A Different Type of Business Coach With a Bigger View Of Success

Hello, Anthony here. In this short video, I want to tell you all you need
to know about myself and Balance Business Coaching. I hope that through
watching this presentation, we’re able to establish whether or not we’re a
good fit for each other.

So let me tell you a little bit around me and my background. I started as a
fitter and turning apprentice at Port Kembla Steelworks straight out of
high school. Over the years, I worked in seven different industries and
rose through the ranks to various management roles, based on my results.

I gained my MBA at QUT Brisbane, and my specialisation was Strategy and
Marketing. I got high distinctions and distinctions in every subject,
except for one, which was law, and that might tell you something.

The last role before starting out as a coach was as general manager of a
national business in the United States. Prior to the global financial
crisis, that employed 149 people and turned over $26 million per annum US.

So why now? Why go into coaching? I think there are three forces at work
here, and the first is the economic situation. Obviously, through the
crisis, companies aren’t making money. There’ve been a lot of cutbacks, and
a lot less people employed, of which I’m one of them. And what that means
is, for businesses, there’s still the same amount of work to do with less
resources. As a coach, I’m able to come in, get things done, help get
things done easier, with less resources. So that’s a particularly important
driver at the moment.

The next thing is, I think, social changes. With us all working so hard,
and I guess really post-September 11th, we’ve got the sea-change and tree-
change phenomena. Business and success in business isn’t the be all and end
all these days. People want to, me, in particular, I want to have a
successful life where I raise my kids by the beach, and they have a great
life as a result of that. So the old rules of success don’t hold true any
more. So we need to have a broader look

And thirdly, I think with technology changing. We see the Yellow Pages
dying, and Internet marketing and social media being so prominent as a new
way of marketing businesses and being involved. I think that is a fantastic
driver of change.

Let me tell you a little bit about my approach to coaching. First of all, I
recognise that you’re a smart, successful person, and you’re an
entrepreneur that started up a business. So really, my idea for coaching is
for people who are in small or medium-sized businesses. You might be
dissatisfied with your progress towards your business goals, and the
businesses goals might have those broader implications.

It’s a new kind of business coaching that provides world-class business
standards and a holistic view of a person, not just the business person.
And unlike the franchise concept approach, that puts people through the
washing machine, turns them upside down to see how much changes falls out,
my coaching practice is simple, smart, and personal.

I have three stories I’d like to quickly tell you about current clients, to
explain what my services are, and they’re always based in around three
areas. It’s either more time, more control, or more growth. I’ll just
explain those three through these case studies.

So the first one is Josh. Josh is a partner of a large civil consulting
business here in Northern Rivers, Gold Coast, in Brisbane. Prior to working
with me, he only seemed to be doing the day-to-day business stuff, nothing
strategic, and none of the important stuff. He was concerned about his
ability to focus and get that done.

So he engaged me to work with him and three other key people in the
business. We ran a training session, and not only did I do the training,
but I followed up with one-on-one coaching, teaching him about the workflow
process and how to apply it to time management tools he uses.

As a result, Josh will tell you that I’ve changed his life and his
business. In the business, they have identified 21 stages that their
projects go through, and they have a process now to track the progress of
each of those projects. They know exactly who is doing what on those
projects. He keeps telling me to charge him more money, as in his words
I’ve “added so much money to the business.”

Next story is about a CEO I’m currently working with, Melinda. With
Melinda, I’m trying to shape her business through working on her own
personal development plan. Prior to working with me, she wrote and dictated
the business plan, and there was deep silos in the business and not a lot
of commitment to the project in that plan. So this year we’re doing
something different.

I did something called a Lominger Assessment, mapping her 67 competencies,
with the ideal competencies for her position. We set and agreed to work on
three areas for improvement over six sessions, once a fortnight. And
that’s: building effective teams; measuring and monitoring work; and
motivating others.

The early results are some restructures in the business, a stronger sense
of identity, and emerging team fluidity to serve the customers of the
business. High-impact, highly controllable business plan projects have been
determined with a line of focus. A new process for team-based project
planning is being implemented.

So the two major services for control are facilitation of the business
plan, or development of HR-related tools, like development plans, position
descriptions, staff performance plans.

Talk about more growth. Currently I’m working with a health foods retailer,
whose name is Mark. Mark’s in Burleigh Heads, who originally came to me
looking for sales training for his staff. When I visited the store, I could
see there was a number of other issues that would need to be addressed to
increase his revenue. So I put together a sales program integrating
awareness, interest, desire and action elements, in an around his store’s
lighting, his merchandising to meet the target clients, and establishing a
Facebook loyalty program and a Facebook advertising program.

It’s early days yet, and the results we’re targeting are: doubling his
sales; and we’re trying to get 500 local people, friends of the business,
interacting across his Facebook site; and the ability to move out of the
centre if he decides to, when his lease is up.

The primary services in and around more growth are development of an
Internet marketing plan or a sales program, and provision of front-line
sales training.

Let’s talk about a little bit about numbers or budget. Just before I talk
to you about how I price my services, I want to tell you it’s based across
three principles that I would like to establish with someone, should I
choose to work with them. And they are: trust, commitment, and
reciprocity.

It takes a certain amount of trust to work with me, and you need to make a
commitment towards me. And in return, I’ll reciprocate with trust in you
and a commitment to you, and I’ll go above and beyond the call of duty. I
don’t want to waste my time on people who do not place these three things
with me.

Okay. So just to talk through the pricing structure, the baseline coaching
session is $400 per session for a one-off. A coaching session is around
about one to two hours. So, if you commit to doing 6 sessions, I drop the
rate to $350, and I’ll also give you the 7th session free. If you commit to
doing 12 sessions, I drop the rate to $300 per session, and I give the 13th
and the 14th sessions for free. So the more that you trust me, the more
that you commit to me, and I reciprocate and I also trust and commit to
you.

I should say training has set prices. For the Time Management Half-Day
Course, that’s $440 per person, and for the Sales Two-Day, Four-Day
Training, is $880 per person. All of the above prices are GST
exclusive.

So let’s just talk about the competition for a minute. Look, I’ve had a
look at a number of different franchises before becoming my own business
coach. I’ve had a look at Action Coaching, Shirlaws, and Small Fish
Business Coaching, and they all want a sign-up fee, and they want a 6- or
12-month commitment from you. I think the prices there are $13,000 for a 6-
month, $26,000 for a 12-month coaching.

Anyway, I really believe they’re more interested in selling franchises to
new coaches rather than serving you, and I’m quite proud to be an
independent. The other competition that you have is obviously doing it
yourself and hiring a full-time staff person.

You should be paying yourself around about $100,000 to run your business. I
guess you’ve got the option to hire a general manager, which is going to
cost you at least $100,000 plus a bit more. Or you could hire a functional
manager, e.g., a marketing manager or a public relations consultant. That’s
probably going to cost you around about $80,000 per annum to bring someone
on board. You can see why the session cost is far more flexible and far
cheaper than those two options.

So, I really think my secret sauce is a combination of my experience and my
knowledge. I’ve worked in so many different industries with so many
different businesses. I’ve got a really broad perspective, and that means I
can spot strengths and weaknesses, opportunities or threats, for a business
very quickly. It also means that with all the research and reading and
education that I’ve had, I can bring world-class, best practices to
businesses that they wouldn’t be able to research and bring to themselves,
unless they go and do that work themselves. So I accelerate that.

I’m also a life-long learner with a real bent for technology. I’m
constantly looking at how people use Internet marketing to grow their
businesses, and I have to say I do love Internet marketing. I really think
that keeping across this really helps me stay on the edge of business.

So let’s just talk about the doer. I’d like to say, based on what you’ve
told me, I’d recommend that you buy one session, and we work together on
your largest problem in the business. Then we can see how we work together,
and if you’re right for me. But I can’t, because I don’t know what your
biggest problem is, and I haven’t had that conversation with you.

Let’s think about where you’re at. Do you want to get more time, more
control, or more growth? Now, what is the freedom that will bring? You need
to think about that. And are you going to be a success story that I can
talk about in the future? I only have so much time, and I want to know, are
you good enough to get things done and work with me?

You’ve just invested some of your precious time now researching and
evaluating alternatives. So set yourself a deadline and get something done
this week, by close of business Friday. Otherwise, you’re just wasting
everyone’s time.

As an act of trust and commitment to you, if you register your name and e-
mail address to the right, I’ll give you that first session free. So I’ll
bear all the risk. All you have to do is decide, are you a thinker or a
doer, and register your name now.

Here’s to your success! Thanks for watching.

Anthony