We have all seen the reality TV show where the public determine who is going to be the next talent to walk the red carpet. Well in business, you also need to have the X Factor in order to get to and stay at the top. I would ask you to reflect on business’ that have managed to remain afloat for many years especially during these difficult times and ask yourselves this question –  What is it that makes them so uniquely individual and sustainable?

What Is Special About Your Business ?

In any business, we need to ensure that we either provide a unique service or a service that provides that little bit extra for the customer.  The customer may want to shop around, or choose to stay with you as soon as they enter your business premises, whether they are office based, shop front or on the World Wide Web. You must choose your target audience wisely.

Customers are fickle, so they need to be captivated immediately. That means you need to target the five human senses. We make a purchase by means of touch, sight, sound, smell or taste.

What is so Unique about your business that you can target any one of the five human senses?

As I have said in my previous blog, I am the Simon Cowell of the Coaching industry, which indicates that I will reflect back to you directly any areas of development that I recognise in your business.   Sometimes our friends or relatives would not feel comfortable to be so honest, as they are afraid of hurting your feelings! Well, you need a Coach who is not afraid to be so honest with you, as business development requires a direct and honest approach.  You need a strong ego in the business world in order to succeed, so it is time to put to rest any ego insecurities you may have, in order for you to progress with success.

Coaching Questions

• What are your strengths?
• What are your areas for development?
• What are your Unique Selling Points?

If you were to enter the X Factor or Britain’s Got Talent, you will be judged on the merit of your skills, strengths and areas for development. More importantly, you will succeed on the Unique qualities and skills you possess….so waste no time, as that is the most precious commodity to man and it is now time for you to begin to develop and enhance your USP’s.

http://joyandrewsbusinesscoaching.co.uk/

Who was the better impressionist, Peter Goodwright or John Culshaw? If you’re unsure about who Mr Goodwright is, let me give you a perspective.

Goodwright: 1970s, quick-fire impressions, no scenery, awful make-up, terrible wigs.

Culshaw: 2000s, long sketches, real locations, complex prosthetics and hand crafted toupees.

I know Mr Culshaw is very talented and his shows are perfectly put together, yet I would rather watch Peter Goodwright et al in re-runs of “Who Do You Do?” any day. My logic is very simple.

Modern TV impressionists can almost perfectly recreate their subjects. The scenes and settings are usually the real locations. So what is the point? Why go to all the bother of making an impressionist’s sketch about politicians when the real thing can be just as funny!

The aim of impersonation is not to perfectly recreate a character, but to extract the essence and use that to one’s own advantage. As an impressionist you should allow your own personality and humour shine through the thin veneer of your temporary character.

That’s why I prefer the older style – it was more about the impressionist and his talent than that of a make-up artist.

In business we need to be ourselves – especially when we are presenting.

At a recent networking meeting, where I and two other professional coaches had spoken, I was challenged by one of the other attendees.

“I love it when you guys speak with such conviction, passion and drama. But I don’t really think I can be like that myself, that’s just no my style – so what do I do?” My response was simple. “Be yourself!”

When I coach people in public speaking and presentations skills, I always start off with the same critical point. I cannot teach anyone to speak in public – nobody can! It is a skill that must be learned by the individual themselves. That takes time and practice.

Anyone joining a public speaking class or course needs to check on the number of attendees, as well as the amount of practice time they will get. Without sufficient time to listen to a coach, practice what you absorb and receive good feedback, you will not develop as a speaker.

The second point I make on my courses is, that the attendees should most specifically NOT try to speak like me. I’m a good public speaker,  (I can say that without fear of appearing arrogant) but please don’t try and impersonate me.

By all means observe and apply some of the skills and tactics I use, just don’t forget who YOU are.

And no matter what skill you hope to learn, I think this kind of philosophy should be borne in mind. No coach, no matter what their discipline, wants to see a series of clones of themselves.

Coaches tend to be a little extreme. There’s a reason – we want to stretch you further than you really need to go. Imagine an elastic band – keep stretching it and letting it ping pack into shape. What happens? In time the band gets a little bigger, more flexible and all together more rounded.

So be yourself, just like the old school impressionists. Follow the lead of your coaches but find your true self – one that your audience will find authentic, can believe in and can trust.

Marc Lemezma helps businesses succeed by getting their message OUT THERE!

Have you ever stopped and considered the skills you are selling to your customers?

Products speak for themselves and advertising plays a huge part in selling products, but skills are less evident, if you do not sell them well enough.

Culturally, we are not comfortable with being confident with our skills. We have received many negative messages in regards to celebrating our skills confidently, for example; ‘Who do you think you are?’ or ‘Nobody likes a show off?’. Well employers and the consumer DO like a ‘show off’, because how on earth can you gain others confidence or respect by being a ‘shrinking violet?’.

There are an abundance of skills you possess and need to acknowledge daily and celebrate openly, in order to gain the confidence of the consumer to buy into your service.

Skills Analysis

Write down a list of your skills, no matter how great or small. Then write down your Strengths, then your Attitude and finally your Areas for Development.  Once you have acknowledged all of these, you will be able to sell your skills and strengths more enthusiastically. You must also consider you Attitude to your business and then also enable yourself to work on those that need developing. Life is a journey of development. We are what we think. Our attitude to ourselves and our service/products are paramount for success.

I continue to inform my clients that we all have an abundance of skills we now take for granted. We all learned how to drive a car or ride a bike or communicate our needs or learn a skill specific to our business. Do we take these skills for granted now we do them without due care or consideration? Our skills base are our biggest asset, along with the skills base or any employee’s.

It is important that your skills match the need of the customer or employer you are targeting.  Positive and Confident Skills Matching, is the key to your success.

Confidence Conditioning

Remember you have been conditioned to be quietly confident or not confident at all. This is not what the customer wants. They want to buy a confident service provider….so come on all you quiet confident people out there….get loud and proud. Sell your skills and more importantly, connect and be consistent with your Confidence.

Self Limiting Beliefs

You were born Confident and throughout your lifetime, will continue to make many mistakes and will pick yourself up, dust yourself down, and continue to thrive, only if you consider what your Self Limiting Beliefs are. Once you have recognised them, can you begin to overcome them.

Here are a couple of common Self Limiting Beliefs:-

I am not as good as others.
I am never going to make it.
My dreams are just dreams.

Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent. ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Muhammad Ali always told himself and the world….“I am the Greatest”. “I am the World Heavyweight Champion”. He continued to repeat these messages to the world before he became exactly that….He was the Greatest and became World Heavyweight Champion. ‘What We Think We Become’. Ali’s beliefs were solid in his mindset, due to continual Positive Conditioning from his mother.

I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.
Muhammad Ali

We must not continually rely on others to provide us with continual Positive Conditioning. We must rely on ourselves 24/7 and become independent in our Belief and Goal setting.

Positive messages to our minds are fundamental for physical and emotional wellbeing along with ongoing Personal Development and Success.

What are you waiting for?

A free to enter competition with a good price usually works, especially if you offer a cash price!

Most internet users in the UK will be familiar with the MoneySupermarket price comparison website, it is among the most popular sites for comparing prices through a whole range of products including money and finance, insurance, shopping and utilities.  By promoting a free to enter and fun to participate competition small businesses as much as household names can increase their traffic and public awareness.

For example, MoneySupermarket have launched a competition challenging customers to make a short video showing how they spent the savings they have made by using their website; and here’s an example of how one customer used the money that she had saved to buy her dog Benson a Batman outfit!

You can see more video entries and register to take part at ‘Let’s Have The Savings‘ here. The funniest and most viewed video will win the cash prize of £500.

So if you think you can come up with an amusing video check out the site now for full details and register your chance to win the cash!