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My coaching guarantee

Since 1997, I have provided an unconditional guarantee on coaching services from Action Learning Associates.

There is no “fine print.”

If you are not happy, then I do not want your money.

With many clients, I offer a coaching for results guarantee.  If we agree to work together, and you do the work, then you can pay me at any time.  I guarantee high value.  To date, after hundreds of clients, 100% of them have paid for their coaching services.  Some agreed to pay a lesser amount than we had expected.  Some agreed to pay more.  Virtually 100% found the coaching to be valuable.

Here is why I provide that guarantee.  When I was in high school I had two paper routes.  And I worked at a warehouse after school.  And I cleaned windows and did lawns in the neighborhood.  One neighbor wanted the windows cleaned.  I said, “Yes of course.”  It took about two days.  Imagine sweaty grimy paper towels and windex.  Three stories of filthy windows.  Midsummer heat.  I was tired… but I did my best to do the job.  When the neighbor asked how much to pay me, I countered with, “Let me ask you two questions and then we will likely agree on a number.”

The first question was, “Were you delighted with the service I provided and would you hire me or refer me if the need arose again?”  She said yes.

The second question was,  “What was the value of this service for you?”  She said a number that was higher than what I expected.  I said thank you.

That was in 1981 or so… and I have used that process ever since.

Recently I learned that Marshall Goldsmith, a premier executive coach, uses a similar model when coaching for results.  Here is that model:

 

 

Our coaching tracks the proven eight-step process:

  1. Select the appropriate coach
  2. Measure baseline performance
  3. Identify areas for skills development
  4. Formulate a custom training regimen
  5. Secure stakeholder buy-in
  6. Implement the training regimen
  7. Follow up with stakeholders
  8. Measure results
I like this model and this list.  There are no “fine details.”  All about coaching for results.
So, are you ready to work together?  Give me a call now.

 

I Only Sell Value

People buy products and services ONLY when they see tremendous value.

When I need a discount I go to Amazon or Costco.  Transactional level of services.  I do not compete with such transactional “business coaches.”  If someone wants information they can have it from my transactional websites, www.growcompany.co and www.startcompany.co.

When I want to provide tremendous value to a business owner or team, then I ALWAYS provide 3 levels of value.  People need to choose.  And they pay more for each investment.

Then I strive to ALWAYS over-deliver on whatever value level they select.

If you’d like to see a sample proposal, just call or reply directly.

How about you, do you ONLY sell value?

Define only 3 Top Goals, then 1 Top Goal

Jim Collins is credited with saying, “If you have more than 3 “top goals”, then you will not make any a priority.”

Review your goals list.  Narrow it to your Top 3.  No more.  Stay focused on those.

We know from research tinto successful people that they ALL have an obsessive focus on one goal.  Not three goals…  Consider Steve Jobs, Martin Luther King Jr, anyone in any history book.  They had one goal.  Only one.  Only 1.

So, what is your 1 top goal?

10 Tips for Distinctive Client Service

Distinctive client service separates you from everyone else who talks about professionalism but doesn’t deliver on it.

You can use these 10 tips from a recognized, distinctive financial professional. They are relevant for any service professional, from consulting to sales.

Every financial adviser talks about client service.  You may even state that client service is one of your “top priorities.” You may even have a poster on your wall or mission statement that emphasizes how much you value client service.

I say, “So what?”

Clients don’t care about posters or mission statements. Your clients and prospects want to know what makes you distinctive.

So be distinctive!  For example, one of my coaching clients, Mary, is very successful.  In fact, she was just recognized by her clients for the excellent service she provides.  Though it seems to come naturally to her, Mary was asked to prepare some comments on how she creates amazing client service for a panel presentation in Hilton Head, S.C.

Hundreds of financial professionals aspiring to her level of success listened for nuggets that they could apply to their businesses to gain an edge over their competitors.  Here’s the list Mary presented at the meeting.

Perhaps her tips—and my commentary on them—can help you develop a new level of distinction in your client service.

1.    Create a professional environment. Start by taking an objective look at your work environment. Over 90% of effective communication is nonverbal.

  • Listen to the unspoken message. What is your environment saying to others? There are experts in office design and feng shui. Most of those experts provide a free consultation.
  • Let surroundings reflect your values. You need to create the environment that reflects your values. If you want a yellow room with sofas and cold drinks that promotes small talk and building relationships, invest in that room. If you want leather wing-back chairs and a flat-screen television showing MSNBC that promotes quick decision making, invest in that room. Physical spaces make a tremendous impact on people.

2. Go the extra mile. Meeting distinctive standards of appearance may include investing in some cosmetic improvements, like having your teeth polished, getting laser eye surgery, or even having cosmetic surgery. Do whatever it takes to look your absolute best.

  • Get strong. If you convey robust strength through your physical presence, you will gain trust. Yes, it’s true: people buy more from those who are more physically attractive.
  • Be healthy and robust. Improve your physical appearance by eating well, sleeping well, and exercising regularly. If you’re lucky, your parents or grandparents taught you what to do. If not, invest in a personal trainer or wellness center. Read any bestseller by Dr. Andrew Weil. Our bodies are organisms in natural decay. What can you do to improve your physical health and appearance?

3.    Demonstrate professional behavior. All effective businesspeople have the basics of the professional demeanor down. They know how to:

  • Lean forward
  • Use good eye contact
  • Take selective notes

If you lack those skills, hire a business coach or accountability partner. You can learn from them. To become distinctive, you may need to practice additional behaviors.

The most important behavior is to become comfortable with silence. What do I mean by that? You need to shut up and listen! God gave us two ears and one mouth to use in at least that proportion. Practice being Quakerly. I worked in Quaker environments for nine years. It took me that long to become comfortable with silence. One of my coaching clients, who speaks too often, recently went to a Quaker meeting as a homework assignment. You might want to try the experience, too. There is something magical about shared silence. It can build relationships and lead to sales.

For instance, in your business, just after you state your fees for services, you need to become silent. Just after you state your recommendation for that fund, you need to become silent.

Why? Because the next person to speak becomes the buyer!

If you fill the silence with awkward comments, or a feature or benefit dump, you will lose the sale. As soon as you become comfortable with silence, the prospect will speak and invest. I call this a Quaker close.

Here are some more familiar client service tips:

2. Maintain a professional appearance.  All professionals need to perpetuate a professional image. That is a given. I want to push you beyond business suits and well-groomed hair. Those are minimal standards of appearance.

3.   Deliver more than what you promise.  Make sure that you return all calls within the day.  Be early for meetings.

4.    Gain knowledge: Read, read, read! Because you are reading this article, I know that you want to learn. There is plenty of great reading material online.  Find great websites.  (FYI I am a contributing author at Horsesmouth.) If you spend time staring at a television screen, you could be spending better time staring at a laptop screen. If you are working within a company like Mary, it can provide a list of great books on investing and product knowledge. Set a reading goal. Mary reads two books a month on average and keeps three open at a time. Be an active reader.  She takes notes and writes book reviews and sends them to her clients. Reading should be interactive, not passive!  Go public with your opinions. Add your review to Amazon or any online bookstore. Include your contact information so that people know how distinctive you are. Share your favorites. Buy dozens of your favorite inspirational books and give them to your clients

5.    Gain knowledge by interacting with others. One reason for seminars and conferences is to force people to interact. In fact, your most valuable seminar time may be those transition moments in lobbies, elevators, and meals. Engage others as if they were prospects, by asking about their business success. A great opener may be, “I am focused on making my client service distinctive. What do you do that is distinctive?” People buy chutzpah. We all have chutzpah. When you share chutzpah, people will be attracted to you. For instance, Mary is an introvert, and practicing chutzpah is difficult for her. She makes calls from a private place. She closes her office door, and her assistant does not interrupt her. Sometimes she sits under her table because, she says, “It feels safe there.” When she engages someone on the phone, she stands up and walks around her office. At other times she hangs from a pull-up bar in her office, using her headset, because it gives her energy over the phone. You can become that person with the light in their eyes who is actively listening to someone.

6.    Share your knowledge. Mary used to follow the old advice “Fake it till you make it.” Now when she encounters a question she’s not sure about, she says, “I don’t know the answer to that question, but I will get back to you ASAP.” Then she finds the expert who can answer the question, thus expanding her own expertise and encouraging her clients’ trust.

7.    Treat others as if they were family. If you have older clients or prospects, take care of them as if they were your parents. If you have clients or prospects who are younger than you, look out for them as if they were your children or cousins. Respect trumps all obstacles.

8.    State your investment recommendation clearly. Mary used to provide multiple choices, background information on fund managers, and hypothetical spreadsheets. No more. People became confused. They hesitated. Now, Mary directs people to the fund that best suits their needs, and explains, “This is the best fund for you because…”

9.    Write articles for local readers. In Mary’s town, everyone reads the local paper, and she submits articles to it regularly. She uses articles straight from compliance and includes her headshot to be published alongside the piece. These informative articles always lead to warm prospects who say, “I’ve seen you somewhere before.”10.    Host birthday lunches. Among her many marketing tactics, Mary hosts bimonthly birthday lunches at a nice restaurant. Clients need to RSVP and are invited to bring guests who must also RSVP. Her clients love the attention. Not only do these events build the ties that bind, but they also generate both referrals and review meetings. For Mary, these pleasant get-togethers are fun—and productive.

The bottom line?  You can become distinctive by examining how you serve others, writing down your service values, and acting on them.

Mary has a list of her top five values on a dry-erase board in her office. She looks at it several times each day. It’s more than a reminder; it’s an affirmation. She tells all her clients and prospects, “Nobody provides better service than me,” and then she lives up to that claim daily. She cultivates relationships with accountants and attorneys. You can too.

Do it with chutzpah!

And when you need help, contact us at www.action-learning.com or call 704.895.6479.

Fee Ranges for Consulting Services

Let’s reduce some mystery in the consulting industry.

 

Annual revenue from management consulting in the U.S. was over $58B in 2016.

 

Question:  How much should you invest in your team or group?

Answer:  Enough to guarantee that your outcomes are exceeded.  Not a dollar more.

 

Use these Organizational Consulting Activities and Fee Ranges as a guideline.

 

1.  Consulting Day Onsite.   Fee Range $3,000-$10,000.  The primary reason to invest in external consulting is to accelerate desired change behaviors.  The services may include (1) assessments, (2) coaching or consulting, or (3) skills training.  Those services may be for individuals, groups (defined as 2+ people), or organizations.  Be wary of consultants who bill by the hour, because that practice is transactional and inherently unethical.  Be wary of consultants who offer an “in-town reduction,” or who charge additional fees for books, materials, or excessive travel.  Only select external consultants who provide tremendous value, clear contracts, expected outcomes, and then exceed any promises.   We typically provide three choices.   For details click here.

 

2.  Consulting Day Offsite  (research, data analysis, assessment development, etc.)  Fee Range $1,000-$5,000.  The primary reason to invest in such consulting days is to enable an expert to customize evidence-based content for your organization.   Be wary of consultants who charge an excessive fee for research on your project.  Those consultants may not be subject matter experts-  they may be billing you for their self-study.  That practice is both expensive and unethical.  However, it is fair and reasonable for any consultant to provide a summary of value provided for any offsite consulting work such as customization, research, or data analysis.  We always include those expenses in our value-based contracts for services.   Click here for details.

 

3.  Keynote or other brief speech.  Fee Range $2,000- $15,000.  The primary reason to invest in a motivational speaker is to introduce a new topic or to accelerate learning.   For instance, when we speak on “How to Apply Positive Psychology to your organization” the material is customized for your specific learning outcome.   Too many professional speakers (including some distinguished members of the National Speakers Association who endlessly self-promote) are struggling to survive.  (We have met many of them.  In fact, Doug’s brother, Stuart Gray, was featured on the cover of NSA Magazine.)   Only select speakers who can provide video evidence of their relevant expertise.  There is little evidence validating a long term impact from any motivational speaker.  The real value of speaking is to integrate customized learning into your business outcomes.  For recent details on our speaking expertise click here.

 

4.  Half-day workshop.  Fee Range $2,500- $7,500.  There may be a compelling business reason to provide content in a half-day workshop, rather than a full-day workshop.  For instance, when we provide workshops we integrate virtual or digital training into the process, with pre-event assessments, a digital playbook, and post-event impact boosters.  Those are evidence-based aspects of our process; therefore, we provide them at no additional cost for a workshop of any length.  Some consultants will have additional expenses if, for instance, we have 200 attendees instead of 20.  Those are real costs for assessments, customized program materials, group coaching, etc.  Be wary of any leadership program that is “off the shelf.”  There is little evidence to support their value.  And be wary of the assumption that a consultant can “condense a full-day into a half-day.”  That assumption is absurd.  Half-day workshops have different business outcomes from full-day workshops.  For details on each workshop design, contact us here.

 

5.  Full-day workshop.  Fee Range $5,000- $15,000.  Only select proven consultants who provide tremendous value.  Adult learners require meaningful experiential events.  Anything else is a waste of time, money and energy.  Leader development must be customized if you want impact.  Consider these facts:  Your operational investment into your full-day workshop is multi-fold.  The direct costs of the facility ($5,000) plus the direct costs of 20 people away from their desks ($20,000+) plus the real business lost from that day ($20,000+) mean that your investment in that full day workshop for 20 people actually exceeds $45,000.  We strongly recommend that you invest in expert consultants facilitating a complete process of pre-event assessment, customized delivery, and post-event impact boosters tied to business outcomes.  We have delivered hundreds of these programs.  For details contact us today.

 

6.  Executive Retreat, per day.  Fee Range $10,000-$50,000.  Executive leaders have unique demands on time and energy.  They require condensed leadership development experiences.  Those experiences must be remarkable.  We have facilitated executive retreats with private chefs in the mountains, and with professional actors in the city.  The reason to invest in an executive retreat program is to accelerate new learning in short, remarkable periods of time.  The goal is strategic transformation or breakthrough.  The action learning model is designed to foster breakthrough experiences.  Customization for your executive team is critical.  That process requires partnership with external trusted consultants.  That’s why you should call today.    For details, contact us.

 

7.  Systems Implementation  (e.g. talent assessment, organizational culture change, succession planning initiative).  Fee Range $10,000- $50,000.  Organizational leadership may be defined broadly as a series of phased interventions toward desired business outcomes.  That process requires ongoing active leadership from external consultants.  We provide the objective assessments that you require.  Be wary of any consultants who depend on online talent assessments for lower level employees, or those who sell boilerplate programs.  60-80% of change initiatives fail to be adopted.  Contact us for the detailed citations.  Do not waste any time or money.  Your success requires executive sponsorship, valid assessments (often at individual, team and organizational levels), proven process steps with measures for accountability, and specific expertise.  We are the experts.  We typically provide three choices or a phased set of solutions.   For details, contact us.

 

8.  Employee or Customer Surveys.  Fee Range $15,000- $100,000+.   Caution:  the ability to create an online survey does not make one expert in the use of surveys.  The primary reason to invest in any survey is to assess a population and make informed recommendations toward some desired business outcome.    Valid data requires external consultants with a reliable process.  Internal “consultants” or departments may be self-serving, because they are required to justify their importance.  Consequently, their survey findings may not be valid.  External service providers are absolutely essential for an objective assessment of your organizational performance.  The scope of your investment in these external surveys must vary with the scope of your business needs.   Assessments are (1) quantitative, (2) qualitative, or (3) mixed.  We strongly recommend that you hire an external consultant for surveys.  Contact us for details.

 

9.  Strategy Formulation.  Fee Range $50,000- $150,000.  One definition of strategy is a 3-year horizon line of behavior that reinforces the organizational culture.  The process of strategy formulation requires expert facilitators who can assess purpose, mission, values and culture.  External consultants with unrelated expertise may provide the best value to your organization.  For instance, we have worked with attorneys and accountants for 20+ years.  Recently we were hired to work with a mid-sized company of IT providers who required a new way of thinking about strategy.  They were delighted with their new strategy.  Be wary of the consultant who says, “I have no bias.”  We all have biases, and expertise, that will affect any investment in strategy formulation.  Our bias is based on evidence-based research in positive psychology that assumes a growth mindset that groups can flourish.  Our strategy formulation services are always provided in measurable phases with milestones,  so that all parties are delighted.  For details contact us.

 

10.  Organizational or Group Assessment.  Fee Range $20,000- $200,000.  External consultants are the ONLY people capable of providing objective data about your organization.   Internal consultants have an inherent bias that limits their effectiveness.   We partner with your internal leaders to provide the data you need to make informed decisions, reduce cost, or mitigate risk.  For 30+ years we have provided expert organizational and group assessments.  We know that the best talent assessment methodology includes a multi-rater (2+ consultants) multi-method (quantitative and qualitative) design, because the result has high predictive validity and reliability.  However, your group may only need a quantitative assessment.   Assessments are (1) quantitative, (2) qualitative, or (3) mixed.   Our theoretical model focuses on positive psychology, therefore we make recommendations based on your individual and organizational capacity to flourish.  Then we help you implement those recommendations.    Those details are here.

 

What are you waiting for?   Contact us today.

 

Download this list of services and investment levels now:

 

Now you have some numbers.    So what?

 

Contact us today.

 

Or call us at 615.905.1892 or schedule your initial consultation here.

 

Recipes for Creating Epiphanies

The holidays are a perfect time for baking and cooking… but an epiphany?

The word “Epiphany” can be both a holiday and a feeling.

Perhaps you know that the Epiphany holiday is celebrated near January 6, as a traditional time for feasts, fruitcakes, Twelfth Night, and the manifestation of Jesus to the Maggi.  In Colorado, people celebrate by catapulting fruitcakes.  In France, people eat the “King Cake” until a child finds the porcelain bean and is declared “King for the Day.”  A baptism connected to sudden surprise.  I love how we mash traditions and beliefs into one holiday.

The feeling of Epiphany  is a sudden realization, that “Eureka!” moment, when we discover something important (such as gravity), or something spiritual (such as God.)  In fact, psychologists study the feeling of epiphany when studying innovation.  Philosophers study supernatural insight.  Mystics study the conditions that support epiphanies.

Hmmm.

Why not celebrate both the holiday and the feeling?

What if we could, somehow, select the ingredients, create a recipe, then bake a fertile climate for epiphanies?  For instance, if we mashed together “preparation” and “inspiration”?  Or “market” and “opportunity”?  Or “buyer” and “seller”?  Or chocolate on top of  peanut butter cookies?

As a coach I help people design their future.  Kind of like helping them create the recipe, so that they can frost the cake.  The coaching process has 3 steps:  1) increasing awareness (of your strengths, a situation…),  2) taking action (with intentional constructive steps toward your personal and professional goals), and 3) driving accountability (determining what works, then doing more of that…”

I wonder if we can create Epiphanies, in a similar way?

Religious leaders and mystics talk about “Thin Places.”  These may be cathedrals (like Winchester) or ancient sites (like Stonehenge) that enable us to feel connected to the supernatural or spiritual.  If you have ever looked through stained glass, or sung in Handel’s Messiah, then you know about Thin Places.

For me, natural wild places are perfect conditions for Epiphanies.  Last week, for instance, I was running along a rocky ridge line in New Hampshire.  Imagine spruce and fir trees.  Ancient granite.  Snow and ice.  A good friend nearby.  Spectacular views of lakes and mountains.  Then imagine the sun setting into crimson lines of endless colors.  In that Thin Place I felt more spiritual than physical.

My epiphany was that, despite advancing age, I always feel stronger after a run.  Connected to something ancient.  Thankful for being alive.

So, here is a short Recipe for Creating Epiphanies:

1. Be physically active every day

2.  Serve others

3.  Do meaningful work

4.  Consider possibilities

5.  Maximize living in the Now

6.  Design the Future

 

And let me know how it goes…

Do you think it is possible to celebrate both the holiday and the feeling of epiphany?