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ActionCOACH’s “Business is Booming” tour comes to DC on June 17.

ActionCOACH Founder Brad Sugars

WASHINGTON, DC …

Double-digit unemployment rates. Corporate bailouts. Foreclosures and slumping residential and commercial real estate markets.

So how can anyone truly say, “business is booming”?

Brad Sugars, founder and Chairman of ActionCOACH, the world’s number business coaching firm, says exactly that, and tells both why and how when his North American “Business is Booming” tour comes to the Washington Marriott on Thursday, June 17.

“History tells us that more money is made during economic downturns than during booms and that for every 10-month downturn is a 50-month boom,” said Karen Boyd, ActionCOACH master licensee in Washington, DC, Maryland and Delaware. “Brad’s message is that the companies can prepare for the next boom by cutting costs, developing good lead generation strategies and implementing effective marketing programs that deliver A- and B-level customers that will thrive in any economy.”

In addition to an explanation of why business is indeed booming, Sugars will also discuss 28 proven strategies to massively grow any type of business during his three-hour presentation.

Widely acclaimed as the world’s number one Business Coach, Sugars founded ActionCOACH in 1993 after successfully owning and or running more than 30 businesses in his native Australia. Today, ActionCOACH is ranked as the world’s leading international business coaching firm, with more than 1,000 offices in 26 countries.

A best-selling author of 14 highly acclaimed business books – including four international best-sellers – Sugars has taught nearly a half-million people worldwide how to create business, real estate and financial success.

“Brad Sugars is to business coaching what Tony Robbins has been to the personal development industry,” continued Boyd. “With his ‘Business is Booming’ tour, he’s literally giving away his years of successful business knowledge and expertise. It’s a message every small business owner in the Beltway should want to hear.”

To register for the June 17 event at the Washington Marriott (located at 1221 22nd Street NW, Washington DC), simply visit http://businessisboomingtour.com/ and use code KBM001.

There’s no charge to register, admission is free. The event will begin promptly at 6 p.m. with a 30-minute networking period prior to Sugars’ presentation.  

To find out additional dates and venues for the “Business is Booming” North American tour, please go to http://businessisboomingtour.com and use code KBM001.

About ActionCOACH

ActionCOACH is the world’s #1 business coaching firm and executive coaching firm. Operating in 26 countries, the franchise has more than 1,000 offices around the world. That includes locations in the five states (and Washington DC) that make up the Gulf Atlantic region: Alabama (Pelham); Delaware; Louisiana (Baton Route, Loranger, Mandeville, New Orleans and Shreveport); Maryland (Baltimore, Freeland, Fallston, Manchester, Rockland, Silver Spring); and Mississippi (Madison).

Founded in 1993, the ActionCOACH has received numerous awards including Fastest Growing Franchise, Franchisee Satisfaction, Best Overall Company and has been named the number one business coaching franchise for more than five years running.

For information on ActionCOACH Founder Brad Sugars’ 2010 “Business is Booming” North American tour, please visit http://businessisboomingtour.com and use code KBM001. 

To learn more about working with an ActionCOACH or the ActionCOACH franchise opportunity, contact Karen Boyd, www.karenboyd.actioncoach.comwww.karenboyd.actioncoach.com, (410) 374-3536.

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How to hire sales people who can be a force…Business coaching franchise offers simple steps to avoid bad hires and make quality additions to your sales staff

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY…

The success or failure of your organization literally depends on the success or failure of your sales team. Yet for a position so important, many business owners don’t know where to begin when it comes to hiring quality sales people, the folks who literally butter their company’s proverbial bread?

This question takes on an even greater impact when you consider how much a bad hire—a sales person who leaves your company within three months—actually costs you. One leading sales training firm estimates a bad hire can cost nearly $27,000 in initial hiring expenses and just a few months of a modest salary/commission ($4000 per month) and benefits.

“The actual dollars are probably a fraction of what a bad sales hire can cost,” said Dr. Keith Winfree, founder of Winfree Business Growth Advisors. “The damage to your firm’s reputation may take quite a long time to recover and lost sales can cost a company up to $250,000.”

How to hire sales professionals is one of the areas that Winfree Business Growth Advisors counsels its small business clients on. Adds Winfree, “Most firms employ the same approach in hiring sales reps that they use for other positions. As we all know, sales professionals are a different animal altogether and hiring staff requires a different approach.”

In picking quality sales professionals, Winfree advises:

  • Identifying your ideal sales rep – Write down all the qualities and characteristics you’re looking for and set up benchmarks. Look to either best sales reps in your industry or the best one in your company as a model. Make sure you include those qualities and characteristics in any classified ads or job descriptions you post. Document the behavior agreement and stick to it.  They don’t do what they said they would do get rid of them.  Hire for values and your culture not just sales skills.  You need to know what it takes or the formula to close one deal per month.
  • Tailor your interview process for the sales rep – A traditional interview goes over previous job experiences, career objectives, etc., but doesn’t do much to identify a high-quality sales candidate. Set up a portion of your interview process for role playing to see how a candidate conducts themselves in a situation similar to one they will face on the job, e.g. approaching a prospect.
  • Forget your instincts during the interview  – Do not go by “gut” feelings or instincts during the interview process. Go by what you hear and see. You’re not only looking for the qualities you wrote down earlier, but potential weaknesses that might impact their selling skills. That can include such simple, relatively common characteristics like: a need for approval or to be liked; becoming emotional in the “heat of the battle”; or discomfort in discussing money as part of a negotiation
  • Buying habits – How the candidate goes about his/her own purchases can greatly determine dealings with prospects; candidates who shop around based on price may be vulnerable to prospects with the same approach.
  • Any signs of self-doubt – Self-limiting beliefs can figuratively be death to a salesman. Keep your ears open and read the body language during the interview process for these indicators.
  • Make your sales staff part of your recruiting efforts – Offer generous incentives to your employees for referrals who become part of your sales force for six months or more. Involving your employees in recruitment can improve the retention of current staff and the people they refer.

“Perhaps the most important thing you can do is never hire out of need,” said Winfree. “While replacing sales staff that leaves your company is important, you still want to fill openings with people who meet your standards. By consistently recruiting excellent sales professionals—whether there’s an “opening” or not—you can greatly minimize the possibility of bad hires and foster a healthy, competitive environment for your current sales force.”

About Winfree Business Growth Advisors

Located across the United States, Winfree Business Growth Advisors coaching franchises help sales professionals and small business owners maximize growth potential and take their respective businesses to a higher level through cutting-edge sales coaching, business coaching, sales training, and seminars featuring Winfree’s signature Black Belt System™ Five Phases and 12 elements covering everything from initial marketing efforts to customer retention.

Winfree Business Growth Advisors currently runs coaching franchises in California (San Francisco and Los Angeles), Illinois (Chicago), Kentucky (Louisville), Massachusetts (Boston), New York (Manhattan), Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth) and Virginia (Hampton Roads) as well as in Canada (Winnipeg, Manitoba).

In addition to coaching small business owners, Dr. Winfree speaks to many business organizations. Those interested in having Dr. Winfree for speaking engagement can call 800-616-9260. To purchase a copy of Winfree Rules of Surviving the Sales, Marketing and Business World, an e-book which sells for $9.95, visit Winfree Business Growth Advisors Web site at www.winfree.org.

How to hire sales people who can be a force…Business coaching franchise offers simple steps to avoid bad hires and make quality additions to your sales staffRead More

With bad economy comes great opportunity…Franchise opportunities attracting individuals from various, non-traditional backgrounds…

MANCHESTER, MD…

Traditional career paths have become more of an obstacle course. The corporate ladder has many broken rungs. In the Gulf Coast region, ActionCOACH is seeing many new faces turning to franchising as an alternative venture and adventure.

“You’d think the worst economic times since the Great Depression would discourage budding entrepreneurs from going into business on their own,” said Karen Boyd, Global Master Licensee for ActionCOACH’s Gulf Atlantic region. “Yet with corporate layoffs, record unemployment rates, shrinking nest eggs and a number of other variables, many entrepreneurs are seeking franchises as a safer track to owning their own business—and that’s attracting franchise owners from a variety of backgrounds.

As the number one business coaching firm in the world, ActionCOACH has a slogan: Recession? What Recession, I have an ActionCOACH. The slogan serves not to deny the current tough economic times but to acknowledge the tremendous opportunities available in the current market—particularly if you’re looking to own your own business.

Some of the areas attracting new franchise owners include:

·         Corporate casualties and refugees

·         Seniors and Retirees

·         Working mothers

·         Veterans

·         Recent college graduates

Dan Zimanski, an ActionCOACH business coach based in Mandeville, Louisiana loved his job with Oreck until his world was literally turned upside down with Hurricane Katrina. “Oreck’s two main bases of operation were New Orleans and Long Beach, Mississippi—two places hit hardest by Katrina,” said Zimanski.

The company made a heroic effort to get back on the ground and even enjoyed its best year in 2006. The potential for another Katrina, however, played a deciding factor in the company moving its headquarters to Tennessee. Newly married with three stepchildren, Zimanski left the company he loved rather relocating.

“I’ve moved around quite a bit during my career and ActionCOACH  provided the opportunity to do something that I enjoy—coach small business owners—but to stay in a community that my family and I love and call home, particularly after Katrina,” said Zimanski.

Mark Raciappa, ActionCOACH franchise owner in Tallahassee, Florida, represents another new face of franchising: those who choose franchising as a lifestyle option.

Raciappa literally grew up in the supermarket business. Starting as a bagger as teen, he went on to manage a supermarket and eventually owned and operated his own. Tired of working six or even seven days a week, Raciappa put his market up for sale and began searching for a franchise opportunity. FranChoice, a franchise “matchmaking” company, directed him to ActionCOACH in 2006 and Raciappa has not looked back.

“Part of my decision to get out of the supermarket business was lifestyle, I wanted to be able to enjoy my weekends and holidays,” said Raciappa. “The other was doing something to help people. At ActionCOACH, we’re in the business of helping people. In the current economy, the real challenge is helping the small business owner see the great opportunities for success that are out there.

ActionCOACH is the world’s #1 business coaching firm and executive coaching firm. Operating

in 26 countries, the franchise has more than 1,000 offices around the world. That includes locations in the six states (and Washington DC) that make up the Gulf Atlantic region: Alabama (Pelham); Delaware; Florida (Coral Gables, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, North Miami, Palm Harbor, Pensacola Beach and Tallahassee); Louisiana (Baton Route, Loranger, Mandeville, New Orleans and Shreveport); Maryland (Baltimore, Freeland, Fallston, Manchester, Rockland, Silver Spring); and Mississippi (Madison).

Founded in 1993, the ActionCOACH has received numerous awards including Fastest Growing Franchise, Franchisee Satisfaction, Best Overall Company and has been named the number one business coaching franchise for more than five years running.

To learn more about ActionCOACH, contact Karen Boyd, www.karenboyd.actioncoach.comwww.karenboyd.actioncoach.com, (410) 374-3536.

With bad economy comes great opportunity…Franchise opportunities attracting individuals from various, non-traditional backgrounds…Read More