Better Business Coach Video Podcast: Sales Training | Proven Education | Actionable & Downloadable Worksheets Matthew Pollard, Business Coach, Entrepreneur, Sales and Marketing Strategist

The "Get to Know Yourself" template should follow directly after episode 21’s ForceField Analysis, and should be completed as part of your first paid client sessions.



As a business coach, you need to understand your clients on a deeper level. To add to that, as discussed in session four, running a business can be chaos and your client may not have had time to truly understand themselves. The "Get to Know Yourself" template is designed to get everything out on the table, so you can start helping your clients where they need it most.



Episode outline:



I want to preface by saying: use your discretion before using this worksheet with corporate clients. While it is amazingly useful when working with them, many consider it life coaching and it can lose you rapport. When working with corporate, if I decide to use the worksheet, I like to add on the phrase, "when you’re working," to the start of each question. I find it makes them feel more at ease with the questioning. Small businesses, however, absolutely love it, so never feel you shouldn’t pull it out and get started.



This worksheet can sometimes take up to an hour to complete because it forces the client to consider things that in many cases, they have never considered before. You will be surprised just how often something pops up that highlights something neither you nor the client originally expected, changing your entire coaching approach or the desired direction the client wishes to pursue. Often, what the client says they are wanting at the start of the session is the last thing they would want by the end. This is the true power of this worksheet. Without it, you could end up coaching a client toward something they never actually wanted.



This worksheet works fantastically when combined with the homework, “Forget About Goals - Why Is The Key To Success”, covered in session 17, as it ensures you are always on point with all your critical direction and advice.



What do you enjoy doing?



This question may seem simple enough, but who truly spends time thinking about these things? Asking it in this session, like many of the other questions, will force the client to consider things they have, perhaps, never considered before, or at least not on a truly real level. Understand that these questions, as you progress, may take time to answer and for the best effect this is a good thing. Embrace the skills covered in session 9, "Listen & Succeed," and give them time to consider their answers on a deeper level. Very soon you will step past understanding the client and shift to assisting them to move forward. It’s vital that before you do this you understand exactly what they want and why.



That said, if you’re not careful, the client will go off on a tangent and time will fly. This may sound great since after all, they are paying you to listen, but consider what they will think after the session. The last thing you want them to do is go off on a  tangent for too long and then feel they just spoke about themselves and you offered very little value. As a coach, you must balance between allowing enough time for expansive, well thought-out answers, and time wasting chit-chat, bragging or complaining.



What makes you happy?

The ForceField Analysis should follow directly after episode 20’s SWOT Analysis, and should be completed as part of your first paid client sessions.



The ForceField Analysis is amazingly useful for helping your client, and you as their coach, understand the terrain before making any change or improvement. It’s also a great way to ensure your client doesn’t miss out on potential supporters that may aid their success, or fall victim to unforeseen hurdles.



Episode outline:



You may have clients that you believe might find the SWOT Analysis overwhelming or too complicated. For these clients you can choose to skip it all together and move straight through to the ForceField Analysis. To do this, you will take the biggest challenge (problem) given by the client in the "Where Is Your Business Now" worksheet and then move straight into discussing what improvements and/or changes would fix this. Once this is done, it is an easy transition into what will help (and stop) them from getting there, which is the basis of this worksheet.



For coaches that have just completed a SWOT Analysis with their clients, you may be thinking you can skip this step - and you would be right. You can choose to skip ForceField Analysis completely and move on to the next worksheet, soon to be provided in session 23.



I conversely see each indicated action discussed in the table, derived from the SWOT analysis, as a requirement for improvement or change and therefore use ForceField Analysis for each of them.



The worksheet is simple - you just list the desired change or improvement. Then you list all the possible things that will help you implement the change or improvement, and all the things that could stop you.



An example of this would be installing a new CRM system to replace a paper system.



You may list "what will help us get there" as:



* Certain high IT skilled staff

* Your client's experience

* Your assistance (you as their coach)



You may list "what will stop us getting there" as:



* Staff members that are less technologically advanced

* Scarce resources

* Lack of time

* Paperwork in disorder

* Staff members that don’t like change



Keep me in the loop:



I would love to hear how you’re currently using the SWOT Analysis and how you will now change this. Please take a second to post a comment in the comment section below.

Download the "ForceField Analysis" worksheet!





Items/links mentioned



* BBC 012 : 3 Steps To Effective Change Management

* BBC 013 : Second FREE Worksheet – Where Is Your Business Now

* BBC 020 : Third FREE Worksheet – SWOT Analysis A Businesses Free Insurance Policy



Don’t miss a thing:



As the podcast will have sessions both in video and audio, make sure you subscribe to both the audio and video versions of this podcast.



Here are the links:

This worksheet follows shortly after the "Where Is Your Business Now?" worksheet, explained in session 13, and should be completed as part of your first paid client session.



You will also find SWOT helpful when creating SMART business goals, as outlined in session 17. SWOT will really help your client understand if the goals they are setting themselves are achievable for their organization, or if they should be increased/reduced to better motivate and drive the organization to a higher or more realistic target.



Episode outline:



The SWOT analysis is a coaching tool that is too often undervalued, generally conducted once in every coach’s initial meeting and then put in the drawer never to be seen again.



To me, the SWOT analysis is one of the most important documents in niche marketing and in ensuring business longevity. I believe the SWOT analysis should be conducted every six months and be viewed as an organizational insurance policy. By doing this, an organization will make sure it is best positioned against threats that are looming on the horizon and best placed to capitalize on any potential opportunities that otherwise may have gone unnoticed.



So let’s have a closer look at SWOT



Strengths and weaknesses



Here you encourage your client to look inward for strengths and weaknesses within their organization. Good examples of items that may lie on either the strength or weakness side of a SWOT analysis for any organisation may be:



* Uniqueness

* Staff

* Skills

* Systems

* Culture

* Teams

* Reputation

* Sales

* Customer base

* Marketing



These items are all internal to the organization. This means that if they’re currently a weakness, the business is in complete control of the weaknesses rectification.



Opportunities and threats 



These effect a business, however, are outside (external) to a business’ direct control. While a business can’t directly change external opportunities or threats, knowing what they are still allows a business to be in the driver’s seat. Knowing about potential opportunities and threats gives the organization a real advantage over their opposition who are instead affected by a change as it occurs, or are confronted by others exploiting an opportunity they never saw coming.



So how do you know what opportunities and threats to look for?



I suggest the use of an analysis commonly known as "PEST"



* Political – Changes in government policy, political climate, laws, funding, grants, zoning, etc.

* Economic – Consumer confidence, currency fluctuations, international downturns, interest rate variations, etc.

* Social – Opinions, pressures, thinking, values, etc.

* Technological – New, obsolete, evolving, etc.



Synergies and niche markets



Once you have all the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats on the table, it is time to look for synergies that would allow you to capitalize on new niche markets, as well as potential weaknesses that if not rectified may lead to adverse effects. To achieve this, ask yourself/your client the following:



* What strengths could give you/your client a unique advantage when attempting to capitalize on any of the listed opportunities?

* What strengths could you/your client easily obtain to capitalize on any of the opportunities uncovered?

* What weaknesses, unless rectified, could put you/your client at a potential disadvantage?

This worksheet forms the first part of your first paid client session and is used to re-unfreeze the client to the fact that they must embrace change to fix their current business challenges.

You may be thinking, "Why do we need to go through the unfreezing process again? Surely the client will want to get straight into fixing their issues." After all, we did a full unfreeze in the Business Needs Analysis and now they have paid for our help. In reality, this is not the case. First, if you followed my advice in session 10, you booked this session two weeks after the Business Needs Analysis, and in small business, two weeks is like a decade. Their business challenges have probably changed and to be honest, they have probably forgotten what that challenge was and may be thinking, "Why did I agree to this coaching anyway?" This session will turn all that around.



I find that by completion of this template, I know I have them. They are pushing me to move to the next template and go from watching the clock because they want to get back to work to watching the clock because they want to get as much done with you as possible.



Episode outline:



"Complexity is your enemy. Any fool can make something complicated. It is hard to make something simple." – Sir Richard Branson



This is a very simple worksheet designed to be short and sweet, but sometimes simple is best. This is not meant to be an intervention, so don’t dwell on anything. Just ask the question, accept the information they tell, and move on. You are just looking for low lying fruit at this stage.



Question 1 - What are your major business challenges at the moment?



This answer can be vastly different from the Business Needs Analysis, so you need to ask the question again. This question is highly important as we will link everything from the following questions back to this challenge to obtain a successful unfreeze.



Most common answers will be:



* Cash flow

* Long ninety hour weeks

* Lack of staff performance



Remember the lessons from session 9: listen, don’t interrupt, and whatever they say is the right answer. This is what’s really keeping them up at night and the key to your long term engagement.



Question 2 - Rate each of the areas on the template using the scale 1-10 (put the number in the column which corresponds to the rating and the area of the business, 10 meaning things are great and 1 meaning things are bad.)



Try to stay as content free as possible. We are just asking to get a general feel, so just get the number and move on. Of course, some people will not be able to answer without giving you a full story. Remember that they may need to get this information off their chest, so let them speak. But move on as soon as you can.



Note:  If the finances are down it is often a reflection of other areas.



Don’t be surprised when you get to internal processes and you hear the response, "What’s that?" When you explain that these are procedure manuals for sales, marketing, collections, recruitment, etc., you will generally hear, "What?

If you haven’t yet listened to part one, this will not make sense, so please go back and give "BBC 007 : Part 1 of 2 – First FREE Worksheet – The Business Needs Analysis" a listen.



This is an exciting two-part series as I give away the first FREE worksheet you can use directly with your clients, available for download at www.MatthewPollard.com/bbc007. The "Free Business Analysis" is the ultimate diagnosis tool as well as an amazing sales instrument. In this session, I explain how page two of the Business Needs Analysis will allow you to delve deeper into the client’s problems, as well as describe the effect these questions will have on the client and how it will greatly improve your client acquisition.



Episode outline:



People need to be committed to change...otherwise your coaching will not succeed.  That is the purpose of the Business Needs Analysis; it puts the responsibility for change back on them. Put simply, they will be the one making the changes; you’re just the guide.



If you are familiar with Lewin’s Model of Change, this is the unfreezing step of the model.



Your best client will be one that wants to achieve results for their business and is really serious about it. So if you don’t unfreeze the customer, you will feel like you are constantly pushing them uphill while they fight you to go back down.



Don’t give away solutions; just highlight problem(s):



As I said in the previous session, the biggest mistake a coach can make at this stage is offering solutions and ideas. I know many people think that to prove their worth it is important to show clients you can provide solutions. This is not the case. You need to show that you can highlight, empathize, and fix the problem. You do this by using the Business Needs Analysis to diagnose the problem(s), show you understand how they must feel (see BBC 005 : Imagine What It Feels Like To Own A Failing Business), and finally offer stories of other clients you have worked with that you have helped with similar problems. Otherwise, you leave the customer thinking, "Let’s try out what they have given me to do first. Then we can look into using them as a paid coach," instead of, "LET’S START NOW!"



Take Action:



This is an awesome worksheet, but again, as I mentioned in session two, a waste of time if you don’t use it. So:



* practice

* test

* experiment

* perfect



So, go out and deliver some Free Business Needs Analyses. The more people you deliver it to, the better and more confident you will become at it.  It is confidence that wins the prospect and makes them want to be your client, so practice is key.



Keep me in the loop:



I’d love to hear how this worksheet works to convert your prospects into clients. Please share your results in the comments section below:



You may be wondering… "Ok, but what do I say to get them to take me on?"



Look out for "Summarizing Your Findings." Don’t worry, it’s just a few sessions away.

Download the Business Needs Analysis NOW!



Items/Links Mentioned:

The "Free Business Analysis" is the ultimate diagnosis tool to use with your clients as well as an amazing tool for turning people interested in the idea of coaching into motivated and ready to start clients. In the first session, I explain each one of the personal and business questions as well as establish which of the four business coaching milestones it is focused on. This session is building on the foundations set in the previous session, so if you haven’t yet, you might want to go back and listen to "BBC 006 : 4 Milestones Of An Effective Business Coach" first.



Episode outline:



Most business owners that you encounter will not know what the problem is. They know something is wrong but will be clueless as to the specifics. The Business Needs Analysis is your new and amazing tool for finding out the problem. It is designed to be a discovery document to help you complete a full and well-balanced diagnosis. It also cleverly puts the responsibility back on the potential client to tell us the data. After all, if a client doesn't speak openly we will get nowhere.



It is important to understand that business owners have genuinely come to you because they sense that something isn't working, but they don’t know all the answers. It’s up to you to provide the guidance to uncover the true issues.



Sometimes you will see underlying issues; however, hold back from going into "fix it" mode. This is the biggest mistake a coach can make. They try to provide solutions to prove their worth, however, instead the client gets weeks or months of implementation ideas for free and now doesn't need you. We have to take what they give us at this stage.  Later on, we can delve deeper and problem solve - when they are paying our bill. Until then, just focus on highlighting that they have gaping holes in their armor that they need help with, while also telling many stories of people you helped with similar issues and how they are now much better off. That way, clients will be thinking "I have to start working with them NOW," instead of, "Let’s try out what they have given me to do first; then we can look into using them as a paid coach."

Download the Business Needs Analysis NOW!





Want to Keep Going?



Click here to go straight to part two.



Items/Links Mentioned:



* BBC 006 : 4 Milestones Of An Effective Business Coach

* BBC 008 : Part 2 of 2 - First FREE Worksheet – The Business Needs Analysis

* The Business Needs Analysis



Don’t miss a thing:



As the podcast will have sessions both in video and audio, make sure you subscribe to both the audio and video versions of this podcast.



Here are the links:



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