Tipping Point or Tripping Point:

The Six Biggest Hurdles Facing Consultants and Coaches

And How to Step over them with Ease©

Part Four

“In seeking wisdom thou art wise; in imagining that thou hast attained it, thou art a fool.”
                                                                                                             --Lord Chesterfield

Ray Kroc recognized a good idea when he saw one. Having visited the McDonald brothers’ only restaurant in sunny southern California in the early 1950’s, he saw the possibilities of duplicating their success many times over across America. He recognized that having just one store might be a nice living for most, but he also knew that it would be limiting him to much less than he dreamed of.  And thus was born the mega-empire of what we know today is the world’s largest and most profitable restaurant chain ever, McDonald’s.

Me, Myself and I

This is your choice and hurdle as a consultant or coach. Having the realization that there are only 24 hours in a day, seven days in a week, and only one of you, the harsh reality sets in; you are limited in your income-producing abilities. You can only do so much before you are maxed out and hitting your ceiling in your income and growth potential. Now, what do you do? Multiply yourself just as Ray Kroc multiplied the work of two men into thousands!

As a smart coach or consultant you recognize that you must find a number of ways to leverage your time, knowledge and abilities if you are going to expand your business and take it over this next formidable hurdle. This is the hurdle we call the ‘Me or We’ hurdle. Staying small and controlling it all is an option that some choose. But for most who have larger dreams and bigger goals, the pie can be enlarged in many ways. And it can become huge if you want it to.

We, Us and Our  

There are a variety of ways you can multiply yourself and have others working for or with you and still maintain their own autonomy. With both of the product lines we handle in my business, it is exciting and rewarding to recruit, train and enable other coaches and consultants to sell, profit and enjoy the fruits of their labors. It is also a profitable, income-producing part of our business.  We can enjoy ever growing and significant management fees as each coach or consultant becomes more and more successful.

Here are four tips that will help you step over this ‘Me or We’ hurdle with ease:

• Know yourself and your strengths well so you can recruit others who will augment and support you where you are challenged. Don’t just clone yourself, but rather find those people who do what you do but do it differently and perhaps better. You’ll have more balance and leverage working together.
• Find the right product line(s) that you can add into your delivery mix as well as sell on a retail basis, and learn everything you can about it. It’s preferable if you can bring people into this same business as part of your product sales team without having to entangle yourself with them in a legal or binding manner.
• Subcontract work to those you know, like and trust. Be sure their values and beliefs align well with yours, and keep open, honest and continuing lines of communication flowing between you. Focus your time and efforts on your strengths, and have your ‘subs’ do the other work that you can’t or don’t like to do.
• Coach, support, encourage and mentor the coaches and consultants you recruit so that it is a ‘good deal’ for both of you. Some will need and want more involvement than others, so find out specifically what their expectations and needs are, and work with them on an individual basis.  You get out what you put in. Put plenty into them and watch them grow and produce more and more over time.

The Demanding or Enjoyable Hurdle

Most coaches and consultants have a deep desire to make a difference. They are tired of feeling like rats harnessed to a wheel doing work for reasons that don’t make sense or have no clear objective in sight. They also want to stay on the higher ground both professionally and ethically and avoid the politics that typically go with the corporate lifestyle. But reality isn’t always clean, neat and simple.

Clients may, at times, just like corporate bosses, have agendas or personal needs that can lead you down the primrose path and into the swamp. They can become demanding and difficult to work with, making the life of a coach or consultant less than enjoyable and at times even feel like hell on earth. This is the ‘Demanding or Enjoyable’ hurdle that everyone faces at one time or another, and this one can push you into a mental quandary.

Do you opt for only working with clients that are truly enjoyable and provide the kinds of emotional rewards that make everyday life easy and smooth? Or do you face reality and realize that there are few clients that will always be easy, and many will provide challenges that test your mettle and put you into the fires of refinement. Part of the challenge that comes with being a consultant or coach is the reality that we don’t always have total control of how our clients want to work with us and what their ‘other’ needs will be beyond what the basic contract states. But there are ways to cross this hurdle too.

"Face adversity promptly and without flinching, and you will reduce its impact."

Winston Churchill

Enjoy these four starting tips that will help you cross over this ‘Demanding or Enjoyable’ hurdle while keeping your sanity:

• Clearly, and in writing, define success for yourself and your client before a contract or letter of agreement is signed. This is your compass and reference point whenever things seem to go astray, and this will continually anchor you to a specific outcome when things become difficult.
• Put on Rhino skin (that means thick), and don’t take things personally. There are often hidden and unstated agendas that have nothing to do with you. Recognize that early and often as you stay your course.
• All coaching and consulting projects are process based and take time. Nothing will be changed overnight, and if there are small and progressive gains, you can celebrate and point to these along the way towards the final goal.
• If the client can’t be persuaded and refuses to make the suggested changes you offer, discuss the consequences of those decisions. Be prepared to walk away if needed or work within the situational constraints.

Wow, you’ve already learned how to step over five of the six biggest hurdles you’ll ever face as a coach or consultant. Come back next month for our sixth and final hurdle, and be ready to win the race for business success. See you on the track.

About the Author:  George Hendley works with coaches, consultants and business leaders who are successful, but not satisfied. He is an award winning mentor and Diamond level distributor for Inscape Publishing and is in the top 1% of sales leaders in the world.  George is a coach, consultant and author and expects to publish his first book in early 08’. Contact George at 972.234.4377 or George@georgehendleypresents.com. Sign up for George’s free ezine at http://tinyurl.com/27kep7.