Steve Tucker

I have always held a truth that I call "never conclude, always consider". Conclusions prevent us from discovering more, consideration allows us to continue discovering more. Sure, there are times when a decision must be made, but that never requires a conclusion. Generally, a hurried decision includes inherent risks, but when required, it is important to be in a position of "information at the ready" so that your data, your trending, your knowledge and available information supports the decision. Debrief afterwards, confirm and never stop considering so you are prepared for new information, changes in data and fresh insights that may come your way. This is the key to innovation and growth.

As coaches, I'm sure we've all experienced those clients who tend to consume our time outside the "agreed upon" cadence. To remedy that, part of the onboarding process should include language specific to the agreed-upon deliverables, the allotted time, meeting cadence, and how to handle unscheduled needs and requests. 1. Retainer. 2. Contingency Incentive 3. Off schedule - hourly fee. 4. Additional "Project Fee" when warranted. 5. Communication method and platform. 6. Document handling. 7. What constitute an emergency and expectations of response. As the provider, my role is to set and exceed expectations. "Expectation Creep" is common from clients and must be managed of the front end as much as possible.

We are trying to get customers and keep customers. Instead of gathering in a room to decide what WE want to know, let's start by discovering what our customers want to tell us. Orient our metrics around them. Then, and only then, will our measurement of results align with those we serve. Review time is too late, post mortem and potentially after the loss of a patron. Know before, align accordingly and meet expectations through fulfillment.

Lack of clarity is an illness and is magnified through layers of management. Our teams should never have to wonder what or how to escalate an issue upward, across or downward in the chain of responsibility. I thorough framework supports timeliness and confidence for those involved...ultimately, the customer (internal or external) wins.

Clearly, very clearly, solve a problem or fill a need. Whenever possible, know the audience, know the hot button issues, demonstrate results first, features after and brand or credibility at the end. Every buyers journey looks a little different and its our job to know what that is for the audience we are presenting to. Relate through stories or example scenarios.

Managing teams effectively involves using systems like EOS (or others) with scorecards for weekly insights. Weekly team meetings can be powerful tools for detecting potential retention issues. Being proactive in client retention is key; it's about continuous engagement, not just a checklist item. Define and exceed key metrics like KPIs or OKRs, fostering a culture of improvement and attentiveness to client needs. Set the measurement as a team, review weekly, identify the gaps and train accordingly.