Practice Fitness

The Importance of a Good Coach

The Importance of a Good Coach

"As you go through life, you will meet people that have done what you want to do in life. They’ve made it! You know deep in your heart that if they can do it then you can too. So, how do you get to that level of success? Get a coach!"

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/coaching-articles/the-importance-of-a-coach-722490.html#ixzz12MvtDOnc
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

 

I really liked this article on why it's so important to have a coach. The author goes on to list 5 attributes that you should look for when selecting a coach. He says a coach should exude confidence, openness, admiralty, consistency and lead a healthy lifestyle.  As I'm sure you already know, coaching doesn't just apply to sports.  If you are looking to excel and achieve success in any endeavor (including your practice) then working with a coach is something you should consider.  

Jennifer and Kyle (of IMS) have been coaching clients and each other for over 15 years and embody all of the characteristics listed in the article.  Coaching has become part of who they are. I have yet to meet another person so willing (and able) to help others than Kyle Krull. Kyle is a wealth of knowledge and experience. He has built a very successful practice and, maybe more importantly, his ideal lifestyle.  Everything he has in life he worked his butt off for. He never took short cuts, never gained at somebody else's expense. This is the kind of guy you want on your team.

Jennifer Goddard is Kyle's practice development coach. You will notice that I did NOT say "marketing" coach.  What Jennifer did for Kyle, and is doing now for our Essentials clients, is help them grow and develop a successful practice. Marketing is obviously a big part of the equation but the reason having her as a coach is important is that through marketing she allows you to become a better attorney. Kyle didn't have to worry if there would be clients coming in and be forced to scramble to "drum up" business.  Kyle could focus on his presentation, staying organized, networking events, and generally running his business.

If you are feeling like now is the time to take your practice to the next level. Or you see an opportunity but are not exactly sure how to capitalize, you owe it to yourself do something about it. My suggestion is to check them out online or shoot one of them an email. It may be your first step towards having the practice you've always wanted.

Online at: www.estateplanningpartners.com

Jennifer Goddard: jennifer@estateplanningpartners.com

Kyle Krull: kyle@kekpa.com

As always, strong mind, strong body, strong practice!

Dumping the "No Problem" Attitude

Today is my first day back from a much-needed vacation. My husband, David, and I spent 10 wonderful days in the cool Colorado Rockies -- fly fishing, biking, hiking and just relaxing.

via blog.estateplanningpartners.com

its 'my pleasure' to re-post this excellent blog post by our CEO

Video Helps You Dominate!

What's all this hubbub about video? Do you have optimized video on your website?  Is your video indexed on YouTube?  If not, you may be missingout on the millions of dollars that online video viewers shelled out to retail and non-retail companies alike.

via blog.estateplanningpartners.com

Who Are You? What Do You Do Again?

I was working the other day and got an e-mail through my Linked In account from one of my contacts who wanted to talk about my new position and what I do.  I remembered meeting him at an event a couple of months ago, but I couldn’t really remember much more?  What is it that he does again?  I called him and we talked (for no more than 20 minutes) about what it is that I do, and he told me more about what he does.  Come to find out, and we can definitely work together.  And more importantly, we can help each other’s clients out!  And isn’t that really what building these relationships is all about?  Building your relationships builds your business.

via blog.estateplanningpartners.com

Excellent blog post by our newest team member, Roz!

Market Like a Marketing Company

 We are shooting videos tomorrow. We blocked off the whole day, even pulled Kyle out of his law practice and James out of his office. Just to shoot video.

via blog.estateplanningpartners.com

Target Your Estate Planning Marketing Efforts

A few weeks ago I received an email from an attorney asking whether I would recommend transitioning a practice to estate planning. He was concerned about whether there is enough business in the current estate tax environment.

via blog.estateplanningpartners.com

Building Website Traffic

Your website should be the "hub" of your practice development and marketing efforts. Properly designed, your website should be the single most powerful marketing strategy you can employ, next to a face-to-face meeting. In fact, visitng your website should be as close to meeting you face-to-face as possible.

via integritymarketing.typepad.com

The Highest Recommendation

A prospective client called us yesterday with news that just made my day. He had been visiting with Jerry, one of our current clients, about his experience working with Integrity Marketing.

via integritymarketing.typepad.com

So I Just Turned and Walked Away ...

Last summer I was asked to speak to a large group of estate planning professionals. In discussing possible topics, they said they were most interested in building professional referral relationships. I knew my job would require some diplomacy, as this was a mixed group of both financial and legal professionals ... and these two types of professionals see referral relationships from very different perspectives.

via integritymarketing.typepad.com

Great post from Jennifer about working with professional advisers.

Motivating Clients

Motivating Clients

Judging by the title of this blog post you might assume that I would be talking about how I motivate clients or educating you about how to motivate your clients. Actually, this post is about clients that have motivated me.

Over the last few weeks I have had the pleasure of bringing seven new clients on board to be part of our Essential  Solution. Every one of them made the conscious decision to grow their practice and take advantage of the opportunities in front of them.  Of those seven there is one that really stands out and has motivated me to look for new opportunities and take risks both in business and life in general.

Kevin Forbush,(www.forbushlegal.com) an attorney in Colorado Springs CO, had us design and build his website, blog, newsletter and e-newsletter. For a lot of attorneys this would be all they feel like they need to revolutionize their practice. Not Kevin. Kevin wants more and is willing to make adjustments to make it happen. For years Kevin has relied on referral based marketing and it has worked well for him. But Kevin saw an opportunity for retail marketing as well. He got to work ... and so did we. We are helping Kevin develop newspaper ad campaigns, post card mailings, internet promotions. Kevin is creating his workshops, educating his team on protocols and getting everybody involved motivated to help him grow his business.  This is no cheap or easy task. It is a risk and its hard work. It is what Kevin is willing to do to take his practice to a whole new level.

What Kevin has showed me is that no matter how successful you are (or think you are) there is always room for improvement and that if you open your eyes and see an opportunity it's okay to take a risk and try to take advantage of it. As my favorite author, Hunter S. Thompson, once said "Buy the ticket. Take the ride. "

If You Don't Want Help ... Don't Ask For It

A while back I reached a turning point in my diet and exercise program. Over the past few years I have really been focused (okay...obsessed) with adding more muscle to my 5'10 frame in hopes that added size would help me accomplish more in bodybuilding, make me feel more confident and just be happier in general. I wrote out my own protocol for training, super heavy weight, each and every day along with excess of 5,000 calories per day. BOY DID IT WORK! I got up to 255lbs and could still see my abs! But ... I was miserable. I felt so heavy I could barely walk a mile. I was so bulky I couldn't tie my own shoes. I would get so worn out that I wasn't able to play with my daughter. My mood was terrible and my wife could barely stand to be around me. I knew I had to make a change. I also knew that I had grown so accustomed to this way of living and being LARGE that losing any size would be tough for me mentally.

Enter in a new perspective. Over the years I have had the privilege of meeting a lot of bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts. One guy that I have grow to really respect is a man named Morgan Edwards. Morgan has competed in nearly 100 bodybuilding shows throughout his life. He is in his mid 50's and walks around at about 5% body fat. The man is in superb shape. He has helped dozens of men and women change their lives and physiques. Even though I have a vast understanding of nutrition, training and the mentality necessary to achieve set goals, I also know that even the best of the best have a coach and a guide.

I sat down with Morgan and talked to him about how I was feeling. I told him that I don't want to be this bulky beast anymore. I want to be "in shape" and I asked him for some help. He gave me the best advice and motivation I could have possibly asked for. He said...

    "James, I'm so happy for you that you have decided to make this change. If you were to redefine your physique. Refine your muscle bellies. Focus more on muscle separation and athletic conditioning you would not only feel better but you would be a better bodybuilder as well. And you would look amazing and have more energy. You have to remember that in bodybuilding the judges want to see improvements from one show to the next. If you can bring a more refined package, albeit smaller, you would actually LOOK bigger and place better."

Now, this advice is coming from a man who has been in bodybuilding for decades. He has judged nearly a hundred shows in every bodybuilding organization you can think of. He knows his stuff. We are meeting every morning to refine my training. He has given me a new diet plan. He told me what supplements to take. I will follow his advice because I trust him and I have seen what he has done for other people. I will do this in spite of the fact that what he is telling me goes nearly 100% against what I have known and done for years.

Working with attorneys I have noticed that taking advice and being committed to following it is not an easy task. It effects the ego (trust me I know how that can feel!). To have somebody tell us that what we have been doing is not perfect can be a tough pill to swallow. At the same time I get frustrated when a potential client calls me and says "I need help building my practice. I don't really do any marketing other than workshops and I'm tired of having months that are great and months that are slow. What can I do to fix this?". I take hours with them on the phone to find out as much as I can about their practice. Who is their ideal client? Who do they enjoy working with the most? What are their revenue or practice development goals? I gather all of this information and present them with a detailed plan specifically for them based on my experience working with other attorneys in their EXACT position. The response I get from these guys is "I don't think that approach will work. My clients do not use the internet. I can break up these services between 3 or 4 different companies and do it cheaper. I can get 80 prospects over a year through my workshops and spend about the same amount of money"

What? Seriously? Why the heck did you contact me in the first place if you already have it all figured out?

Do not tell me "Im tired of doing workshops and want a steady stream of prospects to come in month after month" then turn around and say "I can get 80 prospects per year by doing workshops why would I use an automated relationship building program?"

If this is the kind of attorney you are. If this is how you "take advice", please do not call me. Do not waste my time or yours asking for help. Just keep doing what you're doing and be happy with what you got because that's honestly all your going to have. I asked Morgan for advice because I am committed to making a change and I know he has the answers. How stupid would I be to ask him for advice and then tell him "You're wrong, I just need keep lifting heavy weight and eating constantly if I want to be more trim, athletic and healthy."

 

Strong Mind, Strong Body, Strong Practice.