A Business Coaching Session Demonstration Utilizing a Vision Model

https://youtube.com/watch?v=PJV3V2ADsRg

Young entrepreneur works through her business strategy with business coach, Alicia Marie.

I am going to demonstrate one type of coaching model so that you can get a sense of what coaching might look like. Some things to remember is that it's, my job to be the facilitator, not the keeper of the knowledge.

My player today or coach e is father and I have no idea what she's going to say, so I am going to ask which one's coaching around and I'm going to coach her. We are going to stop at different points in the recording, so I can point to to what I'm doing.

Why don't, we go ahead and get started yeah all right. Thank you, yeah! Thank you. What would you like coaching around today? Well business-related, you know my husband and I just took over a new car wash uh-huh, and so it's, a new industry for us new kind of everything.

So maybe we can touch on something concerning that? Okay, so you want to talk about the car wash. You just started it mm-hmm and its new its new, so we actually bought an existing car wash uh-huh. It's, nine years old uh-huh and we just took over in November.

Congratulations yeah! We seem excited yeah, it's been good, but you know it's. It's, a complete new industry, customer service interaction haha. So it's, a pretty broad topic. Let's, narrow it down. Okay, if we were to form a question around this business.

What are you curious about how to drive you know? How do we get more foot track and foot traffic to our car wash okay, we do have a competitor. Okay, how do we, how do we get their business okay? So how do we drive more business from the competitor to our business, yeah that song right yeah? That would be okay, and what would you like to get from this conversation? Maybe some tools I can take with me to kind of you know when we're dealing with customers or employees or when my husband and I are like troubleshooting the operations side of it all being able to.

You see it with like a more mature look or fresh eyes or something okay. What I heard was you want some tools to be able to look at your business that you can use with your husband that will give you some perspective or fresh eyes.

Is that right, yeah, something different? That's, not just like what I'm, bringing or what he's, bringing but okay all right. So you're, looking for a way to have something that's. Gonna support you in perspective around this business, specifically around driving business from the competitor to your business.

Is that right? Okay, all right good, and how will you know we got that in this conversation? Hmm, I don't know how I & # 39. Ll know that we got it, but I'm interested in having things like unlocked in me and in new revelations about business about how to handle things.

I'm interested in yeah. I can tell you fill it up, so when you have a revelation, how do you know you're, having a revelation? They're, just like bears witness it's like just yeah in my soul like so you feel it.

Yes, okay, where do you feel it my mind, my body? You know you know what that feeling feels like mm-hm okay, so we're going for that yeah. Let's! Go for that! Okay, all right great! What a lot of coaches will do.

Is they'll, fail to take the time to really understand what is on the table to be discussed and what the client or player really wants from the conversation? So I'm asking myself. Am i clear about what this conversation is about and what she wants and the answer is yes, I think I am and she's confirmed that so we're gonna move on growth and development cannot occur without a gap.

So let's, discuss the gap, so you have a way of looking at your business that provides perspective and fresh eyes. You can use this with your husband and it's specific to how to drive traffic from your competitor to your business.

Yes, I'd, like for you to imagine that you've had that for well over a year. What does that make possible? Well, first scene, more so than we are right now like what Mike just statistics, you know how much we've grown every month.

Okay, we're, seeing that we're, seeing growth every month. More more car washes more members signing up so okay, we have some proof, but I guess in a you know, if we've had it for a year, it would would reveal to me if we're actually doing things right or Not being able to trace it back to you know, are we spending our energies and efforts in the right area? Gotcha? Okay, so let's go! Actually.

I want you to stand in the future. Okay and yeah. You can close your eyes if you want but stand there and tell me: what can you now see because you've had this for a year? What do you see that it's? Easier, okay, good, so it's.

Gotten easy mm-hmm that you know we're marketing right and we're customer service is like top-notch. Okay. I can see that okay and when you see customer service top-notch, what are you envisioning? On my end, I know I, like I want everyone to be greeted with this smile, a wave.

I want them to feel special, even it's coming through the carwash like I wanted them to just feel like they they matter. For that short time, they're out our business, so you can see that customers are having an experience of being seen and that you, even just for that short amount of time it's, like your presence here, makes a difference, and Vice versa, am I getting that right? Yes, okay, keep staying that vision! Okay.

What else can you see? Look at your numbers. What can you see it's a year from now? Customers are happy, they come just just because of the way they're treated traffic has increased. What numbers do you see around this? I could see an increase.

They're like 25,000. If we do, if we can do it. Okay, so you're now seeing an increase of over 25,000 a month a month, okay, sure yeah, because so you've. Seen an increase of you're now annualized! You you're on track to do over 300,000 correct okay.

What else do you see I see like as far as the look goes, the carwash being totally revamped and improved with the machinery and chemicals and equipment? Mm-Hmm - and I see our brand, which is we're - called the local wash because we we care about community care about that.

Community. Yes - and I see us engaging in that community to to help to be there a business that's, not just about them, but that can be outward yes and prove that you know and see that, like we're at the beginning Phases now, but if I'm looking in a year and we stick with it, I see stay there and stay in that future.

I'm gonna keep you there. Okay, so you're at well. Over 300 thousand. You've, become a business that makes a difference in the community and a place where your community wants to come, and people have this experience of really being seen, and even if they're only there for a moment, they're making a difference and you're.

Making a difference for them is that right, yeah, okay, anything else that you see, I see it's not having to be there every day all day, okay! Well, so what do you see? I see us, maybe taking you know, hiring the right people to run it daily uh-huh, where we can.

You know really step into what we kind of initially bought the car wash yeah, which is to kind of have that passive income - and you know, and all that kind of financial security. Yes, but I can see us - maybe there, okay, Tina, all right so stay in that future and don't crawl back here into the President's Day.

In that future, this has happened. Okay, okay, I'm gonna talk to the future. You, okay, okay, mm-hmm, yeah mm-hmm, and what I heard is the it's. You know you what lights you up is the connection to the community and who you guys are for the community, and you know.

I really hear also that your life is enriched because of the difference that you've made, and you're able to take just as much time for yourself and your family as well as the business. Is that right, mm-hmm? Okay, all right, wonderful, and why is all of this important to you? I personally, I value feeling accomplished and not I'm, making a difference in people and impacting them even on a small scale like it just connecting that's.

Really. What I love to do so I thrive off that really with this you know so many customers come through and we're dealing with so many people every day and it's. It's, always fun. For me. That part of it yeah the annoying ones.

You know haha, yeah, okay, okay, so stay there and from that place, what is it you can and if you need to close your eyes close your eyes? But what is it that you watch when you were watching the business? What did you watch carefully that allowed you to arrive in this place? Our product? Okay, say more about that like if it's? Is it a good car wash okay, good chemicals? Okay, do they work? Okay, they water down; okay, all right, so quality a product.

You kept your eye on that and what did you actually watch to keep an eye on that using different chemicals? Sometimes, the ratios are different because some are more potent than the other. So watching kind of that reaction on the cars and if it dries quicker and all that kind of stuff, okay and then are there less accidents? Okay, how sometimes with the rearview mirrors or uh-huh, you know? Okay, so you really watched quality and quality control and how the cars flow through and the chemicals and everything to do with that.

Yes, and from a big perspective as the owners. Even if you're, not there, how do you know that's working, I would say cuz we deal with so many customers, their feedback. Okay, alright, so you have built in a feedback mechanism with your customers around this.

What did you put in place that's? Good? We put in place the openness with our customers to feel like they can say, hey. You know my car was extra money. This time in my will world it didn't, get it all yeah like they could openly say hey.

You know we wish that the car would wash would have done a better job this time right. So how did you do that consistently? At the beginning, it was like asking people every person like how's, your car wash.

Are you happy with this? We're new owners or making changes mm-hmm. You know we want to make sure that our customers are happy. Okay, that's, important okay. So in the beginning, you did a lot of being there and asking so people knew they could give you that feedback now that it's a year later and people are going through.

How do you know that they're still happy and you're? Getting that feedback, I would say, buy their complaints or their. You know they're, not complaining or by knowing that our product and our method is good, and so there's, no cracks in that yeah.

That mean it's, squishy yeah, so yeah so stay there. In that future, you've. Already done this all right, you're at over 300,000. You can now walk away from the business and know that the quality of that wash is as good as it can be, and you have a way of knowing when it's not, and you're, not there.

What did you put in place so it may be feedback, but what did you put in place that gives you instant feedback or gives you feedback on a regular basis? Manager tell me about that. The right person for that rule, when we're, not there all the time, okay, okay, yeah, you could be a manager absolutely, and so you train them to ask yes yeah any other ideas, then that are coming here right now.

I'm. Sorry, no! You're fine kind of good. I'm. Like okay, I'm. I'm a year down the road yeah. How did we do? How do you know you're, getting regular feedback from customers around quality and the value they they're receiving? I don't, know yeah.

Okay, we & # 39. Ve got a manager what about of the manager sick? How do you know employees yeah, I'll, go do the job there, okay, so staying in that future. Tell me: how did you get the manager and the employees to look at it that way and bring the same level of diligence and care to quality trained them on what we have already implemented? What we know works, okay, we believe in okay, like it's.

Yes, so you created a platform and a training so that everyone is doing this. I think you're onto something now, okay, so, in addition to managing quality, what else is driving people from the competition to your business? What we offer like we offer air fresheners that are really cute with you know, state of Texas.

You know with our logo, we offer poker chips that are good for a free top wash Monday through Thursday, so people love those people are even asking for poker chips or like it, doesn't work. That way, you know, like we give those out at different times in our towel program.

People love that okay, so did I understand you correctly that you are doing some things? The other competitor is not, and then the game you're playing with the poker chips. Has them want to come? Yeah, Oh fun, so you & # 39.

Ve already got that in place. Oh yeah, okay, okay, all right, but a year down the road yeah. What wouldn't it be? Even you know we're, hoping that these things just catch on, and people people like these things, okay and they're.

Just a part of what the local wash can offer, okay and as business owner. What are you watching that? Has you know this is working our numbers? Don't lie so when we keep track of our poker chips, we see that people like we're, giving them out.

People are using them uh-huh, okay, so you're watching who's actually coming back, so we're, counting returning customers as a way to measure this. Yes, training planned for the employees that in that ensures quality, and now we're, going to track repeat customers through the chips, good idea, let's, find one more way to watch this.

What else do you need to watch as the business center, or what else are you watching in this future? That gives you site, and that particular thing you're watching, is an indicator that the competitor is losing out to you, and people are coming to your carwash.

Instead of theirs, we're watching for opportunities to plug ourselves into communities. Our families or schools or churches uh-huh that it's like we're. We're one. In the same, so we can as a business, come together with the school help.

If there's a need and her little things, I mean we're at carwash, so we can't navigate too far right, but because we're in a community that is about community, we're able to okay plug in so what I just heard was you're watching what's happening in the community and you're, making plans to stay connected with the community and that's, something That you, you're, doing consistently mm-hmm all right, and if I were sitting down with you a year from now with you and your husband, what would I see you looking at that that helped you manage your events in the community? What would I see like? What do you mean where I'm? Finding those opportunities or how are you managing that you're involved in the community on a regular basis? I would yeah, I would say the feedback with our not enough feedback there I would say.

Are we June enough events? Are we putting on enough fundraisers? Are we doing enough donations? You know, or you know, for the for the baseball team or the football team cheerleading. So I'm hearing a couple of things.

I'm hearing that you're, watching your contributions, which sounds like a number that you've decided on, and you're watching number of events that sound right yeah. So you're watching number of events.

You're, watching your contribution dollars and you are you've, got a training platform for your manager and your employees to manage quality, and you're, counting, repeat and keeping track of that statistic.

Correct okay stay there in that future, I am what we were doing just now is discovering possibilities. She's, standing in a vision, and what can she see from that place? This is how a coach shifts someone from from looking at a situation as if it's, a problem to looking at a situation from the point of view that it's already resolved and that that's.

Why? This is called a vision model. I also was dancing in between stage 2 and stage 3, because we were already designing actions and coming up with the plan and now what I want to do is kind of start to wrap this conversation up and it's called recap and removing Barriers, so let's, figure out where we are so far.

What have you gotten from this conversation? Am i in the year am, I still know tough to just talk to me. I'm gonna. Take you back there in a minute, okay, what I've gotten right now is to look at that perspective.

Being that okay and be okay with that and not know mean because how can you know you know mm-hmm, but also to pay attention to those things that I might not be like? Okay, I feel like there are holes.

Yes, I'm. Talking to you like I, my heart wants to say more, but my mind is like wait. Wait, wait. You know I don't know. Quite I'm, not sure. So I think filling those in you know I'm, getting that like our foundation right now, I still like.

Okay, this you just became aware of something your business needs. Is that right? Yes, okay, and what are you now aware of? I'm aware that it's. It can't miss BA. You know talking game, you can't just be like.

Oh yeah, we're engaged in the community, an event it needs to. Actually be like what we're watching and like what we can see yes and what happens if you don't have like your top three things. What do you think would happen if you don't know what to watch.

I don't. Think you'll, be successful. Why? Because you're. Not you! Don't have all the right tools: mmm, okay, let's. Go a little deeper! I'm. Taking you back to the vision, okay right: 300. Over 300,000, you have nailed your participation in the community.

You have your number for how you're, contributing you know what events to attend. You have trained staff and a manager. You can walk away from the business and know that it's. Working that standards of quality.

You're, keeping track of repeat customers and playing the game of bringing them back, and you know what your numbers are. They're, they're getting better a month over month and as you watch all of that, and you keep your attention there.

What is it you're, not paying attention to because it just doesn't matter that much I don't know I'm trying to think of that one stay in the future. Yeah. You got your eye on these three. These are you nailed? These is your top three things to watch, so what does that mean? You just aren't going to pay attention to, hopefully nothing.

I mean we need to pay attention to the business as a whole, but if there has to be one thing, there has to be at least three or four things: oh, and that we're, not gonna pay attention to yeah cuz. We just came up with a strategy, and every good strategy tells you what not to do yeah yeah, alright, so think about what you won't, be doing since you're, managing quality, trained staff watching repeat customers, involvement in the community That's, your strategy, those are your legs of your chair.

That's. What's? Gonna hold up your business? What isn't your strategy or, and what does that mean? You won't, be doing because I don't know it well. What would your other options be if that wasn't your strategy, don't confuse a little okay, that's? Fine! I'm gonna.

Take it back to the vision. Well, over 300,000, you and your husband can step away. You know what to watch in your business, trained staff involvement in the community, you're, contributing high high quality.

Repeat, just it keeps growing customers coming back, you & # 39. Ve got your formula. What do you know not to do now that you & # 39? Ve got your formula. You don't have to do what easy simple. What comes online first, is I mean personally, I don't have to be there every day, yep what else? So you're.

Not there. You're, not going to use a lot of business owners. Do that restaurant owners, for example, their strategy - is to be there all the time that's, not your strategy, very good, yeah ten hours.

I guess we wouldn't be as hands-on with the customers, but it would still be a big part of what our yes, you gonna, do yeah. So you're, not not necessarily in the day-to-day delivering of the thing mm-hmm yeah.

I see that yeah, like day-to-day operations, just things that could happen or go wrong or things that are great and for a lot of business owners that is their strategy, so that's. Not yours, mm-hmm give me one more.

What is your competition? Do that you're, not you're, not gonna be doing. We are not just gonna be hiring like riffraff. Okay, you know we're gonna, like the people that we hire it's harder because, where we're at, but they're good kids or they're great adult.

You know see your strategy is not just warm bodies for the least amount of money at minimum wage, that's, not your strategy. Your strategy is high-quality, talented employees who will deliver on that right might cost a little.

More might be a little hard to define, but that's, your strategy, so your strategy, isn't and it is sometimes just warm bodies who can move pieces right. Sometimes that is a business strategy that's. Definitely the other one.

Well yeah it's. Employee run yeah yeah, so you better have people who who are willing to embrace what you value yeah. Okay, all right! You're doing great. So when we look at your strategy, okay, okay, what's? One thing you could anticipate! Might stop you from staying on strategy.

What could just you know? Okay, you're, an entrepreneur shiny object. What could grab your attention that you really need to not do right, because it will take you away from this strategy. I would say just day you know focus I heard if you focus on your business for seven years.

Yes and you're good to your business or seven years, it'll, be good to you. So I'm, hoping you know that if I, if I just don & # 39, t flip the script and leave all that behind that we implement it and it's like a lasting thing, an effective thing.

So one of the things you're, not going to do is be inconsistent. Is that right, yeah then start something else yeah or like we'll, never just change our mind like oh, I'll just use shitty chemicals because it's; cheaper gotcha like that one gotcha, okay! Okay, what about your own growth and development? Your there? You have put this amazing staff.

Together, they're trained. Everyone's focused on quality customer service. People can people feel seen they come back. You're watching the right things from this place. Tell me: what did you personally learn from this, that it just takes time and being strategic with everything? Okay, you know yeah your everything, your finances, your working capital, your uniforms, your yeah, your look, the absolutely everything okay, so you learned that it takes time, and what did you have to learn about you to get that that I need to just calm down? Oh really, you know like patience is required.

It is a virtue and okay I have to if I like it or not, just okay be yeah. What I just heard is you're really committed to developing and using patience in this process. I've, had no choice, yeah yeah, you do have a choice.

No, I do yes well, I guess I could not do it and it wouldn't turn out as good as I want it to you. Okay, so you really see that you've learned patience still have you know stuff to go with that? But yes, you're, not done yet, but you're growing and you've learned patience, yeah mentally.

I can tell okay, maybe maybe my Friday, we'll, get there look at the future. You awesome. Alright. How are you feeling right now, good? I feel I feel good yeah, I feel stable and where I'm at mhm, and I feel great about the knowledge that I'm getting because it is how I think anyway, it's.

How about me, just even just sitting here, fill in those gaps that I've, a kind of my own mind. So what you wanted was some kind of tool that would create some perspective that you could use with your husband, and you wanted that feeling.

What was the feeling again like if there's, witness in my soul, and how are you feeling right now? I feel that you say things to just unlock, like you just unlock your non unlocker, like you, have a gift in that taking people from an area where they don't, know yeah, and they & # 39.

Re scared, yeah and they just can't even their mind, can't. Go there yes to then now I'm able to okay. So how's, your soul right now? Is it unlocked? It feels open and it yeah it feels like I'm. Getting fed.

Will you let me know how it goes yeah. You know you'll, be okay and I have one more request. Yeah, would you be willing to go back to your husband and kind of map out a one page on this strategy, just your thoughts around how to stay on this strategy mm-hmm, you would, and would you share that with me? Yes, okay, great, I will totally all right and we email it to me - maybe yeah all right.

I look forward to that won't. Do that yeah! Thank you for doing this. Hey, hey! Hey you really don't know it's done until you ask the person you're coaching. What I was working with her on is removing any potential barriers.

You know it's Monday morning. What's, the likelihood you're gonna do this might be a barrier question and then just recapping and at the very end I threw in some accountability. What are you gonna do by when, and how will you let me know so that's, an example of a coaching conversation.

There are many different models. This is one of my more favorite ones, simple ones. We actually teach this in our coaching skills for leaders program if you're ever interested in learning more. Thank you. Source : Youtube