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What The Experts Say

HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW

Sales Teams Need More (And Better Coaching) by Scott Edinger

“We hear constantly about the importance and value of coaching, especially in sales. But, the reality I have observed while working with hundreds of organizations is that a true culture of coaching rarely exists. "In a survey conducted a few years ago with a sales team in a Fortune 500 telecom company I found an interesting contrast.” Read the Full Article→

FORBES

Eight Signs Its Time To Hire A Business Coach by Forbes Coaches Council

“As a leader, you might think you should have everything figured out already, but this simply isn’t true. While all of us have our own talents, leadership skills are often something we have to learn along the way. Enter the business coach.” Read the Full Article →

ENTREPRENEUR

Coaching Makes All The difference By John Brubaker

“What separates the winners from the losers? At the most elite levels it’s not talent, because everyone is supremely talented. Coaching is what makes the difference.Coaching isn’t just important in sports, it’s the X-factor that makes a big difference in your business results as well.’” Read the Full Article →

4 Reasons You Should Seek Out A Business Coach by Jeff Boss

“There comes a point where stagnation sets in. You can take yourself only so far without the help of others. Hey, it happens. Consider it part of the startup lifecycle. Enter the business coach. There isn't anything else that you receive 100 percent dedicated attention to you.” Read the Full Article →

What To Look For In A Business Coach

9 Things to Look For When Hiring A Coach

Hiring a business coach is a big decision. It is also one of the best decisions you can make for your business. There are a lot of coaches out there these days, so how do you find the right coach for you? Here are 9 things to look for when hiring a coach.

Experience: Your business coach should have extensive and applicable experience in the business world. In order for a coach to be effective, they need to have "lived it". They must have experienced many of the challenges their clients are facing.

Outside Perspective: Your business coach should provide a clear outside perspective of your business. Some prefer to hire a coach that works specifically in their industry. While this can be valuable in certain situations, it is very often the "fresh look" from someone outside of that industry that provides the most value.

Proven Systems: Your business coach must have a proven, consistent system by which they guide you and your business. If your coach "flies by the seat of their pants" and moves around from topic to topic with no organized process, this may be a warning sign. More importantly, your coach and their system must be demonstrated to have produced quantifiable results for their clients.

Aligned with Your Goals: Your coach should be able to be flexible and focus on your goals, needs, and concerns. If you express a desire to focus on a certain area of your business, your coach should respond to and satisfy that request.

No Fear of Numbers: Good coaches measure the results that are achieved with their clients. They want to make sure that their clients are getting a substantial return on their investment in coaching. You should know what kind of return you are getting.

The Accountability Factor: One of the many reasons why coaching is so effective is because of the accountability factor. Your coach should hold you accountable to your commitments. If he/she doesn’t, this is also a warning sign. If you want to move your business forward, you need to be held accountable.

Empathy: As business owners, we all have periods of frustration and need to vent. Your coach should listen and let you vent, but not jump into the "pity party" with you. Once the venting is over, your coach should be guiding you through possible solutions to address the problem.

Enthusiasm: Second only to you (and perhaps your spouse), your coach should show that they care completely about the success of your business. Their outlook should always be positive and solution oriented.

Confidentiality: You must have the utmost trust in your coach, having 100% confidence that everything you discuss in your sessions remains confidential unless you have given permission for it to be released.

4 Signs Its Time To Consider Hiring A Business Coach

Are you asking yourself, "Why would I need a business coach?"

As a business leader, often the majority of your day is spent dealing with day-to-day tasks, leaving little to no time to spend on considering and planning for the long-term success of your company. In other cases, you may be the owner of a business and an expert in your field, but find that leadership ability does not come naturally to you.

These are but two examples where you could benefit through a partnership with a business coach. A business coach is your guide to starting, growing, and developing your business. They work with you to understand your unique needs and concerns and help you develop the skills necessary for success.

Here are 3 other signs that it may be time to consider hiring a business coach:

You don't know where to turn for help

If the feeling of having too much to do and not enough time to do it overwhelms you, you are not alone. Owning a business can be a lonely endeavor and having someone to bounce ideas off of can mean the difference between success and failure. A business coach offers an outside perspective on your business and can help identify the root of what is overwhelming you. Your coach will hold you accountable and provide feedback that will help keep you focused on business growth.

Your direction and priorities continuously change

The single most important factor in running a small business is a unified vision. Without clear vision or priorities, it's impossible to get where you want to be. This is especially important if there are multiple owners, but even if you are a solopreneur, the importance of a consistent vision can't be understated. Whether your business is struggling or thriving, a business coach can help you create a map for the future and stick to it.

A 60-hour workweek is your new normal

If you cant remember the last time you took a vacation - or even a day off - theres a good chance you are overextending yourself, which could adversely affect your business. Often times business owners feel doing it themselves is the best option when it comes to completing specific tasks. As a business owner, you need to delegate some of the tasks to employees. A business coach can help you get out of this vicious cycle and decide what to hand off.

Being a business owner can be lonely, and the challenges are significant. Having a business coach by your side to help keep focused on the important elements in your business can prove invaluable.

Do you know what success looks like for your business? Hear from our coaches as they talk about how they help their clients in setting, measuring & redefining goals for their business.

FocalPoint Coaching has been educating and motivating business owners, corporate executives and other passionate professionals to move past obstacles and accelerate their personal and business growth for more than 30 years.

Over 1,000+ companies have successfully employed “The Focal Point Way”. If you are facing time, team, money or exit-strategy challenges, FocalPoint coaches can utilize our proven methods and systems, tailored for you, to reveal new ways of approaching business issues and find new opportunities that may been previously obscured by the day-to-day “grind”.

Focus on Vision: The FocalPoint Way starts with a focus on your vision. What is the vision for your business, for you personally, and for your family? Where do you want to be in a year from now, five years, ten years?

Focus on Strategy: Your FocalPoint coach will help you identify your vision and will guide you through a process to systematically identify the most important factors and the optimal business strategies to achieve your goals. We work with you one-on-one, helping you concentrate your efforts in the most meaningful and productive areas of your company.

Focus on Understanding: An important part of the FocalPoint coaching process is education – helping you gain a crystal-clear understanding of where you are today, what resources you have available, and what obstacles you anticipate encountering on the path to reaching your vision of the future. We focus on quantifiable results, tracking and measuring key metrics so you can clearly see the gains you are making towards your goals.

Focus on Success: With a clear vision, strategy and an understanding of what you will need to achieve your goals, you can begin the process of driving forward to create that vision. Your FocalPoint coach is your confidant, mentor and guide along that journey, helping you leverage your strengths, improve upon areas for development and realize previously unimagined gains across multiple areas of your company.

Here at FocalPoint we clearly understand that our value as professional coaches can only be measured by the success that is achieved by our clients.

Become our next success story - reach out to me and LET'S GET STARTED!

Speak With Coach Marc

Hear from our coaches about how they employ the FocalPoint Way to help their clients to “Find Their Why” - understanding who they are and what drives them in their business.

Client Stories & Successes

As a FocalPoint Coach, I work directly with business owners, executives, corporate teams and other professionals to change their business lives for the better. Below are a sampling of client testimonials to begin discovering what is possible for you or your business through coaching and training with me.

"Marc contributes to our organization in a significant way. Always ready to make connections for us, sharing our story with investors, and supporting our efforts in every way he can is noticed and appreciated. His follow through is outstanding. I had an executive who used the “say/do” index to evaluate people. It’s the % of things people say they’ll do divided by the things they actually do. A score over 70 is considered high in today’s world – Marc’s score is 100. That’s special. Thank you!" - -R. Douglas Kahn, Chairman & CEO, TetraGenetics, Inc.

"Marc Cote's Coaching via FocalPoint has been instrumental to my success as a Regional Sales President at my company. By working with Marc, I have learned how to apply Emotional Intelligence and Goal Setting to consistently reach new heights in sales, improve relationships with Senior Leadership, and most importantly, find a great balance in my personal and career ambitions. Marc's ability to listen and relate with experienced advice and proven coaching methods is truly remarkable; I highly recommend working with him!" - -Hermann Spicker, President, U.S. Eastern Division & Canada, Brand Institute

"As certified business coach and leader, Marc's background in multiple ventures, finance and the life sciences, provides him with unique insight to the challenges of leadership growth and individual performance in complex business environments. This past year while I was in-transition and facing some professional growth dilemmas, Marc provided some individualized coaching and valuable personal performance and business course materials to assist me in gaining clarity on my direction and approach. Marc has an elegant style in providing feedback that has also helped me realize some blind spots whilst also strengthening my confidence to strive for excellence. His enthusiasm, genuine kindness and commitment to helping leaders to achieve their goals is the best of the best!" - -Dr. Tina Guanting Qiu, Ophthalmic Therapeutic Innovation MA

"Marc consulted with my company, Vestion Inc., in preparation for BioFlorida 2018 presentations. He is a gifted speaking coach who added tremendous value to our project. I would recommend him strongly to other life science executives who are looking to refine and improve their messaging." - -Alan Heldman, MD, Chief Executive Officer, Vestion, Inc.

"At our NextGen Leadership Forum, Marc's tailored training materials and resources helped me clarify my business goals, form strategic plans, and improve communication and leadership skills. I learned a lot through our round table meetings. Many thanks for the coaching." - -Yue Shao, President & Co-Founder, Buy Time Medical, Inc.

"I have owned and operated a registered investment advisory (RIA) business in Brockton, MA for the last 20 years and Marc has been my business coach for the last year. I was looking to enhance the growth of my firm and Marc has been extremely helpful on all fronts. We have focused on financial performance measures, completed budgets and forecasts, assisted in marketing efforts and hiring new team members. Marc even helped plan and attend our inaugural business seminar which has now developed into a multi-partner business and educations series. As a coach he has helped me achieve much higher revenue and profitability. Marc is organized, very smart and knows business well. He will even nudge you out of your comfort zone to help you to achieve more. I highly recommend Marc as a business coach to any owner or executive looking to grow or enhance their business." - -Howard Holmes, CFA, President of Holmes Investment Management, Inc.

"I have had the pleasure of working with Marc Cote as part of the MLSC Next Generation Leadership Forum, which recognizes the next generation of women leaders in life-sciences in Massachusetts. Marc's executive coaching has empowered me to reflect on my communication and leadership style and has taught me optimization tactics to more effectively communicate with different stakeholders (employees, customers, partners, investors). Implementing the takeaways from Marc's sessions is helping me become a better and more effective leader and ultimately driving my business forward. Thanks Marc!" - -Elizabeth O'Day, MPhil, PhD, CEO & Founder, Olaris Therapeutics, Inc

"Marc has been instrumental in developing my leadership capabilities and approach. Working in a small biotech company requires an ability to lead and manage a diverse set of individuals from pure entrepreneurs to seasoned pharma executives. Marc’s coaching has been instrumental in my ability to successfully influence and manage multiple types of personalities. It’s easy as an executive to find yourself doing many different tasks and ultimately become spread too thin, which results in not maximizing your impact on the organization and career development. Marc has brought clarity to ensuring I focus on the high value-added activities that both benefit my organization and my professional development. This skill set -to continually focus on key activities- takes a concerted and methodical approach…Marc has been instrumental in making me a more focused and impactful executive " - -Ajay Rai, Vice President, Business Development, Frequency Therapeutics, Inc.

Case Studies

MERLE NORMAN DAY SPA

Patricia and David were doing a good job growing their Day Spa business, however, they were facing problems with employees and profitability.

Find out how their FocalPoint Business Coach helped them increase their net income by +300% in one year.

COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS

The owners of a busy installation and service contracting firm lacked confidence in their field employees and were not making a net profit.

Learn how their FocalPoint Business Coach helped them reduce their billing time by 90% resulting in a $10K savings to the business.

ANIMAL HOSPITAL

The doctors of the Animal Hospital had a successful practice but recognized they needed to increase efficiencies within the business and revamp their marketing plan.

See how their FocalPoint Business Coach helped them identify cost savings of $10K/year while increasing client satisfaction, revenue and profits.

You could be our next success story - Contact Coach Marc today!

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