From Michael Bungay-Stanier, a real stand up guy and big cheese over at Box of Crayons:
----begin email----
Andrea,
I'm part of the committee behind the Canadian Coach of the Year award, and it's getting to the time of year when we're looking for great coaches to apply.
As someone who's influential and well connected within the Canadian coaching community, I have two favours to ask of you.
==> First, that you'll consider applying for the award yourself. (Curses! Andrea, know you're not eligible...)
==> Second, that you'll encourage other great coaches you know to consider applying.
The application deadline is August 31st and the application form is here.
With best wishes - and thank you for your support,
Michael
------end of Michael's note----
Alright all you Canadian Coaches...I've personally seen the tiara and starshine that are yours when you win this prestigious honour and there's nothing shabby about either, so...are you ready? Start your engines!
First step, check out the prerequisites here.
If you had the opportunity to ask top literary agents anything about writing (maybe even your aspirations to the best-seller list) what would you ask?
What insight or connection would you hope to gain from sharing a meal with a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist?
If you could have ten minutes 1-on-1 with an internationally syndicated columnist, Oscar-winning screenwriter OR top exec at your favorite publisher...which would you choose and why?
Relax...I'm not sticking you on the hot seat, not really, for now at least. ;-) But turns out I'll be in the above scenarios next week at the Maui Writers Conference and that's where you come in.
What would you like to know about writing and publishing that I can ask on your behalf? If I can bring back an answer for you, or introduce you to someone who can, you can bet I will.
So...please help me maximize my investment! Send an email to andrea@andreajlee.com with 'Maui Conference' in the subject line and arm me with some things-you've-always-wanted-to-know, or the name of that person-you've-always-wanted-an-introduction-to. I'll be on the lookout. Deadline: Monday August 20, 2007.
"These photos have a job to do; To help sell our customers' products!" - R.H.
So you've created a coaching product, now what? The above quote says it all. You want to sell your stuff - effortlessly and elegantly - getting your message out and making a difference to the world.
To that end, a supplier like Robert House Photography, creators of the images at left [of Laura Howard West's stunning new 'Joyful Business Guide' a Law of Attraction-based cure for the difficult-to-do, life-sucking Business Plan] are worth their weight in gold.
Thankfully they don't cost quite that much and they do accept credit cards. Reasonable, a pleasure to work with, and - God bless them - they understand that their job is not photography, it's marketing.
Another bonus? They list their pricing table right at their site and best of all - the images are 100% royalty free.
[Look for future posts featuring Laura as she notches up success after success with her product. Big name testimonials...nation-wide joint ventures, etc.]
Click 'continue reading' below to see the photos enlarged. Yummy!
Are you interested in collaborating with Laura to bring a coachable planning process to your small business clients? Email her here to discuss: laura@joyfulbusiness.com
Now Shipping ($35) | 2-CD Set "The Sound of Coaching"
Shipping September 30, 2007 ($297) | 9-CD Series "The Coaching Masteries" both in collaboration with Mentor Coach Barbra Sundquist
Wouldn't you agree that great coaching, like music, has a special resonance to it? It has a certain timbre and energy and just 'sounds' a certain way. Problem is, it continues to be difficult to access a high level of real coaching conversation so seasoned coaches can continue to get better at this thing we call 'coaching.'
Enter the 2-CD set affectionately called "The Sound of Coaching: What Does Great Coaching Sound Like?" created this summer by Mentor Coach Barbra Sundquist.
The two CDs together contain 130 minutes of recorded coaching conversations plus commentary from Barbra, allowing you to absorb the nuances of one style of masterful coaching, and come to understand why Barbra coached as she did through her commentary after each segment.
After years of service as Certifying Examiner for the International Association of Coaches (IAC) and Certified Mentor Coach, please join me in thanking Barbra for putting herself 'on the record.' Barbra, it is a pleasure to bring this project to fruition with you!
The 2-CD set is retailing for $35 on its own, and shipping this week. Click here to order a copy for yourself.
Or, if you've been following the IAC and its release of the 9 Coaching Masteries, you may also be interested in "The Coaching Masteries" a 9-CD Series we will begin to ship end of October, 2007. One mastery at a time, for 9 CDs, you will hear live coaching clips and 'how to' nuggets of wisdom to support your pursuit of IAC certification and overall coaching mastery.
For a limited time, the 2-CD set "The Sound of Coaching" is available as our gift when you order the 9-CD Series at its introductory pricing of $297. Click here to order your set and we will ship your "Sound of Coaching" immediately at no charge.
Barbra has been hailed as a 'wise gem of a mentor' 'clear as a bell with ruthless compassion' and 'as elegant a coach as one gets.'
>> Click here to order the Sound of Coaching 2-CD Set for just $35
>> Or click here for the 9-CD Series for just $297 (which includes the Sounds of Coaching 2-CD set)
Never let it be said that all niche markets are chock full of competition. Or that "there are tons of other coaches already servicing that group, I couldn't possibly..." (Insert sigh.)
Why not? One reason: because just as human evolution doesn't ever stop, new niches are ripening all around us.
The Sandwich Generation, a subset of the good folk we know as Baby Boomers, is an excellent example, especially because they're a niche defined by their major challenge or difficulty - the care of aging parents AND the care of dependent children.
Question: What opportunities do this group of people provide to forward-thinking coaches?
To stir the pot, check this out from the Province, Sunday January 14, 2007 page E7..
Workers now getting help for their Parents by Kevin Lubin
"Offering free or subsidized child-care services to staffers is something major Canadian employers have done for years. But five Calgary firms are opening a new facility designd to help employees balance work and family obligations by caring for their aging parents. [...]
Victoria Sopik, CEO of Kids and Company, national provider of employee childcare benefits is launching the new seniors' daycare. [...]
We've had huge demand, she said. We could have launched with 30 companies instead of just five. It's the first of its kind in Canada."
Now here's an interesting thing.
Search on Google for 'Sandwich Generation' and you'll find over 2 million search results but no advertising...
Search on Yahoo Groups and you'll find about a dozen groups, mostly very small, the biggest is 200 or so members...
Search on inventory.overture.com (no www in front) and 'sandwich generation' only yields 600 or so searches last month...
And yet, search on Amazon and over a dozen self-help books have been published to support this unique group.
Conclusion?
(1) This group of people don't strongly identify with the words Sandwich Generation necessarily.
You might find them (among others) more easily on the internet through terms such as 'adult daycare' (45,000 plus searches) or 'elderly care' (7000ish searches) etc.
(2) These are early-ish days yet for this group of people on the internet. Or, they may never become a cohesive group that cavorts the world wide web.
BUT...with a little more research I would hazard to guess this is a viable market for specialist services for many sectors - food services, housing and accommodation, personal wellness, coaching, time management, personal organizers, etc.
Were I to be working with a business client interested in targetting this market, certainly the first place to access this type of person would be through traditional media NOT the internet.
My side point is this: I had someone ask me last week about which 'internet marketing' seminar they should attend this fall. You could just hear how hopeful and keen this person was to launch themselves into this world. It was sweet, really. :-)
I encouraged them to attend but only after making sure they had the bigger context - using the internet to build your business is like using the Yellow Pages to build your business. Of course you use both tools but neither is the only thing and the internet is no longer really even the 'newest' thing.
As much a proponent I am of Multiple Streams, nothing, no single strategy or business model, is the be all end all solution that fits for every business on the planet.
(Just because you are a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail. And just because there is a great hammer nearby, doesn't mean you become a nail.)
Sorry, but there is no magic pill, and taking a broad perspective, a long term perspective, and above all, thinking for yourself, is the only way to go in these persuasive times when there are so many 'cool things to do' and 'shiny toys being waved about.'
What do you think? :-)
Is this neat little turn of phrase meaningful or just so much Charlie Brown's teacher talking?
From Oystein Dahle, Chairman of Worldwatch Institute and former VP of Esso:
"Socialism collapsed because it did not allow prices to tell the economic truth.
Capitalism may collapse because it does not allow prices to tell the ecological truth."
I think it lands but does little more than make one go 'huh, interesting' and then immediately move on. It seems like the neatness of the phrasing actually makes it easier to forget - despite the sentiment being sound.
This I believe: "It's not what you say, it's HOW you say it that matters most in getting messages, meaning, etc. across to others."
So if 'getting through to people' with our messages is the goal...I'm wondering...HOW (specifically) can we improve HOW we say things?
Via the Calgary Association of Professional Coaches External Events announcement:
The Organizational Development group in Human Resources for the City of Calgary has been developing a resource guide for management at The City on Leadership Coaching for Development, which includes the internal process for engaging a coach.
While it has been occurring at The City to a certain extent, we are anticipating an increased demand from management for Leadership Coaches, and are hoping to expedite the process of engaging a Coach through the establishment of a pre-qualified list. The process is titled Request for Pre-Qualification (RFPQ), which we currently have in place for HR related Consultants, and Leadership Coaching will be a specific category within that Consultants' list.
The process is managed in partnership with our Finance and Supply business unit, and will allow internal clients to access those on the list for engagement in coaching.
"Andrea, I always know we're onto something big when you say something and I hate your guts."
LOL, love that honesty, C! Your courage and growth are inspiring and it is a true a privilege to be your coach.
Side note to anyone considering hiring a coach, maybe even for the first time: Laughing happens often in great coaching sessions because the truth (especially our own) is usually pretty funny.
[More coaching quotes like at right, here.]
"Dear Andrea,
I have a client who doesn't like to plan. She is definitely living in the moment, yet she doesn't like her situation - money, love life, business - she's even unhappy with herself physically. How do I coach her when she resists planning ahead, even as far as a month or two?
She says she wants help building her business which is speaker training, and her business is doing ok as far as it goes - six figures, just. I just can't seem to find a way 'in' to help...is she uncoachable or am I missing something?
-- A.N., Missouri
Thanks A.N. for your great question. On the face of it, this may seem like an unusual circumstance for a coach to find a client in. However most coaches will work with clients who resist things - planning, focusing, letting go of control. So is this an issue of 'not planning' or 'resistance' or both?
Let's see what our community of coaches has to say about this one and I'll blog an overview with tips on how you can proceed in a separate blog post.
Coaches, post your suggestions and tips below - remember this kind of 'situational practice' is an excellent way to sharpen the saw. And even if you're unsure but want to give it a try - you can't hurt this website, whereas 'trying' in certain situations when you're out of your depth with a real client - can have damaging effects.
So comment on, and I will select a winner of the Coaching Question of the Day from the what unfolds.
P.S. The prize will be juicy - I'm still choosing! Lest you think the prize is a ploy... ;-) let's put a bit of a parameter around it shall we? Minimum five posts required before the winner will be selected.
P.P.S. If you're someone like me who hasn't been to coach training school for a while - or maybe even ever? Be sure to stay tuned for an upcoming announcement of 'The Sound of Coaching' and self-study training on the IAC Masteries.
Via the New Jersey Professional Coaches Yahoo Group...
Subject: If You're a Woman and A Coach, You Could Be on TV
SEEKING TELEVISION HOST
Award-winning production company Force Four Entertainment is seeking a EXPERT HOST for their new national television series for the W Network called THE REAL YOU. Force Four has over 24 years of experience creating lifestyle and documentary programming.
In each episode of THE REAL YOU, the HOST comes to the rescue of one woman who finds herself stuck in a rut. Who is she really? What are her true passions, hopes and dreams? What lies beneath the surface that has the potential to transform her career, relationship, style – her whole life?
‘PERSONAL BRANDING’
The HOST views personal branding as a tool for attracting one’s ideal, but only after the necessary steps are taken to find out what their ideal really is. The HOST is passionate about helping people transform their lives from the inside out. The HOST inspires each woman to take charge and bring their truths to the surface to help each create her own personal brand.
THE HOST
The series revolves around a compelling female HOST who:
- In her real profession helps women discover their true selves.
- Is passionate about promoting, encouraging and directing women with ways to discover their authentic selves, their inner desires and hopes for the future.
- Directs each woman through a series of challenges that lead to self-discovery.
- Acts as a coach, confidante, and mentor and gives the tools each woman needs to discover their true selves.
- Taps into each woman’s true passions, talents and desires which result in an individual “brand package” representing who that woman really is.
Keep reading for submission guidelines, deadline and be sure to enter your email address at left (under Tina's photo) - you'll receive updates from this blog including new opportunities as soon as they come up.
Family is one of those words that I think has lost its oomph. Everyone thinks they know what it means and it seems to me it's hard to use the word without inducing sleepiness.
Funny, because clearly the concept has dozens of possible uses. The family of people you choose to surround yourself with. Your spiritual family. Family of origin. Blended family. And then of course there's always La Familia.
Here's a little quote that makes me think differently again about family - in a meta sense of the word. Does this usage make you sleepy?
From Finding Oprah's Roots:
"Knowing your family history is knowing your worth - your whole worth. And I don't mean monetary value.
It's about everything that everybody gave up for you. It allows you to know what your mama went through, your grandmama went through, your great-grandmama went through, your grandfathers.
It lets you know that you've been paid for - that there are lots of people who came before you who would have liked to have had what you have. I think about this all the time - you know, my ancestors could not have imagined the life that I now lead but for the work that they did that prepared the way."
Coaching questions that may be of interest:
I know my ancestors didn't live their lives for me, but in what way did what they did with their time lead to something (a place, a time, a context or opportunity) that allows me to do something unique with my turn at bat?
Am I putting my life to good use, from the eyes of the family members that have come before me?
Will my life the way I'm living it be of use to the family that is to come next?
Forget everyone else, am I living too much for everyone else? What about me?
With bright lights on the ceiling and a mask over my face, I smiled my last conscious breath in. It would be the last thing I remembered for 3 hours - how happy and calm I felt in that suspended moment! I breathed through the plastic as I thought of people around the world, at home playing loud music, dancing like it was their last dance on earth, and thinking loving thoughts as my surgery began. That was June 27.
For all your energetic well-wishes, I thank you, truly, from the bottom of my heart.
Cut to today. It's six weeks later, and I'm back at my laptop, happily tapping away. Much like my inbox, engorged with 2800 emails earlier, now culled down to 250, I'm quite considerably de-cluttered as well! In the end, Dr. Scott removed nearly two pounds of fibroids from the fundal (bottom) side of my uterus. (I did say reader discretion, right?) Two pounds...that's two big blocks of butter worth - a bit of a shock, even to my surgeon.
So what is the state of Planet Andrea, post surgery? While physically my recovery has gone heavenly well, emotionally there's been some Sturm and Drang (cue the Wagner please.) But I've found some inner peace I think, at least enough that I can compile a coherent Top 3 Personal musings-for-the-moment, for what they are worth.
(1)"Yes to All" was a good decision.
You may recall I had difficulty deciding whether to have surgery or not - the coin kept landing on its edge. In the end I decided to say yes to everything that seemed like a step forward. I said yes to acupuncture and yes to surgery. I decided yes to continuing to try to conceive and yes to beginning adoption.
When Dr. Scott opened me up, they found more fibroids in me than detected by ultrasound, a lot more. The surgery took twice as long as planned and in recovery I was given both units of blood I'd donated previously for that purpose. As she described what she saw in the operating room, Dr. Scott was succinct "I can't see how a pregnancy would have...it was good you had them (the fibroids) out first."
My lesson affirmed? Sometimes the answer to 'how' really is 'yes.' Especially when you're really stuck deciding on something, see if 'yes to all' is an answer that works.
(2) It's never too late to make friends with mom.
At the top of the list of gifts during my time off was this: In my second week of recovery, mom came to stay. Surprise, she didn't force me to endure humiliating sponge baths and increasingly shrill "mother-who-was-a-nurse-and-sees-her-chance" lectures. Instead she made me laugh altogether too much having just had staples removed. She made congee and helped me remember Taiwanese things in the kitchen, and when she left, I was sad.
My general musing on this? Physically, things can get 'stuck' for a reason. What's the real reason something (anything is happening) in your body?
"I wonder if there's something I'm not hearing." - Thomas Leonard, on the 4th day of an ear infection
Maybe, just maybe, the body really is a printout of the mind. Maybe my stuck spots with my mom were removed when my fibroids were removed. Or my fibroids were removed successfully because I'd decided to move from resistance to my mom to...acceptance (with boundaries.) It may even be that I'm ready to be a mom now, having found a new respect for mine. [Oh yes I do hear you nodding.]
(3) There's more to doing 'nothing' than meets the eye.
I've discovered that six weeks off has a way of changing you permanently no matter what. My thoughts are flowing differently, my life-pace has a different rhythm. I'm clearer about what's important to continue to do with my days and minutes, and more open to having no idea what's supposed to happen long term.
Suggestion: When you next have a physical change-up in your life (big or small) try to see it as a milestone of some sort. Perhaps even a ritual. Allow it to create space in your life - that may be a big part of why the physical thing is in your life! [Will someone please tell a joke about how a headache after meeting with a particular person is a hint - not for you to take an aspirin, but to remove that person from your life? ]
For me, the experience of having surgery has definitely been a life decluttering on a massive scale. I'm grateful to everyone around me who've given the biggest gift ever: the space and freedom to not know, do nothing, experiment, and evolve. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
So....more musings as they unfold, woven into less personal posts than this. :-) One thing's for sure - there's lots of fun activity ahead. New self-published books. Very possibly a mainstream published book or three, with accompanying businesses to back those up. More conversation about what's next, opening the box, breaking the box and telling the truth. Oh and intellectual property, things that may make you think and/or laugh - and much less now on nuts and bolts re: multiple streams.
I hope you'll stick around, apply what's useful, and join me in throwing out whatever's not!! :-)
[Photo: My dear husband Mike, mom and I on my 2-weeks-post-surgery celebration dinner at the Broken Plate in Calgary. Underneath the bright exterior, I'm celebrating my first scar, a 7-incher. Is this what it feels like to be a piggy bank? I have new empathy for stuffed toys with their tag's torn off...]
The ‘numbers’ may not be the most exciting aspect of your day to day business activities, but what if measuring could be the catalyst that moves your business to the next level? "Listening" to your numbers will point the way to what you must do next in terms of making more money in less time.
As you build your Multiple Streams business, wouldn’t you like to know the answers to these kinds of questions:
If 1000 people signed up for your Pink Spoon, and 10 bought your ebook, should you work harder on increasing Pink Spoon signups or ebook purchases?
If (out of 2500 people) 1000 bought a $25 product and of those, 8 signed up for one on one coaching but NO ONEbought your $147 product, what should you do?
If you have 2 great months of sales, and then a month of nearly nothing, gasp, what’s going on?
The latest in our family of Multimedia Products, the 'Measuring What Matters' Audio CD plus How-To Booklet shows the 5 most important things to measure in your business, how to measure them, and exactly what you can do with this information. In short, it will enable you to focus on what will make the biggest difference to your bottom line, instead of grapsing at straws. (Guessing.)
Included inside:
- A 35-minute audio recording on covering the 5 most important things to measure
- A 30 page How-To Booklet that walks you step-by-step through the entire Metrics process and set up your own Worksheet
- Access to a customizable Excel Spreadsheet format so you can begin implementing immediately
"In the entirety of my coaching experience, I can say this: Metrics is truly where the rubber meets the road. Business owners who are willing to do the work of measuring what matters are the ones that last, and the ones that thrive."— Andrea J. Lee, Head Coach
Exercise: If I were to ask you how much money you have earned this year in business, would you be able to answer? Without pulling out a spreadsheet and calculator?
Of the earnings you have, do you know how much is profit? (What is your 'take-home' pay?)
Do you know what your most profitable activity or promotion is? If you did, would you repeat it? Please say yes, unless you're a masochist. :-)
I've made a really lovely discovery lately: There's actually more to celebrate in some coaching businesses than many people like to make out, even the business owners themselves! The persistent effort does pay off.
So whether you use our handy spreadsheet/metrics tool or not...what would it take for you to at least start measuring? You wouldn't want to break $100K or some other major milestone without knowing, would you?!
"... I have doubled my income (and I was already making 6 figures.)" -- Casey Truffo, Head Coach and Founder 'Be a Wealthy Therapist."
How to Measure What Matters: Exactly Where, When, Why and How to Use Metrics in Your Business the Easy Way
 |
Includes a 35-minute audio CD plus 30-page How-To Booklet. $77.00 + shipping  |
In a world full of information and stimulation it can be oh so easy to think you have nothing to add. Nothing to offer. Nothing of value.
Ugh. How depressing.
And yet, sometimes it's exactly that fact - the noisy-busy-overwhelmed state of the world - that can be your best advantage. Sometimes, *removing* something is exactly what is needed - and people will celebrate your ability to get to what's important. Sometimes, going *simple* is the real gift. Let me correct that - the real gift *usually, not sometimes* has something to do with simplifying or clarifying.
Case in point from the Globe and Mail's August 2nd paper, on page L6:
Child's Play
From a review of Unplugged Play: No Batteries, No Plugs, Pure Fun by Bobbi Conner:
"If you and your child don't know what to do with a cardboard box or a laundry basket, Conner does. In most cases, she advises parents to jump-start the action and then back away... The book also - charmingly or depressingly, depending on your point of view - offers tips on playing with dolls and blocks, skipping through mud puddles, rattling the kitchen pots and scribbling with crayons."
Original Source: USA Today (end excerpt)
My observation: Even without seeing it first-hand (my copy is still en route), I'll hazard a guess that some of Conner's 710 games and activities would be just as valuable as creativity exercises for rogue entrepreneurs seeking to break out of the "I-sound-exactly-like-everyone-else" box.
Exercise:
Step One: Imagine. Adult you has magically been given 30 unrushed minutes in the body of 8-year old you. You are face to face with a mud puddle and no one is looking. What will you do?
Step Two: 30 minutes are up. You are back in your adult body - lucky you, no laundry! And you've managed to bring your mud-puddle-jumping energy with you, bubbling and intact. Breathe in deeply and connect with that energy even further. Now, carefully applying mud-puddle energy as though stepping gently on the gas pedal of a powerful car... think about, or do something, in your adult world. Continue.
Later: Observe. What, if anything, of interest happened? What do you know now that you didn't before?
Oh what a lovely word from C.S. Lewis, especially good for information marketers, coaches, teachers, and anyone else who finds themselves passing on knowledge, wisdom or just plain facts:
"Think of me as a fellow patient in the same hospital who, having been admitted a little earlier could give some advice."
For the rest of us, perhaps this quote is a lens through which we can look (anew) at our gurus/mentors...
There is always someone ahead and someone behind, each and every one of us. Such wonderfulness in that!
Coaching Tip: Never give away too much of your own power. Learn from and respect but never give too much power away to your mentor or coach, no matter how good they are, no matter who they are. Alway reserve what you need energetically, psychically and emotionally, to continue thinking for yourself. *No one else will.*
Question for you - a deeper one that may not call up answers right away, but - fingers crossed - may pop its head up at a later time.
How might you be giving too much power away to others? Do you try to 'be like' someone, model yourself on someone or someones, a little too much?
It's fine to follow footsteps but not with your head down. When you're taking a walk in the woods, if you don't lift your head, it doesn't matter if you've arrived at a beautiful meadow, does it?
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought." -- Matsuo Basho (1644-1694)
Have you presented at a live event lately? Perhaps you have a few talks lined up for the fall. Good stuff. Many, many conscious entrepreneurs have a natural gift for building trust when face-to-face, and presenting your material as a speaker in front of groups is a solid leverageable business-building activity.
But here's the rub.
No matter how great your talk, workshop, training, keynote speech is, if you don't have things in place to take care of everything that happens after the applause, you've only done half your job. Remembering that everything is energy, think of your time in front of the group as prepping the vegetables for your stir-fry. After you're done, you have to carry through, follow forward - you still have to fry the veggies in order to make a meal.
How do you do that? Pay attention to the table at the 'back of the room.' (Or the booth in the exhibit hall, etc.) This is where the proverbial 'cash register' lives, yes? Where folks can now sign up for your program, request to be put on a waiting list, buy your book, join your newsletter readership, etc. etc.
Emphasizing: No matter how much caffeine you have in you, or how energizer-bunny you otherwise are, you alone cannot handle the table effectively, even if it's a small talk. So, best to learn how to enlist help - the good kind - and make the most of that help. Here's where you imitate an octopus.
A very useful step is to give a copy of the sample note below to every helper you have. Without you having to 'train' them per se, you can customize the note so it acts as your ambassador. It will cut down the amount of time you need to spend with each helper - a blessing for time-pressed you - and you'll marvel and how good a job it does at creating goodwill among the folk who are helping you.
Personally, I've found it seems to work even better if I handwrite the note. (Try handwriting it once and then photocopying it.) But remember this is just a sample - it happens to be a short one I used a few times this year - make sure you mess around with and elaborate on it to suit your purpose and personality.
---- Begin Sample Note ----
Dear Multiple Streams Volunteer!
Thank you so much for lending a hand today - you are very much appreciated!
With your extra set of hands and heart, we'll be able to quickly and simply facilitate folks getting hold of the additional books and CDs they will use to grow their businesses - fun, right?
So here are just a coupld of guidelines in case I haven't already been able to touch base with you personally - they're really easy points but important.
(1) When you receive an order form from someone, quickly scan each line to see that it's all legible. If you can't read something, especially things like names, credit card numbers, expiry dates, etc., ask the person for clarification and fix the appropriate spots on the form itself.
(2) Keep all completed order forms, cash, checks, etc. in a safe place with you in the folder provided or face down on the table next to you until you can pass these to Andrea/me after everything wraps up.
(3) For cash, we don't make change at local events so either collect the exact change or let the person know unfortunately we don't make change - is that okay with them? Of course this is entirely up to them - if it's not okay, they are welcome to pay by check or credit card.
(4) When we run out of stock, which we often do fairly quickly, we will still take order forms and will ship the items at our cost, just as our gift to them. This sometimes incentivizes people to order while still at the event, that's a-okay with us.
(5) After the purchase is complete, you can go ahead and invite them to find me - I'm happy to sign their purchases if they'd like. Even if you see that I'm busy or there is a line, that is okay. I will be happy to stay behind if needed so you can reassure folk of that okay?
(6) And last but not least, after things have all wrapped up, please do NOT forget - this is important - to come and track me/Andrea down. I have a final thank you for you - and a big hug - sorry, no slipping out without that okay? :-)
Alright, that's all - pretty simple right? And if you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to just find me, or ask the person to find me, or last resort, write down their question with name, email, phone and me or my office will get back to them asap. Hopefully that covers everything so that you can enjoy meeting with folk - just remember, there is no such thing as a stupid question AND I trust your judgement on things.
All that remains to say is thank you again...you are making a BIG difference, not just to me through your help but by making it possible for people to take the next step towards multiple streams...
With love and respect,
a
---- end sample note -----
Kinda cool, right?
What other things are you curious about managing after your public appearance? Questions about maximizing the opportunities? Other 'post-event' ools or templates you'd like to see here?
Photo credit: Thank you to Byron Van Arsdale who snapped the above photo of me at the ICF Conference last year. Click the photo above to enlarge, or visit the Coaching Electric for slides, notes, visual map and report card from the presentation.