I recently sat down with a small company that was asking for help with its marketing. Huh? Yes, marketing. I have many years of sales and marketing experience and I get asked to help in this area often, along with my innovative business coaching engagements.
What was fascinating about the conversation was that having sat and listened to what was required and what the end result should look like, I asked what I thought were some basic questions. How are you positioning yourself versus your competition? What is your USP, if any? What are your core focus areas and what are you secondary areas of interest? What is your strategy going forward in terms of emerging markets and technology?
Long silence.
I suggested that it might be a good idea to have this information before throwing large sums of money at marketing campaigns. And that having some supporting collateral would also be useful.
Nodding heads.
So what are the answers.....? Long silence.
Would it be beneficial to have some time with the key stakeholders in a room together to get this stuff worked out? Nodding heads.
The next step is a one day session working through these very key areas, with me acting as the facilitator. A good facilitator doesn't need to have industry specific knowledge but in this case I know the customer's marketplace very well so can add even more value to the process.
As a coach I enjoy the role of facilitator and it's a role I do perform well (I know that sounds immodest but it's true). If you find yourself with a need to 'fill-in the blanks' for your business or for a particular project, feel free to get in touch. I'd be happy to act as coach or facilitator for you. Just leave a comment and I'll get right back to you.
Showing posts with label facilitator. Show all posts
Showing posts with label facilitator. Show all posts
Monday, 17 May 2010
Break, Fix, Improve - Part 2
OK so we knew this one was coming!
In the previous post we were talking about something being broken, fixed and improved, in order to be stronger. In that post the subject was me. And a dodgy knee caused by my stubborn stupidity amongst other things.
But you have to admit that the parallels to businesses with issues are striking. Think of this. There's a business problem, albeit small, and so you ignore it. It's gets a little worse but you can still work through or around it. Eventually the issue can no longer be ignored. It's got to the point where the business can no longer function normally anymore.
So what should one do? Limp along with a fundamentally broken business, whilst losing valuable customers and staff? Or maybe look to address the issues? And in doing so work to ensure that the problems are dealt with and unlikely to return. And of course finally, to not only fix the immediate issue but to become stronger for the experience.
All sounds very obvious so far right? But you'd be amazed by how often issues are just left to fester. Things either slowly fall apart or people learn to live with them.
One of the many things a business coach can do is help organisations to deal with exactly this kind of scenario. Sometimes it takes an 'outsider' to be the bad guy, to call it as it is and suggest appropriate responses and changes. The keys are objectivity and independence. A coach has a brief to help the business. Whilst it's important, in my opinion, to have an understanding of the broader scenario, a good coach will work to the brief for the benefit of the business, without being swayed by politics or other influences.
We evaluate a problem, propose remedies, assist in implementation if required and help you and your business emerge stronger than ever.
In fact, we help with this scenario more than any other. If the above is familiar to you or there's another issue or question that springs to mind and you'd like to talk it through with me, please do get in touch. I look forward to hearing from you.
In the previous post we were talking about something being broken, fixed and improved, in order to be stronger. In that post the subject was me. And a dodgy knee caused by my stubborn stupidity amongst other things.
But you have to admit that the parallels to businesses with issues are striking. Think of this. There's a business problem, albeit small, and so you ignore it. It's gets a little worse but you can still work through or around it. Eventually the issue can no longer be ignored. It's got to the point where the business can no longer function normally anymore.
So what should one do? Limp along with a fundamentally broken business, whilst losing valuable customers and staff? Or maybe look to address the issues? And in doing so work to ensure that the problems are dealt with and unlikely to return. And of course finally, to not only fix the immediate issue but to become stronger for the experience.
All sounds very obvious so far right? But you'd be amazed by how often issues are just left to fester. Things either slowly fall apart or people learn to live with them.
One of the many things a business coach can do is help organisations to deal with exactly this kind of scenario. Sometimes it takes an 'outsider' to be the bad guy, to call it as it is and suggest appropriate responses and changes. The keys are objectivity and independence. A coach has a brief to help the business. Whilst it's important, in my opinion, to have an understanding of the broader scenario, a good coach will work to the brief for the benefit of the business, without being swayed by politics or other influences.
We evaluate a problem, propose remedies, assist in implementation if required and help you and your business emerge stronger than ever.
In fact, we help with this scenario more than any other. If the above is familiar to you or there's another issue or question that springs to mind and you'd like to talk it through with me, please do get in touch. I look forward to hearing from you.
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