If you have read the PEOPLE I work with and the PROBLEMS they have, then you may be wondering what it is like to work with me and what solutions do I provide? On this page I will explain what I believe, the five fundamental P.R.O.U.D. skills I help people develop and my approach to Coaching and Consulting.
What do I believe?
I believe that now we have moved from the “Industrial Age” into the “Connection Age” it has become even more crucial to learn skills so that we can differentiate ourselves in the market place both as organisations and individuals.
As we all know the Professional and Financial markets have significantly changed over the last decade and will continue to evolve. Challenges from outsourcing, off-shoring and technology are all competing for our once sacred “jobs for life”. So is it possible to succeed in the future and secure a significant career by developing our transferable skills?
Make You and Your organisation P.R.O.U.D.
These are some of the reasons why having the skill of persuasive public speaking will directly impact the overall success of our careers:
- It can be used to train, inform, inspire and sell.
- Everyone gets the same message at the same time.
- From a marketing viewpoint you can leverage your time, identify, and attract your potential buyers in your audience more quickly and efficiently, Instead of lots of one to one meetings.
- It sets you apart from the majority of your colleagues and competitors. Most people are terrified of Public Speaking. Good public speakers that can also persuade, as well as present, are actually quite rare. You could be seen as an expert in your field – the “go to” person or “knowledge guru” for your sector.
Through my experience of winning and judging speech competitions and being the President-elect of Birmingham international speakers club I have been able to help clients win at interviews and speak confidently in front of audiences as large as 2200 people. It is not just about good planning and practice, which are essential.
Experienced Public Speaking Coaches should know techniques that can assist people to emotionally feel exactly how they want to when on stage. In this day and age, paying for a few breathing exercises is not adequate.
Over the years I have had numerous conversations with senior partners and managing directors of Professional Services firms where they have expressed their frustration at less experienced, but highly paid employees that either do not go business networking or if they attend events, unfortunately they stand in the corner talking to people they already know.
Having trained hundreds of intelligent and skilled people in Financial Services it is still interesting how reluctant they are to have conversations with others and see how they could add value to them.
A lot of people are sent to events by their line managers, who have not provided any advice or skills, but still expect them to bring in fee earning work. Their people turn up and just spend the evening asking “What do you do?” which is one of the last questions we should ever ask.
Would it be ok to receive a better return on your investment of time and money when Business Networking.? Clear planning; knowing what to do and say; and understanding what to do after an event will put you in a completely different league to most of your competitors.
It has been said that the number of people that have a written set of Goal Outcomes for their career and family life is a single digit percentage. We are not really taught it at any stage of our education system and most organisations rarely invest in training their people because they do not realise the massive benefits of a Goal Directed team of people.
Have you ever been in a meeting and watched someone else get agreement with a poor idea, while your idea that would significantly improve the organisation gets ignored?
They say that we do not make decisions based on logic but emotion. So is it possible to even more easily tap into the emotional part of our minds?
Some Leaders are skilled enough to inspire and attract followers who add to their organisations. But those that are remembered in their sectors after they have gone are those that can multiply their efforts. These people are unusual. Whether we are someone with no official Leadership position or a Director responsible for hundreds, it does not matter which stage our current Leadership skill level is. We can learn new skills to progress through the Three stages of Leadership.
If those are the five fundamental P.R.O.U.D. skills I help people develop, what is my approach?
Part of my style includes a “quirky” sense of humour that tends to come out when I work with my clients, that usually creates a more interesting environment. I have an inquisitive nature and know the important questions to ask.
I strive to educate and assist my clients in discovering the most influential areas of their lives and find ways of exploring their emotional intelligence and how they think. By doing this my clients become more resourceful in themselves and subsequently this is reflected in the rest of their lives and how they can contribute and give-back to their sectors.
Coaching & Consulting
When clients request Coaching or Consulting, their objectives are initially discussed in detail and a proposal with a number of options is provided to the client. I also encourage the client to set their own measurement of success, so that they can clearly quantify their improvements and the value to them. I predominantly charge based on the value of the improvement to the client as I feel this is the most ethical way of working. The client gets a great return on their investment and I am equitably compensated.
Why charging by value is more ethical than by the hour
When Professionals charge by the hour (which is how most Professional and Financial Service providers charge), there inevitably is the tendency to not perform as well as they could. If they could complete the project within two days then they’ll get paid less. Hence there is a possibility to string it out longer to make up the billable hours.
However, when the client is paying for measurable improvement in the current situation, then we want to achieve results as quickly as possible. Plus if it takes longer than previously thought, the client doesn’t incur extra costs as it is based on the improvement and not time. If it finishes quicker, both I and the client benefit even more.
Using up-to-date technologies that work
As part of my work I believe in providing a variety of learning techniques from different established sources in the field of Learning and Development. They include some of the most effective intellectual change technologies that create permanent and empowering change that enhances and enriches my clients’ lives.
Value added
It’s important to me to add significant value and I strive to ensure that the return on the investment (of your time and money) for the Coaching or Consulting is significantly more than the fee.
Meet Matthew
If you want to learn a little more about me, then read my Meet Matthew Page.
What happens next?
You have three options:
- Signup to my email list and receive a copy of the free 36 page PDF eBook that explores all five fundamentals of P.R.O.U.D. You will also receive regular updates and video links to help you to develop these skills.
- Feel free to read my blog on Learning and Leadership.
- If you are more serious and want to discuss potential Coaching or Consultancy work for your organisation, then contact me via the contact page and I will be in touch.