The Coaching Business, How to Choose a Coach, Plus Free Tools and Resources for You [audio]

February 3, 2014 By Barry

This is an excerpt from my appearance on BlogTalkRadio’s show On the Dean’s List, with host Dean la Douceur.

In this seven minute clip, we discuss:

My work coaching other coaches (you can find out more about this here).
The coaching business and what you should look for when bringing in an outside consultant or coach.
How to establish whether a coach or consultant is credible and competent.
The tools and resources that I offer on my website – and why I’m willing to offer so much for free.

Simply click below to play the audio file:

[audio:http://www.thequotablecoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Deans-List-3.mp3|titles=Barry Demp, “On the Dean’s List”]

Links to the resources I mention:

If you’d like to hear the whole of my interview with Dean la Douceur (37 minutes), please click here to visit my Podcasts page. You can listen to it online or download it.

The Importance of Relationships in Your Professional Life, and How to Build Them [audio]

January 13, 2014 By Barry

This is an excerpt from my appearance on BlogTalkRadio’s show On the Dean’s List, with host Dean la Douceur.

In this five minute clip, we discuss:

How relationships create opportunities and entry points.
Sending hand-written letters and thank-you notes – and why this is so powerful.
The amount of choice we have today – and how we make choices between different professionals and service providers.
The importance of contributing to your community and helping other people.

Simply click below to play the audio file.

[audio:http://www.dempcoaching.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Barry-Demp-Deans-List-2.mp3|titles=Barry Demp, “On the Dean’s List”]

If you’d like to hear the whole of my interview with Dean la Douceur (37 minutes), please click here to visit my Podcasts page. You can listen to it online or download it.

Building Purposeful Relationships and Networking Effectively: Recording Now Available

October 24, 2012 By Barry

A couple of weeks ago, I was interviewed by Diane Cashin on her radio show, Creating Velocity in Your Life. We spoke about building quality relationships, and covered:

Building relationships at events and using “preferral” meetings
When to give business cards … and when not to
Listening fully to others and allowing them to fully express themselves
Social capital, and using a contact management system to help with this
How best to use LinkedIn (and other social media) to maintain relationships

You can visit my Podcasts page to listen to the recording of my segment of the show.

Join Me Today to Learn How to Build Purposeful Relationships and Network Effectively

October 9, 2012 By Barry

At 7pm EST today, I’ll be a guest on Diane Cashin’s Radio Show “Creating Velocity in Your Life.” Cynthia de Lorenzie, CEO of Success in the City, and Gale Paige, a female veteran, will be guests also.

Join the four of us as we explore the power of developing your networking strategy to achieve your goals.

We will be discussing:

Defining “relationships with a purpose”
Making time to meet with your leaders, mentors and peers
Leveraging your network for mutual benefit
Becoming a thought leader by using the power of social networking

At 7pm EST today (Tuesday 9th October), you can:

Join the discussion live by calling 347-989-8996
Join us online here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/creating-velocity-in-your-life/2012/10/09/creating-velocity-by-developing-relationships-with-a-purpose-1

Announcing My Newest Book: Masterful Relationships

March 13, 2012 By Barry

Masterful Relationships eBook ->

I am very pleased to announce that my newest workbook, Masterful Relationships, is now available in ebook form (as a .pdf file).

Just put your email address in the box in the sidebar to the right and you’ll receive a link to download your copy of Masterful Relationships, along with my previous two workbooks, Masterful Networking and Time Management Strategies and Tactics.

Masterful Relationships has seven short chapters, each with an exercise to help you put what you read into practice in your own life and work. The workbook focuses on professional relationships, but you can also use what you learn in your personal life.

Here’s a taste of what you’ll get inside

Chapter 1: Listening Actively – how to be fully present in your conversations and show your interest in others
Chapter 2: Serving Others – how to make a great impression and build on an initial connection
Chapter 3: Demonstrating Loyalty and Integrity – how to live out your values in your relationships
Chapter 4: Coaching, Leading and Managing – how to get the most from your employees and team members
Chapter 5: Building Social Capital – how to create high-quality relationships and repair damaged ones
Chapter 6: Networking Effectively – how to put in consistent effort for great results
Chapter 7: Gaining Trust – how to help colleagues, clients and friends trust you

To get access to your copy of Masterful Relationships, just enter your email address in the sidebar.

Ten Ways to Listen Actively and Improve Your Relationships

January 30, 2012 By Barry

This post is an excerpt from my upcoming workbook on Masterful Relationships.

“You ain’t learnin’ nothing’ when you’re doin’ all the talkin’.”

– Lyndon B. Johnson

People want to be listened to, respected, and understood. Listening draws people to you: value them and what they have to offer.

Knowing what people need and want are the keys to understanding them. Anyone can take the time and make the effort to do this.

Demonstrate a positive attitude and genuine interest. Look for areas of common interest and go slowly to avoid being perceived as too aggressive or pushy.
People love to contribute. Let them share their thoughts and ideas. Be impressed and interested not impressive and interesting.
Be fully present. Look at the speaker and make good eye contact. Be fully present.
Don’t interrupt. Use silence to give others the full opportunity to express themselves. “It’s just as rude to step on other people’s ideas as it is to step on their toes.” (Robert L. Montgomery)
Ask open ended questions and show your interest. Let others do 80% of the talking. When you ask for someone’s wisdom, advice or experience you’re creating the foundation for a potential relationship.
Always allow others to finish explaining their points of view, ideas, or conviction before offering your own. Avoid “one upping” or trying to “out do” their ideas.
Avoid jumping to conclusions. Most people have a fundamental desire to be understood and appreciated. We all want to know that what we think and believe matters.
Use reflective listening or mirroring. This means using the exact or paraphrased wording of the other person to verify that you have gotten the message. It demonstrates you are truly listening.
Show people how much you care and ask questions in a non-threatening way. You’ll be amazed by how much they’ll tell you.
Use layering. This means taking a piece of the other person’s answer and weaving it into your next open-ended question. It helps you to have a deep and meaningful conversation.

If you’d like to receive my new workbook straight to your inbox when it’s released, please put your email address in the box in the sidebar. You’ll be sent my current workbook, Masterful Networking, straight away.

The Trust-O-Meter Assessment

April 7, 2011 By Barry

In our increasingly competitive world, very rarely does and individual professional service provider, coach, or consultant truly have a significant advantage over others. The ability to create trust is often the single biggest factor that differentiates these close competitors to secure a client assignment.

The Trust-O-Meter assessment below that has been adapted from the book The Trusted Advisor will provide some insight into your ability to create trusting relationships and provide areas of development to gain mastery into this important business and personal skill.

Download the Trust-O-Meter Assessment

Rate yourself on a scale of 1=low to 4=high as you evaluate the following statements.

I am consistent and highly dependable.
Serving my clients is my highest priority and I place a lower focus on my self-interest.
I am genuine and my clients feel comfortable around me.
I am more focused on being interested versus interesting.
I seek to understand and then be understood .(S. Covey)
I am an active reflective listener.
I am honorable and keep conversations confidential. I avoid gossiping.
I have a good sense of humor and am fun to work with.
My clients often share personal information with me.
My clients feel safe in discussing difficult issues.
I genuinely care about my clients and it shows.
I see my clients as people, not just a person fulfilling a role.
I seek out opportunities for client contact to provide value added service.
I often gain repeat business and referrals from my current and past clients.
I am willing to generously share my skills and knowledge and take the time earn the trust of others.
I am clear about my values and express them openly as a basis for creating trusting relationships.
I do what I say I will do. My actions match my words.
I exhibit a high degree of emotional intelligence and have been told I have strong interpersonal skills.
I am naturally curious and ask appropriate questions to learn how I can best help my clients.
I am a win-win person and strive to build consensus with others.
I consider myself thoughtful, considerate, sensitive to people’s feelings, and supportive.
I frequently show my sincere appreciation for others.
I believe that focusing on giving others what they want is the source of my own success.
I stay the course even when the going gets tough.
I am fully focused on my client’s agenda without distraction.

The maximum score you can achieve is 100. Consider comparing your answers with a TRUSTED colleague or friend. I hope you enjoy the conversation and will share your insights and thoughts by contacting me at barry@dempcoaching.com.

Building Relationships for Better Business Results

May 19, 2010 By Barry

Think for a moment about the most important assets that you possess to help your business succeed. Some of the more common responses that we typically hear are money, tools, knowledge, or even a particular trade or skill.

However, when asked about the most important business building tool in a recent LinkedIn.com poll conducted by Barry Demp Coaching, LLC the majority of the participants stated that Relationship Building was the most important skill for business success.

There are several different types of relationships that you can have with different people as a business professional. Here are some examples:

Customer
Co-worker
Vendor
Employee
Business Partner
Trusted Referral source
Client
Contractor
Prospective Client
Former Client

Building and managing all of these different types of relationships can be quite challenging at times because they can each occur within a different context. Within each different context, it becomes extremely important to recognize how your behavior is viewed by the other person, and, how you expect to be treated by the other person. Remembering these two points will make your behavior top-of-mind and you will find yourself treating others the way you would like to be treated.

Top 5 Relationship Building Tips

Be genuinely interested in what the other person has to say, and use open-ended questions to demonstrate your interest. Remember, everyone’s favorite subject is themselves. In your conversation use the words who, what, where, when, and how but avoid using the word “why” because it tends to put people on the defensive.
Be a masterful listener. When we learn the art of “layering” (what a person said and using to create another open-ended question) we are honoring the other person and letting them know what they have to say is important.
Do your best to look for what is good for valuable in what others are saying. When our “inner voice” or our outward comments are judgmental and critical we damage the relationship.
Avoid interrupting others when they are talking. When people do this they are saying, “What I am thinking right now is more important that what you have to say”.
Take full responsibility for your role in why your relationship works or does not work.

Barry Demp is a highly-skilled business and personal coach focused on the areas of leadership, management, coaching, team-building, networking, business development, communication skills, relationship building, motivation, time management, life balance, and goal achievement. He specializes in working with business owners, executives, coaches, consultants, and high-potential professionals by helping them significantly increase their productivity, profitability, and life balance. For more information or assistance, please contact Barry Demp at 248-740-3231 or visit www.dempcoaching.com.