Month: October 2012

Have you ever noticed how you feel after a coaching session?

Are you energized and focused?
Or are you feeling drained and unsure?

It was not long after I finished my coach training.

I was eager to show the world how amazing coaching is.  I just wanted to coach; I didn’t care who, I didn’t care what issues, I didn’t think about what I was actually interested in.

I just wanted to coach.

I would tell people about my qualifications and my previous work experience.  My enthusiasm did get me a few clients.  Each one was completely different to the next.  They were recommended by friends or relatives and they were willing to give me a chance.

One client was having relationship difficulties; she was trying to figure out whether to get divorced.  Another was looking for a partner, desperate to meet someone and have a child.  One client told me his business was failing; another was in the wrong job.

I still loved the coaching but more often than not I was frustrated, exhausted and unclear as to whether the coaching was having any impact at all. 

I was certainly not in my element (by the way, check out Ken Robinson’s excellent book ‘The Element’).

Then I discovered my story…what I’m really good at and what I’m really passionate about.

And it made a huge difference to my business.  In fact, I started seeing that my coaching is a business, not a practice, not a hobby but a real business…and of course, I started attracting clients that were ideal.

What does ideal client mean?  The kinds of clients that you LOVE working with, that have incredibly breakthroughs from working with you so that you have impact and they have success, and you both end up energized and excited by your sessions together.

Do you have clients like this?  Do you have enough of them?

I realized that I need to help people find their story.  It’s the key to attracting clients, not just any clients but the ones you absolutely love to work with! 

You see when you tell your story, your expertise shines through.  Your passion and drive is so compelling and you are completely present.  And of course, I’m talking about your real story, not something made up for fun or to try and convince someone of something.  I’m talking about the story of you – the real ‘why’ of what you do and who you are!

You discovered your productivity trigger and transformed your first hour to be more productive. The third question to answer as you increase sales and achieve greater productivity so you leave the office earlier to do what you love with those you love is this:

How do I limit technology’s intrusion on my productivity?

Marilyn vos Savant says, “Working in an office with an array of electronic devices is like trying to get something done at home with half a dozen small children around. The calls for attention are constant.”

Technology intrudes with a creep, then leaps onto the stage of our productivity; seizing the starring role. Greater productivity is essential to your Work Positive lifestyle which means you daily recognize the creep and create boundaries that limit it.

You’re in a team meeting. Your desk phone rings. Do you read the Caller ID and decide about answering?

You’re working on your computer on an important project. Is your e-mail open? Is it set on automatic?

What if you’re with a customer and your smartphone buzzes with a call? Do you take it?

Multi-tasking is a productivity buster. The myth is you do more. The reality is you do less and what you do get done is less well.

Here are three actions to take today to increase your productivity and limit technology’s intrusion:

Establish Technology Schedule

Set up specific times when you employ various technology. Answer email on a schedule—a certain block and time yourself. Turn off the automatic updating feature on your computer and smartphone’s email. Forward requests best answered by a team member. Listen to voicemails and return calls on a schedule.

Engage Selectively

Your phone may be smart, but you’re not when selecting how to engage. Social media is a marvelous relationship-building tool. Use it. Monetize it.

But do you really need a notification when someone wants to connect on LinkedIn? Or, updates their status on Facebook? Or, tweets a rant about an airline?

Engage selectively with those in your primary sphere of influence. Clients, team members, and family members are top drawer. The rest are also-ran’s for your attention.

Your productivity is at stake. Want to increase sales and get out of the office earlier? Create boundaries with your smartphone with categories for interaction. Engage selectively.

Execute with the “OFF” Button

You pay for technology services. They are to serve you, not vice versa. Turn them totally off at designated times to innovate and create. A buzz, bing, or bleep dams up your flow for broadening outcomes and developing a new mindset. Avoid drying up your creative stream by pressing the “off” button.

Create boundaries around your technology that allow you to focus completely on what is most important and enjoy your increase in sales with greater productivity which gets you of the office earlier to play with your family and friends—your new Work Positive lifestyle!

About the Author: 

Dr. Joey Faucette is the #1 Amazon best-selling author of Work Positive in a Negative World (Entrepreneur Press), coach, and speaker who help professionals discover success in the silver lining of their business and achieve their dreams. Discover more at www.ListentoLife.org/speaking.