Exercise 1: How Ready Am I?
The very first step before undertaking any business development action is to look at your resiliency. If your personal energy level is low and you commit to 100 networking events, you are automatically setting yourself up for disappointment and frustration. The process of seeking out people can be enervating. Knowing your capacity for networking and interaction is an important parameter as you establish your to-do list.
In the following two exercises you can measure your energy, resilience and commitment to undertaking the task of actively building a clientele. The answers are divided into three qualitative responses: “Yes, absolutely!”, “On Occasion”, and “No, it just isn’t me”. If the majority of your answers are “Yes, Absolutely!” you are mentally prepared to spend time in the hunt. You are aware of the risks (dead-ends, rejection, missteps) and are willing to forge ahead, regardless.
If the majority of your answers are “On Occasion” you have awareness, energy, and ambivalence. In true coaching fashion, it would be a valuable homework assignment to look at those areas that are holding you back while you undertake the hunt in smaller chunks. Getting a few initial successes under your belt will aid in building up resilience and resisting inertia. If the majority of your answers are “No, It Just Isn’t Me” it is time to re-evaluate what is holding you back from meeting people and resisting taking chances. Is there a self- saboteur lurking?
Exercise 2: Starting the Lead Hunt by Putting an Elevator Speech To Work
The aware coach has a clear understanding and vision of their niche, i.e., their specific expertise and the target client population (community, organization, or individual) who benefits from the expertise. The more specific we are in characterizing the people we choose to help and the more confident and competent we are in our coaching skill set, the easier it is to define our target clientele. For the duration of the lead hunt, your target population and your area of expertise or specialty are fixed, i.e., they are the basis for your lead hunt.
Your area of expertise (the type of coaching/mentoring/consulting that you do) and the people that you chose to serve (your target population) are determined by your experience in different work domains, special interests that you have been drawn to, and the people, situations, values or interests that resonate with you. A key tool to find and articulate your niche is through the development of an “elevator speech.”
An elevator speech is a crisp, succinct narrative of what you uniquely offer and for whom you make this offer. A typical elevator speech (See Exercise #2) has:
1) An action statement (examples: guide, teach, provide, present, aid, assist, support, give, evaluate, assess)
2) A client definition (examples: young adults, chronic pain sufferers, people in transition, business owners, middle managers who want their problems/issues or situations resolved)
3) A desired outcome (examples: increase profits, find needed relief, become fit and healthy, graduate from school, develop greater confidence, gain career direction)
4) A solution (examples: discover a process, create effective solutions, discover the best course of action, place self first)
5) A benefit (examples: experience a pain free life, build the business of one’s dreams, find work/life balance)
6) And additional information (your purpose, your credentials, what makes you special and stand apart)
Download Article 1K Club
