-Angela Duncan of Market Place Realty

My business has changed like you wouldn’t believe since working with ActionCOACH! Sales have increased by 56% and profits have boomed with an increase of 550% over the last two years! I no longer have to work on the tools and get my hands dirty, which I’m really excited about! The best part is I can appreciate in the little luxuries in life. Now I have a personal life I can enjoy and time to spend with my kids.

-Duncan McKechnie, Limac Services

“You know, what I’ve found is that all sorts of people succeed in all sorts of businesses. When I look at what sets apart those that make it (and by that I mean reaching their own goals in the business) then I notice one or two common traits.

“Firstly, most people I work with who become truly successful are passionate about what they do. That’s not to say it’s the only thing they think of or that their whole life is focused on it. It means they think about it, they talk about it, they learn about it – they really are excited about doing whatever they do really well.

“Secondly, every one of them is willing to learn. They know they don’t know it all. And they don’t expect me to either. They accept that there is a chance to learn something from almost everyone, and they actively look for opportunities to expand their knowledge every day. One other thing, they all know that the fruit grows on the ends of the limb, and you’ve got to step out onto the thin end if you’re going to get the real growth and rewards. It might be a bit scarier out there, but that’s where real success waits.”

According to one ActionCOACH, there is a huge difference between extraordinary and ordinary.

“One thing I would like to make clear first, is this,” he began. “I come into contact with hundreds of Business Owners and yet only a very small percentage actually decide to seek the assistance of a Business Coach. There are some that could never be coached as their minds are so closed, or so full of fear and skepticism that they will never be outstanding.

“Others are so focused on saving money that they don’t realize that if they don’t grow and change, they will never reach the success they desire. These people can become disenchanted, even bitter, or they just run out of the enthusiasm that made them start their own business originally.”

Another ActionCOACH agrees.

“I find that the most successful clients I have worked with – no matter what is happening in their life or business – are looking towards the future. Too many people are looking in the rear view mirror and that is why they are having so many accidents and problems. The ones that are looking ahead can see what is coming, and get out of the way or come up with a strategy to overcome the obstacles.”

These are the people who are coachable.

“This means they know where they want to go, and realize they need assistance to get there. They are eager to learn and grow and want to be pushed outside their comfort zones. I now regard this as a must when talking to potential clients that seek my assistance. Are you coachable, I ask?”

Put another way:

“Attitude, the desire to succeed, and a ‘do whatever it takes’ attitude is a common trait. I have had the greatest success with clients who are willing to do whatever it takes.

“Unfortunately, they are often in a lot of pain financially or are able to get to a state of high dissatisfaction quickly. The clients I have coached with their backs against the wall produced the greatest results in the shortest amount of time. I think this is because they are prepared to do something there, and then and to take a risk as they have nothing to lose, because if they don’t, they soon won’t have a business at all.

“They are willing to take massive action. These people are prepared to do whatever it takes. If something is not working, what can they change to get the result? Most business owners are either too scared or too comfortable to take massive action.”

It’s all about being decisive.

“People who ask the most questions and don’t let their egos get in the way will often admit they don’t have all the answers, so they take on new ideas.

“They are willing to try new things and new marketing ideas. They are optimistic. They make quick decisions, but whether they’re right or wrong isn’t the issue; at least they made a decision and learned from it.”

Successful people also strive for outstanding results.

“Not just good, or better, or OK, but outstanding. So many business owners out there really do not know how simple this is.

“Just focus on the mediocre service you get in the market today and you will find endless opportunities. People remember really bad and really outstanding people, not the OK’s.

“Ask any sports star. Successful people, like sports stars, are willing to go the extra mile and want the coach to push them.

“They truly believe anything is possible. They don’t listen to the word NO. They are persistent. They are prepared to learn from someone who says NO to them. I personally believe I have learnd more from the people who said no to me than from the ones that said yes.”

This brings us to another very important characteristic – vision.

Usually, this vision grows as they start to see the results of their hard work pay off.

“The best clients I have ever had are the ones who had vision and dreams – and a passion to make it happen. These people don’t call them goals; they call them ‘musts’ because if it is a must, you will surely find a way. As a Business Coach, these clients give you a whole new set of challenges keeping them on track, but boy it is a whole lot more fun than trying to drag a horse to water!”

Of course, successful people are also great leaders.

“They are great leaders, even if at first they are only leading themselves. They must be able to lead a team towards a common goal. They are passionate team builders with clear goals. And they are prepared to take a risk and to have a go.

“With their vision and passion they inspire the team around them to live not only the company’s dream, but their own. They believe in leverage, and the fact that you and your business are only as good as your people. They know people don’t really buy products and ’stuff; they buy people.”

These leaders walk the talk. They do what they say, they lead by example and all have a desire to see each team member rise to be the very best they can. And they will compensate them generously for it.

There’s another important characteristic they all seem to have.

“That’s an insatiable need for knowledge and personal growth. These business owners are continually reading any non-fiction book or listening to programs to help them learn more. They think nothing of attending various seminars and courses run by top speakers, trainers and mentors.

“It still amazes me how sceptical and cynical the average business owner is out there about this and, of course, it rubs off on their team and ultimately their customers.

“They believe marketing is an investment and that customers should be turned into Raving Fans. In fact the whole team is trained how to keep customers for life and how to generate business through referrals.

“These people are never scared of giving something new a try, as long as the results are known and reviewed. We call this Test and Measure. They keep changing their approach until they get the results they desire.

“Lastly, they all have a vision to contribute – to give something back to their community, their team, their family, their customers, or to charities.”

One man gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want [Proverbs 11-24].

Or as John Bunyan said, he who bestows his goods upon the poor shall have as much again, and ten times more.

Many people are bogged down, blaming others for their situation. They may be living in the past due to bad experiences or sitting comfortably in denial.

These people, many of our coaches say, are uncoachable.

I agree.

And they’ll remain uncoachable until they make a conscious decision to take ownership of their lives. It all comes down to being able to take a simple decision – and that’s a decision to be outstanding.

It’s a decision to mix with successful people who also have a good positive outlook on life and a positive energy which rubs off on others.

“Turn your dreams into goals, your goals into plans and your plans into actions. That’s what successful people do to achieve their success.”

- Brad Sugars -

Once upon a time to succeed in business all you had to do was work really hard, put in long hours and be as tenacious as a foxy dog.

Back then, there was no such thing as the Internet or even the global economy.

Since then, the business world has matured and small business owners now face a mortality rate high enough to scare them into the thought of going back and getting a job.

They have to survive in a world where dropping the ball for a second could mean bankruptcy or even worse.

And yet small business survives … and for a knowledgeable group, it is profitable as well. So what is the secret, how do some businesses bring in super-profits while others work and work and work for nothing? And how do you implement this secret into your business?

The secret is a Business Coach, and all it takes is one phone call.

You’ve read about some of the amazing success stories businesses all over the world have had through coaching. And it doesn’t matter in what country they’re in or what size their business is, the results are all quite spectacular.

And it also doesn’t matter how experienced the business owner is either. The examples I’ve written about in this book span as wide a range of businesses as you could imagine. You see, business coaching levels the playing field and gives your business the upper hand. No longer will you need to be your own expert.

The advantage comes from having someone to bounce ideas off, someone to teach you how to resolve your own issues, achieve your goals, make you accountable and give you the support you need to stay focused. Suddenly you will have an advisor, when before you only had yourself.

Don’t get me wrong, you can survive in business without a Business Coach, but you will never thrive.

You see, a Business Coach will work with you on every area of your business … sales, marketing and advertising, team building and recruitment, systems and business development, customer service and of course, turnover and profitability.

Over a 12-month period, you will be able to relinquish more and more of your day-to-day tasks and take a strategic role in your business – until you reach the point where you actually become the business owner, instead of an employee in your own company. Imagine … how much difference it will make if you work ON your business, instead of IN it.

But having a Business Coach isn’t in itself enough to guarantee your business will fly.

There’s one other important ingredient, and that’s you need to be what I call “coachable.”

You need to be hungry for success and willing to do whatever it takes to get there.

To illustrate what I mean, I asked two of my Business Coaches to talk about the similarities they’ve found in all the successful people they’ve coached.

I asked them to describe their similarities or things they had in common …

The Outcome

After just 3 months the results posted were over budget by some 75%.

That was way over the 30% Bill had hoped for.

Sales continued to climb largely thanks to the renewed and rejuvenated customer focus. Record sales months were posted and by month 6, Bill was leveraged out of sales and a salesperson recruited. This allowed him to work more on the business instead of in it.

Fine-tuning continued for a year, with the end result being that sales were up by 65% over the year and the previous year’s Net Loss was turned into a healthy Net Profit.

Recognizing the benefits of the coaching program, Bill and Pam decided to continue on for another 6 months in order to implement further changes.

We immediately took measures to fortify the gains made during the first 12 months. As most businesses fail the year after they record their largest growth, we analyzed the figures and determined that costings needed refining.

Two of the 3 product sets they stocked were sometimes sold at a loss in a very price competitive market. It was decided that, in the future, they would only be sold at full margin with no discounts applicable. Since this decision was taken, both products have been selling well, with no adverse effects whatsoever.

During the next 6-month period, Taplin continued to rewrite its record books and recorded multiple months with sales up 400% on previous average months before coaching commenced, with stronger Net Profit due to cost improvements.

They are really beginning to see the compounding effect of the strategies implemented during the first 12 months.

Then, during the 1st week of November, Taplin recorded their highest ever sales week.

Sales were almost twice that of a previous average month!

Furthermore, Bill Sr. and Bill Jr. took a Friday off to go fishing – a first while he’s run the business.

So, is he delighted with the results achieved so far?

Absolutely.

“The most notable changes have been so many little things,” he says. “Particularly with our attitude and confidence, and now our goals don’t seem the insurmountable mountain we always thought they were. Testing and measuring has been a huge success; knowing who our customers are and where they come from, as well as improving our service and consciously making it easy for them to do business with us.

“Personally, our attitude and confidence in ourselves has changed significantly for the better. The challenge was actually keeping control of the business, especially during times of growth, and not letting it control us.”

But their results have been more concrete than that.

“Since starting coaching we’ve had a 65% increase in sales in the 12 months to the end of June, with an even better profit result. And this has been in a very competitive market that is going through a cyclical downturn with some businesses still closing down.”

What lies ahead for the business, now that they’ve unlocked their true potential?

“This year we plan to grow our turnover to $1M, which will be the same dollar increase we’ve just been through, and we can refine our profit even more. Also after all this growth, we’re looking forward to taking some real time off – a week off soon, and then maybe a fortnight later on in the year. Before coaching, it just wasn’t a possibility, but we can really see that happening now.

“Coaching really got us out of the mud.

“Before we were in the dark. Now we can see!”