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Volume
24l
Welcome to Volume 24 of Living on the Edge, the fortnightly newsletter from Living Edge Life Coaching, designed to inform, educate, challenge and inspire you!
I hope you've all had an enjoyable Easter break. I've been away to Adelaide and Sydney visiting my best friends, so that was fun!
Welcome to new subscribers. One new subscriber's described the newsletter as bold, gutsy and juicy! Must have been reading Volume 20! For previous volumes click here.
If you enjoy Living on the Edge please forward it onto your family and friends.
Annabel Varvel Life Coach BA.LLB
COACHING CORNER
Enjoying your client's immensely
Do you enjoy your clients? It doesn't matter what industry or profession that you work in, your clients/customer's can make your day enjoyable or.... not!
It doesn't matter what sort of work you do, you have clients. They might be clients in the traditional sense or they might be other people within your organisation. Regardless of who they are, do you enjoy them? How do you know if you are enjoying them or not? Here are a few tips to identify if you are enjoying your clients or not:
- you dread their calls/seeing them. I know when I was working as a solicitor, there were certain clients that I often couldn't bare to take their calls until I was 'psyched' - they were the ones I definitely didn't enjoy!
- you feel drained at the end of your interaction. It helps if you feel energised or motivated to serve your clients rather than exhausted by them.
- you feel like you put all the effort into the relationship
- you are irritated by them
So, what can you do if you find you aren't enjoying your clients?
1. Pay attention to your feelings. Most change starts with awareness. Just noticing how you feel about your clients will help you to know if you need to make some changes.
2. Remember what you appreciate about your client.
3. End the business relationship. If you really don't want to work with a client anymore, end the relationship (do it sensitively and refer them to someone else). You don't have to be good at working with everyone. Getting rid of a particular client that is constantly draining you might be all you need to do to get a new lease of life in your workplace.
4. Automate fees. Most of us don't like to talk our accounts with our clients. Do it properly at the beginning of your dealings, and if you can set up regular credit card payments so that you are paid on time and it doesn't need to be discussed on a regular basis.
5. Manage your expectations. Don't have unrealistic expectations of your client. Be clear with what your expectations of your client are eg regarding payment, punctuality for appointments, time in getting information to you etc.
6. Make personal changes. If we are not enjoying other people, there is usually something we can learn about ourselves. Be aware and make changes as necessary.
7. Ask your client to change. Once you have made changes to yourself, and you are still not enjoying your clients, ask them to change.
8. Learn to manage your reactions. It is much better to respond than to react.
In the end, most of us are aware when a business (or personal) relationship is not enjoyable. We know it for ourselves but we also often know when the other person is not enjoying it. If we are not enjoying our clients, the chances are that they are not enjoying working with you either. We want our clients to enjoy their interactions with us - after all excellent relationships with our clients is a key to a successful business.
For all of my clients out there - I enjoy you ;-)
Annabel
LIVING EDGE HITS THE MEDIA!
Inner city Brisbane magazine, the Brisbane News has a feature story on Life Coaching this week. They spoke to me and to a couple of my clients about coaching - check it out.
You may have noticed that in the last 2 newsletter's I have started to introduce little self-assessments related to the 'Coaching Corner' article. Thank you to those of you who have had a go! There was over 100% increase in participants in the last newsletter.
Have a go at this quiz.... go on, it's just for fun!!
GOT A QUESTION?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
If you have a question or situation that you would like a life coach's perspective on... email it to coach@livingedge.net and I'll answer in Living on the Edge.
Don't invest anything at all in winning new clients until you're sure you've captured all the best opportunities in your existing client base.
David H. Maister in 'True Professionalism'
Questions, comments, suggestions email coach@livingedge.net
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LIVING EDGE
LIFE COACHING
Grange QLD Australia
p: + 61 7 3352 7033 f: + 61 7 3353 7133 m: 0409 076 040
1300 137 803