Chris Barrow’s Blog

Yesterday was spent in Salisbury, Wiltshire – researching domestic rental properties.

We spent the day working our way along the city high street, calling in at every estate agents office and asking for a “lettings list”.

Almost without exception, the staff representing these firms were slightly scruffy, badly organised, poor at communication – and showed a level of boredom with their jobs that was palpable.

In probably 20 visits we only experienced one person ask us “what exactly are you looking for?” – and sadly that firm did not offer rentals – but at least the girl had the presence of mind to ask “would you be interested in buying as an alternative?”

Most just pointed us to a list on a table, counter or shelf and left us to get on with it – no help, no interest.

Some weren’t that good.

Eventually we were walking across the green in front of Salisbury Cathedral and I spotted a group of teenagers sat under a tree chatting.

To their initial surprise I just walked up to them, asked permission to ask them a question – and then just asked them what it was like to live in Salisbury, what it would be like for teenagers and where would be the best places to live.

In 20 minutes they gave me a complete “low-down” on the city, its culture, good and bad points and general advice on how best to integrate the kids.

Maybe the estate agents in the city should invest less in fancy-schmancy premises and more in people.

Maybe they should employ teenagers who care, are polite and courteous and have local knowledge.

Maybe someone reading this should create The Estate Agents Business School and create a 7-figure coaching practice?

Why does that happen?

For the last 2 weeks I have slept soundly and well – often for more than 8 hours per night – and even for 10 nights in the open air on the balcony of our Como apartment.

Monday morning I woke at 4.30am (on that same balcony) and watched a glowing moon in the dawn sky as I composed emails in my mind – then got up and wrote them.

Monday was a day of travel from Como to Manchester, house-hunting as soon as I returned from the airport and then some last minute professional clothes shopping in Selfridges (new look for the July workshops – I’m sick of the man in black – feel typecast and bored – need a new image/brand).

Thinking I was exhausted, I retired at 11.00pm last night with maybe just a little too much pasta and Cannonau inside me?

Woke at 3.30am this morning and I’ve been sat at my desk working since then until now – 7.00am.

Emails and mail all answered – feeling very up to date.

But that’s not so good when I have a 4-hour drive to Salisbury later this morning to view some domestic properties.

That’s the mind of the solopreneur though – once its awake, its awake.

Off for a good walk now, followed by cappuccino and a busy day.

Traveling from Italy to England today but I’ve just written this week’s ezine over cappuccino and figs.

It’s been very hot in Como this weekend and during my stay here I have slept under the stars on a private balcony at the back of our apartment. Some of the best nights’ of sleep in a long time – and waking at 4.00am to see the moon shining in a dawn sky has been a special treat.

After a good rest, I’m ready for action and looking forward to sharing my dental workshop tour with you.

Many years ago I worked at Hambro Life Assurance and watched their Sales Director’s working habits closely.

One I recall was that, after a 2-week vacation, he would spend a full Sunday in his office, catching up with the accumulation of “stuff” and issues that had gathered during his absence.

Yesterday I did the same:

1. Made a list of everything I have to do;

2. Prioritised the list.

That was enough to remove the stress I was experiencing on Saturday – the “oh my, I wonder what’s gone wrong” stress that solo-preneurs suffer (in my case my lower left eyelid twitches and I look like Long John Silver for the day, short only of a parrot on my shoulder).

By yesterday evening, the twitch was gone and I was able to enjoy a Pizza Diavalo in Argegno.

Today – I’m doing the “A’s” first…..

Just about to close down the technology for 2 weeks – back blogging on 28th June 2005.

I was dismayed to read that some corporates were encouraging their workers to take wireless access on vacation so that they could stay in touch with the office.

For myself, I’m looking forward to 14 days with no emails, no internet access, no mobile phone and no connection with my professional life.

Because I know I will return refreshed, re-charged, ready to take the next steps.

In the meantime, I have packed 3 novels.

Ciao.

I’ve been back in my “home” of Hale, Cheshire, England this weekend and had a rather un-nerving experience.

I’ve lived in and around this urban village for 20 years and seen it grow from a reasonably nice neighbourhood to one of the most affluent areas of the United Kingdom.

Hale high street is no more than a half-mile long and yet boasts over 20 restaurants, bars, pubs and take-out’s, in addition to a plague of hairdressing and nail salons.

Hale carries the dubious distinction of the highest concentration of Porsche Cayenne drivers in the UK – almost all of them busy housewifes delivering children to and from school and themselves to and from social engagements or designer shops all day. Not to mention the growing list of male drivers with Bentley, Ferrari, Porsche, Maserati to add to the (now mundane) Mercedes and BMW rallies that take place most days (especially at weekends).

The effect on home values has been astonishing, with houses I saw in the 80’s priced at a few hundred thousand now selling (and I mean selling) for 2 and 3 million pounds apiece – and they are nothing special, the area is nothing special.

Its just the cumulative effect of high population levels, consumerism, a boom economy in the UK, low retail inflation, Manchester’s growth as a commercial capital – oh, and lots of professional soccer players being paid higher and higher salaries. No doubt Mr Glaser’s controversial purchase of our beloved Manchester United Football Club will raise those salaries (and our seat prices) way above the financial oxygen of us mere mortals – into the realm of corporate sponsors buying the seats that our grandfathers afforded out of working class incomes.

I’m beginning to sound a little Marxist I think. But then he did begin writing the outline of Das Kapital whilst on a summer trip to Manchester with his college buddy Engels.

Where am I going with this ramble?

Well it’s just a catharsis for me – hope you will forgive me.

The weather was uncharacteristically warm over the weekend. The teenagers were out – sporting their trendy bohemian fashions (that’s the latest thing around here), their designer accessories, their mobile phones and their astonishing amounts of spending money.

The Mums and Dads were out, sporting their badges of achievement – cars, designer (cool) clothes, accessories, mobile phones, prominent home addresses, vacation destinations, shallow conversations.

And Hale was busy, busy, busy – extracting their highly taxed net income for overpriced and undercooked food, expensive alcohol and the absence of customer service.

Its what happens to a monopoly in a boom – customer service goes out of the window. I watched it happening on Friday night – my favourite restaurant of the last 20 years served us late, served us badly and when I mentioned my dissatisfaction treated my comments with disdain.

So that set my mind off in this direction – and I feel better now – thank you.

I’ve been a part of this scene for most of my adult life – now it just sickens me.

Oh dear – old age.

So I posted my “personal reflections” in the ezines this week – and took a 2-day break from electronics.

On my return yesterday afternoon I found well over 30 positive emails from readers, offering to join an “R&D” team to debate how we can move forward on the idea of creating a coaching coalition – a collaboration of fine minds in the coaching community, without the “fat fees” associated with much practice management training.

The response has been 100% supportive and finds me a little unprepared – but then I am the self-styled “anti-preparation” coach – just take an idea out there and see what happens.

My first thoughts are around the technology of how an R&D team will operate – and I will email Kim Black today and ask for her help. Clearly, I cannot start answering dozens of extra emails each day, so I assume we will have to start some sort of list – but I would like to integrate that with this blog – we shall see.

And in a master-stroke of poor timing, I leave for Italy on Tuesday to spend 2 weeks vacationing with my family.

My flight from Toronto to Schipol was six and half hours – and KLM did a great job of making me feel comfortable.

Sadly, my stop over in Schipol is longer than the transatlantic flight – a total of over seven hours.

However, I must say how impressed I am with the facilities here at Schipol – as well as food, drink, changing facilities and shops, there is a technology area allowing wireless and other forms of web access.

So I have been able to rest, replenish and keep on top of my work.

I have just completed some cosmetic changes to my July workshop slides on Customer Service and Selling Skills – and with the help of www.presentationpro.com, I have a funky new slide background with which to entertain myself.

Putting PowerPoints together is one of those few tasks that I ought not to do (at my hourly rate equivalent) but I just love it.

An important realisation for me during the Toronto Intensive was that there is another “team CB” member required, in addition to the “lead conversion” person mentioned in a previous blog.

The person I am looking for would have the following attributes:

1. to follow me everywhere (shadow me) and capture, record, set down not just the ideas and concepts that I come up with “live” but also the truffles and pings that the clients reveal as we coach them, either 1:1 or in group settings;

2. to convert all of that material into products that can either be given to existing clients as “added value” or sold on-line.

Imagine if you will a cross between the “gaffer” on a movie production and a merchandising manager for a rock singer.

In 3 days in Toronto we have produced 13 mind maps and Word documents full of ideas.

Every conversation, email, presentation, mind map, webinar contains material with which to fill The Online Business School – we are all just too busy to stock the shop.

So yesterday (Thursday) morning I woke at 4.00am in Toronto, continuing my theme of the week (jet-lag) – and did 4 hours work in my hotel room before going downstairs to present day 2 of a 3-day workshop to 19 clients.

Before I left the room I reminded myself that I had to break off from the workshop at 3.00pm local time, return to my room and facilitate an hour’s bridge call with my dental clients back in the UK.

Barbara had dutifully reminded the dentists twice in the preceding 7 days of the call, the time and the bridge number.

I have had the call in my calendar since January.

I reminded myself that morning.

And then I arrived back in my room at 5.30pm last night and suddenly saw the “where were you” emails coming in from dentists and Barbara.

The answer is that I was busy delivering a workshop to 19 clients in the conference room downstairs – and completely forgot to show up.

Morals of this story:

1. The coach is human and can make mistakes;

2. The coach becomes so engrossed in his work that he can forget his head is screwed on;

3. When you deliver a workshop solo (no business manager present) you are more likely to make mistakes;

4. Apologise unreservedly (this is me saying sorry);

5. Make amends – I am asking Barbara to re-book the call for a week later and I will be there from my apartment in the UK.

Day 1 of the Coaching Business School Intensive – 18 clients in the British Columbia room at the Fairmont Royal York.

Outside in the hotel lobby a full-scale film crew shooting “Truth and Justice” a new movie starring Ben Affleck and Adrian Brodie (The Pianist). Last night after dinner we watched Adrian being filmed – interesting and fun.

Our first Intensive day focused on the following main topics:

1. How to create a zippy title for your gigs and coaching programmes that will sell or bring delegates (or maybe I should say “Zippy Titles that sell”)

2. How to create strategic alliance partnerships that work and

3. How to get lots of quality gigs.

The day just flew by and we used mind-mapping software (instead of a flip-chart) to capture the discussion in a format that I can now email to all CBS clients. The product I use is MindGenius from www.ygenius.com

As always, the atmosphere in the room is inspirational – successful coaches sharing with each other their “wins and losses” – all of us moving forward. Not a bitcher, moaner or whiner in sight.

Today they want me to run through the presentation I gave at Talking Points in Dentistry – and also deconstruct the Dental Business School workshop slides.

That will keep me busy to say the least.

I wonder if we will see Ben?