Coaching By Relating

While reflecting on when one of my good friends and supervisor Roger Spencer was coaching me as a sales rep a few years ago, I realized he made it easy for me to learn how to sell by relating to my interests.

For some people that might seem elementary but it's such an effective method. I (as I'm sure you have by now figured out)am by the very definition of the word addict, am addicted to fis hi ng! So when I was trying (and failing) at becoming a sales rep on my own, Roger stepped in. He noticed my fishing magazine and instantly the gears started turning in his head. He talked in fishing terms, showing me how I could relate specific closes to fishing lures. He showed ,e how sometimes I had to power fish, just RIP the offer past the buyers face and let them hit on reaction and impulse alone! Or how sometimes I had to slow down and finesse fish them into biting despite their reluctance. And even how sometimes I needed to speed fish and probe the buyers lake to find that honey-hole where I could get the bite and close the sale.

I created this document back when Roger started coaching me and molding me all at the same time. And until I was cleaning up my hard drive recently, I thought I had deleted it along time ago..... It was a product of my brainstorming and me just trying to visualize how to convince a customer to bite on what I was selling.

The idea is that Roger came down to my interest level to find common ground, and more importantly, a common vocabulary that we could use to effectively communicate our thoughts about selling to one another.

Of course it helped that Roger is a huge fishing buff as well.... but it's the point. I've used this technique to coach and teach others myself. A few subjects I've used would include, MMA Fighting, Marching Band, Choir, Video Games, Nascar Racing, Soccer, Scrapbooking (that was an interesting one), and Driving a Car.

The idea is to just find that common ground that lets you put your coaching ideas into verbiage that makes it easy for the person you're coaching to understand and actually retain what you're saying.

Too often I watch a supervisor coach a rep, and the person being coached smiles and nods a lot.... often tossing in a little, "Yep.... Uh Huh.... or Oh Okay!" then the coach walks away and the rep goes right back to what they just corrected. It's all because they aren't retaining any of what you're saying because to be honest with you.... they don't care that much. What is important to each of us personally will of course take up more space in our minds than those things that aren't.

So break down that fence between Camp-Work-Too-Much and Happy Town by building a mental bridge between the two. Put what they thought was non-work knowledge to work for them on the job and your reps performance will improve because now they're engaging A LOT more of their mental power-house because it's interesting for them!

Work Hard Play Harder

I'm a firm believer in the saying that heads up this post. I work hard, so I can play harder!

To me that means giving everything I have at work, so I know the job's done right, then taking the time to just relax and let life show me what wonders it has hiding away at the lake, or on the hiking trail, or in the parking lot at a DCI show. Whatever it might be that I'm doing to unwind, I make sure I go full throttle. No other way to really enjoy it!

By far, my favorite two activities to unwind are fishing, and going to University of Akron football games! And I realized there's a lot of things about both of these that ties into the workplace.

Fishing- Trial & Error, Problem Solving, Creative/Abstract Thinking, Free Thinking, Determination

Football- Teamwork, Loyalty(fan loyalty that is), Strategic Planning, Leadership Skills, Hard Work & Practice, Determination

So when I'm relaxing, I'm actually working?! Wait a second.......... I thought work stayed at work, home stayed at home. I've realized that that will never happen. My friend Nate Riggs was just telling me before a meeting we had, "I have to turn it off when I'm with my kid." Referring to trying to unplug the work mind and plug in the family mind. Not that easy, so I've just started letting the two carefully compliment each other. I like to use the time when I'm down at the lake fishing to work through problems in my head, to think about new concepts or solutions.... to "Reboot" by solving every variable not accounted for while I was on the clock while I relax.

It's a careful balance, but it works. I catch a few fish, but solve a lot of problems and develop a ton of new ideas all at the same time. Hooray for multitasking.

Fishing & A Reminder To Always Keep Networking!

Today was Easter, obviously. And I spent my morning in church, then at Beths moms house for a nice Easter dinner. We put together her brand new(& huge) Kingsford grill, and I helped Beths brother install cable in his room. Its was a nice, simple day. And then I decided the afternoon was too incredible to waste not being at the lake!

So I jumped into the car, drove home and hiked it down to the lake! I put the line in the water, and for almost an hour, didn't catch a thing. But, I switched spots, switched my frame of mind, and landed not only my first bass of 2010, and my first bass at my new home lake, but one of my best bass yet. 17.5 Inches & what a fight.


I enjoyed my day ALOT. And then something hit me, the urge to go exploring. Off into the woods at the end of the property I went, following a barely marked trail. It went on for a while, and then I found exactly what I was looking for, "the end of the lake." What I mean by that is the dam at the far southern end of the lake, and that's where I found two things.

1. Bass Paradise! A HUGE tree in 4-7 feet of water, with big chunks sticking out, and within casting distance from shore...... Amazing. and....

2. A constant reminder to network with people!

As I approached this new super secret fishing spot. I saw it wasn't so secret..... there was a young man fishing there. I introduced myself, turns out the young man, Vance, lives one the first floor of my 12 unit apartment building. In a complex of over 40 buildings, and two large towers with a few hundred apartments (not to mention the three smaller complexes on the lake) this guy lived in my building! And here he was, fishing in this new spot I'd found! Turns out, it was his second day fishing (ever) and he was delighted to have someone like me to keep him from cutting his hand open on the bluegill he kept catching.

Just a reminder to open up and talk to people no matter what the occasion, you never know who you'll run into, or how you're already connected to them. If I would have left him alone to his fishing, not said anything, or just walked away, I never would have made a new friend in my building.

Have you networked with anyone today?

If you ask me, it isn't difficult to connect with someone daily. Whether it be a customer at work, a coworker you haven't talked to before, or just the guy next to you on the train/bus ride to work. Just say hello, strike up a gentle conversation. Whats the worst that can happen, they either ignore you, or ask you to leave them alone. No harm done! The pay off, you never know what you'll get out of the interaction you might start!