Home
>
Small Business
>
Measuring Your Way to Success

Measuring Your Way to Success

Are you a motivational speaker who consistently gets rave reviews yet your ratio of speaking to return rate is not where you would like it to be? Perhaps you are a trainer whose delivery is complimented time and again, and yet you are only being asked by 10 to 20% of the clients you see for a repeat performance?

Are you starting to think that there is something wrong with your message or delivery despite the rave reviews? Maybe you were wondering if your fee is too steep. That may be a valid concern when organizations are faced with discretionary spending, but the rule of thumb is that you are only charging too much if more than 1 in 5 people complain about it. So, if that is not the case what else could it be?

Stumped? Well, I believe I have the answer to your questions and it has nothing to do with either of these scenarios and everything to do with metrics.

If you care to read on, I will shed some light on WHY this buzz word is so important for you to understand, and how you can use the information in this article to increase your business, get ahead of your competition and immediately raise the ratio of clients who call you back for repeat business.

Companies who have introduced performance management cultures into their organizations have been found to have higher profits and stronger market performance. Performance management is the terminology being used in industry today to measure performance against business goals and employee competencies. Is it any wonder then, that if what you are "selling" is not clearly defined in terms of measurable performance markers or proven sustainable outcomes, then your deliverables are of little use to an organization that is looking for that which can be clearly measured..

Organizations are measuring everything from employees skill levels, how many complaints they receive in a given week to how many sick days does an employee take in a given month.. Think about this for a moment. If either you or the person who hired you cannot report measurable performance outcomes for your performance or training program then this may be where the crux of the problem lies. Budgets are dearly coveted and success must be proven and measurable if the coffers are expected to open again. Do you know what success means to you and what it would look like for the organization you just left all hyped and motivated? When it comes to measuring your performance outcomes it is very important that you ask the company exactly what deliverables they are looking for and how BOTH of you are going to know if they have been met.

Before you get on stage, it is vital that you sit down with the company representative and determine what outcomes the organization is looking for, how they will be measured and what would success look like when achieved! For example, let's say you are a speaker who specializes in time management. Some measurable outcomes may look like this:

a.) Work is not piled up on desks, chairs, floors

b.) More work is completed on time

c.) employees work less overtime and you pay less overtime

d.) employees understand how to use identify what is important

e.) Less time off due to exhaustion

These are the kinds of outcomes that you and the company would decide together BEFORE you speak. They are measurable, and they are sustainable. Are you starting to understand?

If you have been following and/or embracing the industry trend for performance measurement these days, then you may be familiar with the studies that have already been conducted on the effectiveness of training with and without coaching. If not then please pay attention to this, because it is very important What you may not know, is the amazing difference that adding 8 weeks of coaching will make to your bottom line in terms of measuring the implementation of your ideas and training.

Organizations that offer training without coaching result in a 22 % improvement, but add 8 weeks of coaching on to that, and the results are a staggering 88% in overall improvement and change.

These days another industry buzz word is ROI or return on investment. In a study conducted by MetrixGlobal, they actually showed that Coaching produced a 529% return on investment as well as significant intangible benefits to the business. When the financial benefits from employee retention were added into the mix, coaching actually boosted the overall ROI to 788%... (Merrill Anderson [merrilland@metrixglobal.net])

Can you imagine being able to offer your clients a proven measurement of 88% in performance enhancement and a 788% ROI? No organization wants to spend thousands of dollars on a speaker or trainer, only to have all that great learning and enthusiasm go out the window within a few days.

For the past 25 years, I have been employed in both private and public sector organizations, working to enhance Leadership and management competencies, envision strategic direction, implement quality service standards, and introduce programs and initiatives that would advance and address organizational wellness and employee morale.

I KNOW how organizations find speakers and trainers and why they ask them to come back or not, because for many years, I was the one in charge of hiring them. My role was to decide on the learning outcomes for the organization, measure the effectiveness of the speaker and the event, and then deliver these numbers to our senior management committee. Whether or not we had this speaker back or even had a budget for another event, depended largely upon the results reported in my feedback! Let me stress this one more time "No organization wants to spend thousands of dollars on a speaker or trainer only to have all that great learning and enthusiasm go out the window within a few days"!

Not only is it time for you to measure for success but if what you are offering to your clients will enhance employee performance or ease the change process and boost organizational wellness,then don't you owe it to your clients to stick around and help them make the transition? Wouldn't it be great to know that your ideas have been implemented, institutionalized and ingrained into the corporate culture?

Challenge yourself to re-examine your business model and think about adding a 12 week coaching component to your package. If hiring you is a numbers game, and re hiring is based on proven performance metrics, then having a track record of 88% in performance enhancement will guarantee an easing of the corporate purse strings. Asking you back just became a whole lot easier, because you now have measurable proof of your successes. Your clients will be astounded by not only your metrics but more importantly the real changes that are going to take place as a result of implementing your best practices.

According to Hay Group,

"To be successful in today's ever-shifting market, people count for more -- they can make or break the best business strategy, be the driver or brake in adopting new technologies. People are not an implementation issue, nor just an operational or strategic asset. People are the raw resource around which business success revolves."

I hope that after reading this article you feel that adding "12 weeks of supportive coaching" to total package makes good business sense,for not only you but your clients as well.

Coach Frankie Picasso is a Change Management & Vision Coach who works with organizations and individuals to take the Fear out of Change and replace it with excitement and passion for a future filled with infinite possibilities. She is a member of the ICF, as a business and personal life coach. She is also a trainer with the International Coach Academy, a motivational speaker,consultant and author. You will hear Frankie ask time and again?. "So, what's it going to be -Mission Impossible, Mission Improbable or Mission Unstoppable? If you choose Unstoppable, then Coach Frankie will bring you all the way home. http://www.conversationwithmyshoes.com http://www.conversationwithmyshoes.com 905 495 3699

premium house cleaning Wilmette ..

In The News:

Cybercriminals use fake troubleshooting websites to trick Mac users into running terminal commands that install Shamos malware through ClickFix tactics.

San Francisco startup Fable launches Showrunner, an AI platform dubbed the 'Netflix of AI' that generates animated episodes from text descriptions with Amazon support.

Apple raised iPhone prices for some models despite receiving tariff relief from President Donald Trump, with the new lineup starting at $799 for the base model.

A two-story 3D concrete printed home in Western Australia demonstrates faster construction methods that could reshape American housing amid rising costs.

Credit scores remain important during retirement for insurance rates and housing applications, while seniors become prime targets for identity theft and financial scams.

Scammers now send unexpected packages with QR codes that redirect victims to fraudulent websites or download malicious software to steal sensitive information.

Meeting AI tools record private conversations alongside work discussions, creating privacy risks that can be managed with proper settings and awareness.

Hotel privacy concerns are valid but rare, with methods to detect hidden tech using smartphone flashlights, mirror tests and scanning apps.

Improve your Wi-Fi speed and reliability with 10 simple router optimization tips that don't require special apps or expensive subscriptions.

A Columbia University breach exposed names, Social Security numbers and academic records of nearly 869,000 people, with notifications beginning in August.

Rental car drivers use AI-powered apps like Proofr to protect themselves from unfair damage fees as major companies deploy automated inspection tools.

Fox News' AI newsletter brings you the latest on technology advancements around artificial intelligence.

OnTrac data breach between April 13-15, 2025, exposed personal information of over 40,000 people including Social Security numbers and medical records.

A woman named Wika announces her engagement to an AI chatbot sparking worldwide debate about virtual relationships and technology.

The notorious people search site National Public Data relaunches despite a previous breach affecting 3 billion individuals, raising fresh privacy concerns.

Revolutionary TRAUMAGEL gel controls life-threatening bleeding from gunshot wounds and traumatic injuries, helping first responders prevent prehospital deaths.

Protect your home network by enabling proper encryption, creating strong passwords, checking connected devices and using VPN and antivirus software.

The Navy's solar-powered Skydweller drone flew nonstop for 73 hours in Mississippi, proving renewable energy can power long-endurance military missions.

Moving and downsizing expose seniors to identity theft and scams as data brokers collect real estate records and personal information to sell to criminals.

ShengShu's Vidar technology revolutionizes humanoid robot training by using AI-generated synthetic video, reducing required training data from hours to just 20 minutes.

Apple's older Mac computers face security risks without regular updates, but 10 essential tips including FileVault encryption and strong passwords can keep aging Macs protected.

Self-driving trucks from PlusAI could reshape freight transportation by 2027, addressing driver shortages and reducing logistics costs for businesses.

Solar farms are turning to sheep instead of mowers to cut grass under solar panels, lowering costs, reducing emissions and creating new income for farmers.

Fraudsters posing as local officials are making fake calls about missed jury duty, demanding payments in a rising scheme that exploits fear of arrest.

Honeywell Aerospace engineers developed a "surface alert system" that gives pilots two aural warnings when they are 15 and 30 seconds away from a collision on the runway.

Measuring Your Way to Success

Small Business