TeleClass September 26, 2001 This is the transcript of the Corporate Coaching Class led by Corporate Coaching Expert Val Williams.   (from which transcript was crafted) How to Sell Your Services to Corporations September 26, 2001 - 1:00 p.m. TJL: Welcome to the call. How's everyone doing today? We're waiting for Val Williams, who is our guest today. Val will be our presenter today. I'm just playing host, and may ask questions from time to time. Val, will talk about yourself a bit? VW: The presentation is on how to sell your services to corporations. I'll tell you a bit about my background; I've been a coach for about 6 years now. I do corporate coaching, almost exclusively at this point. I, in a general week, coach 15-20 individual executives and 8 groups - in different parts of the country. I also spend some time doing coaching seminars, either half or full-day presentations. I coach mostly senior executives - as low as manager level, but usually Vice President, Director and above and coach senior execs and their direct reports together. TJL: Coaching where they interact with each other or on separate items? VW: Both. TJL: Did you begin as a corporate coach or ease your way into it? VW: I began by coaching everybody. When I began, I coached anyone who showed up. I changed over time because I had been a corporate executive for over 13 years. Corporate coaching, from a practice building point, is much easier. TJL: Because? VW: The marketing is effortless. When you coach in a corporation, people talk about you, and are talking to other people who are likely to hire you. TJL: In my experience, it's almost that they're likely to brag about you. VW: That would be true, Thomas. It's really good leverage that way! TJL: Coaching in a corporate structure, how different is that from coaching other individuals? What's the reality? VW: Let me tell you some of the ways it's the same. Some of your basic techniques of listening and connecting are the same. With corporate executives, what I think is different are a couple of things - when you're doing corporate coaching, if you're going to coach major players, you've got to be one yourself. Your personal confidence really comes into play. TJL: If I can ask you to elaborate, how does someone starting out as a coach make themselves a player? VW: The most important thing you can do is get clear about why what you're doing is valuable. The best way to do that - a practical approach - at the end of every coaching call, ask them what they found useful in what they did today. That builds your confidence because you hear what they thought was valuable, and it was always a surprise. When you find out what your value is, that's what you'll bring to corporate clients too. Remember, you don't have to be an expert in finance, but be an expert in listening and connecting well. VW: Also remind yourself why you wanted to be a coach in the beginning. Whatever that reason was, go back to that - it'll support your confidence. TJL: If you find out what they thought was valuable, you can use not only your words, but their words for what they found valuable. VW: Point #2 would be that you've got to laser what you're offering. You've got to be clear on what you're selling; there's no time for a big philosophical background. You've got to be able to say it in 5-10 minutes. You want to do it from the client's point of view. TJL: Yes, or he'll just write you off, I would assume? VW: Yes, they're very tough. They'll dismiss you in 3-4 minutes if you can't make the case quickly. Corporate clients in particular have a short window - that decision is going to be made very quickly, in 5 -30 minutes. TJL: When you say it's situational, is that in the way they would use you or the way coaching is? VW: You would describe the benefits - what they would get - and not the features. That can come later; they're interested in that after they buy. TJL: What kinds of situations? VW: When they want to get promoted - they want to change how they're perceived in the org to either get promoted or more bonuses. Another reason, if they've got a big change in their corporate career and you'll help them do that. Or, they have to build a team. Even if they've been an executive for a while, if the company has gone through a merger or acquisition - a coach can help them with the leadership skills to bring the team together. Also, conflict with a peer or staff, any of those day-to-day problems. They want to know you're going to help them fix or solve that so they can move to a higher level of compensation. TJL: You've been to Coach U; at Coachville, we don't even have models on the things you've described. How would someone, in the meantime, know how to coach in these situations? VW: Here's what I did. The fact that I'd been a corporate executive didn't really help me get some business. I developed a pilot program when I started. I said I wanted to coach 5-6 managers in high change situations for 8 weeks for free, with the same kind of general guidelines. If they liked it, I wanted them to tell everyone they knew. That's one way to do it. The 2nd way is - if you don't know enough people - start talking to friends, neighbors, etc., who are corporate people and find out what their biggest problems are. Start learning it that way. TJL: Start learning before selling? VW: Absolutely. Remember, they're used to having people sell them something every day of the week - in the first 5 minutes, they're only listening to should I exit or keep going so they've got to hear what you can do right away. It's different to talk about coaching itself; you've got to talk about what they're going to get, or give them the exp on the spot. In terms of marketing, the easiest way I've found to give them the experience is through the seminars. If I go into a corporation and have never been there before, through a seminar, you're in front of 35 people who are pre-screened to be good coaching candidates and are getting a good exp of you without a lot of pressure. TJL: They're auditioning you then, really. VW: Yes. In the moment you're doing the seminar - I don't do them in traditional ways, but as though I'm coaching the whole room. I have a belief that's worked for 6 years - every time at least 1 person will hire me - every time. Seminars are a great entry path. Let's go even smaller - luncheon speakers or informal career day programs. When I started, I spoke everywhere for anyone. TJL: What are some of the titles you deliver? VW: Stress management, strategic planning, management retreats - they're my favorite, team building and leadership, and a variation of team building where I use the disc assessment. TJL: You're not really selling things like personal evolution, perfect life. VW: Yes, I have sold a course that I call personal foundation for leadership and have sold it several times. Once you get your foot in the door, if you're going to last, you have to be tough with boundaries and standards. Corporate executives are regular people, but by nature, are aggressive, and will push back on whatever boundaries you have. These are things like being on time, policies about payment, re-scheduling or missed appointments - you've got to be unstoppable; there's no room for being a nice guy. TJL: Is it because there's so much pressure and you're the easiest thing to move around? VW: I don't think they're trying to be insensitive, but I think they're under a lot of pressure from their own organization so they tend to look at things from their own eyes, not yours. As an example, an exec came to me and said a company would pay for his coaching. When it was close to final negotiations, I mentioned again that fees were due on the first of the month for the following month. When they said it would take a couple of months to write a check. A lot of coaches in the world wouldn't make us wait to write a check, and I simply said, I understand. I decided that it was the moment that was going to make me or break me, but I was willing to lose the job over that. I figured if I was willing to cave in on a policy that was important for me, they'd.... When we coached 6 months, my client was doing very, very well, and not quite a year later, my client I coached go promoted, and she brought me in to coach her direct report and the co. paid to coach both of them for the rest of the year in one advance check! I'm very proud of that story. TJL: That's the kind of person they want! VW: Exactly. If you're coaching somebody in a corporation and didn't get paid for 4 months, it's just not worth it. I wanted to have them as a client, but it was more the principle of the thing. I'm offering a certain level of quality and value and do it in a certain way - if that's not for you, then you should get somebody else. TJL: You've developed an edge and I think people respond to that and pay more attention to you because of that. VW: I think that's well put. If you feel like you don't have the edge, look at me. I don't really have that edge, either, but when you're making the sale, I do have a different type of edge - I'm not into coaching for a hobby, it's a business. The distinction for me is that I don't have that much of an edge one on one, but when it comes to having boundaries and standards, then I do have that edge. TJL: How did you come to believe so strongly that coaching is so valuable? One of my assertions that coaches can't sell themselves that easily - they believe in coaching, etc., but I don't know if they've had enough exp to become convinced of the power of coaching. VW: The most important way I became convinced was by being a client. Being a client myself - I've had 6 different coaches over the last 6 years, and I wanted to experience what it is that was happening with me that's worth my time and attention. I would not be this successful if not for those 6 coaches that I had; my experience didn't translate into being a coach and an entrepreneur. After every call, I would look at what was different in my life. There's an important marketing reason for that. I don't want clients who are having less than a wonderful experience, because I don't want others to see that they're anything less than happy, prosperous, etc. Even in corporate coaching, it's never worth it if it's less than wonderful for you as a coach - even if you're well paid. TJL: Even if it's not working that well and you bring it up, what are the turnaround chances? VW: I've only had to fire 3-4 clients in 6 years, but my selection process is pretty rigorous. Don't take just anybody, even though you really want to take on corporate clients. It's painful to coach somebody who doesn't want to be there. About 20 percent of the time, I say no to clients. There are a couple of downsides - sometimes corporations will use coaching as a last resort for someone they're thinking of firing. I make it clear that I only do developmental coaching, not remedial coaching. Many corporations are willing to pay you, even if you fail, because they can then say they did all they could for the employee. TJL: Any more key points or do you want to open it to questions? Sam: When you do a seminar, you said you coach everyone in a room - could you expand? VW: Typical training is when you come in with a script and present certain materials. As a coach, I have a very short outline and approach them just like I would if there were just 1 person on the coaching call. I try to find out what the goal of the whole room is. When there are 35 people and I'm there to do strategic planning, I look at it as a coach. I see the goal, and ask them questions about what gets in the way of doing strategic planning and talk to them about their strengths. TJL: It's more about the blocks or issues they have then you just trying to educate them about strategic planning. VW: Yes, exactly. Someone once told me - and it's really true - the difference between consulting and coaching is that consulting is bring experience TO the client and coaching is bringing expertise OUT OF the client. TJL: Wow - that's great! I wish I had said that. VW: You did, about 5 years ago! April: So when you ask questions of the room, you take responses and manage them? VW: Yes, I will always use that individual's response as a coaching example. I shift it to the whole room and use that to get things going from there. I'll actually coach that person in front of everyone in a very respectful way, and might put some training there in the middle. While we're talking, I'll use what that person is saying and turn it into bullets on a flipchart and use that to teach everyone else in the room. TJL: You can be assured that at least 10 percent of the room has the same question, problem, or issue, so you're essentially coaching the room at the same time. XXX: If nobody answers your question? VW: That almost never happens, but if it does, I assume that I need to ask the question differently. TJL: They didn't understand the question. VW: Yes, or I assume that I could be clearer, and take that burden on myself. Does that help? XXX: Yes, thanks. Linda: I just wanted to say that I had the feeling that you are a master and am in awe of how you present yourself to a room. VW: Thank you so much. When I am in a room like that and am in the zone, I can't tell you how I feel - it's like electricity! It's like the day goes by and then I get paid. Since I don't have a script, I'm doing it by feel. I'm not afraid I say I don't know because I love learning. TJL: Is there a way you've found to convert a higher percentage of the room by using examples, etc.? VW: To convert them to what? TJL: Being a client. VW: That's a good question. I low-key anything that feels like selling, but I think client examples work well. It's also going by feel; I've been the most successful when I'm really enjoying it like that - people want to hire me because they want to have that experience. Your excitement and passion does more than what you say. TJL: Good - any other questions? Lorraine: If you are looking to break into the corporate arena, without much corporate background or connections, would the DISC be a strong way to get your foot in the door? VW: Yes, I would say definitely. I use the DISC and specifically for team building. I'm definitely not an expert on the DISK, but people in corporations find it to be a friendly corporate tool, and lends itself to laughing and fun, and people in corporations find that refreshing. XXX: Have you found that when you use a program that works with the disk, is there increased receptivity to that in corporations? VW: They definitely like programs. Some corporations have that as a first question - what assessment tools do you use? However, keep in mind that I've only been using them for the last years, so for 5 years, I was successful without using them. The assessment should be a small part of what you bring to the party - don't let it take the place of who you are. If you lead with the assessment, they could hire anyone who could do that assessment, so spend a lot of time trying to figure out why you want to do corporate coaching. If you don't have a good answer, you may not enjoy yourself. TJL: If someone's new at this, they should invest some time in figuring out what corporations need and running some pilot programs. VW: Yes. Being there for the money is never, ever a good reason. TJL: Yes, many are seduced by the idea of financial nirvana, but it may not be in their blood. VW: From a financial point of view, it is extremely profitable, but it's also very annoying, so if it's not in your blood, you could find it really frustrating. You really have to go into your own gut and ask why you want to be there. Being in a corporation is a tough place to work. I wanted to be in corporate coaching because I wanted to improve corporate life. TJL: Next question. Bonnie: You mentioned that you interview prospective clients within a corporation. Besides being on a developmental track, what else do you look for? TJL: Great question. I also look for - can they work with a partner? 2nd, are they taking personal responsibility, or are they putting it off on somebody? 3rd, I'm looking for that they can take action, as opposed to having a nice chat with them. I tell my clients we're not going to have the same conversation this week as last week. Does that help? Bonnie: Very much, thank you. TJL: Val did this as a volunteer, and believe me, we're going to talk. XXX: Yes, I sense some evolving here. VW: I've been doing this everyday for several years, but have never thought about talking about it. I would definitely be open to something like this. TJL: We're going to recap now for our last 2-3 minutes together. What did you learn? Norm: I've been interested in this area, but didn't know how to get to it, and this has opened a big door for me. Sam: The difference between training seminars and coaching seminars. Pat: I love the idea of coaching the whole room. Linda: I love what you said about learning and coaching at the same time. Patty: Doing the research before you step into the arena - I think it's especially important for those of us who don't have that background. Lorraine: In addition to what everyone else is saying, check your motivation for getting into corporate coaching and what you bring to the table. TJL: I learned to offer a half-hour of talk as an entrée to corporate coaching services. XXX: I appreciated the specific examples you gave; they made it much clearer. XXX: The difference between consulting and coaching. TJL: Val, what did you learn? VW: I learned I enjoy doing this. I guess I learned more about corporate coaching, and maybe reminding myself to know why you want to do. I'm going to continue, but I need to keep asking myself so I get to learn and grow. TJL: Thank you all for contributing to this. We'll broadcast out the transcript in the next week.