“Ask” is the keyword both for the leader as coach and for the person being coached.
When someone knows that the leader is ready, willing and able to take the time necessary to talk about a subject important to that person, effective coaching can happen on the dance floor of conversation.
As my holiday gift to you and your friends on Dec. 10 & 11 at Amazon.com, I am giving away the new ebook “Ask the Coach” to download on your smartphone, eReader, tablet or computer. Please note that “Ask the Coach” is a reference book; like a dictionary or any other similar resource book that is not meant to be read cover to cover. Readers would normally look up a question of interest in the Table of Contents and then proceed to read that self-coaching answer in the book.
The insights in this book are meant to help you develop the leadership skills necessary to become the master of yourself so you will be ready, willing and able to lead others. Self leadership happens through self-learning and self-coaching.
If you could do just one thing to help your customers and your business, what would that be?
Our answer is to consider giving more of what you have away. One of the most potent laws of influence is the law of reciprocity (http://www.lawofreciprocity.com/).
The law is that people want to repay, in kind, what another person has given to them. Reciprocity flows from the law of love (http://www.lawoflove.com/) that is “the gift of giving” without the “hope of reward or pay,” or serving others. Remind yourself that reciprocity is not about what you need but what the other person needs and how you can give that to them.
Finding ways to make your gift stand out takes some thought about what would make the recipient happy.
For your best customers, consider abandoning the usual baskets of fruit and cheese or imprinted coffee mugs at special times of the year. Also, avoid those silly end-of-the-year gifts of refrigerator magnet calendars given in mass by real estate and insurance agents. Many recipients would rather see the money you spend on calendars or fruit baskets go to a worthwhile cause.... like a charity or to help someone get to where they want to be.
All businesses are ultimately people serving people and our life’s work should come from the heart. Long after your thoughtful gift has been delivered, the feelings and knowledge shared during the business relationship remain.
Gary Chapman in his book, The Five Love Languages, tells us that there are five ways people speak and understand emotional love. One of those is in receiving gifts: A gift is something you can hold in your hand and say "Look, he was thinking of me," or "She remembered me." The gift is a symbol of thought and the thought remains not only in the mind but is expressed in actually securing the gift and giving it as an expression of love.
John Agno: Ask the Coach
Gary D Chapman: The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts