When it comes to coaching in the professional world, many people talk about the benefits and importance of executive coaching and 1:1 sessions.
However, one form of coaching is often overlooked despite its touted benefits: team coaching. Similar to executive coaching, this form of coaching helps individuals hone their skills and prepare for their careers. It’s simply done in a team setting.
Team coaching will typically involve one coach working with a group of managers or leaders from the same organization, usually one that has a team-oriented workplace. These sessions are focused on results, and that’s exactly what participants who work with Alison Todd walk away with.
Helping Teams Reach Goals
Team coaching will have a heavy focus on helping the group reach certain goals. To do this, a coach like Allison will encourage engagement and sharing among the team so they can come together around their common purpose and vision. Each person in the team will have a chance to define and have their role in the team recognized, so each person’s responsibilities and expectations for future work are clearly understood.
Before the team leaves the session, the following objectives should be accomplished:
– A clear understanding of the team’s performance and development.
– Strategies should be found through collaboration.
– Boundaries should be defined and relationship issues addressed.
– An understanding that results won’t be immediate but a commitment to progress.
What to Look for in a Team Coach
If you’re considering enlisting the help of a team coach for your organization, Allison Todd and her team would be thrilled to put their expertise at work for you. If you’re not in their area and want someone local, you’ll want to find someone that properly navigates the intricacies of dealing with multiple personalities and working styles. Team coaching is unique in this aspect in comparison to executive or confidence coaching.
To be effective, a team coach should exhibit the following traits:
– Holistic Focus: The ability to focus on the team as a whole. The coach has to be able to help the individuals gain insight and change behaviors that may not be helping the team unit. Giving individual feedback is typically a component of team coaching, however, it should be related to the team’s goals, not an individual’s.
– Flexible Mindset: The ability to operate with ambiguity. Team coaching won’t always lead to a concrete answer or the strategy that the coach expected. Since this form of coaching involves multiple personalities, the coach has to be flexible in the way that the session develops and the direction it goes.
– Ability to Set Boundaries: The coach has to be able to help the team members manage and set healthy boundaries. When dealing with the many relationships that make up a team, a team coach should be adept at understanding and identifying the need for boundaries.
– Vision for the Future: One major difference with team coaching is that the results are rarely immediate or concrete. The goal should be commitment and dedication to the goal with the understanding that it’ll take time to achieve.
Team Coaching and Your Organization
Team Coaching is a unique experience that’s guaranteed to produce results and strengthen relationships — if led by a skilled team coach. Coach Allison Todd and her team have helped countless professionals work through a myriad of issues as a unit and are excited to add more organizations in the future.
If you’re considering signing up for a team coaching session, be sure to check the credentials and past results of your coach. As always, our team is ready and able to help you with all of your coaching needs.
What is meant by “executive coaching?” What’s the difference between executive coaching and coaching? And, most importantly, is executive coaching worth it?
The coaching industry is booming. It seems there is a coach for everything, from business coaches to feline-behavior coaches. But what exactly is executive coaching? What does it do? And is it worth your money, and more importantly, your time? This article will lay everything on the line, breaking down any myths about the role of an executive coach and how it can help you.
What Is Meant by “Coaching?”
Firstly, let’s consider the term “coaching.” The word “coaching” means supporting, teaching, and mentoring a person to unlock their potential and help achieve their goals. We associate the term “coaching” with sports, and if we were to take this at surface value, a sports coach does well in representing the umbrella role of a coach.
Consider a basketball coach, for instance. A basketball coach’s responsibility is to direct, instruct, and improve a basketball team’s overall strategy and performance.
When we remove the ‘basketball’ element, we’re left with something similar: instructing, directing, and improving the overall strategy and performance. Whether this tackles a business angle (a business coach), a nutrition angle (a nutrition coach), our relationships (a relationship coach), the fundamentals remain consistent.
What Is Meant by “Executive Coaching?”
Now that we understand the broad term “coaching,” we can move onto the more specific branch of “executive coaching.”
The term “executive coaching” is a 1:1 coaching session between a coach and senior leaders. It’s related to corporate coaching (otherwise known as career coaching). Leaders use an executive coach to both support and challenge their performance, striving for nothing short of excellence.
Executive coaching was initially known as performance coaching and was created to fast-track career-driven professionals to the top of their game.
What Does an Executive Coach Do?
If you’re considering hiring an executive coach, you may find yourself searching for “what should I expect from an executive coach?” To manage (and exceed) your expectations, here are the fundamentals every executive coach should offer you:
– Provide a sounding board padded with support and confidentiality
– Ask questions that stretch and challenge your current approach
– Help you achieve clarity
– Hand you helpful resources that can aid in meeting your goals
– Lend their own personal opinion and advice, should you ask for it.
– Conduct behavioral assessments and analyze the results for areas of strength and weakness.
– Set, track, and reassess growth and development goals.
Who Can an Executive Coach Help?
Often, executive coaches help leaders and senior leadership teams. There’s no written rule that executive coaches can’t coach any employee that shows excellent promise and capability of growth. In fact, it’s becoming more common for employers to invest money into their capable employees through an executive coach, even before they reach leadership level.
What Are the Benefits of Executive Coaching?
The benefits of executive coaching are extensive and can maximize an employee’s potential if you find the right executive coach. This is advantageous not only to the employee, but the whole business will also benefit from this. So, with that in mind, let’s look at the real benefits of executive coaching.
Human beings are motivated when they see their success. It’s something every single one of us has in common. While there are people who crumble under pressure when they can see that an approach isn’t working, others may thrive. This differentiation between types of employees can cause issues for the company. Instead, ensuring an executive coach produces success in certain areas will guarantee higher motivation levels.
Executive coaches often coach members of a Senior Leadership Team. With anyone higher up in a business, leadership is a fundamental skill that needs to be constantly improved. It may come naturally to some, but others find leadership challenging.
Hiring an executive coach will allow you to explore different leadership styles and tactics, help you spot your leadership weaknesses, and, ultimately, improve.
Executive Coaching Benefit 3: Increase Your Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is key to any form of progression. Whether that’s for your own personal fitness, subject knowledge, or attitude at work. Being self-aware allows you to identify areas of weakness and strength. Often, we aren’t as self-aware as we could be, as we’re so busy juggling the many tasks assigned to us. However, having an executive coach helps you see yourself clearly, allowing you to improve specific areas and strategies.
Executive Coaching Benefit 4: Teaches You Higher Levels of Empathy
We could all learn to show more empathy in the workplace. So often, we don’t consider what someone has been through when they make a mistake. Leadership teams, in particular, are known for being cold with little empathy. But the world is changing, and an empathetic approach is ranking higher and higher on employees’ “must-have” list when looking to build their career.
If you can show empathy, you’ll find that your team wants to reward this understanding with hard work. Plus, it shows your humane side, rather than simply being a leadership team member.
Executive Coaching Benefit 5: Strategy and Data Analysis
The point of a coach is to help you improve. In terms of an executive coach, it tends to revolve around bettering your performance at work. This involves evaluating the strategies you’re currently implementing by monitoring the data, analyzing it, and piecing together a narrative. An executive coach can help show you different sides of the story, allowing you to strategize with all of the information to make a well-rounded decision.
Is an Executive Coach Worth It?
The question we’ve all been waiting for: is an executive coach worth your money and time?
The short answer? Yes.
The long answer? Hiring an excellent executive coach can transform your working life. It can better your leadership skills, improve your ability to empathize, support you and aid in meeting your working goals, and genuinely take you from “good” to “great.”
To do so, you must have a solid executive coach who has proven results. But, as always, you get what you pay for. So, it’s fundamental to do your research first.
You also need to be open to change. There’s little point in hiring an executive coach if you don’t honestly want to improve. You must be open-minded and ready to see yourself the way your team does. If none of these are applicable, you may not be prepared for executive coaching.
But, if they do apply, you’ll absolutely benefit from an executive coach.
In a world where there seems to be a coach for every career, sport, hobby, and life pursuit, the coaching industry is becoming more and more saturated. It seems like nearly everyone has their own “coaching hustle” as a side pursuit, making it harder and harder to differentiate between the kinds of coaches and what value they claim to bring to the table.
One of the newer kinds of coaching is confidence coaching. While at first glance it may seem cheesy or gimmicky, this kind of coach is someone who could potentially turn your life around and help you establish successful habits in the long term, so it’s nothing to thumb your nose at.
Instead, read on to learn more about what they do and why you may be a good fit for a future coach.
What is Confidence Coaching?
The coaching profession has made a marked increase in popularity and acceptance in recent years. While many people think of coaching as something confined to sports, there are actually many areas of coaching that most people could benefit from, whether in their personal or professional lives.
Though coaching is more varied and expansive, coaching typically falls in these three categories::
Career Coach
A professional coach who is skilled with helping individuals navigate their careers, whether they’re just beginning, stagnating, or transitioning. These coaches may help with career planning, interviewing, resume building, or negotiating to develop strong candidates and employees.
Executive Coach
A professional coach skilled at developing future leaders and influencers. They help clients and teams increase awareness of their brand, set up business goals, and unlock their true potential.
Life Coach
A type of wellness coach who helps individuals assess their present state in life and determine their next best steps to reach their personal goals. They help clients clarify their goals, identify the obstacles that are keeping them from them, and develop a plan to overcome them.
While all three of these kinds of coaches will work with you to help you get back on track professionally or personally, there’s another kind of coach that can benefit people in a variety of circumstances.. Before we dig fully into this kind of coaching, let’s look at the definition of the main focus of their guidance: confidence.
“Confidence: The feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust. The state of feeling certain about the truth of something. A feeling of self-assurance arising from one’s appreciation of one’s own abilities or qualities.”
While it may be easy to define the word “confidence,” it’s not always as easy to clarify what it means for an individual or how to attain it. That’s where a confidence coach comes in. And really, how many people could better themselves from partnering with one?
A confidence coach is someone that helps an individual move past their lack of self-esteem, fear, and limiting self-beliefs. They work to help a person overcome their doubt and empower them to trust their own abilities and reach their potential.
Coaches typically accomplish this by finding out what is triggering the person’s insecurity and strategically working with them to identify and overcome it.
What Does a Confidence Coach Do?
While the basic definition and career description likely sound all well and good, you may still be wondering what a confidence coach actually does. This process will vary based on an individual’s background and how deep their client’s insecurities lie.
In general, a confidence coach will work with someone to quiet the voices telling them they’re inadequate and find the freedom to live fully and confidently.
This may be accomplished in one of several ways. Let’s explore the primary methods a confidence coach will help their client move forward.
Finding the Next Best Step
Instead of focusing on the end goal, which may feel insurmountable, a confidence coach may work with their client to decide what the best small (or baby) steps are to avoid becoming overwhelmed. By defining and achieving these small goals, the person will gain confidence every step of the way, and their coach will be there to cheer them along and offer guidance as needed.
Banishing Limiting Beliefs
Oftentimes, a person’s lack of confidence comes from a limiting belief that’s rooted deep in their psyche. A confidence coach can help their client identify and eliminate these beliefs one at a time. The coach may help them challenge assumptions they have by asking them questions that shine a light on the falsehoods plaguing them. Once the truth is revealed, it’s easier for them to move forward and gain confidence along the way.
Some beliefs that confidence coaches often have to work past include:
– I’m not enough to deserve good things in life.
– I’ll never be good enough at my job to get a promotion.
– I’m too stupid or ignorant to express myself to anyone.
– If I show up as my authentic self, I’ll never be accepted or loved.
Cross-Reference Areas of Confidence
This approach can be more abstract, but still quite effective. A coach may take an area in which the client lacks confidence and channel it into an area in which they exude confidence. By doing this, the focus is switched to the aspects of themselves they’re more comfortable with, and the area of doubt can take a backseat.
Characteristics and Skills Needed for a Confidence Coach
While one may think that the biggest qualification for a confidence coach is to be confident, that’s not the most important aspect. Plenty of other characteristics and skills are equally, if not more, essential for a person to possess to have a successful career in this field.
If you’re considering a career as a confidence coach, you should take an honest assessment of yourself to make sure you have most, if not all, of the characteristics and skills needed. Keep in mind that some of these skills can be developed. Read through the following list to see if you have what it takes!
The Ability to Build Rapport
In order for a client to feel comfortable opening up, a coach has to be able to build rapport with them quickly. This means the coach has to be able to put people at ease and make them feel as though they’re in a safe place to open up about their insecurities, which are at the core of confidence coaching.
Realize that your new clients will come in feeling awkward and shy, so this is an important part of your job as a coach. Work with them to find something in common, approach their insecurities with openness and acceptance, and then build your rapport from there.
Patience
As you’re likely aware, coaching isn’t typically something that’s finished after one session. Depending on the client, coaching can often take months or even years to complete.
Because of this, a confidence coach has to bring a healthy dose of patience and perseverance to their practice to stick with a client until they reach their goals. Coaching is not the place to bring judgment or a deadline mentality. It takes time.
Strategic Mindset
In order to navigate the client’s insecurities and deeply rooted triggers, a confidence coach has to have the ability to strategize and plan the steps to overcoming insecurities, addressing setbacks, and gaining confidence.. This plan is crucial to the client’s success and must be achievable and thoughtfully executed.
In addition to having a plan for your client, you also need a plan for your business that you can commit to. Building a brand and client base as a coach takes a lot of drive, determination, and business acumen. It doesn’t happen overnight!
Confidence
While it’s not the only skill needed, it’s definitely a top requirement that confidence coaches have a healthy level of confidence themselves. Whether this is a quality they were born with or something they acquired over time, it has to be understood and present to be taught to others.
With confidence coaching, you can’t just talk the talk – you have to walk the walk. Aside from the fact that you can’t teach confidence if you don’t possess it, being a coach in general and promoting your services takes confidence. Let your clients see the confidence in you that they’re wanting to build in themselves.
Reasons Why People Hire a Confidence Coach
Now that we’ve covered what a confidence coach does and what they need to be successful at it, you may be wondering why a person would need one in the first place. The answer is simple: we’re human. In other words, it’s only normal for a person to go through periods or experiences where they lack confidence in themselves, either personally or professionally.
Confidence is something that can either make or break you, especially in some professions, so hiring a coach to help you find it again is a wise decision that more people should be making.
For example, people may turn to confidence coaches when they’re up for a new promotion at work or they just got promoted/hired and are feeling inadequate.
Other people may come in after going through a divorce and are now questioning their worth or how to move forward. Many clients are finally ready to face a deeply rooted fear and are simply needing the push to conquer it.
Benefits of Working with a Confidence Coach
The main benefit of working with a confidence coach is the most obvious one: you’ll gain confidence like you’ve never had before. What is it in your past or present that is holding you back from going after the goals or desires in your heart and mind? Chances are, a confidence coach can help you recognize what’s holding you back, face your fears, and reach your goals.
Beyond gaining confidence in yourself and your abilities, you can expect to walk away from your time with a confidence coach with one or more of the following benefits:
– You’ll be a better leader, both professionally and personally.
– You’ll become a more courageous member of society as you feel more confident to speak up about the causes you care about and reach out to contacts in your life.
– You’ll be an empowered individual, ready to push past your comfort zone and live life to the fullest.
Becoming a Confidence Coach
If you already have the confidence that others are seeking, perhaps you should consider becoming a confidence coach. The pay scale for Confidence Coaches varies widely from anywhere around $26k to over $200k. Since a degree and certification aren’t required to enter the field, you’ll see that coaches come from all types of backgrounds and offer a variety of services, all at different price points.
While certification isn’t required to be a confidence coach, there are several courses available that may be beneficial for someone looking to start their career in the industry. These classes will walk you through how to handle the typical situations you’ll see as a coach and give you the best practices to have in place for your business.
These courses aren’t required, but they do add a level of credibility and legitimacy to your coaching business and help you learn how to run a successful business.
The best way to ensure that you have a successful career as a confidence coach is to do everything that you can to get favorable word-of-mouth referrals. Since this is a newer field, clients will feel more comfortable hiring you for your services if they get a referral from someone they are personally connected to.
If that person used your services in the past and had positive results, they can expect the same for their own experience. Referrals build confidence in your skills and gets your working relationship off on the right foot.
Calling all Coaches
Today’s world is driven by social media influencers selling a lifestyle that seems unattainable, leading many people to feel insecure and inadequate. People’s confidence in their abilities has taken a major blow, but hiring a confidence coach can be the key to getting it back.
For anyone that has moved past their season of doubt and is now walking confidently and living an empowered life, it may be time for you to share your wisdom.
Almost anyone with confidence and drive can start a career as a confidence coach, but only the ones that have a clear vision for their coaching business and a strategic plan of action will be able to make it in the highly competitive field.
By bringing your own confidence and patience to the table, you’ll be setting yourself (and your clients) up for success. One thing is for sure though – the world needs more confidence. Luckily, there’s a coach for that.
If you’re in the middle of a successful season in your business, you may find yourself coasting along and neglecting prospecting for new clients. After all, it’s only natural that you don’t feel the need to look for future customers when you have plenty of work. It simply doesn’t feel necessary when you’re up to your ears at work!
In reality, you should always be on the lookout for new clients even when you’re busy and your books are full. Why? Because finding and nurturing clients requires time and proven methods so by the time you’re needing them, it’s too late to start if you’re behind the ball.
You may be busy right now but you can also bet there are people out there, right now, who need and want the services you offer and are a perfect match for your business. Now is the time to connect with people online and start interacting with them.
Another reason to always be on the lookout for clients is the likelihood that, at some point, you’re going to lose a client that you depend on. What would happen to your business if you lost one of your biggest clients? Would you be able to manage the gap in income? Do you have prospects to pursue if you need to bring in more revenue?
So, how do you maintain your current business while always looking for more? The key is being organized. Here are three easy tips you can use right away:
– Come up with a strategy for finding new clients and then systematize it so you don’t have to think about it.
– Create regular content to post on other people’s blogs as well as your own.
– Search regularly for new people to connect with on social media.
Take these tips or choose a few simple strategies of your own for finding new clients that you can do on an ongoing basis while still performing work for your current clients. Then, spend a bit of time each day on client acquisitions using your chosen strategies. By investing even just a half-hour into this goal daily, you’ll be on your way to stockpiling your leads for a rainy day.
As a business owner, the unfortunate truth is that not every client you take on is going to be a walk in the park. Inevitably, you’ll have a client come along that will prove to be quite difficult.
The challenge with difficult clients is that they tend to be overly demanding and may even clash with your working style. You know you have to finish whatever work you’re doing with them, but you want to figure out how to do so with the least amount of pain. So, what do you do?
Since your professional reputation is at stake, you need to come up with some strategies for dealing with a difficult client ahead of time so that when the inevitable happens – you’re ready.
Tips for Dealing with Difficult Clients
When dealing with a challenging client, choose your words carefully to avoid confrontation and escalation.
– Listen well and acknowledge without apologizing.
– Take breaks whenever you need to and/or limit communication, but be careful to do so in a way that doesn’t feel like you’re ignoring them.
– Emphasize that you’re working together toward a common goal. Discuss things in terms of the results you’re trying to get and make sure they understand you’re on the same team.
– If they’re asking you to do more than you offer, set clear boundaries and remind them gently of the job’s terms and your business’s capabilities.
Even though they may be driving you insane, try your best to find a solution that’s quick and that will make them happy and get you both moving forward. Remember, the best-case scenario is to leave them satisfied and then avoid working with them in the future, if possible.
As trying as these kinds of clients can be, keep in mind that it’s likely not personal. Simply chalk it up as a learning experience and move on knowing you’re better, and wiser, than you were before.
Great communication is one of the most important skills for running a successful business. Overall, business communication is responsible for improving workplace efficiency, boosting morale, and creating a more open and collaborative environment for employees to thrive in.
7 Ingredients For Unstoppable Business Communication
Despite the fact that 89% of people believe in the importance of effective business communication, only around 17% feel as if their workplace possesses it. Here are 6 ways to get started on improving your business’s communication style:
#1: Find The Right Communication Channel
In today’s highly digitized workplaces, communication can take place on a multitude of platforms, so make sure that you are using the right one! Whether it’s an email, slack message, in-person meeting, or video call, it is important to think about the communication channels that you are using to deliver your information most effectively.
For example, sending a couple of reminders can probably be accomplished in an email, whereas explaining a complex project might land better in a face-to-face meeting.
#2: Value Listening Skills
Business communication is so much more than just articulating YOUR thoughts and ideas. It is equally important to take a step back and listen to the needs and feelings of the coworkers around you to ensure that everyone feels heard and valued in a space.
#3: Make Yourself Accessible
Especially if you are a boss or leader, it is crucial for employees to know you are accessible to chat if they need to run something by you or have any questions or concerns. If employees don’t feel comfortable speaking out in the workplace, passive aggression and resentment are bound to happen.
#4: Be Mindful of Body Language
While the exact percentage of what communication is nonverbal versus verbal has been debated, the body language that you put out to others in the workplace oftentimes speaks louder than words. Great nonverbal communication starts with making eye contact, nodding, not crossing your arms, and leaning forward.
#5: Keep It Simple
Many employees fall into the trap of using overly complex language and jargon while communicating with others, in turn leaving less experienced employees confused. To avoid this, always be mindful of the vocabulary you choose and keep communication simple whenever you can.
#6: Ask Questions
Asking clarifying questions works wonders at clearing up any confusion or assumptions early on in a project or task, in turn saving stress and confusion down the line. Remember that if you have questions during a meeting, odds are other people in the room feel similarly and will appreciate your courage in asking.
#7: Tailor Your Communication
The way that you speak to your boss might look a little different than how you are speaking with a peer. In order to have effective business communication, it is important to know the audience that you are speaking to ensure you are tailoring your language and format of communication to best fit that specific dynamic.
Maximize Your Business Communication With Allison Todd Today
For more advice on improving your business’s operations from an experienced business coach and consultant, feel free to reach out today!
For more advice on improving your business’s operations from an experienced business coach and consultant, feel free to reach out today!
Finding fulfillment in your job is a nearly impossible feat if you are in the midst of a hostile work environment. You can be leading the best projects and interacting with the clients of your dreams, but none of this will matter if the workplace environment is harmful to your mental health and wellbeing.
In fact, a shocking 50% of employees in the United States workforce are unhappy with their current jobs. This number can be greatly reduced if more individuals have the tools to understand the signs of a hostile work environment.
4 Signs That It’s Time To Leave Your Job
When the downsides of your workplace environment begin to outweigh any of its benefits, it might be a sign that it’s time to leave. Here are 4 of the most pressing signs that a workplace is no longer serving you:
#1: People Don’t Listen To You
Whether it’s a fellow coworker shooting down your ideas on a project or your supervisor ignoring your input at a meeting, one of the first signs of an unhealthy work environment is when your opinions and ideas aren’t being considered. Each and every member of a team brings a different perspective to the table, and if yours isn’t valued, you should probably look elsewhere for a team that values collaboration and open communication.
#2: It’s Difficult To Focus On Tasks
If you find yourself struggling to focus on the tasks of your job, it might be a sign that you are no longer passionate and motivated to accomplish the objectives of your position. Trouble focusing can also occur when the stressors of the workplace’s culture are at the top of your mind instead of the job itself. Either way, be mindful when this feeling starts showing up more often than not.
#3: Your Identity Is Marginalized
Even in 2021, marginalization in the workplace is still a pressing issue that many people in underrepresented communities (LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and people of color) face. Some of the biggest signs that you are being marginalized in the workplace are when your work is accredited to someone else, not getting a promotion or raise despite your accreditations, or not feeling as if people have confidence in your abilities.
#4: Stress and Sadness Is Taking Over Everything
When an employee is undervalued and overutilized, the stress in the workplace can easily take over. While any workplace is bound to have periods of busyness, if extreme stress and pressure are commonplace even in the slower months, it is probably a sign that your company’s culture isn’t taking your work-life balance and mental health into account.
Find Your Dream Job With Coach Allison Todd Today
You deserve to be in a job where you are heard, seen, and valued for who you are and what you have to offer. If you’re ready to improve your business’s workplace culture and environment, or perhaps want to quit your job and start the business of your dreams, I am here to help you get started today!
With an enormous $9 billion dollars spent by consumers on Black Friday in 2020 alone, this day undoubtedly presents businesses with an incredible opportunity to have more traffic and profit coming their way by partaking in the festivities.
4 Tips For Running A Seamless Black Friday
With Black Friday and the holiday season just around the corner, it is the perfect time for businesses to start thinking about their strategy for participating in the sales and deals of this iconic shopping day. Here are 4 tips and tricks for running a profitable Black Friday:
#1: Offer Loyal Customers Exclusive Perks
If you have already done the hard part of making a sale and converting someone into a loyal customer, it is important to make them feel valued before the Black Friday experience by offering them exclusive perks and deals on top of the ones you’re running for the masses. This will make them feel more inclined to participate.
Whether it’s through an SMS text or a targeted email, get your subscribers and loyalty program members excited for your upcoming deals by early access to deals, additional discount codes, and more.
#2: Promote Your Upcoming Deals On Social Media
With 420 billion users active on social media in 2020, using these platforms for marketing is one of the most important tools for getting the word out about your businesses’ Black Friday events.
Promoting on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook, and other popular platforms is a great way of creating buzz around your deals in the days leading up to it.
One of the most important tactics to get engagement you desire are by using Black Friday-specific hashtags and captions so that people can find you more easily.
#3: Go Above And Beyond Traditional Discounts
With thousands upon thousands of brands partaking in discounts on Black Friday, it is important to find innovative ways to stand out against the competition and create more incentives for consumers so that they focus on what you have to offer.
Some of the best ways to go above and beyond are to offer free gifts and perks in addition to discounts, offer free shipping with every purchase, and provide future discounts after they make a Black Friday purchase. The possibilities are truly endless, so get creative with it!
#4: Don’t Miss The Benefits Of Online Shopping
One of the most important aspects of planning a profitable Black Friday is focusing on online shopping. With 93.2 million consumers online shopping on this day in 2019, it is just as important for businesses to take advantage of digital Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals in addition to the traditional brick-and-mortar Black Friday deals.
Watch Your Black Friday Profit Soar With The Help Of Coach Allison Todd
If you are looking for new ways to improve your business’s profitability for Black Friday and beyond, I am here to help. As a coach and consultant with 20+ years of experience, I am energized by the opportunity to transform entrepreneurs and corporations alike.
To learn more about a partnership, don’t hesitate to shoot me an inquiry today!
Attention sales teams: want to be let in on a little secret? Relationship building is the key to sales success. You can have the best product or services in your marketplace, but if you don’t create an authentic relationship with your audiences and prospective customers, all of these traditional factors become obsolete.
While product might have been the draw that brought new clients to your door, it is your personality and customer service that keeps them coming back.
What Is The Know, Like, & Trust Factor And Why Does It Matter?
To put it simply, having the know, like, and trust factor are the three secret ingredients to becoming a more personable salesperson. Achieving all three of these “it” factors will allow your customers to feel more comfortable and confident with their purchasing decision. This is because these factors will help them…
– Know who you are and what you care about
– Enjoy your personality and like spending time with you
– Trust your judgement and recommendations
3 Steps For Building The Know, Like, and Trust Factor
Let’s dive into tangible ways to build your companies know, like and trust factor:
#1: Build The Know Factor By Honing In On A Unified Brand Message
One of the most effective ways of showing consumers who you are is through maintaining a strong and unified brand voice before, during, and after the sales process. This is because a brand voice communicates your brand’s values, beliefs, perspective, and overall personality.
#2: Build The Like Factor By Being A Good Listener
Let’s face it: who doesn’t love feeling seen and heard? Showing interest and listening to your customers needs and goals is especially important for increasing likeability and closing your sales. One insightful statistic revealed that 68% of B2B consumers are lost from a salesperson with indifference or perceived apathy, not from making a mistake.
#3: Build Trust Factor By Creating Killer Content
One of the best ways for winning prospective clients over is establishing your credibility as an authority in your industry. When you position yourself as an expert, they are more likely to trust your product and believe its benefits once they get to the sales process.
Content marketing is one of the best ways to accomplish this goal. In fact, 96% of the most successful content marketers believe their audience views them as credible and trusted. Some of the best pieces of content for establishing trust and credibility include in-depth blog posts, articles, and podcasts.
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If you are ready to nail your next sales pitch, I would love to help you reach all of your goals. With 20+ years of experience helping businesses hone in on an effective sales strategy, I am ready to take your business to the next level.
For even more dynamite tips and tricks on building the know, like and trust factor for sales success, click here to check out part two of this blog series today!
Sales Success Part Two: More Tips For Building The Know, Like, & Trust Factor
Are you sick of prospective clients slip through the cracks? If so, it might just be the perfect time to focus on the personal component of sales. While it can be all too easy for an eager sales team to see dollar signs when looking at clients instead of a person in front of them, it is crucial to look at them as human beings first and foremost.
In fact, establishing WHO you are as opposed to WHAT you are selling in the sales process is crucial for keeping customers coming back for more. So much so that 42% of consumers would pay for a more welcoming experience and another 65% find positive customer experience more influential than advertising!
This is where the importance of building your know, like, and trust factor comes into play.
3 Bonus Steps For Building The Know, Like, & Trust Factor
In addition to part one of this blog series, I’m back more ideas for helping you increase your know, like, & trust factor to create a more personable sales process:
#1: Build The Know Factor By Putting Your Name Out There
The more often someone has heard of you and your brand, the more likely they are to feel confident in what you have to offer. Some of the best tactics for boosting your brand awareness and know factor for your target audience are by snagging guest blog post slots on credible sites, creating content with other businesses in your industry, and appearing as an interview guest on a show or podcast whenever possible.
#2: Build The Like Factor By Finding Shared Interests
While the majority of the conversations with your audiences and clients should be focused on the business side of things, creating more real human connections will make the interaction more memorable. Within the small moments of chit-chat and building rapport, try to find a shared interest or belief to keep you connected and build up your like factor.
#3: Build The Trust Factor By Staying Authentic To Yourself
If a salesperson or company isn’t being open and honest about their true thoughts and opinions with prospective clients, it can lead to feelings of distrust. On the other hand, maintaining authenticity will remind clients that you are more than just a business trying to make money.
Some of the easiest ways to stay authentic are by answering questions transparently and avoiding overtly salesy language. In fact, 61% of consumers report that one of the top ways to create a positive sales experience is when companies aren’t pushy.
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By putting these ideas into action, you’ll be well on your way towards better customer service and increased sales in no time. Whether your business is in the stage of ideation, launching, or scaling, business coach, I cannot wait to help you bring all of your business ideas and dreams to life.
To learn more about what a partnership with an experienced business coach can look like for your company, don’t hesitate to get in touch to get started today!
6 Ingredients For Building The Know, Like, And Trust Factor
Step #1: Build The Know Factor to show customers who you are
Action Step #1: Hone in on a consistent brand voice throughout your messaging
Action Step #2: Put your brand name out there as much as possible
Step #2: Build the Like Factor to create strong relationships and rapport with clients
Action Step #1: Actively listen and show excitement for who your consumers are
Action Step #2: Find a personal connection with customers through shared beliefs and interests
Step #3: Build The Trust Factor by establishing credibility
Action Step #1: Create online content that shows your brand’s authority on a subject matter
Action Step #2: Maintain authenticity in every client and audience interaction
1. How To Grow Your Brand Without Losing Its Voice Or Values
2. The Simple Way To Grow Your Brand Without Losing Touch With Your Values
3. Don’t Focus On Brand Growth Without Reading These Essential Tips First
Want to grow your brand but struggling to figure out the best way to go about it? Developing and expanding your business should be an exciting time. But often, information overwhelm turns it into a stressful one.
By getting back to the basics of who you are and what you want your brand to stand for, you can create a growth strategy that feels authentic and real—two things customers love.
Sometimes Less Is More
These days we want everything all at once. When it comes to business, this translates into developing a blog, building up social media, starting a podcast, creating a YouTube channel, and writing a book.
It’s easy to convince yourself that you need all the bells, whistles, and TikTok followers to be successful online. But ditching some of the “clutter” will help you focus.
Growth by subtraction helps business owners zero in on the areas they want to develop.By taking some of these plans away and focusing on one step at a time, your business will grow at a steady rate.
Make Technology Is Your Friend—Use It Effectively
There many intuitive tools and platforms out there that can help your business. But not all of them will suit your business needs. So choose the software wisely by only using technology that:
– Segments leads and customers so you can create highly targeted marketing content and campaigns.
– Measures prospect engagement with your website and marketing campaigns to focus resources on those prospects showing “buying signals.”
– Generates leads with premium content offers embedded on your website and marketing content.
– Tracks your sales activity and follow-ups with CRM software.
– Manages and monitors your sales pipeline to keep you on track towards your business goals.
Tech makes growing a business easier if it fits. It should never make life more difficult.
Turn Your Website Into Your Online Sales Guru
Humans ask Google a LOT of questions. So if you want to get discovered online, invest in a decent website. Make sure it has strong SEO and the copy and content are well written.
To grow a business, it’s not enough to leave a website to stagnate. It needs to be updated regularly and checked using online analytics tools. If it’s not working, figure out why and make it right.
Mix It Up With A Variety Of Marketing Channels
Cold-pitching may have worked 10 years ago, but unless you’re at the top of your game on how to cold-pitch, it’s a limited marketing strategy.
And when it comes to blogs, writing generic listicles bombarded with CTAs and hoping they’re going to bring in leads isn’t going to work. Get creative with your blogs, mix it up with education, entertainment and value (hey, just like this one.)
Cisco predicts that “by 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic — 15 times higher than it was in 2017.”
Miss out on video, and you’re missing out on a HUGE number of marketing opportunities.
Not a fan of being on camera? Good news. Not all videos have to feature you. They can be:
– Tutorial videos
– Case studies
– Customer support and how-to videos
– Social media posts like reels and IGTV
Get Yourself A Business Coach And A Supportive Community
Business can be a lonely old world sometimes, especially if you’re the one at the top making all the decisions.
Reaching out and joining a community of other entrepreneurs provides a system of support. And hiring a business coach shows your keen to invest in yourself and your business.
The Business Growth 90-Day Plan is an effective way to boost your brand without losing its integrity. Click here to learn more and discover if it is a good fit for your business.
