarize and review at appropriate intervals to help the learner grasp the key points
- Actively encourage the learner in good performance
5. Provide feedback
Feedback is critical for the learner to get the most from the experience. Be sensitive yet honest and constructive.
6. Plan interim learning activities
Plan development activities for the learner to undertake between coaching sessions.
Avoid spoonfeeding, but encourage the learner to stay motivated and independently identify opportunities to practice newly acquired skills. Agree on improvement targets for the practice sessions.
7. Close the session
Discuss & review:
- How well the learner handled the learning process
- The learner’s success against the agreed criteria and standards
More Help
- Think about who has coached you in the past and how effective it was – if it worked for you, it can work for others.
- Whom can you think of in your team at work who would benefit from coaching?
- Which tasks and skills would you be best at coaching?
- Who else has skills that others would benefit from developing?
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