13 Employee Benefits That Don’t Actually Work

13 Employee Benefits That Don’t Actually Work

Employees love benefits. They like to feel valued and appreciated by the company they work for. But, when these benefits are nothing more than a gimmick, they can have the opposite effect and make employees wonder if they are really getting anything at all in reward for their hard work and constant efforts.

Initially published through Forbes Coaches Council

From unlimited vacation time to employee discount programs, empty job titles and more, here are several employee benefits that are simply gimmicks and don’t actually benefit the workforce in any way, according to 13 members of  Forbes Coaches Council.

Employee job satisfaction has been constantly dropping over the last 20 years, with compensation and benefits among the top factors for the downward trend. As employers look to save money and cut costs, benefits are often the first thing to go even when they don’t intrinsically offer any mutual benefit to the employee/employer relationship.

1. Wellness Without Engagement

Many corporate wellness programs have shown no results whatsoever. Companies with successful programs encourage employees to become Engaged Healthcare Consumers (EHCs) by equipping employees with the resources to make smart, cost-efficient health-related decisions and provide options to improve health, including gym memberships, gamified wellness programs and voluntary disease-specific programs. – Dr. Josh Luke, Health-Wealth.com

2. Unlimited Vacation

Unlimited vacation tends to lead to employees taking less vacation, at least in North America. With no use-it-or-lose-it driver, most knowledge workers will keep working in order to serve commitments to customers and peers. It takes more chutzpah to ask for significant time off when all vacation is “at your manager’s discretion.” – Ronica Roth, CA Technologies

3. Employee Discount Programs

Employee discount programs fundamentally don’t work because they are about generating revenue for the company through the partnerships. Rarely are the services offered the best deals and rarely are they what the business’ employees want. So the company can say it’s offering a benefit and if the employee chooses not to use it, that’s their choice. – Larry Boyer, Success Rockets LLC

4. A Culture Based On Fun And Good Times

When a company touts Taco Tuesday and a beer tap in the break room as the reason someone should be eager to work there, your brand becomes diluted. While these are fun extras, messaging a culture of professional development, upward mobility and growth reflects positively on talent acquisition and retention efforts, as well as client support. No one is interested in doing business with a frat house. – Jeanna McGinnis, Mentor Happy

5. The Offer Of Secure Employment

Recruiters and hiring managers indicating long-term employment relationships help the applicant make the decisions to become employees. The reality is, there is no crystal ball forecasting this security. You can, however, do your own research and know your labor market and industry. The research will help you see the future, and investing in your own self and career will help realize it. – Gayle DraperIntentional Careers and Human Resources

 

6. Employee Of The Month

I have never found Employee of the Month programs to be beneficial. While it may make one person feel special for a short period of time, it serves as a demotivator for anyone else who has been doing a great job. I have always encouraged my clients and companies to be more instantaneous in their approach to recognition. Why wait to reward someone when doing it now will provide a better and longer lasting impact? – Dan Ryan, Ryan Search & Consulting

7. The ‘Top Dog’

When faced with earning at the top of the pay grade, employees become disenfranchised as there’s no room for growth. Leaders who appease by promising they’re the “top paid and most senior” compound the issue and create more distrust. Instead, work together, seeking new ways to validate and reward that the employee will find valuable. – Christine J. Culbertson (Boyle), Coach Christine

8. Special Titles

I just finished working with a client. As we reviewed their company structure it seemed like everybody had a unique title. The president told me that most of the positions were really the same. The different titles were a way to make them feel good; a benefit. That reminded me of the “everyone gets a trophy” philosophy. It creates risk when it comes to discrimination and other HR regulations. Titles should mean something and they should be earned.  – Brad Federman, F&H Solutions Group

9. Meals, Wi-Fi And Dogs

Benefits that appear to encourage employees to work longer hours could backfire. For example, Google has offered free food, free buses with Wi-Fi that transport employees to and from work, and the ability to bring their dog to work.  Some employees felt that the Wi-Fi on the buses was designed to encourage them to work during their transit and that meals were meant to incentivize them to work later. – Lisa Barrington, Barrington Coaching

10. Foosball Tables

Many companies opt for modern workspaces equipped with snacks and foosball tables. The intention is to inspire the workforce to feel more engaged at work. The result is meager because what employees really want is to feel purpose and passion for what they do. If the organization does not tap into a greater purpose at the leadership level, a foosball table is just another unnecessary expenditure. – Indira Jerez, INNERtia Project

11. Paying Cell Phone Bills

On the surface, paying an expensive cell phone bill sounds like a great benefit. After all, that has the effect of increased compensation. However, it doesn’t come without strings attached, since it usually means you are always on call. You feel like you should be taking calls or answering emails 24/7. Most people are better off if they can truly leave work at work. – Donald Hatter, Donald Hatter Inc.

12. Avoid “One Size Fits All”

Many companies understand the benefit of growth/development plans for individuals. In theory, this is great; however, if companies are using “one size fits all” plans, they become like any other perfunctory process and are not truly successful. Have a framework or plan for growth/development, train leaders to be flexible, adaptable and ask for input from the individuals. –Michelle Braden, MSBCoach, LLC

13. Open Air Forums

A few career clients of mine commented that a company’s “open forum” turned into a kind of public surveillance vehicle to surface problem employees among the management staff. That didn’t sit well with people who later found out what they said in these forums was used against them during evaluation time. If you are an employer, make sure your open forums are indeed open. Employees? Beware. – John M. O’Connor, Career Pro Inc.

 

Meet Coach Christine

Christine coaches with ROI top-of-mind. Many companies who leverage her coaching produce quick and long-lasting results transforming people, processes and culture, impacting their bottom line. Clients have seen upward of 200% ROI.

Her time with clients generates powerful results in:

  • Business and Personal Development
  • Communication and Relationships
  • Sales and Sales Leadership

Watching and learning at the feet of titans of Canada’s Wall Street and other business leaders, Coach Christine was influenced by their success and built a corporate career and coaching business founded on proven business practices.

She is an award-winning business woman and contributor to Forbes publications; is an accredited coach with the ICF; a practitioner of Conscious Business practices; is certified by the IMPACT: Coaching with ROI program; holds her First and Second Degree Reiki and has studied Aboriginal healing for over 20 years.  Christine loves the adventure of travel and has a knock-out collection of snazzy women’s shoes.

When you want more, are ready to bust obstacles and build your juicy, big life, contact me, Coach Christine Culbertson.

Together we’ll step into your untapped potential.

YES! I Want More!

15 Ways To Overcome Communication Errors As A Business Leader

15 Ways To Overcome Communication Errors As A Business Leader

Good communication with your employees is key to ensuring the effective operation of your business.

Your staff will feel compelled to perform if they know the expectations before them. But when bad communication engulfs a company, it can be disastrous.

Initially published through Forbes Coaches Council

15 members of Forbes Coaches Council share the most common communication errors they’ve seen by leaders and how they’ve helped these individuals overcome the issues.

You’ll feel the effects of poor communication through errors, missed deadlines and a complete cluster of bad decisions. Keeping the lines of communication open with your staff can help them engage more. They will be more successful in their roles and with their responsibilities, while your company will reap the rewards with improved operations.

 

1. Deliver A Clear Message

There’s often a mismatch between what we say and what we think we’ve said. Strong communicators use these three principles: 1. Deliver a clear and concise message. Less is more. 2. Perception check — was the message interpreted correctly? 3. What’s missing? What’s next? Explore gaps using open-ended questions to uncover concerns. – Christine J. Culbertson (Boyle)Coach Christine: Building Business, Leaders and BIG Lives

2. Work More On Listening

Leaders are often known for their brilliant words, but eloquence is far less critical to leadership than being a keen listener who can find, notice and cultivate the brilliance and creativity of their team. Learning to focus less on what you’re about to say, and more on what you just heard and how to encourage more exchanges, will pay greater dividends than inspirational pronouncements. – Amie DeveroAmie Devero Coaching & Consulting

3. Clarify Your Message

Two of the biggest communication problems I’ve seen with both my coaching and workshop clients are waffling and being too abstract. Waffling can be easily managed by the “power of three,” which focuses on the three key points they want their listeners to remember. Being too abstract can be solved by adding practical examples and by using metaphors. – Gabriella GoddardBrainsparker Leadership Academy

4. Tell Nothing But The Truth

The pressure to say the right things not only handcuffs potentially powerful messages, but it also discredits powerful leaders. If you truly want to connect and inspire, just be truthful. – Derrick BassClarity Provoked

5. Understand Your Audience

One of the most common communication errors is speaking from your perspective rather than the listener’s. When you shift your communication style to first understand the key motives and values of your audience, you can then communicate using the right words, tone and phrasing that will unlock their ability to see and hear you. Shift your talk track from you to them for the best results. – Michela QuiliciMQ Consulting and Business Training Inc.

6. Set Clear Intentions

One common communication error I’ve seen many great leaders make is verbalizing a message with heavy emotion (e.g., anger, frustration or disappointment) without providing a clear understanding of their expectations going forward. I’ve helped clients improve their communication styles as leaders by guiding them to enter conversations with an aim to come to an agreement. It helps to collect and write down all your thoughts before addressing situations. – Lakrisha DavisLakrisha Davis & Co.

7. Be Brief, Be Brilliant And Be Gone

Some leaders communicate too much, and some communicate too little. Many leaders cannot break their jargon habits and express dismay when their instructions are misunderstood. Make it Sesame Street-style by being clear and direct. Avoid the use of jargon and acronyms. Finally, remember the three Bs: Be brief. Be brilliant. Be gone. Leave your audience wanting more, not less. – James ChittendenTriumph Business Communications Inc.

8. Mind Your Body Language

A major component to communication is body language. If you’re slouching or frowning, you might be sending the wrong signals that detract from your message. What we say is only part of the equation. How we say it is critical to effective delivery. Work on your posture, eye contact and facial expressions to make sure your body language syncs with your communicated intent. – Erin UrbanUPPSolutions LLC

9. Omit Undermining Language

A communication mistake leaders make is adding unnecessary words or phrases to their communication. Speaking directly and clearly helps leaders display confidence and authority. I coach executives to omit undermining language (e.g., words and phrases like “actually,” “kind of,” “a little bit” and “sorry”). One way to increase awareness and improve is to ask a stakeholder to listen and provide feedback. – Karen Dee, Accendo Leadership Advisory Group

10. Pick Up The Phone

Technology has caused many leaders to attempt to address important issues via email versus verbal conversation. Although an email often provides important documentation, it can also create a greater misunderstanding through back and forth exchanges. I help clients develop their verbal communication skills so that they can have difficult conversations. – LaKesha WomackWomack Consulting Group

 11. Remember Not Everyone Thinks Like You

Not everyone thinks, processes information or communicates in the same way. Not everyone shares the same core values and beliefs. When it comes to communicating, one size does not fit all. Don’t say much, but say it often, all over the place and in a hundred different ways. For Jedi status, encourage your leaders to ask this question: “So, in your own words, what did we just agree?” – Antonio Garrido, Absolute Sales Development

12. Act — Don’t React

The most common error in communication that I see leaders engage in is communicating when not in a clear, rational state of mind, which prevents them from attaining the outcomes they want to achieve. Whether frustrated, angry or experiencing physical pain, this is not the time to communicate. I have my clients develop an ingrained habit of taking a timeout to stabilize themselves prior to communicating. – Linda ZanderSuper Sized Success

13. Don’t Make Assumptions

One of the biggest enemies of effective communication is assumption. It’s common to make our own conclusions based on our personal past experiences and, as a result, misinterpret what is being communicated to us. Instead of assuming that you know what the other person means and what is coming, it’s best to clarify. Repeat the message back in your own words, and ask if you understood correctly. – Masha MalkaThe One Minute Coach

14. Stop Avoiding Difficult Conversations

A common communication error I’ve observed repeatedly in leaders I coach is avoiding difficult conversations until the situation is out of control. If an employee behaves in a manner that isn’t supportive of your team or organization’s goals, address it immediately and clearly articulate consequences of that behavior on the individual, team or organization. – Kimberly JarvisAll Career Matters Inc.

 

 


Meet Coach Christine

Christine coaches with ROI top-of-mind. Many companies who leverage her coaching produce quick and long-lasting results transforming people, processes and culture, impacting their bottom line. Clients have seen upward of 200% ROI.

 

Her time with clients generates powerful results in:

  • Business and Personal Development
  • Communication and Relationships
  • Sales and Sales Leadership

 

 

Watching and learning at the feet of titans of Canada’s Wall Street and other business leaders, Coach Christine was influenced by their success and built a corporate career and coaching business founded on proven business practices.

 

 

She is an award-winning business woman and contributor to Forbes publications; is an accredited coach with the ICF; a practitioner of Conscious Business practices; is certified by the IMPACT: Coaching with ROI program; holds her First and Second Degree Reiki and has studied Aboriginal healing for over 20 years.  Christine loves the adventure of travel and has a knock-out collection of snazzy women’s shoes.

 

 

When you want more, are ready to bust obstacles and build your juicy, big life, contact me, Coach Christine Culbertson.

Together we’ll step into your untapped potential.

YES! I Want More!

Business Planning: How To Craft Your Vision And Mission Statement [FORBES Publication]

Business Planning: How To Craft Your Vision And Mission Statement [FORBES Publication]

A rudderless ship is vulnerable to the strongest blowing wind.

So too is your business if you’re focused only on the here and now, and your operation is perpetually reacting instead of proacting.

Leading professionals know that looking forward drives growth.

Photo by  Shutterstock and a version of this article was originally published through Forbes Coaches Council.

Here, we’ll examine how to build a strong foundation. Now that you’ve spent time examining your “why” and the legacy you’d like to leave behind, we’ll discuss in detail how to craft your vision and mission statement. With this, you’ll have a blueprint for success and a target on the horizon to strive for.

Your mission statement is a set of words that defines and communicates the purpose of your business. It shows how you define success, make business decisions and ensure that everyone involved in the company is on the same, inspired track.

 

Google’s mission statement is a great summation of what the company does: “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” Here’s Microsoft‘s: “We believe in what people make possible. Our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.”

 

Step 1: Establish The Framework

Define your purpose:

• Why did you choose this line of business?

• What is the best part of your business, and what keeps you going?

Who do you serve? 

• Who is your ideal buyer?

• Who are your customers?

• How do you treat your customers and employees, and why is that important to you?

Establish your reputation: 

• What do you do better than anyone else? Why should people buy from you?

• What do you want your legacy to be? What do you want to be known for?

• What keeps your competition up at night — what’s your “secret sauce?”

• What do you stand for?

Measure your success: 

• What does success look like to you?

• What kind of goals have you established to make your business succeed? How will you measure them and how will you know when you’ve arrived?

Step 2: Refine Your Mission Statement

Now that you have broad objectives, it’s time to start narrowing them down. Ideally, your mission statement should be three to four sentences that capture your goals, purpose and your “why.”

Ask for input from your employees, and make it personal. It should be something everyone can buy into. Go for the big picture; the sky is the limit.

Keep in mind mission statements can evolve over time. Try different combinations until you find one that resonates with you and your employees. Use actionable words. It can be helpful to include goals in your mission statement, like “95% of the time we will …”

Remember, there are no wrong mission statements. If it resonates with you and your employees, your mission statement is complete.

Step 3: Create Your Business Vision

Now that you know what you stand for, it’s time to build the blueprint to get there. Here are key steps to follow:

Start with your history:

You have to look back to move forward — you can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been.

• When did you start in business, and how many employees did you have?

• Write all your company’s significant milestones on a piece of paper with a brief description of each, and turn it into a line graph with peaks and valleys. What are the positive and negative milestones and turning points, and when did they occur?

• What are the achievements you are most proud of to date? Any awards or innovations? Include big and small achievements.

• What are your favorite parts of the business? What are your passions?

• What other details need to be included in the history of your business for a complete picture?

Now, pretend your business history belonged to a third party. What do you notice? What are significant positive or negative business decisions and what was the outcome? What’s holding you back from moving forward? What were the obstacles and how did you overcome them?

Look at the present:

• What does your business look like currently?

• What are your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats?

• What is your value proposition?

• What do you need to get to your goals? Resources, finances, income, employees, training, product launches?

• Do you have work-life balance?

• How is the company’s financial health? Sales, payables, loans, inventory?

• Is your technology current? Do you have a website, social media presence, infrastructure?

• Do you have key employees? Do they need development or training? If so, where are you going to obtain it and what is the return on investment?

• If you could make two or three changes to have an immediate impact, what would they be and how would you do it?

Plan for the future:

Picture your business three months, six months, one year, three years, five years and ten years down the line.

• What are your top short- and long-term goals, in order of priority?

• How can you best leverage your top three strengths?

• How do you define short-term and long-term success?

• What impactful ideas do you have that have not yet been implemented? What would it take to act on them? What’s holding you back?

• What should you start doing, stop doing or find a different way of doing?

• If you put energy into it, where could your business shine that it isn’t already?

• What three things would make your business a success in the coming year? How can you achieve that?

• What are secondary goals for success? How can you achieve them? What will the business look like if you do? What resources are required?

It’s a lot to think about, but it’s worth the investment of your time to create a clear vision for your company. Where you are and where do you want it to be?



Meet Coach Christine

Christine coaches with ROI top-of-mind and clients have seen upward of 200% ROI. Many companies who leverage her coaching produce quick and long-lasting results transforming people, processes and culture, impacting their bottom line.

Her time with clients generates powerful results in:

  • Business and Personal Development
  • Communication and Relationships
  • Sales and Sales Leadership

Watching and learning at the feet of titans of Canada’s Wall Street and other business leaders, Coach Christine was influenced by their success and built a corporate career and coaching business founded on proven business practices.

She is an award-winning business woman and contributor to Forbes publications; is an accredited coach with the ICF; a practitioner of Conscious Business practices; is certified by the IMPACT: Coaching with ROI program; holds her First and Second Degree Reiki and has studied Aboriginal healing for over 20 years.  Christine loves the adventure of travel and has a knock-out collection of snazzy women’s shoes.

When you want more, are ready to bust obstacles and build your juicy, big life, contact me, Coach Christine Culbertson.

Together we’ll step into your untapped potential.
SALES SUCCESS: Want To Influence Others? Find Out How They Interact [FORBES Publication]

SALES SUCCESS: Want To Influence Others? Find Out How They Interact [FORBES Publication]

I was once fortunate enough to watch a rainbow appear.

It grew and  shimmered, and as we drove toward it, its color, hue and impact changed.

People and rainbows have much in common.

Both have many aspects, are structured in shape and can be complex because they’re filled with nuances and variations.

Photo by  Shutterstock and a version of this article was originally published through Forbes Coaches Council.

Have you ever tried to catch a rainbow or been mystified by surprising changes in people? Would you agree that it’s your perspective, knowledge and skill that impacts your experience with others?

I am not a scientist, and I can’t help you catch a rainbow, but people and personalities is my area of passion and strength. So, let’s look at this complex world and discover tools to strengthen your people and communication skills.

Social Styles

Personality assessments can be traced back to Plato. There are many different variations, including Myers-Briggs, True Colorus, Enneagram or assessments based on the studies of Karl Jung. All seek to categorize character traits so as to better understand both ourselves and the people around us.

My go-to resource is the Merrill-Reid Method, which focuses on our social traits. Knowing what our dominant trait is and how to interact with staff, prospects and clients who may or may not be similar gives us an advantage in the business world. Here’s how it works.

Using the Merrill-Reid Method to understand personalities, there are four major types we can identify to help us understand the core characteristics of our prospects. It’s rare to be 100% one personality — most people are a mix. But people tend to default to one core type.

• Analytic

• Driver

• Expressive

• Amiable

We encounter all these social styles in our interactions. If we only worked with people whose primary position was similar to our own, we would miss 75% of our communication and influencing opportunities. Imagine the impact you could have on your team and operations if you were to use the best levers to reach people’s core communication style. Learning and applying this knowledge of how people think, what they need and how to work with their style will put you on the fast track to success in business.

The Analytic

Analytics are polite yet reserved. They are patient, ask many questions and are highly detailed. They opt for facts and statistics and are slow decision makers — they can get stuck without all the pertinent facts. They like to feel like they are right, are sticklers for managing time and are bottom-line driven.

The Driver

Drivers are “do-it” people. They’re quick to act, have a lot of energy and know what they want and how to get it. They prefer to work independently and like to focus on the positive. They are not conflict-averse (they’ll look you straight in the eye) and can be brusque and tactless at times. When it comes to drivers, be prepared for language that is direct and concise. They look for immediate results.

The Expressive

Expressives are good communicators and storytellers. They tend to be warm and enthusiastic and make decisions based on hunches. They focus more on generalities than facts and figures and may exaggerate or leave out details. They tend to be animated with their voice and hand gestures and enjoy being with people. As natural relationship builders, prepare for them to be quite talkative and ask you personal questions.

The Amiable

Amiables are diplomatic, social, patient and emotionally expressive. They need to build rapport early but will avoid direct eye contact with you. Like Expressives, they can be animated, and they want to build a relationship. They are known to be highly sensitive, soft-spoken and have the skill of and blending well into many situations.



Your Influencing Toolkit

Knowing your dominant style gives you perspective on yourself and your ability to see and understand other’s styles.

Can you identify your predominant social style? Chart your strengths on the following key items:

• Are you a quick decision maker or a slow decision maker?

• Do you ask people what to do or tell them what to do?

• Are you animated in conversation or reserved?

• Are you fact-focused or comfortable with generalizations?

• Are you an independent worker or do you prefer group and teamwork?

• Are you results-focused or do you like to have options and choices?

Given these social styles, what do you notice about others and their methods, behaviors and preferences? What’s their type? Now, how will you communicate with them?

As a leader, whether you’re communicating with a client, prospect or colleague, knowing and understanding their dominant style adds high-caliber communication skills to your toolkit. Think about it: Have you ever had a conversation with someone and felt understood, like the other person really got you?

By understanding people’s personalities and social styles, you’re creating a valuable experience because you’re communicating with them in their way, validating them, their wants and needs, and powerfully impacting your relationship.


Meet Coach Christine

Christine coaches with ROI top-of-mind and clients have seen upward of 200% ROI. Many companies who leverage her coaching produce quick and long-lasting results transforming people, processes and culture, impacting their bottom line.

Her time with clients generates powerful results in:

  • Business and Personal Development
  • Communication and Relationships
  • Sales and Sales Leadership

Watching and learning at the feet of titans of Canada’s Wall Street and other business leaders, Coach Christine was influenced by their success and built a corporate career and coaching business founded on proven business practices.

She is an award-winning business woman and contributor to Forbes publications; is an accredited coach with the ICF; a practitioner of Conscious Business practices; is certified by the IMPACT: Coaching with ROI program; holds her First and Second Degree Reiki and has studied Aboriginal healing for over 20 years.  Christine loves the adventure of travel and has a knock-out collection of snazzy women’s shoes.

When you want more, are ready to bust obstacles and build your juicy, big life, contact me, Coach Christine Culbertson.

Together we’ll step into your untapped potential.

Photo by Ben North on Unsplash
SALES SUCCESS: Want To Succeed At Sales? Take Time To Understand Your Buyer

SALES SUCCESS: Want To Succeed At Sales? Take Time To Understand Your Buyer

What does it take to be successful at sales? The obvious answer: selling a great deal of products or services, have repeat customers and exceed your sales quotas.

But the answer to that question is much simpler than that.

To be successful at sales, you need to have customers buy what you are selling. And for that to happen, it’s essential to understand how they make purchase decisions (emotional, rational, logical) and their natural progression through the buying cycle.


Photo by Ramiro Mendes on Unsplash and a version of this article was originally published through Forbes Coaches Council.

Let’s think about it for a minute. For you to succeed, you need to have customers willing and able to buy what you are selling. If you can meet or exceed their needs and expectations, they will buy from you, they will tell their friends to buy from you, and they will come back and buy from you again.

Let’s say you need to buy a pair of black shoes. Maybe you have special requirements, such as width or arch support or heel height. Or maybe you need a specific style. You walk into a shoe store and tell the clerk you need a pair of black shoes in size 8. He immediately starts pulling any black shoe of any style. Or worse, he waves a hand toward a shelf with various shoes and walks away. You might find the shoes you need, but more than likely, you’ll feel ignored.

Now imagine if the clerk takes the time to find out why you need the black shoes, what style you need, what you need them for, what width and height you desire, then pulls a couple of pairs that are exactly what you’re looking for. You spend just a couple minutes choosing, and you buy the shoes.

Which clerk leaves you with the best experience?

The clerk who took the time to understand your “why,” listened to your needs and met them knew that it was about you, the buyer, not him the seller.

It’s about the buyer

I’m going to say that again: Sales isn’t about the seller. It’s about the buyer. Focus on the buyer’s behaviours and needs, and you will succeed.

There are five steps to follow to understand your prospective client and where they are in the buying cycle. Match their position to the right step in your sales process. Think of it as a dance you both take together.

Here are the five steps buyers take:

1. Identify a problem or need

2. Research and investigate

3. Evaluate alternatives

4. Make a buying decision

5. Exhibit post-purchase behaviour, like satisfaction or doubt

Remember, sales isn’t about you. It’s about the buyer and how you can meet their need or solve their problem.


Meet Coach Christine

Christine coaches with ROI top-of-mind and clients have seen upward of 200% ROI. Many companies who leverage her coaching produce quick and long-lasting results transforming people, processes and culture, impacting their bottom line.

Her time with clients generates powerful results in:

  • Business and Personal Development
  • Communication and Relationships
  • Sales and Sales Leadership

Watching and learning at the feet of titans of Canada’s Wall Street and other business leaders, Coach Christine was influenced by their success and built a corporate career and coaching business founded on proven business practices.

She is an award-winning business woman and contributor to Forbes publications; is an accredited coach with the ICF; a practitioner of Conscious Business practices; is certified by the IMPACT: Coaching with ROI program; holds her First and Second Degree Reiki and has studied Aboriginal healing for over 20 years.  Christine loves the adventure of travel and has a knock-out collection of snazzy women’s shoes.

When you want more, are ready to bust obstacles and build your juicy, big life, contact me, Coach Christine Culbertson.

Together we’ll step into your untapped potential.