When I first started business coaching, I found the concept of visualisation quite hard to comprehend. Exactly what did it mean, and how could it possibly be beneficial to anything, especially in the business world?
Those of you who regularly read my blogs will know that I love my sport, and visualisation is now a commonplace thing for many sportsmen. Matthew Hayden, an opening batsman for Australia, used to go and sit on the pitch before the start of the match visualising where and how he was going to hit the ball, and it certainly did him no harm. Many successful golfers visualise their ball landing on the green before they play their shot, and Johnny Wilkinson, arguably the best all time stand-off half for England, used to visualise the ball going between the posts every time he kicked it. So many obvious examples of the success that this practice can bring on the sports field.
But what about business. Well interestingly enough I have recently been working with a business who have employed a telemarketer to boost their leads. Unfortunately she has been missing her targets week in, week out, and so we felt we needed to offer further help and training. Part of this has been to visualise the positive outcome she will achieve by following the process and script we have given her. We suggested that before she starts each morning, that she sits quietly and visualise the number of meetings she will secure for the business, and already we are seeing positive results.
I know from my own experience, that visualising the positive outcome of a sales meeting gives me a far greater chance of securing the business, and have proved it to myself on many occasions.
So if you are struggling to achieve something important in the business, why not try a spot of visualisation, and see what happens.

I find that with most businesses which I start to coach, that the business owner not only has no targets for the business as a whole, but that there are no individual targets either. I’m not just talking about the financial targets which you would expect to be in place for the sales team, but all the other key performance indicators (KPI’s) which are so important to get right, to help the business run smoothly.
I often talk about the importance of setting goals and targets, and there is without doubt a very clear benefit of setting financial targets for the business. However, if you turn this around and look at it from the point of view of the individual, you will also soon see how this helps them as well. It might be simple things like punctuality, or ensuring the stationary levels are kept stocked up, or that the coffee mugs are clean, but whatever it is everyone should know what is expected of them. If each individual does not have targets, then how do they know if they are performing well or not? Most people thrive on knowing how well they are doing, and love to get a pat on the back for recognising that they are meeting or exceeding their targets. Equally well if they decide to drag their heels, there can be no complaint when you pull them up for not doing their job properly.
Of course to be able to set KPI’s, you must lay down specific responsibilities for each role, so it is easy to set targets. Once you start this process, you should continually look to raise the bar, so there is a constant improvement month on month, thereby allowing each individual to shine, and the business to flourish.

I recently met with some business owners who apparently had the perfect set up, which provided the sort of life-style which many aspire to, but few achieve. Essentially they had a business that worked well without them, it was bringing in a steady income, and generally they only spent a couple of hours a day working. However, despite all this, they recognised that they could have achieved a lot more with this business and were now looking to revitalise it so they could draw more substantial incomes, and/or sell it for a far greater sum when the time is right.
So what was wrong with this apparent success? Well the first thing they offered was that they had managed to grow the business quickly, and had created a profitable enterprise that could work without them within 2 to 3 years of setting up. However, as they had no clear personal goals, and consequently, no “Why” in their business plans, once they were doing well enough, they decided to take the foot off the pedal and enjoy life at the level which seemed OK to them.
In the subsequent years where their input both in management and direction had been minimal, things have remained static at best, and in some aspects, have gradually fallen away. Because they have no set goals, no-one has been set any targets, so everyone does just enough to maintain the equilibrium. There is no clear organisational structure with roles and responsibilities, so no-one is held accountable for anything. The culture has slipped badly, and bad habits which start at the top, have gradually filtered right through the business.
The good news is that they have recognised the need to turn it back around, and start bringing good business practice back into play. So the answer is if you want to keep your business running efficiently and profitably, don’t take your foot off the pedal until you sell it.

This may seem a slightly odd question, but understanding the difference between what you think are your goals, and what your true goals are is extremely important.
Many people I meet both in the business or social arena will tell me things they want to do or achieve, places they want to go, and money or possessions they aspire to, but for the most part these are just words which they think sound good, but in reality they are never likely to pursue them with any determination. In fact often if someone offers them the chance to fulfill their goal (or at least start the process of fulfillment), they will find an excuse for not taking part.
Some goals, however, are things that we really honestly want in life, and we are prepared to do whatever it takes to achieve them. It often takes a huge amount of self sacrifice and single mindedness, but if you truly want something in your life, then you have to do what it takes to get there.
My son is a very keen cricketer, and plays at a good level with many young lads who all apparently have aspirations to play at the top. However, how many of them are really prepared to put in the hours of practice required to get them there. Do they know what it is going to take, and once they find out, will they still be prepared to make the effort. Seeing Alastair Cook yet again batting his way to just short of 100 runs on Friday shows what true determination to be the best means.
So as business owners, when you next sit down to think why you are doing what you are with your business, perhaps it is worth re-assessing what are your true goals. Then you will find it easier to set a path for the business to take, and of course you will often be more likely to take the necessary actions to make things happen and fulfill your dreams.