If you are an HR professional, talent manager or business coach, you night be interested in joining us for the next Association for Coaching in Ireland masterclass, ‘The Benefits Of Developing A Coaching Culture‘.

The event will tak place on Tuesday 20 May, 2008 in Dublin and on Wednesday 21 May 2008 in Belfast.

It will feature a case study of how Irish call centre Gem is using coaching to enhance organisational performance and is being led by Andrea Close Quality Manager for Gem, and Carole Pemberton, of Coaching to Solutions.

At this event we will explore a case study of how Gem is creating a coaching culture. Gem was established in 2000 and is a privately owned outsource contact centre based in Belfast delivering innovative services for market leading organisations across a wide range of geographic regions, sectors and channels.

Employing over 1000 people, Gem is dedicated to delivering outstanding results for our clients and our performance has been recognised through the many industry awards for recruitment, training, innovative use of technology and business development. 

Gem faces the challenges of every call centre - how to engage, motivate and retain a young, educated and mobile workforce, so that its level of service delivery meets client needs.  Their answer has been to develop an approach to coaching that aligns with their culture and values, an approach that makes coaching a part of how people work together.

Details of how to book to attend the Association for Coaching in Ireland masterclass can be found online.

Did you find this article helpful? Then please share it!

Creating online video’s is a great way to provide resources and guidance to prospects and clients. Online video can also position you a knowledgable expert in your field and you have probably heard that they also increase the time people will stay on your website if the content is relevant and professionally delivered.

But what if you are concerned about the investment required to create online video’s especially if you have a limited development budget or you do not have the resources to outsource the production?

Well I just heard today that Camtasia Studio, one of the tools I use in my business, is making available a completely free, full version of screen capture video software Camtasia Studio Version 3 for a limited period of time. 

I use Camtasia Studio for tutorials around building your personal brand and developing your employer brand and for customer service resources to help the members of my online membership community get familiar with the environment and you certainly do not need to be a technical whizz at all to use Camtasia Studio. You could also use Camtasia Studio to create information products that you can then sell to realise new streams of revenue from your practice.

You can download your free version of Camtasia Studio here and then register it. Then develop your action plan to use online video’s to attract more clients, support your current clients and grow your profits.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• If you are looking for ideas and inspiration about how to use online video’s in your practice, you can read an article I wrote earlier this year
• My good friend and colleague Chris Austin has created some terrific free training videos where you can experience Camtasia Studio - Chris provides excellent guidance in how to use Camtasia.

Did you find this article helpful? Then please share it!

Have you ever considered using online applications to enhance your business productivity?

On line applications can help you when working with current and potential clients. For example in connection with lead generation, delivering services to our clients and as internal tools in our practice – all of which enhance your productivity and effectiveness.

I was recently approached by journalist Marie Boran of the Irish Independent who asked me to do an email interview about my use of online applications in business to enhance productivity.

Online tools are particularly helpful when you are in a role where you are mobile and your team and the business partners you collaborate with are dispersed across the country or event the globe as is the case in my business.

Many of the applications are available at no cost or require a relatively small financial investment to assess them.

In addition, you do not have the challenge of installing and keeping the applications up to date on your own in-house IS platform.

Many of the tools and platforms are providing a bespoke solution for us and we did not have a previous desktop application. Other tools such as Skype we use in addition to our regular phone services.

I shared 32 of my favourite online applications that I use in my business.

Marie also asked me a number of questions about my view of online applications and you can read my perspective about why I think businesses big and small can benefit from online applications to build their brand, generate qualified leads attracting more clients, enhance their productivity, improve customer service and increase profits: Continue reading

Did you find this article helpful? Then please share it!

How many times have you walked into a store and looked to make a purchase but the customer experience was so awful that you left without spending a dime?

Or perhaps the last time you went to your dentist you were met by a grumpy receptionist who made you feel as though it was easier to deal with the toothache than summon up to courage to book your appointment?

Every day, our experience of customer service is made up of hundreds of separate situations which leave with us a lasting impression of what great customer service is and also shape and influence how we connect with our own clients and potential clients.

It could be the way a phone call is answered. Or perhaps whether an email enquiry is responded to in a timely manner.

Let’s take as an example the first time you connect with someone face to face.

There are four key areas that people will notice when you talk with them:

1. Your language: do you use language that is welcoming, engaging and direct? Do you speak language that is jargon free and that your client resonates with?
2. Your tone of voice: is your tone of voice positive and uplifting so that the person you meet realises that you are enthusiastic and genuinely interested in them? Do you leave the people you meet feeling energised and looking forward to speaking with you again?
3. Your pace of speaking: what is the pace with which you speak? Talking too fast and you will be difficult to understand or that you are too busy to care about your client. Talking too slow the conversation can sound tedious and the person you are speaking with could want to run to the hills out of boredom if it takes you a long time to get to the point.
4. Your body language: what signals and unspoken messages you are giving by the way that you stand or sit? Your body language can speak volumes so be sure to smile, make eye contact and remember a firm handshake showing that you are purposeful.

YOUR BIZ GROWTH ACION STEPS

Here are three steps you can take to enhance he way you and your team connect with customers to make a postive lasting impression and build a platform for business growth:

• The next time you have a meeting with a client or potential client, prepare for your meeting considering the language you plan to use and the energy and enthusiasm you are looking to convey in the meeting through your tone of voice, you pace of speaking and your body language.
• Take the opportunity to record yourself either as an audio or a video recording - perhaps on a telephone call or in a meeting. Take time out to review the recording with a colleague, your business mentor or coach and look for areas that you could enhance the way you connect with your customers and clients.
• Identify three key customers who you would like to further enhance your relationship with and set about asking for feedback on how they experience working with you and your team. Remember their perception and experience of dealing with you is their reality. If you want to enhance the customer experience for them the first step is to understand how they see it at the moment.

Take these three steps and you will be setting the foundation of a cumstomer centric culture which is sure to build your brand, enhance your reputation and increase your profits.

And if you are interested in exploring this subject further, I would also recommend two books: “Raving Fans” by Ken Blanchard and “How to Talk tto Customers” by Tom Larkin.

Did you find this article helpful? Then please share it!