My client is killing me! How to get the pesky ones to back off!

by Stephanie York on March 19, 2010

The customer is always right, there is no way you can ever give too much attention to them or give too much great customer service. In today’s society many people have an immediate need to be served. How many of us get impatient in the grocery line if someone pulls out the check book, it takes an extra 30 seconds. We don’t even have anywhere to go yet we feel put out, anxious and in a rush. This is what has happened to everyone. Go back to my post on PDAs and the internet, we want it all and we want it now!

So, what do we do with a demanding client? This person is pushing us around and making life in general miserable. They call all the time, keep us on the phone, demand in person meetings and interrupt us so much we can’t even get them what they want let alone anyone else. You know what that job title is? Personal assistant! If they are not paying your annual salary then you MUST get them under control. Here are some simple ways to reach out to your clients and help them understand.

1. Create a letter that explains your process, what you will do for them and how long this should take. In this letter explain how interruptions during this process will add hours and even days to you providing them the service you are promising. Put in the letter what the expectations for communication are, e-mails will be returned within 4 hours etc.

2. Sit down with them at the beginning of the relationship and explain the letter, answer any questions they may have. You will alleviate 50% of the interruptions by creating expectations ahead of time. Have them read it and sign it.

3. If the interruptions start, make sure you remind them of the communication times and ask that they e-mail you their concerns so you can review them as soon as you are finished.

4. Plan a certain amount of your day when you do not answer the phone. Leave a message on the answering machine that say, “ I am in the office but meeting with clients. Please leave a message, your number and what this is regarding and I will call you back as soon as I get out of my meeting.”

If these tips don’t work you may have one of the casualties of our new faster communications age, the needy client. You can fire them but then we all need to pay bills. Good luck and if you need a little more help or have a specific issue please call me, it’s what I do. Stephanie York, coaching@descoaching.com,               (805)201-2466         (805)201-2466

{ 0 comments }

The 5 things to consider when looking for a Business Coach

by Stephanie York on March 19, 2010

Finding a business coach that fits in with you is like trying to find a partner to start a company with or hiring someone that can work in the company and fit in to the business day in and out. There are some key things that must be considered and some other less obvious things that are very important.

COST: Absolutely this is the biggest deciding factor. However, it should never be the only one. There are as many coaching models out there as there are fast food restaurants. Unlike clipping out a coupon for the latest burger combo though making a decision about coaching should be based on over all fit versus the best price. A discounted coach that just becomes a friend or does not teach you to self coach is worth a lot less then someone who holds the partnership to financial/life/professional goals and helps keep the agenda on track for the entire call thus getting more done for the money.

MATERIALS: Find out how the coach is going to develop a coaching program specifically with you in mind. This should be based on your needs, goals and your personal learning style. If a coach is selling you a program, whether it is a CRM system or a book program they are not necessarily coaching you but really offering sales support and training for their programs. True coaching is a client based agenda with systems and materials based on that individuals needs and not a cookie cutter solution.

COMPATIBILITY: It is important that you feel your coach is in tune with you. This connection is often the most important. Your coach is going to ask you to push yourself and really grow and change. If there is no involvement and compatibility then trying to make yourself reach and work hard towards your goals can be difficult. Talk to the professional first before you make a decision. If you are working with a company try to talk to the coach before you get assigned. If you are being assigned to some one then ask for final approval and get the agreement that you can change your coach if things are not clicking. Ultimately this person should help you double production, change how you do things and help you live a fuller life. There has to be something there to work with.

ACCOUNTABILITY: This is the number one reason people hire a coach, an accountability partner. In another post

How can you change? You have to do more than just want to.

We talk about how successful you can be at making change if you have an accountability partner. This is a huge factor in becoming closer to your ideal in work and life. Check to make sure your coach is creating accountability from the beginning of a meeting and carrying it through out. Your goals are based on where you are now (Point A) to where you want to be (Point B). There is a straight line that goes between these two points. However, life, problems, relationships and market changes can cause us to get off that line. It is your coaches responsibility to ALWAYS bring you back to that line and stay focused.

ROI: Are you getting a return on the investment? measure the effectiveness of your coaching relationship and make sure you have made the money back that the coach cost you from the systems and ideas shared in your coaching sessions. If you are life coaching, measure after a certain point in time to see if you have made progress on your personal goals and feelings.

I hope this helps you in deciding what the best fit for you will be. A coach will help you make permanent changes to your business and life, as long as you get the right one. Let me know if I can help you figure out how a coach could help you, it’s what I do.

Stephanie York, DES Coaching, coaching@descoaching.com,               (805)201-2466         (805)201-2466

{ 0 comments }

Help, my co-worker won’t leave me alone! 4 office types who need to be handled.

by Stephanie York on March 19, 2010

In the last post we discussed how a boss can break down your time like no other. Second in that to-close-to-stop list is co-workers. Now there are several types of co-workers that can bring you down. Here is a list of them and how to counter their work stoppage manners.

*Chatty Kathy/Ken: Almost everyone has the office mate who will find you and talk endlessly about their cat, weekend, boyfriend or the sports scores. We all like to know those around us but you need to find a polite way to shut them down and get back to work.

-         Listen for a second, nod but then say, while looking at your watch or the clock, I really want to hear what you have to say but I have got to get this thing finished. How about lunch/a break/after work?

-         Ask to have your desk or station moved if they are too close to your work space. Make it the bosses issue for the relocation.

-         Speak to your boss about putting out a company wide memo that states most breaks are taking too long and the chatter needs to be kept to a minimum. This is not very nice but can be helpful.

*Gossip Monger: This person can not only waste your time but has the potential to hurt your career. You do not want to be around them and have others think of you in this way. Also, think long and hard and make sure this isn’t you. Use the same techniques for the Chatty type, use the not now busy technique, ask to be moved or the company memo.

*Take Credit Partner: Here is a pretty big time waster. This is someone who is put on a project with you, assigns you the heavy lifting and then makes you do all the work. Not all professions have this person in them but if you do then you need to handle it right away, they will use up all your time.

-         Schedule meetings and keep notes about the project. Then you can trace back how often they are showing up and what they are doing.

-         Break the project into defined pieces and each person takes their share. Discuss progress at each meeting.

-         If the issue continues take it up with your HR department or the boss. Ask for a change of assignment or a mediator.

* The Gunslinger: This one is out for you or someone in the office. One of the toughest to deal with you have to always take the high road Never engage them in arguments. Avoid contact and when you do always handle things professionally. Do all of your work and always make sure you are pleasant around work and doing everything you can. Most high performance and sales companies have gunslingers, it’s a part of the nature of these individuals. Do not get into any issues with these people, it just wastes your time ad takes away form your production. Hopefully your organization will help differ the intensity or you will become their boss.

So, keep in mind that your office can be a huge time waster if you are not able to focus on your work. If you find you are not busy enough read a great book by Timothy Ferris titled “The 4 Hour Work Week”. It talks about our perception of work and fitting it into the 8 hour work day. Let me know if you have any questions about how to handle your own work situation. It’s what I do.

Stephanie, coaching@descoaching.com,               (805)201-2466         (805)201-2466

{ 0 comments }

How can you change? You have to do more than just want to.

by Stephanie York on March 19, 2010

In 1993 Brigham Young designed a study to see what motivates change in people. How do they effectively make change happen? Below are the results of that study.

Change is often viewed as scary and unattainable as in “ I already tried that but I didn’t stick with it.” Take the smoker who tries again and again, the friend who is in a bad relationship but keeps going back, the company that is unaware of their client’s true needs but blindly keeps doing what they have always been doing. Here are some quotes we are all familiar with, Business as Usual, Status Quo or Company Policy more like blind leading the blind.

Below are scientifically proven percentages regarding how sure you can be a change is going to take place. Think of all the great ideas given in a board room. How many get implemented unless it is assigned to someone and that person has to work on it and then report back progress. That is exactly what the research proved. Read below to see where your own decisions are currently at.

The chances of change actually occurring can be incorporated into ones life in various scenarios.

When a person…..

Says, “That’s a good idea.”      There is a 10% chance of change

Commits outloud, “I’ll do it.”     25% chance of change

Says when they will do it         40% chance of change

Plans how to do it                  50% chance of change

Commits to someone else        60% chance of change

Sets a specific future time to share progress with the person they committed to

95% Chance Of Change!!!!!!!!!!

I don’t know about you but I want the 95%!!!!! Most decisions we make have the importance level of 95%. How do we get over the hurdle and get things done? In your everyday life the decision of what to eat for lunch is sometimes hard to make. When it comes to career, family, love and future focus make sure you have a mentor or friend who is wise enough and consistent enough to schedule out time to review your proposed changes with you. Even better would be someone who is really keeping you on track.

At DES Coaching, this is what we do. Only you will take those changes with you for years to come. Give us a call.

Stephanie York
DES Coaching
(805) 201-2466         (805) 201-2466 Office
(805) 701-8508         (805) 701-8508 Cell

{ 1 comment }

Help, my boss won’t leave me alone!!!!!! 4 Tips to stop your boss in their tracks:

by Stephanie York on March 19, 2010

Let’s talk about that fourth pesky time waster in everyone’s professional career. Other people. Yep, the very people you need around you to get so much done often can take all of your time away from you. You may say I already know this and I know what you are going to say but…… let’s face facts this may not be an easy task.

There are many different types of office staff, boss, peers, friends and employees or direct reports. Everyone of them has to be handled differently. This is a very tricky maneuver and must be handled with finesse, grace and kindness. A much worse thing than a pesky office person is a MAD pesky office person. So let’s tackle them all one at a time, first up the boss.

The Boss – the big cheese, head honcho and that person who makes you do stuff. Ok, we have to do a lot of what they want and if there is a meeting then you cannot say no. However, if your boss is interfering with your time, focus or production you have to discuss this right away.

  1. Speak to your direct manager – and ask how to best handle this. If there is no direct manager then you need to ask to schedule a meeting with your boss.
  2. Meet with your boss – take in with you what your goals are and create specific targets you want to meet. Then map out how much time it will take each day to meet these targets and then let them know your desire to focus and concentrate on these targets each and every day. This will help you outline the needs you have to build on for future conversations should you need to have them.
  3. Try to schedule time separate – Go in a little early or figure out when they take lunch and power through what you have to do during that focused time.
  4. Last, find another job – This is not something anyone would want to do nor am I suggesting if you are unhappy or distracted that you should quit. However, if you are not getting the support or time to do the best you can it can affect your attitude and your income. Consider how bad it is and try the above actions and worse come to worse look through the want ads in the evening.

If you are having these types of problems then it can be exhausting. Work towards solutions and find a happier place in your life.

Stephanie York, DES Coaching

coaching@descoaching.com

{ 0 comments }

Let the Music Move you, make yourself happier

by Stephanie York on March 19, 2010

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY, or is this too much?!

Ok, you are reading this maybe looking for a way to pick up the attitude and increase your joy. Most of what we talk about you already know but you may just need a reminder. Ever heard fake it til you make it? This is exactly true for being happier, getting your mood up and finding a better path through the day.

Crank up the tunes! You bet it helps. If you are not listening to music to turn your mood around you are missing one of the best things ever given to us, the sense of sound. Find your happiness soundtrack. Download it and have it ready to just turn on. No matter what you are doing, cleaning the house, feeding the baby, calling on clients, meetings all day long you can always use an instant pick me up. One of my clients was having a really bad couple of months. He was down in the dumps and could not find it in himself to get back up, day after day. Besides analyzing whether there needed to be a referral to a doctor for depression, not the case, we decided to find out when he felt happy before, at what time in his life. Here are some tips to help you find your happy moments.

Remember Your BEST times: Think back to when you were your most authentic self. For my client he felt amazing in high school, back in the 80’s. So we went back and discussed some of his favorite times, he loved the basketball games and the movie soundtrack themes. We got The Eye Of The Tiger song by Survivor on his desktop and he plays it everyday, that will get anyone going. He has also started using a great online radio station, there are several such as pandora or AOL music, and he turned on the 80’s station. When he had to make calls he muted it. Now he had on his computer an instant pick me up that always took him back to a time when he felt great. This made an immediate change in his attitude everyday and the energy in which he approached his day. try it, surround yourself with music.

So take this Happy Healthy Tip and create your own Get Up And Go soundtrack. It will feel great I promise. if you need suggestions for what your happy moments might be or help finding them then just let me know, it’s what I do.

Good Luck!

Stephanie York, coaching@descoaching.com

DESCoaching

{ 0 comments }

Addicted to the internet and I can’t stop! 3 Tips to help curb those cravings:

by Stephanie York on March 19, 2010

Another HUGE time waster is our national if not global addiction to the intenet.

-         Internet – All of us have secret lives. How many people will admit to Mafia Wars or Farmville on Facebook? How about sports scores or even looking at information for your industry or mommy chat rooms, relationship advice, (why doesn’t he call, what does she mean?). You would be in my rehab center, oh yeah.

Giant Squid Bubbles up In Long Beach! So, how was that story about the giant squid they just found off the coast of Long Beach? Good? Did it get you any more business? Is that squid going to buy from you or sell your stuff or pay your mortgage? Ok, so that squid is neat and can be fun to read about. Even the latest news on the earthquake, Tiger Woods or the local police report but these are not things you need to know. Jeffrey Gitomer says in “The Little Gold Book of Yes Attitude” that he never watches the news. It does nothing for him and it does nothing for you.

I will tell you we all have lies we tell ourselves and others. I need to watch the news, I have to stay up on current events, my clients expect that. No, they do not expect you to absorb everything out there so you can filter the good stuff to them. They expect you to be knowledgeable about your industry, your product. That’s it!

Here are some tips to set up information and get you off the internet. Surfing the web is like candy, too much can make you sick and fat and lazy. Stay lean and get on an internet diet NOW!

Tip # 1: Disable or block internet sites that have nothing to do with work at your business. Turn off the facebook, my space and other frivolous sites. If you can not do this then you need to reevaluate what is important to you. Are you an entertainment reporter, news person, paparazzi? Then maybe, everyone else does not need to have access to all the fluffy sites.

Tip # 2: Set up a google alert for topics you want to be aware of. Go to google.com/alerts or search google for google alerts and go through the process of setting up a few alerts that will be focused on the keywords or phrases that best define your job, industry or clients. Then that information will come to you daily and you will only search those sites.

Tip # 3: Set a scheduled time each day that you can start to go online for work. It can be 10 AM when you need to go and work on a particular project or it may be at 2 PM after the majority of the day is over and you have accomplished a lot. This is the least effective way to manage the internet, it is often too tempting to turn it on and then it is just a peak at the sports scores and then it is the story about the major league player who got caught in a scandal and here are the pictures and then the gossip site looks WAY too interesting. Blam! 2 hours later and how much work did you get done. If only those sites would pay you $100 an hour to view them. They don’t so it is time to put the big boy/girl pants on and start to rein in those urges to go out on the web, the equivalent of eating your veggies before dessert.

The next post is about another time killer, office staff. Whether you work for them, they work for you or you work with them they can take huge chunks out of your day. Let me know if you want to talk about your internet addiction and how to create successful steps to clear up more productive time and help you still feel connected, it’s what I do.

Stephanie York

(805)701-8508         (805)701-8508

Don’t Ever Stop Coach

Stephanie@descoaching.com

{ 0 comments }

Stop Using Your iPhone!

by Stephanie York on March 19, 2010

PDA -  Number 2 big time waster– You know you are not needed as often as a surgeon, no one is sending you a marriage proposal or secret agent codes to save the world so why do you have it around and attached to you at all hours and why are you looking at it every 5 minutes.

Pesky PDA Pest:

When we talk about the things in our lives that distract and detract from productivity we don’t think about the devices that were actually created to help improve it. As we are launched head first into a screaming information world how can technology be bad? Well, enough noise and you can’t hear anything. Just as I covered in my last blog post, most information is delivered in an all or nothing format. You either get it all or get nothing, on or off, good communication or bad communication. How many have heard the joke “crackberry”? The number one killer of time management is anything that takes up too much of your time or takes you away from tasks. Here are some simple ways to wrestle these little buzzing, ringing gremlins into submission. How many of you get a little upset when a phone goes off in a movie or play? How about the person who answers it in the middle of lunch, or a meeting? That is because you are trying to focus, you paid money for that movie, you are trying to be a good employee and hear what the boss, client wants. When you constantly answer your device it is as if you are losing money on the true focus, your money, job and future.

DO THIS:

Turn that ringer and vibrate all the way off, silence that thing, no noise at all. Now I am not saying all day but definitely for a select amount of time each day, maybe an hour or even a half hour. This can be first thing in the morning to work “ON” the business like my clients do or at a select time each day. Allow radio silence for the best possible focus to work at what is going to bring you money.

Recognize Emergencies:

I promise anyone who has to talk to you from 8 AM to 9 AM will be there when you get back onto the information superhighway. These suggestions can still be hard for the average person who is more used to these devices than not so if you need more help getting focused with your time or devices just give me a call and we can discuss, it’s what I do.

Stephanie York

Don’t Ever Stop Coach

Stephanie@descoaching.com

{ 0 comments }

Next Entries →