Business Coaching

DT Alpha - A New Force In Business Training & Business Management Education

This is a bit of a scoop but I wanted to bring it to your attention.

There is a new force bubbling up in the business training and management market that I believe will be very exciting.

It's called DT Alpha or DTAlpha - I've seen it written in both ways.

The aim is to bring you the right information, right now.

It is brought to you by Stephen Pierce (who I first encountered through Jay Abraham and Rich Schefren).

What's included?

Well it looks like the main focus will be on DT Alpha TV but there are also articles from informants, reviews, events and a forum.

Now why so I think this is so exciting?

It's the list of informants:

• Jay Abraham 
• Chet Holmes 
• T Harv Eker
• Christopher Guerriero
• Dave Lakhani
• Jerry Clark
• Joe Polish
• John Childs
• Mike Filisaime
• Patric Chan
• Russell Brunson
• Stephen Pierce
• Yanik Silver

It's a mouth-watering list of business experts and that's why I've taken a little bit of a gamble and signed up early.

I know that with these people behind it, DT Alpha will launch to a tremendous bang and behind the seems activity is growing.

It's not ready for public entry yet but I am confident that it will be exciting.

I will keep you posted.

To Your Success.

Your Profit Coach

Paul Simister

Business coaching for customer focused entrepreneurs

Badger Or Bust: Kilostate Estate Agents

This week Kilostate, an estate agents in London calls out to our intrepid heroine, Ruth Badger in the TV programme Badger or Bust.

This two branch estate agent has one good branch, one that is going badly wrong and facing closure unless Ruth could turn it around within six weeks.

I don't know much about estate agents, but like the double glazing company last week, there is a certain stereotype associated with the trade.

Once again the stereotype goes out of the window as people muddle on.

The branch was a shambles.

Four staff handling 15 properties which some of the staff didn't know, as proven when Ruth had house inspections from each of the sales people.

To put the 15 properties into perspective, they called on a rival who dismissed Kilostate and said that they handled 130 properties with 7 people.

No wonder Kilostate were struggling.

But it got worse.

Any business with a shopfront in a road with shops should have a good awareness level. Not Kilostate as Ruth demonstrated with pavement interviews.

"Where's the nearest estate agent?" she asked standing close to the offices and was directed to other agencies.

The team designed a leaflet and a doorstep campaign started. Ruth certainly gets action and the three sales people came back with 117 leads between them.

It just showed what could be done with some focused effort, a target and an incentive.

Unfortunately the visible performance board was controversial.

For me it's essential that people know how they are performing and how the business is performing. If that creates some competitive pressure between the staff, then even better.

But the staff didn't like it. There was confusion on what should be shown. They wanted to keep their own measures private. The branch manager didn't provide clear leadership so the white-board wasn't completed.

After working with the business for a week, being away for a week and then coming back, Ruth put them back on the right path.

One month later she returned again, to be greeted on her drive to the office by a much higher visibility of Kilostate boards.

This time her intervention has been successful and it shows what a forceful, determined outsider can do.

Ruth Badger's style won't work everywhere and I hope that people don't think that we all behave in the same "I am right, you are wrong way".

But even at the end I was puzzled?

The branch had an uninspiring manager but where were the owners?

Where were the lessons from the successful branch?

Why did this company need to send for "the Badger?"

The programme is repeated again on Sky 3 on Saturday. It's worth watching.

To Your Success

Your Profit Coach

Paul Simister

Business coaching for customer focused entrepreneurs

Related postings: Business on Television

Badger Or Bust: Rooms With A View

I understand that the Badger or Bust television programme was on Sky One in May 2007 but because I'm not allowed a Sky subscription (I'd watch far too much sport) I'm catching the series on the repeats on Sky Three that's part of the Freeview package.

At the beginning of the show Rooms With A View is a struggling double gazing firm in Bradford with a tirnover of £1.7 million but leads have gone quiet. As a last throw of the dice the directors have splashed out about £100k on a new showroom but it's not working.

It's desperate times so it's the Badger to the rescue...

Ruth Badger, runner up several years ago on The Apprentice with Alan Sugar is now a turnaround business consultant.

Rooms For A View was a small firm with about 25 employees and three salesman.

Now close your eyes after reading the next sentence and keep them closed until you've got a clear visual image. I want you to picture a stereotype double glazing salesman.

Got it clear in your mind?

A killer? Someone who ruthlessly goes after the deal until the prospective customer submits?

Thought so. The double glazing industry has that reputation.

But not these three salesmen.

Two are of mature years and their heart is no longer in it. One says that his aim is to "get as much money from doing as little as possible."

Now you could see that as the definition of efficiency and effectiveness or you could see it as idleness and complacency.

The other salesman was younger, at 45 but admitted that he wasn't committed to the company.

But was this a case of bad apples or bad management?

The management team of two brothers just accepted the situation. There was no leadership and no discipline. The salesmen were indulged with a laugh and a joke.

Unfortunately with weak management and no team spirit the company was in serious trouble and despite Ruth Badger generating focus, energy, caring and commitment into the company it was too late.

After an intensive week and a return visit after a week a way, things were not progressing as they should. On the second return visit after a month, the company was closed.

It had gone into voluntary liquidation.

The directors had given up. They had enough. It was just too difficult.

And this story shows the problem of bring in outside assistance at the 11th hour. The business can start reversing its momentum but sometimes, it is just too late. They run out of time when they run out of cash.

Being television, I wondered whether this was a true story.

Surely no company could be this bad.

But then I went to check Companies House (where all UK companies have to be registered) and here's the entry for Rooms With A View Ltd.

It confirms that the company is in liquidation and the address is care of insolvency practitioners, Begbies Traynor.

Did you watch this episode of Badger or Bust? What did you think?

Was Ruth Badger on the right lines?

If you have a struggling company, don't leave it too late.

To Your Success

Your Profit Coach

Paul Simister

Business coaching for customer focused entrepreneurs

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