Before I started my education with the Coach Excellence course, I felt that it was okay for me to give advice.  I knew little about listening.  After going through the program, I learned to listen with my heart, and to guide people to discover their own answers.

I now know that I don’t have the answers for anyone else – only myself.  The module, “Working with Empathy and Silence” was one of my favorites. “Heart-Centered Listening” was a wonderful module. In it, I learned to listen and respond with both my heart and mind so that I could understand what my client is saying with words, intent and feelings. It’s about getting into another person’s world and seeing things from that perspective. I have continued to learn through my coaching education and working with clients to let go of the judgments of others and to know that we are all led in the direction from which we will learn, if we choose to walk that path.  There is no right or wrong – only lessons.

I learned how to ask questions, and which questions would elicit the most information, from which I could move to the next question.  It was really freeing for me to know that I didn’t need to plan the course of the coaching session ahead of time.  The coaching evolves, and that is what I feel is the most fun part of coaching.  Where do we go next?

And speaking of next, once we know where the client wants to go, it was really vital to learn about the module, “Agreed Action and Accountability.”  It taught me to hold the client to what they want to do in the way they want to do it, and in the way they want to be held accountable.  The five steps to agreed upon action (establish the goal, clarify the steps, confirm the commitment, express your belief in them, and determine the necessary follow-up) were the roadmap to making it happen.

“Communication Behaviors – The Voice” taught me much about how our voices are perceived by others.  Volume, Tone, Pitch, Quality, Rate, Errors, Accent and Emphasis are all important factors of communication.  So, it was not only valuable for me to learn as a coach, it’s also valuable for my clients to learn so they are effective when they speak.

It was valuable when I learned that my clients often want to be challenged.  They may be approaching the session looking for support and accountability.  My clients are powerful and whole, and they want me to support them in reaching their top capacity.  I have the core belief that my clients can do whatever they commit to and I work with them based on that belief.   Challenging, as I learned in Coach Excellence, is about taking ownership, and stretching sometimes beyond where one thinks they can go.  If my client wants challenge, I will give it to them.

I learned how to center myself so that I would go into the coaching session feeling relaxed and confident.  I now know how to clear the space and give all of me, for the benefit of my clients.

Coaching preparation is more than just looking up the number and dialing.  How do you prepare yourself for coaching?

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I am empowered! WOW – that alone makes a strong statement. My relationships have improved with my family, my team, my friends and my clients, since participating in the Coach Excellence course.  I have begun to see and understand a deeper connection with the newest team members right from the start.

I see these team members taking on their own sense of responsibility as I listen and ask questions; really taking the time to learn about them as a person, not just a team member.  My leaders are moving swiftly forward without depending on me to walk with them hand in hand.  I continue to support their development of independent leadership.  But now have the in-depth knowledge to coach them properly to allow them to continue to grow independently.

DSWA Coach Excellence – DiSC

One of my favorite subjects that I continue to enjoy learning more about is the DiSC personality profiling.  I found that segment of the DSWA coaching program particularly interesting.

Since I work with a variety people everyday, anything I can do to have a better understanding of the best ways to work with them, really makes a different in building that relationship.  When you are able to understand a person’s character, as well as how they may react when in a stressful situation, it opens all kinds of doors to have a better working relationship.  This has also helped in bonding with my children, other family members as well as others within the business environment.

Becoming a better leader within my organization is an additional result of the skills gained from the Coach Excellence program. It becomes empowering for all parties involved.  I believe that being a better leader can make or break your relationship with family and/or clients.  When I am walking the walk and not just talking the talk, when my client knows they have been heard and understood, it creates a bond of trust that supports the work you do together.  You will have that same type of experience with your family, friends and co-workers.

I loved going deeper into learning the DiSC personality profiling.  The DiSC program alone has provided an amazing backing as I continue to work with clients.  Once I embraced the core of the program, I then moved into the series of webinars. I became more solid as I was working with others from the class.  The sharing of support while developing skills is a key ingredient that this course provided.  While working with peers as they increase their skills, it becomes a profound impact on your own personal development.  The interaction on these webinars were fun, rewarding and provided me with continuous support knowing that I was never alone.

One of the most powerful clarifications was discovering the difference between ‘coaching’ and ‘training’.  Training is generally much faster and is often used as quick fix.  Coaching requires more time as we are asking questions to pull information from our client.  When I am coaching, the client is my main and total focus.  It is all about them.  When I train, I tend to use systems that my company has created or that I have used for years.   The training is impersonal while coaching has a level of thoughtfulness.  After identifying this clarification, I find it hard to believe how I have gotten this far in my business without realizing the powerful difference between training and coaching.  There is such huge opportunity before me now that I am equipped with when and how to properly use training and coaching.

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We’ve all had those days that just seem to drag on and on. Days when you seem to be working, but you never get anything accomplished. For some entrepreneurs, those days are rare, but inevitable.

However, for many people in the direct sales business, those lagging, unproductive days happen far too often.

What is a Power Hour?

How many hours during the week do you feel you are creating ideas, applying these ideas to making your business a success, and producing work at the top of your game? The more hours you are working at your peak, the more successful your business will be. These hours in which you are able to completely focus on a task and produce results are your POWER HOURS!

Though a successful direct sales business relies on power hours to succeed, no one can expect to work uninterrupted and completely focused on a task for an entire day. And guess what? You don’t need to have a week full of power hours to produce results. You only need a few of them.

Successful people know how to focus when focus is needed. They realize that a power hour is a small block of time and doesn’t need to last for an entire workday. You will be amazed at how much you can get done in a few short hours. With no interruptions, no distractions, and a strong desire to achieve results, great things can be accomplished!

Organize A Regular Direct Sales Business Power Hour

Many direct sales consultants organize a regular power hour divided into 3 or 4 small segments for important task. In doing this and scheduling a power hour weekly or biweekly you will be more effective than attempting to squeeze things in.  You may organize every power hour into specific functions rquired for success in your particular business like:

• 15 minutes bookings follow-up
• 15 minutes recruiting follow-up
• 15 minute host coaching
• 15 minutes wrap up of activities generated

A true power hour is the time when energy, time, technique, and focus converge. There are times you may have one or more of these in sufficient quantities, but mastering a power hour takes all four. Energy, time, technique, and focus converge to have a noticeable impact on results because this is your peak time – your POWER HOUR!

What Can Power Hours Do For You?

• Power hours will help you achieve results faster than you ever thought possible.
• Power hours will help you work less. In this case, less is truly more; you’ll work less, but achieve more.
• Power hours will help re-energize you. Have you ever had that feeling after reaching a goal; the kind where you feel more focused, more alive, more motivated? That’s what power hours can do for you.

There is no denying the fact that some work days just go by slowly. It is also true that some days are so unproductive that you might as well have stayed home in bed. However, by mastering the use of power hours you can get more done in less time. If you really want to stay home one day, just do it. By using power hours, you know you’ll get more done than most people who never take a break!

Direct Sales Business Training

Visit the Create A CashFlowShow direct sales training website for more party plan and home business tips and strategies. Named as one of the top 5 direct sales – party plan websites there are over 500 pages of FREE training for direct sales consultants.

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