Merry Christmas

It’s been a funny year with business confidence going up and down like a fiddler’s elbow finishing at all time low or with encouraging signs dependent on who you believe (Grant Thornton , BDO or Nottingham University ). It is at this time of the year that people reflect on the year gone and the year to come.

24th January 2011 is the date apparently when most New Year resolutions are broken or forgotten, so what’s the answer? Two obvious answers – employ a coach to help make them happen or set resolutions that you really want to achieve. No point saying you will give up smoking, if you’ve no intention of doing so; equally achieving goals is not cosmic ordering. (Of course I would like everyone to use a coach and preferably me.)

Nothing is ever achieved without input or action. Nothing worthwhile is ever achieved without hard work and lots of effort along with, most importantly to my mind, an idea of the purpose or vision. Sometimes in the heat of the action the vision is lost in the effort in getting to Friday, focus is always required and going back to goals.

Thanks for reading so far – of course if you want to know more phone me - 0787617344 or email me pc@bostonclarke.co.uk .

I hope you have a great Christmas and a very prosperous New Year.

Paul

Customer Service and Cold Calls

Cold Calls

Some days I get a lot of cold calls, most of which are badly done, which makes then more annoying than normal. The last one was from a SEO company I think. This is a service which I do not use for a variety of reasons which I carefully explained to the caller.
His objection handling technique was to quote, sarcastically, a variety of stats to prove I was wrong. I may have been wrong but as a prospect that is my choice and even my prerogative. The customer or prospect is always right until proved otherwise, a sure fire way to lose most customers is to insult them.
So I thought I would outline my thoughts on cold calling –

1 Don’t lie
2 Come to the point; introduce yourself and your company as soon as possible
3 Never deny that it is a sales call
4 Make sure you know why you are making the call – appointment, info gathering etc
5 Know what your first statement is going to be
6 Keep going, if all is not going well, may be review your content
7 If the call is successful, keep going
8 If the call is successful, confirm details and deliver
9 Be yourself

Customer Service
Talking to a trainer this week – she that customer service was all about attitude. Absolutely correct. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes and look at how your service is?

Thanks for reading this

Have a good Christmas

Paul

Confidence

Self Confidence

I have met some coaches in the last few weeks at various networking meetings. We compared notes and found that one of the common themes amongst our clients was confidence or lack of it in some situations.
I should mention at this point that total confidence in all situations with no self awareness is a recipe for disaster, no one wants a boss who is always right. Of course that could be better than a boss who is never right.
Quick steps to better confidence
• Rational Analysis
• Visualisation
• Physical
• Self Efficacy

Rational Analysis
Basically – you can do it. What is the logical reason for your lack of confidence in a certain area? Reframe that and say what’s stopping me!

Visualisation
Technique used by David Beckham and Johnny Wilkinson. Imagine what success looks like and then how to get there. It will reinforce the idea that its possible and also that the idea that a setback is just that, not failure.

Physical
Hold your head up! This is about countering the physical effects of low confidence. To counter these, hold your head up, dress well, walk strongly – in short appear confident on the outside.

Self Efficacy
If he, or she can do it so can I. In short if someone else is doing what you want to do and doing it well, what’s stopping you? A technique used a lot by pyramid schemes such as Herballife to great effect.

As ever I would be only too delighted to run through these ideas with you.

Cheers Paul

07876173444

Limiting Belief?

Limiting Belief?
I’ve been to a few networking meetings over the last week or so. In the discussions after these meetings a recurring theme has been, it was better in the good old days.
We all might take issue and say was it really better in the good old days, but what concerns me is that is this opinion a limiting belief. A limiting belief is a belief that limits someone’s actions so that they underachieve.
Experience or background lead to beliefs which then become attitudes and feelings which are reinforced by results after the actions which happen after the attitudes. The reinforcement makes the belief more important until it becomes a SFP – a self fulfilling prophecy. Common limiting beliefs are we will never sell to companies in Leeds, we’re not big enough, it will never work and so on. They limit or stop performance. The good news is that these can be overcome and performance maximised.
So is going back to the good old days a limiting belief - yes it can be if it is used as a reason to believe that it will never work. Plus if you can’t change it, why worry move on and work with the hand you’ve got.
Thanks for reading – if you need to remove barriers to your success 0787617344

Paul

More Sales Stuff

More Sales Tips

Sell Benefits – not features, if you don’t know what the benefits of your products or services are ask your existing customers.

If you are not getting hold of a prospect don’t give it keep trying. Try different times of day.

Keep up an even amount of prospecting, diary in a set amount each week , and do it.

Keep a sense of perspective, not every call works but the next one might.

Be cheerful , lighten your prospects load , be yourself .

Good Luck

Paul

New Season Part 2 and selling in hard times

Selling at the moment for some people is a bit tricky to say the least.To be successful the seller has to get back to basics . Never mind social media and twittering .Get your message in front of the right people at the right time and then sell. Find out the benefits of your product and sell it . The process might take longer than normal , but be persistent and carry on.

Good Luck !


By the way , the real news , Boston are currently second in the Bet Square North . They are newly promoted and doing fantastic .

Cheers Paul 07876173444

pc@bostonclarke.co.uk

New Start New Season

Its a new start only because I have just got back from Cornwall after my holiday , and the new season is obvious with Boston United top of the Blue Square Bet Northern Division with 9 points from 3 games ,as well as 11 goals . In the last game against Redditch they scored 9 goals away from home,a record.

Today is a great day - my elder daughter passed her GCSE's with flying colours and loads of A's . I also managed to win the Simply Networking World Cup Competition . This must make me one of the only Englishmen to win against serious opposition at the World Cup.

So its back to the day job , coaching and helping business leaders achieve more with less effort .Obviously if you want to find out how contact me (07876173444) .

I will leave you with a thought from the BBC website . A professor said the GCSE results were good because state schools .... tend to enter pupils for subjects in which they are likely to get good grades.. Really I thought the best option was to do stuff you were likely to be bad at , but what do I know. Next time you need an opinion try - thebleedingobvious etc etc .


Cheers


Paul

Coaching?

The coaching I deliver is a form of personal development aimed at and designed for business people.It delivers improved productivity and profitability by defining the vision , increasing the focus and removing the barriers to success.

The results are quick , cost effective and lasting because the client takes the action and direction not me .

Social Networking ? has selling , cold calling really come to an end ? Please let me know if it has .

Finally football season is soon upon us - Come on You Yellows

Cheers Paul

More Marx

I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it.


Groucho Marx


This is the second blog featuring Groucho. The quote could be shortened to Carpe Diem or Take Action or Just Do it. These latter quotes are great shorthand but there is more to it than that. Everyone has a choice. We can wake and think, what a great day this is going to be or we can think asda (another sodding day at).

We have a choice - positivity or negativity, or as it was put to me this week; you know the what, now work out the how! We all need help with the how and maybe to start with the what. But once the what is established (and it’s possible) the how must be possible with the right help, determination, enthusiasm and perhaps a touch of good fortune.

I believe that successful business people are self confident, self aware and know the process that makes them money. So what is self confidence, what does it really mean? At least two feelings add up to self confidence ; self esteem and knowledge that your tasks or tasks can be done and have be done by you or someone similar , sometimes called self efficacy.

Self efficacy is why when the big goal or vision is set up or the what established,we quickly break it down into smaller goals. This means that progress is easier to track and confidence can be built from small successes instead of waiting for the big one .This part allows big things to be achieved by knocking off little challenges and helps us to persist , so becoming more confident.Self esteem is our view of ourselves, that we are approved of, our actions are respected. More than that we know we can deliver, we can take action to make what we say we can do, happens.

Self-confidence can be built with affirmations and positive thinking, but to keep it going you need positivity. A big goal and from that lots of small goals. The vision must be right, it must keep you uplifted, keep you going, you must believe. England have won two World Cups this century and in both cases they believed. Martin Johnson was not going to lose that final (2003) at any cost. Wilkinson got the headlines but it was Johnson’s on field belief that won that competition. He took the choice to believe that each victory led to the ultimate victory.

If you want to action to find the right help, to determine the what, the how or all of it so that you can begin to achieve your vision,please contact me 07876173444.

Cheers Paul

Gigs , Bradford and SBR's

Mentioned in a previous blog Bradford Nowhere, well its now here on the 5th of July details at http://www.bradfordnowhere.com . No doubt will be hosted by the wonderful Mr. John Hotowka. Also with less notice Gary Blonder is speaking at a Grid BBQ details at http://bit.ly/bqe1Gi

Lastly a bit of a plug SBR’s – Strategic Business Reviews . Business Link Yorkshire have a funding opportunity which allows companies to access a SBR which will focus on sales and marketing . The opportunity is framed such that there will be a chance to get a review and some support to implement a plan ; and its free 100% funded .

Anyone interested in this should give me a ring - 07876173444 - in the first instance

Thanks

Paul

Success

To Plan or Not

In one of the seemingly endless World Cup warm up programmes Jens Lehmann was an object or ridicule because he had a list in his socks about the Argentinean penalty takers. This seemed to be a really bad thing to do for some obscure reason.

Not quite sure what was worse, having the ambition to win a game or using every legal method available to win a game and ultimately the whole competition.

In his maiden gig Gary Blonder talked entertainingly about having one controlling idea, which is a great way to get focus. In reality what would be better; amateurish failure which appears to be England’s fate again (SWP / Heskey? ) , or winning three World Cups and three European Championships .

It’s great being English but wouldn’t real success be great as well. Real Success needs a vision, focus and lots and lots of motivation .If you want to get a vision and hold – let me know.


Paul

Groucho Marx and Communication

Years ago, I tried to top everybody, but I don't anymore. I realized it was killing conversation. When you're always trying for a topper you aren't really listening. It ruins communication.

Groucho Marx

Does anyone recognise this ? I do . It does kill conversation if you are constantly trying to top the story . It means you are not really listening at all. That's maybe OK in the pub or golf club (I do get some high class readers) but with a prospect , it could the end of the sale.

Look out for more tips - may involve Groucho may not

I must confess, I was born at a very early age.
Groucho Marx

Grants and Aims , Objectives

Good afternoon all ,

There are some grants available at the moment and the message is get them while they're hot . They might not be here for long . If you want to know more give me a ring - 07876173444.

Are you in mid year low resolution limbo? It is the time to redefine those aims , objectives or goals . (without goals you can't score) Were those resolutions made in January urgent , compelling and vital to your business ? Have they been achieved ? If so fantastic ! Do you need to achieve even more ?

Not been achieved , what stopped you ? What would you have done differently given the chance ? What would difference to your business would the goals made ?

If you want to achieve more ,review your aims or find your true business vision ; we need to have a chat .

look forward to helping your get more


Paul

YBNA - don't mention the election

This week I am doing the focus spot at YBNA , Wednesday morning 7.30am at the Kestrel on Wetherby Road , Harrogate . www.ybna.co.uk . I mention this so you know if to attend or not based on the speaker .

Also doing a Business Link workshop in Bradford and a Enterpreneur Network meeting at Huddersfield University .

Have a great week and I didn't mention it


Paul

YBNA

just a quick one to say I am speaking at YBNA in the morning - www.ybna.co.uk . Come along and see what I have to say .

Give me a ring if you want to attend any of the meetings

End of the season

End of the road for Boston United this season and the Pilgrims are going up to Blue Square North . Heady Heights indeed - not quite the Football League and Gazza but it is a move in the right direction after a few years going in the wrong direction.

http://www.bufc.co.uk/article/3228557/Heroic-United-secure-promotion

End of Season - almost

Firstly - Bradford Now Here on Tuesday night - great venue , great event. If you get a chance next time - July sometime - go just for the venue , its brill. Mirrors and a chandilier the size of a Zeppelin , and its free . All that plus Clive Gott , who is always great value and for free can't beat it. Clive made the point about taking action but in the right direction which he and I would call vision .The right direction is achieved by the setting of goals , which of course brings me onto the end of the season almost .
Glossing over Arsenal , who fall into the overpaid lightwieghts category , and mentioning Boston United (Boston Clarke - a connection) who fell at almost the last hurdle failing to score at Marine yesterday but there is still the play offs . There is a connection there between the supporters and the club , the players which I feel is now missing in the case of the big clubs . Boston have been tremendous since Christmas and I hope that they get through the playoffs and in the Blue Square.

So give John Hotowka's event a go next time and look out for great success from BUFC.


Thanks


Paul

General Election

General Election
It‘s here at last. The General Election a chance to elect new leaders of our country to lead us successfully into the newish decade or more old tosh generated by a load of out of touch degenerates who you wouldn’t let do your shopping .
Depends on your attitude really – attitudes can be really important and can drive us on to achieve great things or leave us slumped in a chair bemoaning our fate. They will be a lot of “when I was a young man/woman it was a lot better than now “. It might have been, but one of the certainties in life is that, unless your name is Who, you can’t go back.
People who dwell in the past create limiting beliefs which stop them moving forward .I can break the cycle of belief – attitude – behaviour and create better results.
So the Election then – load of old tosh or a great opportunity to use our democratic rights – you choose.

Quotes - "Squeaky Bum Time"

For those of us who twitter - bostonc in case you were wondering - we all must have at least one co twitterer who posts quotes from other people .

Do you find quotes useful or not ? Does it depend on the moment ?I find the tips that I receive about pcs and marketing useful at times , does the same happen for you about quotes ?


I like this one -

The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind. William James

Mind you I also like - Better to be a mug than smug . Ian Dury


I would be interested in your views.


Paul

2 gigs plus

2 gigs next week . I am doing a spot at YBNA next Wednesday morning - www.ybna.co.uk . I am also doing a talk to business students at St.John Fisher school in Dewsbury .
YBNA is a networking group that has many benefits , good supportive people ,business being done and its cheap . What more do you want ?

Plus don’t forget the 25th of March – see last post – still seats available

New Workshop

Brand New Workshop


What does it do ? - Increases sales and opportunities

Whose it For ? MD's and Directors

When is it ? Thursday March 25th 9.30 – 4.00

Where ? National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), National Early Years Enterprise Centre, Longbow Close, Huddersfield, HD2 1GQ

How Much ? - £225 plus vat


Want to know more – email me at pc@bostonclarke.co.uk / 07876173444

More Goals - or maybe less

Goals Part Two

As I thought last time,it didn't last (Arsenal on top)– this time as ever in football not enough goals . Goals – they are the stuff of quote websites , you know the sort of thing “without goals you can't score”.... “Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement” and so on and on and on . Its as if to set a goal is all you need to do .As many people find (and teams) wanting to achieve is not enough . The goal has to be realistic and achievable as before . As a company and as a team you need to have a working and repeatable process to achieve - really successful people are self aware , self confident and understand their process.

The goal should as before broken into small ones which make you jump out of bed with enthusiasm ,because you know its within your reach .I'm never going to be a jockey or even less likely a singer .

OK so you have a big goal – winning the premiership – broken down into smaller goals “we take every game as it comes ,John”.Or more seriously your business goal is become the premier supplier of printed plastic media in the North of England but first you wish to be pre-eminent in Wakefield .So how does that translate into action and how does that work from day to day ?

1 You must have an emotional tie into it . The benefit of achieving it must be so wow that it drives you on . Many people are driven by misfortune , or I'll show them – there is evidence that some highly successful people are driven that way . That might work for you (it doesn't for me) but find that emotional tie in and you will drive forward .

2This emotion should provide focus

3 The long term aim should not be lost in the day to day necessary stuff of breaking bigger into smaller shorter term goals .


Next time I will spell out the goal setting process in more detail – if this blog or any other or any other info I have posted , contact me and will can have a chat about the possible way forward for you – pc@bostonclarke.co.uk / 07876173444



Thanks and there is always next season – maybe not for Mr.Wenger



Paul

Goals and being top of the premiership

Goals

As Arsenal sit atop the Premiership (21/01/10),I included the date as this could change (are all football followers pessimists ?)my thoughts turn to the importance of goals .

Goals are important , without them you can’t score . They add focus and achieving them gives you a reason to celebrate (shirt over your head might not suit your business).

They are loads of models for goal setting but the important point is that the goal should be stretching but possible , measurable and relevant . Even more important than all that stuff is that your goals should make you bounce out of bed ready to go do them , the reason to store that bogof champers in the back of the fridge .

Great big goals are terrific but are far more likely to be achieved when split into smaller clearly defined ones, every journey starts with a single step.

By the setting of these sharply defined goals you can raise your self esteem , confidence as you realise the possibilities that your business future becomes .

Developing this further; getting the goal , vision , objective right and communicating it well to your staff , family , supporters will retain support and staff enabling your business to stride forward confidently into the future .

If you want to explore this and other aspects of coaching try me on 07876173444 or pc@bostonclarke.co.uk.


Paul

Two Things

Happy New Year – again

Two things today

Kirklees Council in their wisdom decided that Castle Hall School in Mirfield was to close under the brighter futures scheme . The Office for School Adjudicator ruled against this , which is great news for Mirfield and north Kirklees .

The big thing here is that the schools in Mirfield , the parents , the students , the governors said NO to Kirklees and were vindicated . This is a great decision for common sense against council stupidity .

I attended some council meetings on this issue and found the council members to be arrogant and smug at best .

So there were lots of smiles in Mirfield last night and today .


And to finish I met someone today at a networking event called Paul Clarke – which is truly strange and the first time ever .


OK thanks for reading – nothing deep and meaningful – so the quote from Ian Dury “I’d rather be a mug than smug”


Paul Clarke

Coaching Reduces Panic - FACT

Happy New Year !


Coaching Reduces Panic - Fact!

Over the past years I've been involved with a large range of enterprises and I'm delighted to be able to say that the coaching I've provided has made a difference, a huge difference in many instances. The proof of this comes in many ways, from testimonials through to repeat business and recommendations from satisfied clients to others who then use our services.

There's also another altogether more dramatic piece of evidence that coaching works and it's this: When initially involved with new clients I frequently receive a relatively large volume of "panic emails" about all sorts of issues, occasionally at the earliest of times, 3:00am not being untypical. The reason behind this, of course, is that SMEs don't have massive problem-solving resources at their disposal and they soon run out of the ability to cope with a variety of problems that are impacting adversely on their operations. More importantly, if not quickly resolved these problems can and do bring SMEs to their knees which is why "panic-calls" are often viewed as absolutely necessary.

Studying my own experiences as a business coach over the last few years I was able to track the way in which instances of the nature described above peaked within the first few days or weeks of my coaching involvement and then rapidly reduced before disappearing altogether. It's happened again very recently with a new client who was literally ringing me at 3:00am during the embryonic stage of our working relationship. She's now so busy actually running her business thanks to the coaching she's received that she is unable to meet with me again for two months. She's therefore an extremely happy and satisfied client.

If you are experiencing panic attacks within your business about where to go next or what to do next – then Boston Clarke's coaching programs will help . Our coaching approach is results oriented, practical, innovative and exciting. It also eliminates panic!

Cheers Paul