As a business coach, I’m always explicit with my clients that my role is to work on the business, not the business owner. That said, the limitations of a business often reflect the personal limitations of the business owner, and this means we often end up speaking about more intimate matters. Over the years I’ve noticed a reoccurring theme which I’d like to address in this blog post, and that issue is one of self-worth and the consequences of not having it.
I run several courses, workshops and events for language professionals, and often find myself having the same conversations with people who approach me to find out more about my programmes – they may be part of my business group, have attended my day workshops, have worked with me on a consultative basis. They know I can deliver. They know the modules I am offering are exactly what they need. But they are still hesitating about enrolling
Why?
What they say is it’s a matter of money – they aren’t sure they can make the financial commitment, they’re not sure it’s the right time, they’re worried about recouping the funds.
But what they mean – what I hear – is “I don’t think I’m worth the investment. I’m not convinced in my ability to succeed. I’m anxious that even if I implement all the guidance, I still might not make the money back.”
Taking risks is part and parcel of business development – investing (in your facilities, in your premises, in your systems, in yourself) is often essential to deliver growth. And although that can sometimes be scary, avoiding it is a surefire way of guaranteeing stasis.
Over the years I’ve learned how to stop the self-limiting beliefs that made me hesitate about taking the next step: not believing that I could achieve my objectives or that I wasn’t up to the task ahead. This self-belief has been absolutely vital to growing my business portfolio. And while I may not be a life coach, I can tell you that recognising that you are commodity worth investment is an essential part of entrepreneurial success.
Please believe that on this front, I don’t just talk the walk – I’m definitely walking the walk too! There is no point in my career that I have not invested in myself, engaging the services of professional coaches, business consultants, mentors and life coaches to grow and develop and better serve my client base.
I first engaged with a business coach donkeys’ years ago when I realised I needed to understand more about how to have a proper business system, to better comprehend the selling process and acquire more expertise about pricing and packages. A few years later I realised I needed to grow more – this time on the topic of team building. Then, later still, I wanted to increase my marketing skills, so began working with a consultant for small businesses. Next up, in order to facilitate my move into business coaching, I signed up for separate programmes – one for business coaching and a second with a life coach to underpin this. And I’ve recently enrolled in a business programme in America, and a second course in the UK so I can better serve the people who join my programmes.
All this amounts to some £60,000 – £70,000 investment in myself over the years – but that is as nothing compared with the money I can now make through my businesses as a direct result.
I’m currently recruiting members for a new 6-month programme for language professionals. The value of the programme is immense, packed full of knowledge and includes a free ticket to the Pro.Languages event. And it even includes a money-back guarantee – that’s right if within 18 months of the programme ending you haven’t gained 3 brand-new customers I’ll give you the money back.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking you aren’t worth the investment: you are. This course will give you the tools you need to run your business better than ever. It may feel like a big step, but it’s a small one compared with the rewards you’ll reap as a result.
Drop me a line to discuss further: hello@nathaliedanon.co.uk
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