Coaches, Consultants and Trainers – Meet The Strugglers – Do You Recognize Yourself?

Over the past 28 years, we’ve watched hundreds upon hundreds of talented coaches, trainers and consultants struggle in their attempts to build profitable, professional practices – and many of them fail.

But Why?

We’ve selected 7 people who each seemed so ready for success. Which of the 7 do you relate to?

The Helper – Frank T. just wants to help people. He’s all about serving the greater good, paying it forward and tapping into his prosperity consciousness. He also needs to make a living, so he’s been working another job while he’s building his business. That’s how it’s been for the past 5 years – and he’s no closer to leaving now than he was at the very beginning.

The Complete Package – You’d think with her background, her success would be guaranteed – she certainly did! Cathleen R. is a very well-educated, very well-trained coach in a major US city. She has a solid background as a senior level manager in the corporate world, she’s well-known, well-connected and well-respected. She’s also not very busy.

The Marketer – Richard L. has always felt that the key to success was effective marketing – and he’s spent a small fortune seeking out the guidance of marketing gurus, website developers, social media experts and internet marketing consultants. He’s got a beautiful website and a mailing list that most would envy – and it’s all doing exactly what it’s supposed to be doing… bringing him qualified prospects each and every week. Unfortunately, he just can’t seem to convert very many of them into the clients he needs to pay all of those marketing bills.

The Giver – Susan G. is the kind of coach everyone just adores. She’s easy to talk to, intuitive and exceptional in the quality of work she does. Everyone she coaches lavishes her with acknowledgement and appreciation – and they’ve referred many of their friends and colleagues to her as well. She believes that demonstrating her coaching skills is the best way for her to show her prospects the value of her services – and they invariably tell her how much she has helped them. So why do the majority of them choose against hiring her as their coach?

The Contract Worker – With a Ph.D. from a prestigious university, an officer’s position in his target industry’s largest association and several publications under his belt, Lowell B. should have all the business he can handle. But he doesn’t. In fact, the majority of his clients have been assigned to him by a couple of consulting firms that use him on a contract basis for a fraction of the fee they charge their clients. He knows what he’s worth – he just doesn’t believe he can close the deals himself.

The Quiet One – Stephanie S. got her consulting practice off to a decent start. Tapping into her existing relationships, she found herself getting hired for a few long-term projects rather quickly. Once those projects were done though, she was done as well – “unemployed” with few possibilities on the horizon. She knows she did a great job for her clients and felt the quality of her work spoke for itself – but they haven’t given her another project or pointed her in the direction of a new opportunity.

The Hesitant Expert – It’s a whole new world for John J. After more than 30 years in his career as a senior manager in a large corporation, he decided he’d had enough and wanted to try something he’d always thought he’d be good at – consulting. While he knew that the clients he wanted to work with were other senior managers in his industry, he thought he should wait until he had a “proven track record of success” as a consultant to go after those prospects. So he’s been “paying his dues” with small business owners for the past few years who are thrilled to have someone with his background. John’s not so thrilled.

So what’s their problem?

All seven Strugglers share one thing in common. They have placed their emphasis on the “contributing factors” rather than the “critical factors” for success.

Contributing factors are assets that support you on your quest – but in and of themselves, guarantee nothing. An Ivy League education, extensive professional connections, strong marketing efforts and a passionate desire to be of service are great things to have – but even with ALL of them working on your behalf, you could still fail.

Critical factors are assets that serve as actual causes of the effects you desire, such as the ability to effectively present yourself in a compelling way – and get your prospects to actually hire you.

To put it more directly, STRUGGLERS can’t SELL.

Show me a successful coach, trainer or consultant and I will show you someone who is both skilled at and comfortable with selling him/herself. Someone who understands that all of the contributing factors in the world won’t make a bit of difference if the sales conversation isn’t handled properly. In fact, the industry has many professionals with relatively WEAK contributing factors who still find great success simply because they CAN sell.

How Landlords Benefit From Property Consultants

Whether you are an experienced or a novice property owner renting out your property to earn rental income, you may lack in certain areas related to property management. This is because managing property in terms of earning money is a difficult task. Therefore, you always need the help of professional Services.

Property Consultants Provide Landlord Services

Property consultants give you a chance to relax while they manage your property. When you hand them the responsibility to find a tenant for your property, they start their work by preparing a property advertisement. When you have viewed and approved the advertisement, they publish it on relevant media such as newspapers, their websites, and other online property forums.

On viewing the advertisement, people contact the property consultants and ask them further questions. If a tenant seems relevant, the property Services call them to set an official meeting with you. Although they choose the right tenants, the rental agreement cannot be finalized without the landlord’s consent.

Being the landlord, if you find the tenant suitable to rent your positive cash flow apartments, property Services will help you finalize the legal documents. In some situations, landlords do not have much knowledge about the legalities of property management. Therefore, it will serve this purpose well.

Problem Solving Done by Property Consultants

After you have rented out your positive cash flow apartments to tenants, you will receive rental income on a regular basis without the help of a It. But there comes a time when you will need to hire a Person for Land. This situation can occur if your tenant refuses to pay you rent further. In this case, they can deal well with legal matters in a professional manner.

Property Services work as a third party when you have to finalize any Land agreement. Secondly, they also have expertise in property management. Therefore, they help you make the right problem solving decisions in case of property-related issues.

How to Find a Property Consultant

There is no doubt that buying property requires a lot of money. Similarly, managing it yourself is risky. Therefore, finding a property consultant is necessary for you if you want to focus on the real estate business. You can find reliable property consultants online. When you visit the websites of different Service, you can find their testimonials consisting of the various landlord services rendered. Another way to choose the right Service is to ask your relatives or friends about a good property consultant.

Starting a Business in Nursing Consultancy

Let us first explain what exactly nursing consultancy refers to. Nursing consultant refers to providing services to those wishing to be nurses themselves. There are several of these services though not every consultancy company or nursing consultant will have every one of these services.

Services include assistance to international application, training, guidance, and even courses and tutorials which will prepare you to taking licensure exams. Given the gamut of services, now you can see why it is a big challenge to start a business in nursing consultancy.

If you want your business to provide many services, then the way to go is to organize the whole team well. You need to have many people with different backgrounds who can handle the services which fit their skills and knowledge. Also, your system must be very easy to go along with and streamlined.

If you wish to provide guidance services, what you will do then is to offer help to people who want or seem to want to pursue nursing. Not everybody is ready to face the challenges of nursing in the physical, mental and psychological level. It is the responsibility of the guidance counsellors to assess the readiness of the applicant mentally and psychologically to pursue a nursing career, then provide them the information they need on how to get on with it. Also, if in any case, a future nurse seems confused on what he or she should do, guidance helps him get back on track. The guidance counsellors also help the nurses in identifying their strengths and their weaknesses which will guide them in choosing a specialized nursing field which they should take.

Training could be provided for by a consultancy company or can also be outsourced to some school or training company. Either way, trainers with a deep and thorough knowledge on nursing theories and application can make sure that the trainees have the finest learning experience they can get. To have such kinds of trainers, one thing to look for is the scores on their licensure examinations and their experience in the nursing practice. Good trainers must express themselves well at a teaching environment which is different from the regular nursing work environment.

Assistance services for international application require someone knowledgeable about the different countries’ requirements on application matters. Also, it requires someone who has thorough knowledge on the application technicalities and procedures. This can give them an advantage in providing excellent assistance to those nurses who want to work or get their training abroad.

Tutorials as well as preparatory courses for the exam need specialized trainers who have thorough knowledge about the topics, if not a complete knowledge of them. The more knowledge the trainers have on their particular specializations, the more the students can prepare themselves for the examinations. Again, you can use the scores in particular parts of licensure examinations as a guide here.

Lastly, you need an office where you will conduct business. Depending on how many services you will provide, your office can be small or large. If you want to provide services like preparatory courses and training, you need large rooms but if you want to provide tutorial services and guidance, you need many small rooms with bigger spaces for waiting areas. Just remember the comfort that you want to give your customers and everything will be fine. Also, never forget to secure the licenses appropriate for the kind of service you provide.

Hire A Lean Consultant To Improve Your Company’s Performance

Do you feel that you are unable to improve your company’s performance because you don’t know the latest management techniques? It’s a good thing that you have identified this need because you can at least take the necessary steps to address the issue. There are very few management techniques that can rival the lean management style for its ability to reduce waste and improve performance. Don’t worry; you don’t have to rush off to do an MBA. You could just hire a lean consultant instead.

A lean consultant will bring about amazing changes in the way you see your business. Cost cutting will no longer be a bad word that denotes a drop in quality. You’ll learn that it actually involves the elimination of wasteful processes, resulting in a substantial reduction of costs. There are many bottlenecks in the process of manufacturing a product and delivering it to the customer. Identifying them is a major step and so is getting rid of them. This is usually done with the help of specially created teams of employees who are taught certain techniques to deal with these problems. As a matter of fact, you will be very pleased to note a dramatic increase in the quality of the product or service you offer.

You will realize that the best change is one that takes place in gradual but incremental steps. A cataclysmic event will only upset your business operations and give your employees sufficient cause for worry. Your lean consultant will guide you through the various steps that help you make the necessary changes in a steady manner. He or she will also put measures in place to check that the changes are sustained. You’ll need to review the entire project from time to time in order to be sure that everything is in order.

Your company will benefit in more ways than one thanks to the efforts of the management consultant. Not only will your customers be more satisfied than before but your employees will also have improved morale.

Make sure that you hire a really experienced lean consultant to oversee your efforts to bring your company’s operations up to date. Needless to say, the services of the consultant will cost you quite a bit of money. However, if you consider that you’ll retain something of lasting value from this person then you’ll agree that your money will be very well spent.

Inform, Educate and Empower Your Exhibit Staff: Partner With A Tradeshow Consultant Firm

Successfully working the marketing convention circuit requires ample preparation and critical attention to detail. From designing an exhibit that will grab the crowd’s eye right down to the attire worn by the employees working the booth throughout the event, every item involved in the convention needs to be carefully considered and strategized. However, preparation is only one part of the equation. Come convention day, organizations must then put on their top professional performances to ensure that their team maximizes efforts and makes the best impression possible at the function.

Unfortunately, sometimes a business’ own internal best efforts simply aren’t enough to deliver the results they need to make participating in industry events worth their time and capital. For organizations looking to bridge the gap between being a mere function attendee to the headlining act, there is one proven way to get there: teaming with a tradeshow consultant firm.

Tradeshow Consultant Teams Will Help With Training For A Trade Show Staff

One of the first items on a tradeshow consultant firm’s checklist almost always includes training for a trade show staff. It’s no secret that the team manning your business’ booths and stands are an integral part of your company’s event success. Sure, your current team is polished, poised and professional. But, are they proactively leveraging every client engagement for maximum results? Do they know how to recognize an authentic lead from a passerby who’s only interested in collecting booth freebies? Are they ready to ask pointed, open-ended questions that progress the dialogue toward the ultimate event goal: a sale?

If you’re unsure of any of these answers, a tradeshow consultant team can help. An experienced tradeshow consultant will be able to easily create customized training for a trade show staff that will deliver results. Their ultimate solution will not only help modify existing gaps in your employees’ performances, but it will also help optimize existing strengths for maximum achievement. Best of all, your chosen vendor should always offer different training models to guarantee your specific company needs and requirements are always considered. Look for a tradeshow consultant that offers onsite training, remote training and even online classroom versions that allow employees to move through the lessons at their own pace.

A Reputable Firm Will Also Offer Software For Trade Shows

Remember, a professional tradeshow consultant should always offer a comprehensive solution that addresses a wide range of operational details. Beyond training for a trade show staff, a tradeshow consultant should also offer software for trade shows that will help automate various components and manage the influx of data received before, during and after each event. You’ll quickly be able to determine which expos are providing the biggest return on investment and which ones may need to be skipped in upcoming years. Most importantly, from a company performance perspective, software for trade shows, when used properly, will help your organization conduct an in-depth analysis of what’s working and what needs tweaking to guarantee that you can make modifications on the fly for maximum event results.

Find the Best Marketing Consultants

Giving your business exposure and creating effective business plans that focus on what your business is working to accomplish are the main focuses of marketing consultants. The ability to promote your services effectively to customers is the most important factor to the successful operation of a business.

Because marketing is such a major undertaking, the advice of a consultant is a necessity that cannot be avoided for large businesses. Establishing a brand and image for the presentation of a company to the public, as well as providing the proper promotions for a service or product are very important responsibilities for this position as well.

Large businesses that do not seek out the expertise of a marketing consultant run the risk of improperly exposing their company and creating a bad reputation for their business image. A business has to accurately reflect their mission and goals through the promotions of the company.

If the company is service oriented, the employees are also vitally important in the implementation of the brand and image to their customers. Training employees to represent a company´s image and brand is very important, because an improper representation of a business can badly tarnish their reputation for their customers. Customer service is a very important element of promoting a company.

The best marketing consultant for your business will know how to listen to your needs and help you devise a plan to help your promotion goals become attainable. The image that your business provides publicly should reflect your organization´s goals and mission and this image should reflect internally also.

A business needs to consult the expertise of someone who knows exactly how to promote their products and services to the public. These consultants are professional trained in advertising and promotion as well as branding that can isolate a target market for a company´s products and increase the demand for that business´s products and services.

The best marketing consultant can be found through thorough research into the industry and solutions that you will be seeking for your business. Trust a marketing consultant that you can respect who allows you to see examples of his or her work and show you realistic numbers for the growth that you are expecting to receive. An increase in customer demand is the biggest reason that businesses need the services of an analyst and ensuring that the analyst takes care in listening to your needs should be a primary focus.

Legal Nurse Consultant Jobs in New York – How Far Can Your Salary Go?

A legal nurse consultant (LNC) is a registered nurse with specialized training in matters of law. LNCs are invaluable assets to attorneys because LNCs can interpret medical records and provide expert opinions. These expert opinions can be wide-ranging but are only a small part of the array of skills a LNC brings to the legal process. Legal nurse consultants often partner with attorneys in personal injury and medical malpractice cases. Their knowledge helps attorneys build sound cases for their clients. Besides reviewing medical records, LNCs can evaluate and prepare expert witness testimony, conduct medically oriented research and even testify at trial if necessary.

While working with attorneys is the mainstay of an LNC’s career, private corporations and insurance companies can also seek their services. LNCs also find work as consultants to government entities, both state and local, that are seeking to identify and reduce risk and avoid litigation. Regardless of the setting, LNCs earn highly competitive fees and salaries. One of the most important services provided by LNCs constructing a time line for the case that highlights both medical and legal milestones or issues. A time line identifies critical events in a case, putting them in a structured yet easy-to-understand format for judges, juries and other attorneys. The expertise of LNCs often helps prevent litigation failure and wins positive outcomes for clients and attorneys.

The job and salary outlook for LNCs in New York State divides neatly into two geographical areas – New York City metropolitan and nearby suburbs and upstate areas centering on cities like Buffalo, Albany, Syracuse and Binghamton. While LNCs are in demand in all these areas, the salaries can vary substantially. Here are some examples of annual salaries in New York State for LNCs:

Albany – 64,000.00
Binghamton – 66,000.00
Buffalo – 58.000.00
New York City – 89,000.00

While the salary in New York City may seem attractive, remember that New York State ranks among the top 10 in highest cost of living, most expensive housing and most expensive cost of food. Property and sales taxes are particularly high. With a median property tax of over $3000.00 per year, New York State’s property taxes are the 4th highest in the United States. Wikipedia notes that New York State has a 4% state sales tax and that all counties and some cities add local taxes ranging from 3% to 4.75%. The combined sales tax in Utica, for example, is 8.75%. In New York City, total sales tax is 8.375%. Even Buffalo, an area with a depressed economy, has a sales tax rate of 8.75%.

New York State has many recreational opportunities. The Adirondack, Berkshire and Catskill mountains are scenic and dotted with innumerable lakes, streams and rivers. The scenic Finger Lakes and Hudson Valley regions also offer recreational opportunities like hiking, skiing and camping. In the New York City area, you’ll find over 18,000 restaurants and 150 museums. Despite all these attractions, the prohibitive tax structure and cost of living make New York State a poor choice for LNCs, whether they are residents or are considering relocation to New York. States like Texas, New Hampshire and Minnesota offer lower costs and are attractive alternatives that LNCs should explore.

Consultative Techniques For Sales & Marketing

Below I have detailed how I use consultative techniques to build relationships, sales and discover new products that lead to industry trends. My experience has proven this to be the best way to develop trust, credibility and results.

This is my business philosophy and I have presented it at National Sales Meetings as a sales and marketing training tool. It is all about earning the trust of the customer by creating success for them. People deal with those they like and trust. It is a simple concept but requires a psychological expertise that only experience can teach. Once learned, it is absolutely deadly to competition.

PREMISE & STRATEGY It is imperative in these competitive times to be able to set yourself above the pack as not just a vendor, but as a trusted partner and business consultant. People buy (long term) from those that they trust, respect and like. To build that kind of relationship you must do everything in your power to prove that you are there to ensure your customer’s success.

Consultative selling is something most have heard of. It is simply a “softer sell” approach that centers on identifying needs and getting the buyer to agree to that need and your solution. Any buyer can sense a pitch and is going to be wary of it, no matter how “soft” it is. This system differs in that you are functioning as a pure consultant to the client, partnering with them to develop trust and create success on their terms. It fosters a rock solid relationship between you and the customer. If the solution to their need does not exist with your company, go to corporate to create it. Show the customer that you are there to serve their needs, not yours. Trust me, if you do this the payoffs are well worth it.

Create Trust You must take a true consultative approach and concentrate on uncovering needs, providing solutions and adding value to your customer’s business through your relationship with them. This means taking a seat on their side of the desk, seeing things through their eyes and partnering with them to develop a long-term growth plan. Treat their business as if it were your own. If you say you will follow up on something, do so promptly. Email thank you notes after appointments. Earn their trust and respect.

Ask probing questions and listen proactively because needs are often implied rather than expressed. Your customer will be very pleased and surprised when you identify an unspoken need because you listened with an intuitive ear. They will wonder why other vendors aren’t as insightful. As you begin to work on solutions together, they will see the value you bring to them and their business. Then the magic happens, you break into their “trust zone”.

Become the “Value Proposition” They may even try to buy from you at this point. If the product really suits their needs, fine. If not, discourage that action and explain why. This is your opportunity to earn everlasting trust and respect. Think of their perception of that action. A salesman discouraging a sale? There could only be one reason for that, the guy is the real deal. He is truly here to help me. You have just earned trust. Never betray it. Don’t be in a hurry to sell things. Instead, sell yourself and the value you bring to the relationship. Become the value proposition to the customer.

Now you have real credibility. You have earned their trust and they are comfortable with your counsel. You did not start off by trying to sell product, you sold yourself. You partnered with them, identifying needs and providing solutions to help their business grow. Closing now becomes welcomed advice from a trusted consultant and friend. They are anxious for your recommendations. What a difference! By putting the relationship before the sale, you have guaranteed the sale. In all probability, you have also created a customer for life.

The beauty of this approach is that it is win/win. It is low key, consultative, provides solutions and adds value (you) to the customer. It enables a solid foundation of trust, credibility and creates a long-term relationship that pays big dividends. You are now much more than a vendor. You are a trusted and valued business partner.

While the system is relatively simple to apply to any account, as with many things, one cannot judge a book by its cover. It requires a subtle psychology that only experience can teach. For instance, you must know when to listen and when to talk, when to be aggressive and when to be laid back. These are the nuances that can make or break the “connection” with the buyer. However, once mastered, it provides you with many advantages over the competition.

The Benefits Some of the important benefits of the system are that you now can stop by most accounts unannounced and be welcomed. You have access to free focus group studies. You have an inside track to competitive and important marketing information. It also creates a hedge against competition. You have earned your way into the “inner circle” with top management of the account.

The Value of Asking, “What If”…… You are now a trusted consultant and business partner, the value proposition to the account……the reason they do business with your company rather than with a multitude of competitors. Now begins the real payoff. Asking, “What if”………… Because of the stature you now hold with the account, you will surely get some very enlightening information as a result of asking that question. It puts you in the perfect position to conduct focus group studies about ideas you may have about improving business, new products, etc. For instance, you have a very big customer who is very influential in the industry. You have a great idea for a new product/program. You ask, “John, what if we were to do this or that, would that be something you could use? Share your thoughts and suggestions”.

Given your relationship, “John” is going to be more than happy to let you know what he thinks of your idea and share some of his own. This is the whole point of developing the relationship to such a high level of trust. “John” will see that you are trying to find ways to create success for him and be appreciative of that. Your bond is now that much closer.

Of most importance, within these answers lie the key to new products, programs and industry trends. So simple, yet so effective. Do this with every customer and you cannot go wrong.

SUMMARY I have proven its effectiveness on many occasions, given presentations about it at National Sales Meetings and used it to train both direct and indirect sales personnel. This approach works for all customers, large and small, regardless of the product involved. It is classic, old school and deadly to the competition.

How A Survey Consultant Can Help You Ask the Right Questions

Instead of hiring a professional survey consultant, many business owners or corporate managers attempt to design their own online omnibus surveys and execute and analyze the data themselves. But the most successful people in the world got that way by surrounding themselves with experts. That is especially true when it comes to taking advantage of knowledgeable market survey companies and the expertise of a trained survey consultant.

Use the right survey consultant and your surveys will pay for themselves many times over. But try managing an online omnibus survey with a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) approach and you’ll risk losing money, credibility, and customers. It happens all the time, thanks to poorly designed questionnaires, inappropriate sample frames, and questions that confuse data and contribute to misleading outcomes.

  • Any top notch omnibus survey company, for instance, will know how to ensure than the sample or surveyed audience is large enough – and sufficiently well-stratified – to get the insights you seek.
  • Meanwhile their survey consultants will create questions that yield more candid and factual responses by being easy to comprehend yet psychologically sensitive to the concerns of consumers being surveyed.
  • When surveys don’t flow well or when they delve into sensitive issues, people may fill them out with information that is inaccurate. Instead of responding to the question the way it was intended, they instead answer in a way that they think is socially acceptable, will make them appear more intelligent, or will preserve their privacy and anonymity.
  • Fail to understand these dynamics and it can not only mislead, but it can cause you to launch an expensive ad campaign or product line that misses the target entirely.
  • But the skillful survey consultant will design a survey that allows respondents to answer clearly and truthfully, will embed quality controls to ensure the integrity of the output, and will set timelines and reporting benchmarks to ensure the data is fresh when it is time to use it to make those all-important decisions.
  • A professional survey consultant can also do fast, flexible analysis. Many times the results of an online omnibus survey will need to be interpreted clearly in very short order. Providing quick, accurate analysis of omnibus survey results is often one of the most valuable aspects of the survey consultant’s service.
  • The survey consultant can also monitor response rates and adjust the sample to keep up with slower completion rates, for instance, or augment sample to allow for deeper analysis of interviews from key groups of respondents whose data would otherwise be obscured by statistical white noise.

In today’s world of sophisticated online omnibus survey tools and survey company technologies the power of world-class market survey companies cannot be overestimated. Let them conduct your next survey – and ask the right kinds of questions – to really uncover answers that illuminate your vision. Don’t rely on guesswork, but engage the services of online survey companies and a professional survey consultant.

What is Consulting?

When considering the context of business, consulting is advice in exchange for a fee. When businesses face problems and need assistance with problem solving to overcome them, they consult the expertise of a consultant that can provide solutions through their advanced skills and knowledge.

By providing services as a specialist in a particular field, area or industry, individuals in these positions may specialize in strategy, technology, management, retail, or multiple areas in order to accommodate a vast array of company needs. People with experience and expertise are the power behind successful consulting.

In a business context, this type of advice refers to management consulting and the ability to help businesses problem-solve to create solutions for their organization. These solutions help a company to reduce costs, increase productivity and increase performance also by using the expertise and advice of specialists to provide those solutions.

Consultants create detailed plans to help a company first to assess their goals and isolate any problems in order to make that company run more efficiently. The individuals who seek out these services are executives and other leaders of corporations that need the expertise of an individual who specializes in a particular field or industry.

There are management consulting firms available who offer advise for a fee to non-profit organizations, leaders of corporations and governments. The most frequent services involve operations, strategy, HR, IT and finance. Organizations typically need assistance in finding solutions for marketing, IT implementation, pricing, government policy and new product strategies.

Every industry offers advising services whether it is energy, pharmaceuticals or any goods and services. There are companies that focus on a particular topic and span across industries offering solutions for every kind of organizations needs. Some management consulting firms concentrate on a particular industry but provide advice on virtually every kind of issue.

Consulting firms come in different shapes and sizes and either be split apart by topic or organized based on the industry or the type of problems they specialize in. Some large companies have a system called a matrix where firms use functional practice groups as well as industry practice groups. There are also companies that focus exclusively on financial services or any type of specific industry and provide advice on every type of issue.