Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen!

After a recent web training that I conducted on how to jump-start sales in 30 days or less, I received an interesting email from a home-based adviser who I will call “Bob” (not his real name).

Bob is currently participating in a mastermind program with a well-known industry coaching group, a marketing program with another industry coach, AND… an outside business coach to build “funnels”.  For those of you who are counting, that’s three different business coaching programs.  Now a frustrated Bob contacted me wanting to know, despite all this expertise, why he still wasn’t selling anything.

In my own coaching practice, I don’t normally work with people just starting out in the business, but he sounded so desperate, that I agreed to a thirty-minute call.

He said that one coach was telling him to be a generalist, another to be a specialist.  One said that you can’t make any money selling the Caribbean (to which I called BS), and yet another that Facebook ads don’t work, and so on.

As coach #4, here is my advice.

1.  Bob can’t blame the coaches – this is all on him.  He sought them out and what shouldn’t come as a surprise – he is getting conflicting advice.  This doesn’t mean that one is wrong, and the other is right, it’s just that their business philosophies are different.  It’s his choice.  He needs to pick a business model, keep the coaching program that is the best fit, and get rid of the rest.
2. As business coaches, we all have specialties. Mine is implementing systematic sales processes and selling to affluent clients. Other coaches specialize in marketing, newsletters, blogs, groups, etc.  I don’t know of any who are generalists.  For a specialist to tell a travel adviser to be a generalist, in other words - be just like everyone else, seems counterintuitive.
3. It is important to understand that having a specialty does not mean it is all you do. Let’s face it – you have to pay the bills. Many luxury advisers don’t sell 100% luxury.  It’s a great goal but they started with contemporary, and deluxe, and built the percentage of the luxury sales into a larger and larger part of their business. 

A business is not something to play with.  For most of us who own one, it is our primary or significant source of income.  I am also a huge advocate for coaches.   I would have never achieved the success in the business had I not worked with coaches.  A good coach will focus on the future, help you find your own path, and hold you accountable.  It should always be about moving your business forward.

Bob was being pulled in three different directions, none of which were where he wanted to go.  In the end, I was able to help Bob find clarity, now the ball is back in his court to make it work.

If you choose to work with a business coach, make sure they share your vision (not just your passion) and can provide a clear path for you to follow.

Dan Chappelle is a professional business advisor and best-selling author.  His training and consulting firm helps develop sales focused business leaders and entrepreneurs in the travel and tourism industry. His book, Get Your S.H.I.P. Together: The Wealthy Travel Agent Guide to Sales, is available on Amazon.com.

For information on the Wealthy Travel Agent Academy’s business building programs, visit: www.DanChappelle.com

©2018 Dan Chappelle, CCI Inc.