Should you consider outside coaching for your business?

By ROGER BOSTDORFF

I started B2B Sales Boost 12 years ago last January. The theory behind my consulting company was that if you are working for a large organization and you had a problem there was always a specialist or a department available to assist. In a Small and Medium size of Business (SMB) if you look for that resource the lights are off and no one is at home. Everyone at some time needs to vent, needs to bounce some ideas off of someone else with no penalty. Every business owner should have someone that they can talk with that can provide an outside objective viewpoint that will either substantiate an approach to solve a problem or come up with an alternative improved solution.  Every business owner reading the above paragraph would agree that it can be VERY lonely at the top.

So why do businesses shy away from securing outside coaching?

1. How can an outside business coach know more about my business than I do? The answer is that the coach/consultant probably does not know more about your business than you do. However, they probably can get better data from some of your employees relative to issues or challenges facing your team. They also have been exposed to other companies with similar issues/challenges where they have seen what works or what does not work.
2. Coaches/consultants are expensive! I guess expensive is in the eyes of the buyer. However, anytime I am coaching/teaching sales techniques I suggest the buyer utilizes the scale of a good business decision. On one side of the scale the investment should be positioned in $$. On the other side of the scale the benefits should be identified in $$. Whichever side of the scale is heavier tells you whether this is a good business decision or not.
3. The Entrepreneur Spirit…Many business owners took a huge risk in founding their business. They could make a widget or provide a specific service that was needed in the marketplace. The Entrepreneur spirit allows for risk and in fact an Entrepreneur does many times thrive on it.  However, as the business grew the organization now needs expertise in areas that may be less familiar to the owner. Sales/Sales Management, HR, accountability, etc. are not necessarily common skills that are innate in all of us. They need to be taught and coached.  When learning how to play baseball you are coached. Even the pro’s have coaches that continue to refine the game of the athletes. Why should business be any different? There is no shame in asking for advice.
4. Things will get better. Maybe your business is getting better. Maybe it is the rise of the economy that is allowing your business to improve. However, if it is the economy that is taking your sales up that same economy is going to recede in the future. Don’t you want to be organized and prepared better the next time? I have been called in by different bankers to assist some of their troubled clients. Some of these companies recognize they need help. However, some do not believe they need assistance and do not listen. I think that is the definition of insanity…operating the same way and expecting different results. The San Francisco Giants just won the World Series and they already have made changes to their roster for next year.

The best time to evaluate what you are doing is when things are going well. There is always room for improvement. Find a good business coach/consultant and talk about what keeps you up at night. Maybe you can start sleeping better and your business will grow even more. It does not cost a nickel for us to talk.

Roger Bostdorff is the President of B2B Sales Boost. He spent over 30 years with IBM in sales and sales management.  He then became President/COO of a small internet security company before founding B2B Sales Boost, LLC. B2B Sales Boost, LLC is a consulting company helping organizations improve their sales and overall business processes.  You can find more about B2B Sales Boost on the web at www.b2bsalesboost.com or calling 419-351-4347.  If you would like to receive the B2B Sales Boost Newsletter please send an email to roger@b2bsalesboost.com