What are the ingredients necessary to be successful?
It was only recently that it occurred to me the similarity between the following two words: CREATIVITY ACTIVITY To be successful, it’s not enough to just be creative. We must also have the ambition AND the ability to turn creativity into activity. Definitions from the Collins dictionary: Creativity Having the ability to create […]
When presenting, STOP before you are asked to STOP
People often say to me that they rarely make presentations in their role, but that’s not true. Regularly you attempt to bring colleagues around to your way of thinking You want to introduce colleagues to new work practices/platforms You need to get one of your clients/customers to buy into your idea Win support or Investment […]
Presenting is Not a Game of Perfect
The sportsperson who expects to be their best every time they enter the playing field will be sorely disappointed on lots of occasions. The ones who succeed over the years are the participants who continue to train, focus and have a positive belief in themselves while supporting others. Conversely, winners are people who experience frequent […]
Why Stories Lead to Success and Sales
Improve Your Pitches & Presentations I have been helping people to create Pitches & Presentations for fourteen years. I often work with companies right at the beginning of their journey and continue to work with them on occasions over the years when they need to tell their story to a new audience of investors or […]
People are like Saws; they need to be kept Sharp
Recently I was given a present of Seamus Heaney’s 100 poems, a collection of his and his family’s favourite poems. (Thank you, Jean.) The very first poem in the collection is entitled “Digging”. Here is a verse: The coarse boot nestled on the lug, the shaft Against the inside knee was levered firmly. He rooted […]
Selling in a time of Covid-19
Is your business relying on others to sell your product or service? The Problem: The scary thing about this is all your hard work and creativity are relying on others (I include your Sales and Marketing team) to generate Sales. There are three critical requirements for any business to succeed: Market – Competency – Passion […]
The (little known) Secret to a Successful Pitch
Executive Coaching Skills: The key to a successful pitch is your preparation and research. The conversation and face to face meeting prior to having the opportunity to deliver a pitch, or send a proposal, is where the groundwork for winning proposals are established. The images above are four of my top interviewers who always ask […]
People Love Stories
Storytelling in Business – My story, once upon a time … Yesterday I met my client for our final preparation session before he goes to speak at a farming conference in the UK. Which he believes will provide a good opportunity to grow his business in Britain and support the staff he already employs over […]
Turn your Interview into a Conversation and get the Job
Job Interview Tips & Techniques Recently I was asked by a former client and now a friend to help her prepare for a very important job interview. My friend told me that this position was her dream job. The first interview required her to deliver a ten-minute presentation plus a fifteen-minute ‘Question and Answer’ session […]
Start-ups are Changing the World
Coaching Start-Ups to Pitch & Sell Their Business Ideas I have been coaching start-ups for 13 years and in the beginning, when working on programmes like StartUpBootCamp (2010) and several University programmes, the majority of the start-ups were very hopeful, but with very little of substance behind them. How things are changing! A couple of […]