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Brent Spilkin

May 05
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Limber Up For The Double Niche

By Coaching Consulting Marketing Uncategorised No Comments

I recently had a client tell me about a great idea of theirs, one that would have them come across as more remarkable, standing out from the rest of the crowd and I naturally recognised it as one of the concepts that I often preach to business owners:

A little something, called the Double Niche.

Upon recognising the tactic, he asked me “what is that? Some kind of kinky bedroom move?”

No, not quite. But, I mean it could be.

The double niche is a great way to take your area of expertise, find a niche market and become the best-known person to provide a valuable service surrounding that.

Not Just A Lawyer, But The Best Gay Marriage Lawyer Around

 

In making use of the double niche, you need to know what you do best and find a niche audience to cater to in providing that product or service.

When explaining it to my clients, I often use the example of a lawyer that primarily focuses on gay marriages; by taking on the added label of ‘gay marriage’, you become more than just a lawyer or a lawyer that practises in divorce, but seen as a professional in that very particular field.

When someone hits the search bar with “looking for a gay marriage lawyer” then you should be all over the first page of Google and hard to get rid of – almost just like a glitter-bomb (all over the place and impossible to clean-up).

By adding a niche area of the market that you provide your services for, you’re creating an impression of more knowledge and expertise in that specific field – keeping you on the iron throne and at the forefront of anybody that is in need of your unique offering.

Sure, your USP is very important in differentiating you, but I find that it’s not always enough and that you should find ways to add a niche area of expertise that you’re comfortable in.

Another example might include being a graphics designer for pharmaceuticals, where you’re given the advantage of the network that it provides and you’re able to tap into a demographic that caters to that niche market.

You should be the first to pop-up on Google when people search for the service that you provide, especially when combined with a particular niche-area.

People recognise, or become aware of your ability to provide a service in that particular area or field and it narrows their options down to only a few choices that they are left with. If you execute the double-niche well, then you should be that choice.

Become World-Class Through Double-Niching

 In making effective use of the double-niche strategy, you polarize your audience and appeal to a small segment of a particular market – this will make you the go-to person for that service.

As a business coach, clients ask, “why not just appeal to everybody?”

I often explain that with the high levels of saturation and homogeneity in so many areas of expertise, by trying to appeal to everyone, you often end up appealing to nobody.

You can branch out to and be recognised by a world-class selection of clients in using this technique well and ultimately build a strong presence in those niche markets. People prefer to narrow down all of the options to make life easier.

You also offer a very unique solution that nobody else is offering; becoming remarkable and sticky in that field, as well as the perfect choice in a world full of choices.

My Double-Niche Project, BBBRAP!

 I’ve made good use of the double-niche technique in my own unique and remarkable way. With all of the tools at my disposal, I was able to find a perfect fit for both me and a large portion of my clients. 

Coming up with it was quite easy, as I took something I’m great at (business coaching) and blended it together with something that I love to do (ride motorcycles); so I came up with my Business, Bikers and Breakfast Radical Accountability Programme (BBBRAP).

In going after entrepreneurs and business owners, of any size, that also owned a motorbike and were on the lookout for coaching services, I came up with a fun solution that people really enjoyed being a part of.

Rather than just focusing on entrepreneurs, or just motorcyclists, I opted for both niches and took on a small and dedicated market. It was a unique solution and nobody else was doing it, so by default, it became quite popular.

As Seth Godin said, “in your career, even more than for a brand, being safe is risky. The path to lifetime job security is to be remarkable.”

Double-niching will make you stand out and be exactly that: remarkable.

Target the people that are searching for whole sentences in the search bar, “biker entrepreneur looking for a coach,” and be the first option that shows up on the results page – like scattered glitter all over that first page, so people know who the best choice is.

A good friend of mine Richard Mulholland talks about how “your USP (unique selling point) is actually your UPS (unique problem you’re solving).”

There’s always a problem that needs solving and that unique solution can be discovered quite easily with the use of finding your very own double-niche.

Figure out your double-niche with me:

Let’s have a meeting, a cup of joe, or a chat sometime about your niches and interests.

What direction(s) can you take, what do you both love doing and are great at doing?

I’ll be around to help you figure that out and you don’t even a need a motorcycle!

+2783 253 3339

brent@spillly.com

May 04
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Stop! Don’t Chase Those Sleek, Shiny Pennies.

By Business Coaching Strategy No Comments

In providing simple, effective and strategic frameworks for my clients, especially those that run small businesses, I always make sure to include the Five Ones.

“What’s that, 51s?”. No, my friend. Five (5) Ones (1s).

This strategy is easy to use and apply to any business that wants to grow and that doesn’t necessarily have a lot of products or services that they offer. These businesses generally do one thing, or one of several things and don’t offer too many solutions.

Places like agencies, content production companies, even an apple farmer – they all specialise in one thing.

But, Shiny Pennies Are So Shiny, Though.

 Making use of Clay Collins’ strategy of the 5 Ones, helps business owners give themselves, their business, their team and marketing a focused and clear path to take when putting out a product or service that they specialise in.

Most of the 1-15 man businesses don’t deal with a large variety of clients and don’t supply a huge selection of products, or services. So, it’s important to find ways to gather the energy and intent to identify and market the product or service that they offer, in order to squeeze the best out of it for their customer or client.

It sounds easy enough to start implementing, but I tend to find that numerous clients that I end up coaching will fall into a wicked trap – one that I like to call ‘the shiny penny’.

A shiny penny, simply put, is a distraction from the intended goal and purpose behind what the business provides its customer; put it this way, you have a direction, a destination that you’re heading towards and along the way you stumble upon a shiny penny. This shiny penny arrests your attention and takes it prisoner to the newness and potential that it offers.

You’re now distracted and your focus is on the penny, instead of the intended destination.

This tends to happen to business owners when they become enamoured by what seem like new, sexy and innovative ideas along the way, but that push them off-course the predetermined direction of their business.

Often justifying shiny pennies, business owners claim that “it’s complementary to my business and we can do it quite easily, just hire one more person,” without being aware of the fact that it’s a different service, or a different kind of business altogether and requires a different kind of client.

The 5 Ones is a framework to remain on the path, without being distracted by the silly need to chase all the shiny pennies that are out there.

So, What Are These 5 Ones?

They are simple enough to understand and digest, with enough room to re-evaluate and realign them when necessary. They follow each other and each one should be thought about and implemented one after the other, for better results.

  • Start with One Client Avatar or a perfect client that you want to be focusing your time and energy on that will embrace your solution, product or service; they are the ideal customer that you want to be focusing on for the next period of time. Answer the questions: which industry do they belong to and what are the problems in that industry that we can assist with?; what is their geographical location and what demographic are they a part of?; what product or service do they want from you and how much of it should we supply?; how much and how often would they spend money with you?; where could you advertise to gain maximum exposure and are they traditionally or digitally inclined?

 

Remember to apply the 1:9:90 rule and figure out where that perfect client sits in the bigger picture – who is the primary audience member? Are they just lurking in the 90% and are happy with finding new solutions without really looking too far?; or are they in the 9% that will spread your brand, products and services, because they understand its value and importance; and if they’re the 1% that can influence the masses, how do you make them happy and appreciate your offering enough to start a snowball effect?

 

  • The second One, is One Solution that’s considered unique and that you can deliver with ease. It should solve the perfect client’s problem through your primary product or signature service and should differentiate you from your competition and should be double-niched to make it as unique as possible. Your USP becomes extremely important in this phase, as you need to convince clients to buy from you and with immediate effect; outline what makes your offering important and the unique problem that you are solving for the client; create a list of why your offering is better than what the opposition offers and why the client will adopt it; make it clear how you’ll impress and intrigue clients and provide a promise to deliver.

 

You want one product to sell to this one target; you don’t want five products, you don’t want ten, you don’t want 15; you want ONE amazing and unforgettable product.

 

  • The third One, One Marketing Channel speaks to staying clear of the shiny pennies and too many responsibilities – pick one platform or channel that you can become an expert on and that you know your client spends time around. You need to make a decision and decide whether or not you’re a B2B or a B2C business and once you’ve decided who you’re selling to, you need to make the decision whether you want to go ‘direct’ or ‘indirect’. Direct is generally the simplest approach, because it allows the vendor to sell to the customer directly.

 

Some great examples of these marketing channels include: social media, public speaking, affiliate marketing, public relations and email marketing (to name a few).

 

  • The fourth One, One Conversion Method relates to the way that you take the interested party that sees you on the marketing channel to a sales funnel and provide the necessary conversation to convert and get them to spend money on you. You should start looking at how to take them off the marketing platform and turn them into a client or customer. Finding ways to transform them from interested to committed and to start buying from you. There’s a variety of conversion methods out there and some of them include: e-commerce, virtual or physical sales meetings, webinars and freemium models (offering free, but charged additional features, services and goods).

 

  • The fifth One, One Year is the period of time that you need to apply this strategy in order to start assessing and evaluating the level of success that this method is achieving. It’s recommended to take a firm direction for up to a year and make slight tweaks and changes in the strategy where it’s needed. Keep in mind the importance of the impact your strategy will face when coming into contact with the enemy and that adaptability is critical, when needed. Constantly revise and revisit the method to get the absolute best out of using it.

 

I will reiterate the fact that no strategy is completely bulletproof and will bring about the exact results you’re looking for; so in picking the 5 Ones, always measure and re-evaluate it. Make changes and realign it if it isn’t working for you in any particular way.

To further your understanding of this strategy and its implementation, I recommend:

One Person (Me);

One Coach (Me);

One Meeting (With Me);

One Amazing Business Owner (You);

One Contact Method (Phone, or Email – with, guess who? Me!).

You’ll find no better combo!

 

Phone: +2783 253 3339

Email: brent@spillly.com

And PLEASE, for the love of Coffee, don’t chase shiny pennies!

Apr 24
Love0

I Wrote The Wrong Bloody Book!

By Business Coaching Freelance Strategy No Comments

As an entrepreneur, freelancer, consultant or a professional in any field, for that matter – try and stray away from dipping your fingers into too many flavours and always be aware of the shiny pennies that might arrest your attention on your journey.

Take it from me, I’ve had to learn the hard way.

While it has certainly been a great journey in self-discovery and personal growth, I’ve found myself quite deep-down certain rabbit holes and it goes without saying that I have my regrets. (Now my fingers are sticky and my pockets sag with those heavy pennies.)

Take Caution When Delving Into Rabbit Holes 

In the previous business that I owned, I became known by friends, family, staff and the food manufacturing industry as “The Atchar King”, where I was renowned for my excellent product and the great service that my business provided in that industry.

At the time it was certainly convenient for my identity, as that level of credibility can take you and your business to great levels and leave lasting impressions of you.

And I’d be lying if I told you that being dubbed a king at something wasn’t pretty damn cool.

However, that doesn’t quite carry through to my current occupation and the business coaching that I provide to my clients today. It would be great if it did, but it instead takes away from the image and identity that I’m cultivating at this moment in time.

When I started coaching in 2012, I began gaining traction in the media, communications and technology spaces, slowly becoming known as the guy that provides great entrepreneurial advice and insight to business owners in those industries. I had just started building a name for myself, when I made the mistake of chasing a shiny penny.

For those who are unaware of the concept, a shiny penny is any form of distraction from the original destination that you’ve chosen to move towards. When your business is heading to a particular destination, shiny pennies often pop up along the way and realign your focus onto other ideas, concepts or projects that you might believe are beneficial to your company at the time, but end up affecting the resources and effort that should be spent on moving towards your intended goal.

So I found myself a shiny, new penny: the freelance space.

I Got Distracted With Writing The Wrong Book

It had interested me for quite some time that the freelance space was one that businesses could utilise to cut back on the expenses of having permanent staff and that particular roles could be outsourced whenever it was required – and so I went down a deep rabbit hole.

As an interesting and insightful piece of content, I landed up interviewing 64 agency owners around their use of freelancers so that I could better understand how well the strategy worked for them, what their frustrations were, whether certain things didn’t work and all of the pros and cons that come with this approach to running a business.

With all of this great information that I had accumulated, I came up with a report and it ended up gaining plenty of traction and interest – to the extent that I wrote a book about the freelance space and how to successfully run a freelance business.

It was a 2-year long project that I undertook, with a lot of time, money and effort spent on the process of writing and self-publishing it.

It didn’t end up being such a bad thing, as it was transformed into an engaging set of course material, where it was lectured and taught at a few tertiary institutions and I had even done some talks around it in a few different environments – but it ultimately took away from the identity I’ve been aiming to achieve.

People started referring to me as “the freelance coach”, which isn’t what I do, or advocate.

The shiny penny that I had picked up and took with me on my journey was becoming a part of my identity and started to define the clients that I would attract. Truth be told, this works wonders if that is the particular niche, or double-niche, that you want people to recognise you for, but it’s not what I wanted.

I don’t want to be known as “the freelance guy”, or “the freelance coach”; it’s not what I offer and it takes away from the core of my business, who I am and what I do.

It takes time to change the narrative around the identity that you’re given surrounding a product or service that you’ve offered or sold and I’m still working towards changing people’s views on what I actually provide to them as a business coach.

Rubbing Salt In My Wounds 

As if writing and publishing that book wasn’t enough of a reason to distract people from the service that I actually provide and what I yearned to be recognised for, I decided to share my Business Bikes And Breakfast Radical Accountability Program (BBBRAP) with the world.

It was still in-line with the direction I wanted to take in coaching and included a great passion of mine, but people started to attach that niche that I created as a label around what I do.

Taking a slightly different approach, I published a lot of what I did in BBBRAP as visual content on the different platforms that I was on and soon became known as “the guy that does bike events”, or that I “coach bikers.”

This was, again, something that I didn’t want to be exclusively known for and I’ve had to learn the hard way to avoid making mistakes like this.

Stopping to admire and pick up the shiny pennies that constantly draw you in becomes problematic when developing an identity or image that you’re trying to make stick in people’s minds.

So I implore you to be careful of the distractions that come your way and always be aware of quick-sinking rabbit holes, as well as the glimmering shiny pennies that might detract from your core business identity and main source of income.

Try and keep away from these types of distractions if they aren’t going to enhance the image, label or personality that you’re attempting to cultivate around your business, product or service.

Like I mentioned earlier – I’ve had to learn the hard way and find it quite difficult to redirect the narrative people have of me and what I provide as a business coach.

For some real business coaching, without the labels of ‘freelance’ or ‘biker coach’, then feel free to get into contact with me for advice, strategic planning, understanding the market and growing a powerful and profound business.

I can assist you with all of that and plenty more.

Don’t be under the assumption that I’m just a badass biker freelance wizard coach – I have so much to offer you and your business.

It’s easy to find me, chat to me and set up the meeting that will change your life and business for the better:

+2783 253 3339

brent@spillly.com

But, I mean, if you are interested in that book of mine or keen on biking and business – I’m still your guy!

Apr 24
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The Strategy Paradox – Tactics Or Subterfuge

By Coaching Consulting Strategy No Comments

I always talk about the fact that the word ‘strategy’ is often one of the most abused, overused and misunderstood words in any entrepreneur’s vocabulary. Everyone assumes they’re being strategic, when in fact, they’re being tactical.

Many of the clients that I work with and coach often get the concept confused as a means to describe their objectives and goals – rather than a methodology that needs to be constantly adapted to help them achieve success in their market.

Let’s do some real unpacking and figure out exactly how strategy works and how it effectively applies to business.

Unpacking War – The Origins Of Strategy 

There are many ways to build a company strategy, as there are numerous strategies and methodologies out there, along with a wide selection of tools that support the use and abuse of a great one.

But it should be said that there exists no perfect strategy methodology and that a lot of dependence lies on the complexity of the person’s barriers; like the maturity of their business and how quickly and aggressively they want to build the business and maintain it.

The strategies used for entrepreneurs need to feed the entrepreneurial dream, versus a corporate dream and they should most certainly be differentiated.

In unpacking strategy and it’s roots, you’ll find that it was born out of war with the need to ensure victory over a common enemy. The ultimate price to pay was that of death; with all the many fatalities war has brought there needed to be a way of thinking that would reduce loss and increase the odds of victory.

This boils down to the need of defeating your opponent in the most effective way possible. As soon as there are competitors in the same space; you cannot co-exist and need to take some kind of action to achieve a long-term goal of success.

“No Plan Survives Contact With The Enemy.”

The German field marshal, Moltke the Elder, said that “No plan of operations extends with certainty beyond the first encounter with the enemy’s main strength,” meaning that any strategy is always vulnerable and rarely goes without the need for adaptation to the ever-changing circumstances in war.

This extends to the use of any strategy in pretty much any arena – whether it’s boxing, business, or battle. No strategy is bulletproof and should always be used with the clear understanding that circumstances can change at any given moment, so adaptability is key.

In business, you might build a strategy (with a solid plan of action) that you take to market and as soon as you engage with the enemy – your competition, clients, the industry – your plan ends up being imperfect, leaving you with no choice, but to adjust that plan accordingly.

You should never be completely comfortable with your strategy and need to realign it at multiple stages; it needs to always be flexible enough to change or adapt.

I’ve never seen a person, whether it’s one of my clients or someone in a competitive environment, build a 12-month or even 3-year strategy, get to the end and achieve their goals without changing that strategy – a perfect strategy simply doesn’t exist.

One of the biggest stories that come to mind reaffirming this is the battle of Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, a battle also known as “the Sound and the Fury”. These formidable boxers prepared for months studying one another’s fighting techniques, strengths, weaknesses and abilities, each coming up with a strategy to win the battle – until that plan came into contact with the enemy.

During the 3rd round, both boxers were forced to shed away their strategies, as Tyson surprised the world by biting a sizable portion off of Holyfield’s ear. In no way could Holyfield have planned for such an insane turn of events, throwing his strategy straight out of the window. Even with Tyson having lost control of his temper, none of what had happened was planned for and changed the outcome for both parties involved.This example provides insight into the ever-changing nature of strategy and how to approach it going forward, rather than believing it to be a fixed solution.

With Strategy, “It Always Depends” 

The answer to any strategic question or method is “it always depends”, as certain variables can alter the strategy at any stage of it being implemented.

It always depends on what the ambitions are, where we are in the market, how well we’re funded and what leads or resources we have; which results in a constantly dynamic and often imperfect strategy implementation. There’s always a strategy that makes sense at that given time and there are always factors that can alter its viability.

It’s important to understand that strategy is generally broken down into six core stages:

Understanding the current situation; where you are in the market, what works and what doesn’t, where or who your opposition are; your pricing and everything that talks to where your business is today.

Goals, objectives and what you hope to achieve; by making use of the variety of ways to set a plan of action and assessing how close or far you are to achieving your desired results; and knowing exactly what it is that you want to achieve and by when.

Implementation of high-level strategies that can be used to achieve the goals and objectives set, bearing in mind any changes that need to occur during that stage.

The tactics and methods used to activate those strategies in the best possible way and by when they should provide results, or will be in need of re-evaluation.

Granular-level actions to identify and decide who is going to be doing what, how they are going to do it and by when; what needs to be done daily, weekly or monthly to achieve the strategy.

Control and measurement of the strategy, deciding when and how to check-in and gauge the success of the strategy; making sure that what is being implemented is working or failing and coming up with ways to find out how to measure any needed changes.

In building your strategy, it’s always wise to check on these stages and understand how, why and whether or not the strategy is working for your business in the best possible way. Strategy isn’t as clear-cut as it may seem and taking the necessary steps to ensure that it’s suitable and working well is very important to any business owner, leader or entrepreneur.

What’s that? You want more?

You’re seeking more advice on strategy, tactics and how to assess or implement them into your business diet? I have all the right meal plans, supplements and measuring tools you’ll ever need to get your business into perfect fighting form;

Get in touch with me as soon as possible – let’s get you fit, strong and ready to eradicate your competition in the first round:

+2783 253 3339

brent@spillly.com

Let’s destroy your opponents, together!

Apr 20
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Take The Time To Make A T.I.L.T List

By Business Coaching Creative Motivation No Comments

Constantly striving to keep your mind active, dynamic and engaged in learning can be heaps of fun and by dedicating a portion of your day to educating yourself around new constructs and concepts you’re able to grow exponentially as a human, broaden your perspectives, enhance problem-solving skills and transform your life, as well as others.

Developing an insatiable hunger for information will elevate you, opening new avenues of thought and best of all: Have you appear as the smartest person in the room.As a business coach, I need to always be ahead of the game and have pertinent knowledge around as much as I possibly can in order to guide and advise my clients in the most effective way – so, over the years I’ve been working on my TILT list and recommend that you start yours today.

Things I Learnt Today – T.I.L.T 

Everytime, I have an interesting and new client (all of my clients are interesting, don’t get me wrong), they constantly motivate me to learn new things, pushing me to seek out as much information about the topics and concepts discussed in our meetings as possible.

All of my clients are either constantly reading new information, exposing themselves to different industries and always learning and experiencing new horizons – so there’s never a shortage of new knowledge to be confronted by and consumed.

They would often teach me things that I had never heard of and so I’ve developed a tendency to engage in extra reading or studying the different ideas and concepts that were brought up after each coaching session. To make things easier, I write down anything that I want to familiarise myself with on a list that I go through on a daily basis.

So I dubbed that list the TILT list – Or the list of Things I Learnt Today.

Even on days that I don’t want to learn something new, I realised that forcing yourself to make that effort is very important for personal growth and development.Plus, as a coach that engages with so many different clients, I have to constantly be ahead of the curve and more informed than them – I have to ensure that I know as much, if not more, than they do about the topics, concepts and constructs that are discussed in our sessions.

Engaging in deep learning is fundamental to the growth process of any human being and so I make sure that I do that at any given opportunity. When I’m presented (or confronted) with new information – be it a quote, a simplistic or complex business problem, or solution – I learn as much as I can about it and reflect on what I’ve learned before the day is done.

Doing this has become helpful in numerous ways; not only do I ensure an ever-expanding repository of knowledge within my brain, but I’m able to share advantageous knowledge, insight and guidance with everybody that I come into contact with.It’s a very simple idea to wrap your head around and to begin implementing into your daily regimen.

We’re engrossed in an age where information is readily available to us through the tap of a finger and it would be ridiculous not to take advantage of that immediate and quick access to data.

I take absolute pleasure in introducing the idea of creating a TILT list to my clients whenever I have the opportunity and if you haven’t already done something similar – I urge you to start one today.

There are certainly no negatives that come with delving into the endless supply of educational material that we intercept on a frequent basis and there’s plenty of literature out there to prove exactly why it will make you a better and more productive human being.

Don’t believe me? Ask Google. Witness the benefits as they begin to bombard you.

What’s that? You want some more for your list? Was that not enough for you?

I don’t know if you know this, but I have loads of knowledge and experience around making you and your business achieve miracles and make that memorable impact that you desire.

There’s literally so much information and practical insight that I’m even giving it away for free. Imagine what I can give to you through my exclusive coaching sessions. Imagine.

I’ll make it easy for you and bring you one step closer – these are my contact details:

+2783 253 3339

brent@spillly.com

 

Apr 16
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Looking Through The Customer Window – What Do They Want?!

By Business Coaching Innovation Strategy No Comments

Imagine you could look at a magical window that would show you what to look for when dealing with your client’s satisfaction – one that would help you understand what your perfect client looks like and wants.

This mystical tool will help to ensure that you’re building your service around the needs and desires of your client and ensure that you remain competitive in the market.

In that case, you don’t have to keep imagining. I might just have the right trick up my sleeve for you. No sleight of hand, no smoke and mirrors – just a simple quadrant that will aid in the first stage of your strategy.

Introducing: The Customer Window

During the delightful process of building out your strategy (especially your product strategy) and in understanding what your perfect client looks like, one of the tools you can make use of is a very simple quadrant that I’ve come up with for business owners.

It’s a great tool that I make sure I provide my clients with for their business and should be used on a regular basis (at least once a year) to check on customer-satisfaction levels and to ensure that you’re building your service for the client and remaining as competitive as possible in the market.

This tool should be used during the first stage of your strategic planning, when you’re going through the research phase and trying to understand what your ideal customer, or client looks like.

Investigating your customer-satisfaction levels ends up becoming extremely important in developing a sound strategy and it can be done through the use of questionnaires, or even asking your team internally.

Not only will it help you in understanding the customer’s satisfaction/dissatisfaction towards your product solution, but will also help you measure the adequacy/inadequacy of that entire solution and provide a more complete picture of your business delivery.

1 Window, 4 Questions = One Happy Camper 

In providing a method of analysis that aids in strategic planning, it will also bring more insight into how you should innovate products accordingly.

Each quadrant has a specific question that needs answering:

 

  • What does your customer want and not get from you? Think long and hard about that question and then map out exactly what you can provide for them. It can be solutions or additions outside of the actual product, as well; it could be that he/she wants quicker turnaround time; he/she wants more, or less, detailed reporting; maybe more face-time; even better pricing options; or benefits with the current pricing. What does he/she want and not get?
  • What does the customer want and get? It doesn’t seem like a difficult question to answer and that’s because it isn’t. It is important however, to recognise what they want and that you’re giving them what they want; identifying whether or not they are happy with what you’re providing to keep providing it in the best possible way.
  • What does the customer not want, but gets anyway? As important as it is to provide extra benefits or services, it’s even more important to recognise whether or not they even care about the fact that it’s there or not; if the customer gets something that they don’t even care about, you’ll be far better off removing it and saving the time or resources that it takes to give them that offering.
  • What does the customer not want and not get? Seems stupid to even bother asking that question, but in seeking an answer to that question, you have more to gain. By compiling a list to ensure that you don’t start offering crap that they don’t want, you make sure that you don’t start offering it in future. Rather avoid chasing a shiny penny that the customer doesn’t want or care about. Save the trouble; save the time.

So there you have it – an easy way to get right into the first stage of your strategy by doing some simple customer research and evaluating what the customer is actually looking for.

You get an idea of your perfect customer or client; what they want or don’t want; and where you can save time, energy and resources doing unnecessary work.

What do I want, but not get from you? A call, an email, a meeting with you;

What do I want, but get from you? Your interest, engagement and attention;

What do I not want and get from you? Nothing. You’re simply perfect;

What do I not want and not get from you? I don’t want you to not see me as the best business coach you’ll ever have and I’m waiting on you to reach out and make me yours.

You know how to reach me, you know an amazing opportunity when you see one:

+2783 253 3339

brent@spillly.com

Now don’t waste another second answering questions. Be like Nike and “Just Do It”.

Apr 08
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5 Leadership Types – What Type Of Leader Are You?

By Business Management Coaching Leadership No Comments

Being a great leader can be challenging. Nobody is born with some miraculous gene that grants them the ability to lead and also be effective at it. To be a leader means that you need to have attributes like patience, curiosity, interest and determination, so that you’re able to create a positive impact on those that you lead towards a collective goal.

But there are many different types of leaders.

Some are more aggressive than others, some more understanding and open-minded, some are strict and some are lenient; but they all have one thing in common: the ability to foster action and mobility while creating an impact on the lives of others.

While I deal with so many different personalities and leadership styles as a business coach, I’ve come to learn that being aware of each person’s approach to leadership is extremely important in developing and strengthening their business, as well as their people.

So, I’ve done a bit of research and listed the top leadership types that exist so that you, as the business owner, can find those that you resonate with in order to develop and enhance your approach to leadership. Let’s dive right in.

 

5 – The Autocrat

The autocratic leader is usually authoritarian in nature. While they’re a bit more aggressive, they tend to delegate the tasks and jobs that need to be done, so that workers listen and do as they’re told.

This style of leadership works well because it saves time and provides much-needed clarity around objectives, goals and outcomes. There are also fewer errors in strategy implementation, as less people are involved in the strategic process – which often brings about much better results.

However, the down-side to this style of leadership is that employees feel undervalued and easily replaceable. It leaves them less motivated and far more likely to rebel against either the leader or the company, which usually results in lower levels of productivity and morale, and increased levels of office politics and infighting.

Using this approach in high-risk environments can be quite effective, as there is usually no room for errors or mistakes to be made. However, it usually fails in educational and creative environments, where people need a lot more freedom and independence to give good ideas and feel heard.

 

4 – The Democrat

This approach to leadership is significantly different to that of the autocratic leader. They make sure to involve team-members in the decision-making process and give them the opportunity to voice their thoughts and opinions. Most of the time, this type of leader has the final say, but values and embraces the input from employees and the team as a whole.

The only problem with it is that it can be quite time-consuming to take in every individual’s ideas and thoughts which can often lead to poor choices if the team or its members are inexperienced or unskilled in any way.

With this approach, the upside is that there is far more motivation from employees, as they feel valued and respected. It allows for the accumulation of different perspectives and approaches, rather than relying on one person to provide his/her viewpoint.

It works really well for those smaller teams or any team that has highly skilled and experienced members which can bring value to the decision-making.

 

3 – The “Let Them Do” Leader (Laissez-Faire) 

The complete opposite of the autocratic leader. This approach doesn’t usually fulfil the typical role of a leader, as everyone’s input is deemed valid and equal. Ultimately, they leave the decision-making up to their team members, giving teams complete trust in their abilities to motivate themselves and navigate the business effectively.

While this style seems quite favourable, it often leads to confusion, delays and slow-progress – especially in strategic planning. It also hampers individual development, as people become reliant on their own ideas and thoughts, rarely looking to improve themselves.

However, this approach can be great in that it helps team members feel valued, heard and appreciated. It empowers employees and leaves them with a greater sense of confidence and autonomy, as they feel capable of handling the work on their own without being pressured and undermined.

This approach works very well in teams with highly-skilled individuals that usually have the expertise to make valuable contributions (similar to the democratic approach). Each member is able to take the lead and has great trust in one another to make proper, productive and effective choices that add value to the company.

 

2 – The Incentiviser (Transactional Leader) 

These are the types of leaders that make use of effective reward and punishment systems in order to promote self-motivation and the ambition to succeed. By using incentives to drive employees, these leaders have a fixed and functioning system that says to work hard or receive no benefits.

One of the biggest issues with this approach is that the environment is usually quite strict in structure and rather inflexible. There’s often little room for different viewpoints or processes and can lead to people feeling undervalued, as they’re only there to follow the lead. Employees usually feel restricted in making an impact and everybody has the same measurement of achievement – those who sell or produce more, get more.

However, the upside is that goals and outcomes are clearly defined and can easily be understood by teams and individual employees. The incentives and consequences are also made crystal clear and it’s up to the individual to do a great job – so it also instills a sense of confidence and accountability in the employee regarding their expectations.

 

1 – The Transformer (Transformational Leader)

This approach to leadership puts more focus on the leader’s personality and the way in which they motivate employees to constantly innovate and improve. They are often guided by a clear vision of success and ensure that everybody is focused on the company’s mission and purpose. These leaders aim to inspire and create a positive work culture for everyone involved, acting as a role-model and exemplar.

One of the biggest issues with this style of leadership is that it makes way for a culture of sycophants that aim to please the leader at any given opportunity. Employees can become more focused on getting their leader’s approval, instead of focusing on performance, productivity and team support.

This approach works well, because leaders act as role-models to staff, inspiring them and motivating them to achieve greatness not only for the company, but for themselves. There’s usually a high focus on the vision of the company and what it will take to become more valuable in the long-run. These leaders value interpersonal relationships and are engaging in the way that they communicate with staff, leaving lasting impressions and a stronger sense of camaraderie.

 

What Type Of Leader Do You Want To Be? 

While there are these different approaches to being an effective and impressionable leader, it’s up to you to pick and choose. Weigh out the different options, see which of them suit your personality more and learn, learn, learn.

By taking the time to educate yourself on your favourite approaches, you’re able to decide which one(s) will be more advantageous to you and your business.

Perhaps you like two, or even three of them and want to make a cocktail that includes the best points into one powerful hybrid approach that suits you better – then by all means, do so. Being a unique individual means finding unique and remarkable ways to do things.

If you find that you’re already comfortable with your approach, but need advice, mentoring, guidance or more perspective, then I’m the right coach for you.

Even if you’re still trying to figure out what leader you want to be, I can help you make the right decision for you and your business.

I’ve worked with so many different clients that I’ve helped develop and grow – engaging with many different leaders and personalities that attract high levels of success, so I know exactly what to look for and inspire in you.

 

Get in touch today. Tell me about your business, your dreams, goals and ambitions. Let me help make the difference that you seek.

+2783 253 3339

brent@spillly.com

 

Apr 06
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The T-Shape Entrepreneur – Developing Skills On The Periphery

By Business Coaching Entrepreneur Motivation No Comments

One of the greatest benefits of finishing university or college is that you walk away proud and armed with a new skill set, newly qualified and capable of filling a particular role in that field, but what you’ll come to find is that you are limited in your ability to actually turn that skill into starting a business.

With that new qualification, whether it’s in law, design, coding or whatever you spent the time, effort and resources on, starting a business around that skill will bring about a whole new set of learning that needs to be undertaken in order to succeed in it.

When I talk about this to clients, I use the imagery of the letter ‘T’, where you’re given a horizontal and vertical line that represents your current capability (the vertical line) and the new skills required to become a great entrepreneur (the horizontal line).

 

Thicken Your Horizontal Line To Become The Best Entrepreneur, Possible 

By taking a look at that ‘T’ shape, you’ll come to find that the vertical line starts out longer and more prominent than the horizontal; this represents the expertise that you’ve acquired in your studies and it’s up to you to either thicken or lengthen it, or begin working on the knowledge required to actually start and successfully run a business.

If your plan is to strengthen the vertical line, then you will end up paying more attention and giving more time to developing the profession that you chose to study. As you strengthen this line, your experience and ability in providing that service or skill will be of better use to those that need that role filled.

This motivation to keep developing that skill is indicative of a great employee and when searching for people to fill a particular role in your business, that’s exactly a trait that you would want in an ideal candidate.

As that vertical line gets thicker and longer, your horizontal line remains small and diminishes in size. This is perfectly fine if you want to be a great addition to a company and become an expert and achieve mastery in that field, but doesn’t work very well if your goal or plan is to become an entrepreneur and start a business.

If your quest or objective is to start and run a successful business, then you need to pay far more attention to the horizontal line and start developing knowledge in other fields.

As I’ve mentioned, you walk away from your studies qualified to fill a role and without the knowledge required to turn that qualification into an actual business. Running a business requires far more knowledge in a variety of fields, such as accounting, HR, sales, marketing, business strategy and far more than what you gained in your studies.

By taking the time and effort to thicken the horizontal line, you begin to focus on the peripheral skills needed to operate a business – which is necessary to achieve success.

 

Spend Less Time On Your Vertical Line 

If your aim is to start a business around your skill, or any other skill for that matter, you need to learn to focus on the other aspects that a business requires to be successful.

To achieve more, you need to begin educating yourself on the other fundamental pieces that make up a business and become multi-faceted in your abilities and expertise to understand the symbiotic relationships and processes that are present in the operation of one.

Even though you’ll have to come to terms with neglecting your vertical line, you produce the effort required to develop new areas that will ultimately enhance your identity and character – leaving you far more aware and knowledgeable around company operations and culture.

It will be far more difficult to run a company on just the basic skill that you’ve acquired, so exercising your ability to thicken out and lengthen your horizontal line is of the utmost importance in building, managing and structuring the business that you aim to create.

I recommend focusing on these other necessary requirements to make your horizontal line stand out and that doesn’t exactly mean that you should neglect your current skill or profession; you just spend less energy on enhancing that which you know and more on that which you don’t.

Being an entrepreneur isn’t the easiest thing to do, but by focusing on the right things you’ll take yourself much further than attempting to do it with just that qualification in your field.

So thicken up that horizontal line, get to learning and improve your knowledge on the many factors that will come with understanding the business you want to run. Your journey only begins once you acquire the skill and although it’s challenging, you’ll thank me later.

Or! You can thank me now and begin thickening out that horizontal line with a business coach which has the experience, knowledge, shortcuts and expertise to get you on track faster than going at it alone.

If you’re planning on starting a business and don’t quite know where to begin or have a vague idea of what needs to be done; I can be of great assistance to you.

Let me in and let me advise you on the steps to take to speed up that process. You can call me, text me or email me – I’m always happy to help.

 

+2783 253 3339

brent@spillly.com

 

Mar 31
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Become Like A Chef – Share Your Secret Recipe!

By Business Coaching Creative Motivation No Comments

What is it that makes so many great chefs, well, great? Some would say it’s in their ability to take some of the simplest ingredients and make something surprisingly delicious out of it, or to bring novelty to the kitchen, introducing insane dishes and combinations nobody would have thought to invent.

Some of the greatest chefs known to man like Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver and Nigella (to name a few) all have one thing in common: they refuse to keep their genius a secret.

You could say that it’s somewhat outdated (and deluded) to be holding onto a secret recipe that would be kept and carried to the grave, only to be experienced by the innovator and those they deem worthy of indulging in their beautiful offerings.

Not in this day and age.

 

The True Secret is To Share

What you’ll find is that these culinary architects refuse to keep their ideas all to themselves and instead opt to share their incredible creations with the rest of the world and through whichever medium they so choose.

With a simple Google search, you can find pretty much any recipe that a world-renowned chef has ever put out there to be gobbled up by the masses.

Too lazy to read it? Well, you could probably even find them on Youtube and watch the entire process with all the direction and guidance you’ll need.

The bottom-line is this: these chefs know that they are amazing at what they do. They thoroughly understand the science behind the food and that they can, and will, do the job better than anyone else that would attempt it.

So sharing their secret recipes and even going as far as to putting the directions on display is of little detriment to what they are capable of offering.

 

Your IP Is Like Expensive Jewellery 

What would be the point in having the most gorgeous watch, or the most stunning necklace that you know people would be completely enamoured by, but always keep it hidden away in a jewellery box, afraid of it being damaged or stolen?

It’s of no real use if it isn’t shared with the world.

I have clients that tell me that they have such superb, or ground-breaking ideas, but are too afraid to show the world; in fear of their idea being stolen and copied, or worse, made into something better.

Your IP, or Intellectual Property, could be worth millions, could change lives and could launch you into stardom, but without wielding it and displaying to the world how powerful it is, you’re not doing yourself any favours. Keeping it a secret means that you are not acting on it and that in itself is a travesty.

Imagine King Arthur drew Excalibur from the stone, wrapped it up and hid it under his bed, for it to never see the light of day, again. Fearing that someone might steal it, or make a clone.

That fear will be a massive hindrance to your growth potential.

The great Zig Ziglar once came up with a fantastic acronym for fear. You can approach fear in one of two ways; you can either “Forget Everything and Run”, or “Face Everything and Rise.”

By facing your fear, you take on the promise of having your idea spread and heard by people. Those people will give credit where credit is due, especially if you are open to sharing your ideas and strategies with the world. This selfless approach is a catalyst to selfish results, if that makes sense.

Use that precious, luxurious IP of yours and wear it for the world to see. Don’t keep it hidden in your box of precious belongings, or nobody knows that it even exists.

 

Spread Your IP Like a Virus 

I’ve made reference to Seth Godin’s Ideavirus, before and will reiterate it here once again.

You need to look at your ideas as if they should be a contagious virus, to ultimately become viral; an infection that spreads to as many people as possible.

Your product, brand, or idea should spark and ignite a pandemic that has as many people know about it. It should spread like a sneeze and keep spreading until everybody is a carrier.

The same can be said about what those great chefs do. They spread their recipes and tricks like a virus to hook as many people as possible. Fully aware that they are amazing at what they do, they aren’t afraid to share their ideas for free or for a bit of money.

In the end, they win.

 

So Be As Contagious As An Infected Chef 

Your IP is only as good as the amount of people that are infected with it, to share it and spread it.

Don’t be afraid of sharing your tricks, your ideas, your business and brand with the world. Share the secret recipes that you’re keeping locked up in a safe, wear your ideas like fine jewellery and sneeze that shit all over the place like it’s Covid.

I’m basically terminal – giving away all of the advice and secrets to my success, even though it’s my bread and butter.

I know how valuable I am to my clients, to business owners and entrepreneurs and I’m more than confident in my ability to coach like Tony Robbins. I have no problem sharing.

So when you’re ready to be infected, like a zombie with an insatiable hunger for the world – hit me up.

I’d be more than glad to share my years of experience and knowledge with you. Let’s get together and not wear our masks; come and get infected with me.

Cough up a call sometime, my number is +2783 253 3339

Or sneeze an email in my direction on brent@spillly.com

I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Mar 23
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Scarcity VS Abundance Mindset

By Business Coaching Motivation psychology No Comments

As a business owner, you don’t only carry the responsibility of running your own company; you often assume the role of a leader that has to bring direction, guidance and ambition to others in order to build a successful business.

You act as a role-model to staff. You influence those around you. You create impressions that last.

That’s why it’s so important to be aware of the mindset that you carry, as you come to affect not only those around you, but your own behaviour, as well.

Indeed, constraints and obstacles will have an effect on your vision and can become a nuisance to accomplishing your goals, however, your perception will ultimately shape your reality and determine whether you fail or succeed as an entrepreneur.

Why Mindset Matters

 I’ve coached many business owners over the years and while personalities certainly differ, a common theme that I’ve come across is that of the two mindsets that people have: The scarcity mindset and the abundance mindset.

There’s always a problem or obstacle to face when running a business – unfortunately, it comes with the package. Being an entrepreneur is hard-work and nobody said it would be easy, but the way that some business owners go about solving particular problems can be ineffective, to say the least, and that’s often due to the limiting beliefs that come with having a negative mindset.

Based on the way that they approach a problem, there’s a level of pessimism and cynicism that ends up blinding their thoughts and governing their decisions.

Although we’ve become somewhat desensitized to those terms, being the pessimist or the cynic is a very dangerous path to choose. It doesn’t only have a negative impact on yourself, but bleeds through to others and can be harmful to business and personal relations.So much research has been done to prove how powerful the human mind is and how our mindset, philosophy and thought-processes can affect the behaviours and the decisions that we make.

It’s important to understand that we’re not like magnets; positive doesn’t attract negative and negative doesn’t attract positive. It’s quite the opposite, actually. If you remain positive in your approach, you’re far more likely to attract positive outcomes – the same applies with being negative and attracting negative outcomes.

Call it the law of attraction, a self-fulfilling prophecy or whatever you choose; at the end of the day, we are affected by what we think and the mindset that we carry with us on a daily basis.

Mindset matters. It shapes our interactions and achievements. It shapes the world that we live in.

 The 4 Constraints In Business That Affect Our Mindset

 With certain clients that I coach, I often come to recognise a mindset of scarcity and take the time to figure out the best way to understand where they’re coming from, so that I can help provide a solution to their problem.

Whether it’s a matter of strategic thinking, or day-to-day problem solving, they start from a negative standpoint, saying, “we can’t do that, because…”.

Often, the “because” is due to certain constraints.

“We can’t do that, because we don’t have the people, or enough people, or the skills in our people; we don’t have enough money to afford solving the problem; we don’t have the time to tackle these issues.”

The four biggest constraints are always around resources (lack of technology, skills, etc), people, time, and money.

These constraints can be problematic, but there’s always a solution to be found. So when I coach clients that deal with these issues, I start by recommending that they forget about those four constraints.

The Magic Wand

I like to use the hypothetical scenario of a magic wand that could wipe away all of those constraints with immediate effect and ask them what they would choose to do in their business and how they would go about it.

This usually brings about different thinking and solutions that they were previously unable to imagine.

It shifts the perspective from “how do we solve that thing?” to “how do we raise the money or find the right people to do that thing?”; creating a segue that changes their stance from reactive to proactive.

This brings about new ideas and changes the approach from scarcity to one more focused on the abundance that comes with solving the initial problem.

What I tend to find during this process is that there is no real shortage of solutions to the problem they’re facing, but rather that solutions were needed around those constraints. In my experience, solving the constraints opened the door to solving the initial problem.

This approach is based around an abundance mindset – one that seeks solutions through positive thinking. It motivates and allows you to think about problems differently and find answers from a different perspective.

Adopting An Approach To Abundance

 By adopting a mindset based on abundance, you begin to change your idea of life and business, as a whole. You see the advantages within the disadvantages and constraints; you find a silver-lining in everything that you approach.

It works itself into the way that you handle, influence and work with people. You’re seen as more positive and uplifting, rather than an emotional wreck that harbours problems and struggles to find solutions.

It prevents you from playing the blame game and invites you to take responsibility and accountability.

Scarcity acts like a leech on your thought processes and behaviour, while abundance acts as a catalyst to being a better, more productive individual. Again, we’re not like magnets in the sense that opposites attract; like attracts like, love attracts love, good attracts good.

Try it for yourself. Do the research.

And if you struggle, then fake it until you make it.

Struggling to find that silver-lining? Struggling to pick off all of the leeches that drain the optimism out of you? Worry not. I’m here to assist.

If it’s becoming so bad that it has an impact on your business, then get in touch with me and let’s discuss how I can help you move forward. I’ll bring all of the abundance you so desperately need and who knows, my cheerful attitude might just rub off on you – shifting your gear from scarcity to abundance.

Call me, Whatsapp me, contact me, today:

+2783 253 3339

brent@spillly.com