Coach Deb’s post-boardroom Analysis and Coaching Tips from this week’s episode, Week 6 of “The Apprentice“

Whether or not you’re dreading the words, “You’re FIRED!” from Donald Trump on NBC’s popular TV reality show, The Apprentice or whether you want to “Get Hired” to work for someone, or simply want to earn a client’s business as a business owner or executive yourself, there are certain rules in business that you MUST follow in order to increase your influence, be admired, respected and ultimately - land the job!

We can learn a lot from a “hindsight” perspective into the successes and failures of this week’s candidates.

Rule #1 in business:
Don’t be late!

Back up Rule #1 in business:
If an emergency arises…

• CALL your prospect, client, or potential employer to let them know you’re going to be late.
• Give them your NEW ETA - and then - make sure you’re there at the new time.
• THEN - immediately upon arrival - build rapport back up by immediately apologizing profusely for being late.

This sign of respect and humility does two things:

1st - and most importantly - it demonstrates to the other party that you respect THEIR time immensely and know how valuable time is.

2nd - it builds rapport back up - which will be CRITICAL in their decision making process when they decide whether to give YOU the job - or your competitor who organized their time well enough to be on time - the first time!

LASTLY - and this is a “DO NOT Rule”

Do NOT evade your clients questions - EVER!
ESPECIALLY when they are asking you directly about WHY you were late - or why your product or service doesn’t do x, y or z in their minds.

Bryce (Synergy’s Team Leader) seemed to “dismiss” Doug’s (Executive and key decision maker from Arby’s) question about WHY he was late by TRYING (quite unsuccessfully I might add) to deflect with his first point of the meeting - WRONGO!!!! This is not only another huge rapport breaker - it is ALSO incredibly RUDE!

Clearly, this was Bryce’s biggest mistake!

“Gold Rush also went to meet with the Arby’s execs, but they were almost a half hour late. When the execs asked Bryce why they were delayed, Bryce ignored the question and moved on to the task at hand.

Instead, if you satisfy a potential client’s concerns, or initial “hurt feelings” you’ll decrease their apparent frustration and be able to move toward establishing rapport with them.

However, if you pretend their complaint or point isn’t serious or real, then your client will quickly see how important they’ll be in the future, once you have them as a client.

Think of this process as “a courting phase”. If your date expresses something she (or he) doesn’t like about what you did or didn’t do on the date - would you just ignore their statement/frustration and then try to kiss them?

No! (Unless you’re a complete nimwit and don’t know the slightest about impressing a woman.) Instead, you’d address their concerns, discuss them, and “come to terms” so to speak in order to make sure all parties are satisfied and happy again.

THEN you move in for the kiss - I mean kill - I mean sale! LOL Well - you get my point by now - right?

Coach Deb’s conclusion at the end of Week 6:
Bryce was practically ASKING The Donald to fire him.

Especially when you consider the two people he decided to bring into the room.

Bottom line about the Game, The Apprentice:
Trump wants to PLACE BLAME somewhere.

What Bryce seemed to FORGET in the course of this game - is that “The Apprentice” is just that - A GAME.

It’s NOT a real interview.
It’s NOT a real company team - not yet.

It’s STILL a group of competitors - and as much as Bryce tried to “INFLUENCE” his “team” the night before about telling them how he’s not going to “throw anyone under the bus” he needed to remember that he was still playing a game to “Get Hired”.

Bryce’s biggest success:

While Bryce’s actions may be PERFECTLY respectable with a REAL team - and certainly wins points with the general public who watch him on the show - it unfortunately showed The Donald that Bryce didn’t know how (or didn’t want) to single out the person who contributed to their “loss” which is the SOLE focus with The Trump Brand.

In all reality, what Bryce did to bring this chaotic, self-obsessed team together during this episode, and how he did in fact win their respect as they all complied with his request for “A united front” demonstrates his leadership ability, AND showed him as a true influencer.

IF he ONLY would have used his influencing abilities with the Arby’s executives, Doug and Debbie - well - he might still be on the show.

Coach Deb’s FAVORITE PART OF THE SHOW:

Bryce’s LAST comment in the cab ride “home”:

“Maybe Trump should listen to other people once and a while.”

LOL!

IF only more people had the guts to talk to Donald Trump that way - it would make for a MUCH more entertaining show.

That was probably one of THE most HONEST feedback scripts we ever got from an Apprentice candidate.

Boy - if Trump were to look in a mirror - would he see Bryce?
Hmmmmmmmmmm
What do YOU think?

Enter YOUR comments below.
Let me know if you thought it was time for Bryce to go - or whether you thought someone ELSE should’ve been fired - and if so - why?

Coach Deb

As heard on The Wayne and Jayne Show
All Hit KBS
West Kootenay Region
British Columbia.

If you had the choice between hiring someone you don’t quite trust even though they “look impressive on paper,” verses hiring someone who doesn’t look like the ideal candidate on paper, but you have a good feeling about that person’s integrity – who would you choose?

9 out of 10 people pick the person they can trust every single time.

An independent study on a corporation whose team had decided “on paper” to hire one company over another proved this theory. Once the team met the competing leaders, the team did a complete 180 on their decision, and went with the other company.

We think we make purchasing decisions based on logic. But in reality, we make our decisions on a subconscious level, a more emotional level; then we justify our purchase decision using logic.

Actions speak louder than words

Last week we explored a case study where Keiko met with two contractors separately. She had to decide who would get the job to renovate her kitchen.

Most people seem surprised to learn that Keiko chose …

contractor #1 who had a much higher bid, and admitted he couldn’t meet her deadline for the project. On paper, it seems the logical decision would be to go with the bid that falls within budget, and with a contractor who promised to meet her deadline.

Keiko just couldn’t trust contractor #2, even though he “said” he could meet her deadline. She explained, “He missed his appointment and didn’t call back until much later. He also didn’t ask as many questions about the job as the first contractor did. That leads me to believe that the second contractor was just making promises he couldn’t deliver.”

She felt that the first contractor actually took the time to really get a feel for what the project would entail, and gave her an accurate estimate of when the project would be completed – with no surprises when the bill came.

Making promises based on what you think someone wants to hear will never influence your listener in the long run – especially if they simply don’t believe you.

#1 Law of Influence: Do What You Say You Will Do (DWYSYWD)

Being true to your word, doing what you say you will do, and acting with a sense of honor and integrity is the most important law of influence. All other strategies are built on this.

Keep your promises. Remember - your word is your bond. As a general rule: under promise and over deliver.

Once you break a promise to a client (or a vendor) you’ll be on shaky ground. Even if it seems like a small issue, you’ll look flaky and unreliable. People want consistency – especially when shelling out their hard-earned money to you.

Being true to your word is how you’ll be judged. It will determine your success in influencing your clients, neighbors, and friends.

Coach Deborah Micek
The Influence Code

You can know all the laws of influence, all the tricks of the trade, from psychological trigger buttons to using the right words that make people automatically want to buy from you; but, if you don’t follow the #1 law of influence - you might as well flush all the books on influence strategies down the toilet.

What is this critical factor in influencing others?

Let me first share a brief story with you so you can see how this law of influence works.

Keiko was searching for a contractor to remodel her kitchen. After careful research on the Internet, she selected her top-two favorites.

Contractor #1, Tommy, arrived on time. He asked her dozens of questions such as how large she wanted her new addition to be, and what the most important features she wanted included in the new design.

When Keiko asked him how quickly he could get started, he gave her an estimated date. Unfortunately, it was a date past the time she really wanted her new kitchen completed.

Although the estimate was higher than she anticipated, Tommy explained that she would have everything she ever wanted in her new kitchen. The quality of his craftsmanship and materials used were guaranteed for the next 50 years. And before he left, he said to Keiko, “I take pride in every kitchen I’ve ever created.”

Respectfully thanking Tommy for his time, Keiko walked him to the door and waited for contractor #2 to arrive.

Three hours past the time Steve was supposed to be meeting with Keiko, contractor #2 called from his mobile phone, only to have the call dropped as he was explaining, “Wow! Time just got away from me! I should be there in about…”

Pushing the volume up on her phone, asking, “Can you hear me now, Steve?” Keiko realized the call was dropped, so she went outside to tend to her garden in anticipation of Steve’s arrival.

Another two hours passed with no call back from Steve. Keiko went inside the house to make dinner for her son.

By early evening, she finally heard back from Steve, asking if he could come right over. Consenting, she set up a new appointment for an hour from then.

Steve arrived late, but with an impressive, four-color brochure about his company. He gave the old kitchen a quick look, and asked her what her budget and deadline was.

Seconds after Keiko described why she wanted the project done as soon as possible, Steve nodded his head, and assured her he could get it done by then, no problem.

He left her with a quote that was well below her budget for the project, and told her that if she sends in the signed contract with a check before the end of the week, he’d knock off an extra 10%.

Who did Keiko choose?
Find out in next week’s post.

In the meantime, post your answer in the comments section below…

Coach Deborah
The Influence Code

In part one of this business coaching article we looked at why confidence, courage, and certainty must go hand-in-hand if you are to succeed in your role as a business owner. You know that courage is the inner power and ability to face difficulties. And you now know that courage is rooted in confidence, and confidence is rooted in the mindset of certainty.

So today with that in mind, let’s look at some practical steps you can take to begin increasing your certainty and confidence?

Four proven ways to boost your certainty and confidence as a small business owner.

• Know your strengths — and continuously listen, monitor, and adapt

Each of us has a unique communication style and behavioral strengths when it comes to business ownership. No two business owners are the same. You must first assess your strengths (and by default, also your weaknesses) so that you can quickly identify areas you can and should be more certain in naturally. This is the foundation for accelerated success — no matter what your industry or profession.

Only then can you listen critically in all areas and be ready, willing, and able to adapt your approach. When you do that and then monitor results — this further increases certainty. It’s a self-fulfilling cycle. Each and every time it happens, certainty and confidence increase.

This may seem a little difficult at first glance, but I assure you that there is a proven scientific system for making this process a snap. In the Business Owners Coaching Club we coach business owners to identify and master their unique personal style in all four dimensions of performance. (Action, Motivation, Focus, and Psychology.)

Armed with this knowledge they are not only able to exponentially multiply the results they get in marketing, sales, and systemization – but these men and women are infinitely more certain and confident in every business move they make.

• Complete your due diligence, study and research

In order to be certain and to be right more than you’re wrong you’ll need to have a solid knowledge and understanding in your area of expertise. You can be as confident possible and you can run as fast as you can to the east - but if you are looking for a sunset you’ll never see it.

Even General Patton, who had been accused of making snap judgments said in his defense, “Honestly this is not the case because I am a profound military student and the thoughts I express, perhaps to flippantly, are the result of years of thought and study.”

• Eliminate hesitation at every turn

Whenever I become concerned with taking action on something no one else seems to see, instead of allowing myself to feel like I’m wrong, I’m always reminded of an interview I saw years ago with championship hockey player Wayne Gretzky.

The host asked him how he had become such a great player. Gretzky simply replied, “Most other players tend to skate to where the puck is. I skate to where the puck is going.” That certainty and confidence to make a decision in an instant allows him to act without hesitation. This puts him in position where he is often the only player where the puck is.

I see myself making the same moves in business and real estate. Sure, sometimes I may be wrong even though I’m certain. But ahhh… those times when I am the only one there and the opportunity is right in front of me. Those are the distinctions that allow me to leapfrog ahead in life and save years of hand wringing.

You can do the same for yourself… if you eliminate hesitation.

• Certainty is not “Cockiness”

Being certain and confident of the direction that you want to go does not mean that you have to be cocky or arrogant. As a matter of fact, if you don’t take time to listen to the viewpoints of others and analyze where your plans may be flawed, you will fail more often than you prefer. As King Solomon wrote, “With the abundance of counselors there is victory.” (Prov 11:14b)

As your business coach I need to remind you that certainty and confidence are not ignorance of your own weakness. Rather it is the recognition of those weaknesses along with the dedication to overcome them or turn them to your advantage that will help you succeed.

In closing, I feel compelled to issue one warning note for you as you begin to move forward toward your goals with certainty and confidence. Sometimes people are uncomfortable with themselves when they are exposed to a man or woman who is unabashedly confident or certain. In reaction they may try to make themselves feel better and take away that discomfort by placing you in a safe little “box” with negative words.

When some people (especially if they’re not business owners) try to label you with terms like arrogant or cocky, it doesn’t always mean that you are. It may just mean that you’re making them feel uncomfortable with their lack of action in fulfilling their dreams. If you hear those words, use it as an opportunity to double-check your attitude, see if there is any truth that you can use to improve, and then move on.

Above all, remember that confidence and certainty do not magically appear on their own. They are the result of hours, days, weeks and years of constant thought, practice and dedication built on a through understanding and mastery of your individual strengths.

Do as we coach business owners all around the world to do. Put this power team at the base of your entrepreneurial pursuits, and you too will be able to leapfrog barriers, obstacles and competitors with greater ease.

John-Paul Micek is known as the “Click-and-Mortar Business Coach” by business owners around the world thanks to members of the Business Owners Coaching Club™. He’s a published author and weekly columnist for the business section of the Honolulu Star Bulletin, and a managing partner with the international small business coaching company RPM Success Group Inc.®

The © Copyright to all audio, video, images, and text are held by RPM Success Group Inc.® and licensed under a Creative Commons License.

“There can be no great courage where there is no confidence or assurance, and half the battle is in the conviction that we can do what we undertake.” –Orison Swett Marden

Confidence, courage, and certainty… succeeding in business and in life requires that they go hand-in-hand. Courage is the inner power to face difficulties. Yet courage is rooted in confidence, and confidence is rooted in the mindset of certainty.

Real life examples of confidence and certainty in action

General George S. Patton was the poster child for confidence and certainty. He was a remarkable leader who trained and motivated his men to achieve astounding results. With an unwavering certainty and emphasis on mission, he transformed an utterly demoralized American force in North Africa into an army capable of defeating the Nazis’ much-feared General Rommel. Later storming across France into Germany at a breakneck pace, his unit conquered more enemy troops and liberated more civilians than any other in World War II.

Helen Keller (a model for certainty, confidence and encouragement) once said, “face your deficiencies and acknowledge them. But do not let them ever master you.” Both General Patton and Helen Keller both realized that in order for a person to succeed he or she must routinely overcome personal failings, or turn them to his or her advantage but never to doubt him/ her self.

Certainty, confidence, and successful business ownership

For myself, I have always made the connection between a relative level of confidence or courage and its direct proportional relationship to success in business. (Success having different definitions for each person.)

But until the other day, I never realized what a powerful role the attitude of certainty has had in helping me achieve all that I have so far in life. My wife said to me, (admittedly in frustration) “You’re always so darned certain, but you’re wrong sometimes you know.” Her comment at first got me a little concerned. But then as I took it to heart it made me realize a couple of things I knew were critical for me to share with you for creating a successful business and living the ideal business ownership lifestyle.

First it called my attention to the fact that I need to parse my words at times and listen more openly to feedback when conveying a vision I have or a possible plan of action.

Secondly is that “certainty” is the gasoline that fuels the engine of massive forward momentum. In every area of business, from entrepreneurship, to marketing, to leadership — certainty is the crucial ingredient required to overcome obstacles and achieve outstanding results.

An example of certainty in business ownership

Let’s look at small business marketing as an example. Once you are certain that you have a product/service that people really want, then you will want to exude confidence and unabashedly market yourself. Marketing is not the place for uncertainty or, do I dare say — humility.

As a matter of fact, most business owners equate humility with silence or lack of self-promotion. What they don’t realize is that this attitude actually drives prospects and clients away because what they are looking for is security in knowing that you will deliver what you say you will.

If you’re not certain or confident about yourself or your product/service, why should anyone else be confident to do business with you?

The same is true in entrepreneurship and leadership.

Certainty, built upon dedicated thought and study, allows you to make decisions quickly, confidently and efficiently. Does that mean you’ll always be right? Of course not. But it does mean that you are in a state of constant growth. Whether your decision takes you two steps forward, or one step back — the wise person is always learning and growing no matter which direction they’re moving at the time.

In part two of this article I’ll act as your virtual business coach and share with you four proven ways to boost your certainty and confidence as a small business owner.

John-Paul Micek is known as the “Click-and-Mortar Business Coach” by business owners around the world thanks to members of the Business Owners Coaching Club™. He’s a published author and weekly columnist for the business section of the Honolulu Star Bulletin, and a managing partner with the international small business coaching company RPM Success Group Inc.®

The © Copyright to all audio, video, images, and text are held by RPM Success Group Inc.® and licensed under a Creative Commons License.