Recently, I reached out to top performing Dealer Groups about ReThinkU Performance Coaching.  While there are a few who understand what Performance Coaching is, more are under the assumption that consulting and coaching are one of the same when in reality, they are vastly different.  I can understand this because I wasn't clear at first either.  And considering that there are consultants masking themselves as coaches doesn't help with bringing clarity to the situation. 

One isn't necessarily better than the other.  Both are services our industry needs.  But it is important to have clarity on what you're investing in.  For a clear understanding on the main differences, this Forbes article seems to paint the best picture. 

They summarize 13 key differences:

1. Truth vs Execution

2. Instruction vs Guidance

3. Building Capacity vs Solving a Problem

4. Outside Expertise or Internally-Driven Growth

5. Exploring vs Providing Possibilities

6. "You Know" vs "I Know"

7. Guidance vs Authority

8. Recommendation vs Exploration

9. Asking Questions vs Providing Solutions

10. Different Approach With The Same Intent

11. Focus On Problem or On Client

12. Advice vs Empowerment

13. Difference Lies In Who The Expert Is

You got this!

Brandin

There is a massive difference between a self-proclaimed "Coach" who is yet to be professionally certified but somehow has been able to master all forms of Coaching - as well as Consulting, and an ICF accredited Performance Coach. 

Performance coaches are highly sought after by business owners, managers, executives, athletes, and entrepreneurs who are looking to take their skills to the next level.

Here is what Performance Coaching has to offer... 

Performance coaching fills the gap in the ability to see blind spots, provides strategic planning for achieving goals and offers additional accountability as you stretch yourself beyond what you feel is possible.

Implementing research-backed tools to help become laser focused in a specific area of your business, life or personal wellness, Performance Coaching is specific in its end game – helping to become the ideal version of oneself.

Performance Coaching for Dealer Principals and Managers achieves a fulfilling balance between professional goals and personal development.

Working with a Performance Coach can help you to:

- Overcome mental roadblocks to achieving your true potential

- Set and achieve practical, achievable goals

- Develop new skills and strategies

- Maximize your strengths

- Increase your mental resilience 

- Identify your true wants, needs and desires

- Improve your emotional intelligence and communication with others

- Drive your  team towards success

- Address and overcome negative behaviour and patterns

- Create better habits to achieve your goals

It's important to distinguish all forms of Professional Coaching which you can find here.

You got this!

Brandin

We all seek growth, personally and professionally. What I’ve come to understand is that growth in a business isn’t measured by ROI alone. There is a secondary and arguably even more important measurement which is the VOI. 

ROI (Return on Investment) is the financial return on an investment. 

VOI (Value on Investment) is clearly more difficult to measure because it’s based on the intangible assets that contribute heavily to your dealership’s performance. 

VOI can include: 

– Increased clarity which leads to lasting intrinsic motivation 

– Habit Development – Stress Reduction

– Mindfulness Improvement 

– Time Management Capitalization 

– Productivity Maximization 

– Perception Shifts which leads to new beliefs 

– Self-Leadership Growth which also leads to increased professional performance 

– Positive & Sustainable Momentum 

How would any or all of the above list of values help in your personal life and with your business? 

What is that worth to you? 

Consider what would be possible for you, both personally and professionally, with intentional focus on the intangibles.

You got this! 

Brandin

I'm working on my metaphors so bear with me on this one...

The Boston Bruins are tied for 1st in the NHL standings right now with the highest goal differential. Brandon Carlo in particular is having a career year thus far. No doubt they have a roster full of skilled players, but the difference between them and the likes of Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lighting, or San Jose Sharks for example is that they are getting the most out of EVERY player.

Think of your dealership as the Toronto Maple Leafs, and your competition as the Boston Bruins. You both have skilled rosters, you both train, practice and invest in your team. The difference is that they're taking their teams game to another level and getting the most out of everyone.

How? It could be by practicing more, running through more plays, working on skating/passing/shooting, or any other skills and strategies. But it's more about staying in the right frame of mind just like the Boston Bruins.

We still often overlook the value in the mental game. Those who understand it leverage it and see sustained success follow...

You got this!

Brandin

When I talk about being an ICF accredited Performance Coach with others, I typically get the same reaction as I did when I first started as a Car Salesman which you may be able to relate to. This underwhelming & skeptical look comes over their face.  Quite frankly, I don't blame them.  It's the same feeling I had about salespeople before becoming one.  This feeling changed however once I understood what it took to be successful in sales.  In my experience, it wasn't about being able to sell ice to an eskimo - which is what I thought being great as sales was - it was more about how I showed up and was able to serve others.

With Coaching, it's kind of like a car salesman or even a financial advisor, where it seems as though there is no standard to label yourself as one and anyone can do it.  This creates an understandably negative perception on the majority of the industry. But, like salespeople or financial advisors, there are great ones out there who hold themselves to a higher standard.  This is my goal with Performance Coaching and the reason why I became professionally certified - to rise above the negative noise and become the Performance Coach for automotive professionals.   It's important to note that I'm not looking for the most clients, but rather the right clients.
 

Here are the top 6 unexpected benefits 1 year after becoming an ICF Performance Coach:

1. It's developed my leadership skills which in turn has made me a better parent

2. More personal accountability which has led to improved productivity

3. Less reactive to situations which has led to better decision making and control over my emotions

4. A collection of invaluable evergreen resources that I use and share with my family & team

5. Increased motivation and energy levels through improved clarity and purpose

6. A massive reduction in stress which has led to improved performance both personally and professionally

Jeff Bezos says the true secret to business success is to focus on the things that won't change, not the things that will.  In the automotive industry there will always be new sales strategies from sales "experts", the buying experience will continue to evolve, the way we market will change, and so on.  

What won't change?

The importance of leadership, consistently showing up with a positive and growth mindset, culture, teamwork, and overall personal performance which is directly correlated to professional performance. 

Being able to effectively communicate, coach, and lead current and future generations won't ever change and will undoubtedly pay dividends in the long-term.  In order to effectively lead others however, we must first know how to effectively lead ourselves.  We tend to only see the next 30 days in the automotive industry rather than look at the long game.  We must start looking at long-term investments in ourselves if we want to realize our potential and improve the perception on our profession. 

When we focus our efforts on what won't change, we can work with confidence knowing that our time and financial investment will pay dividends in the years to come regardless of where our industry goes and how much it changes. 

The added benefit to focusing on what won't change is what it will do in your personal life as well. 

You got this!

Brandin
 

Why Habits are important...

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

A habit is something we do regularly without consciously thinking much about it. It’s an automatic mental and behavioural activity.

- 40% of our current actions are habitual 

- Leveraged the right way, they allow us to operate at a high-level without spending excessive amounts of mental energy

- The downfall to habits are the negative ones that we mindlessly operate on. We must find a way to be aware of the habits that are holding us back

How to break poor habits and turn them into stronger ones…

- Recognize the Trigger – if you don’t know what triggers your poor habits, you’ll never change it because you’ll already be doing it before you realize it. There are only 5 Triggers –  location, time, emotional state, other people, and the immediately preceding action

- Create a new Routine that supports the stronger habit

- Tie the new habit to a Reward 

- Link it to a Higher Purpose

For a personal example;

Getting up 30 minutes earlier each morning to workout… put clothes by the bed the night before (trigger), go for a 20 minute walk (routine) and have a piece of dark chocolate during the day (reward).  This will lead to a healthier lifestyle for you and your family, you’ll feel better, perform better and have lasting energy (higher purpose)

For a professional example;

Bringing your best self every day… how you show up matters, when you get in your vehicle to head to work (trigger), start your morning method for the day (routine) and the productivity of the team will vastly increase (reward) which will contribute to increased profits and reduced stress levels for the entire organization (higher purpose)

4 ways to sustain new, stronger habits…

1. Link it to a higher purpose – this will remind you of the bigger reason as to why you’re doing the little things daily to progress towards your end goal

2. Deliberate practice – intentionality is key because it elevates awareness around the progression of your habit development

3. Consistency – same as if you were to stop contributing to your investments monthly, the compound interest gained wouldn’t be diminished completely, but it will take a major hit.  It’s critical to remain consistent

4. Being mindful – when we say yes to a new habit, we’re saying no to something else. The new habit could be spending quality time with people who are further along the journey than you which means you’re spending less time with the people you’ve currently been spending time with.  Be mindful of the choices you make and be 110% certain that’s what you truly want

You got this!

Brandin

Do you have your awards sitting on the shelf behind you in your office? Are they individual awards or dealership awards?

If they are dealership awards, who are you showing the awards off to? Clients? Vendors? Yourself? What kind of message do you believe you are sending to your team by having the awards proudly on display behind you versus on display in the showroom or a dedicated area for all to see?

Tom Cochran said life is a highway, well what I’ve discovered is that the speed limit for me is 80mph and my environment - material items and people - is what dictates my speed, along with my discipline, routines, and habits. If the speed limit was 80mph would you drive 50mph? It’s ok to do it for a short period of time to take in the views and appreciate the scenery but not for any sustainable period of time. Driving 80mph then going down to 50mph feels like you’re crawling along the highway - a legal form of torture! Don’t allow your environment to slow you or your team down. The goal is to add energy to the room not draw from it.  Simply by moving the dealership awards from your office to the showroom, you’re adding energy to the room because you’re showing appreciation and praise to the entire organization who earned that award along with you.

What I found earlier in my career is that the same is true for going 120mph.  It’s difficult to sustain high-performance and a healthy environment - at home or the dealership - when we’re redlining the engine. Worse yet, we move so fast with our head down that we miss the scenery altogether. Our scenery could be our kids sporting events, school plays, or the personal and professional successes of our team. When I was “hustling” too hard for too long, my expectations grew substantially for the team to do the same. I expected them to keep up to my speed. If I was going 120mph and they were going 80mph, I felt like they were crawling. The lack of awareness around the damage I was doing to my engine is what led to the lack of praise the team deserved, burnout, mood swings, and an unhealthy environment.

I encourage you to ask one simple question as you walk through the dealership doors every morning… “Am I adding energy to the team or drawing from them?”  As a leader, I’m sure you’d agree that it’s your responsibility to provide the environment you and your team needs to succeed.

You got this!

Brandin

“Good is the enemy of great.” - Jim Collins.  I’ll explain why this is relevant and important shortly.  A colleague of mine who is the President of a dealer group with 30+ dealerships is known to say that nothing in the dealership happens without the sale of a vehicle. That’s where the business for the entire organization starts.  Do you agree?

As an industry, we’re still lacking the appropriate amount of support for one of the most important roles of the business.  To be clear, we don’t lack the training for sales strategies. We lack the support for the pressure, volatility and emotional rollercoaster of running a business within a business which is essentially what a sales consultant is doing.

How much emotional, leadership, and business operations support is being provided to your sales team? If you think that this is up to the sales team, then you’re thinking like a Manager instead of a Leader.  Sir Richard Branson says that the client doesn’t come first, the team member comes first because when you effectively care for the well-being of your team, they will in turn effectively take care of your clients. Everybody wins.

To take this one step further however, it’s the Managers responsibility to ensure the success of the sales team. But how much support is the Manager receiving from the Dealer Principal and Ownership Group? When was the last time a Sales Manager, General Sales Manager, or General Manager went to a personal development, leadership, business mastery or teamwork seminar on the companies dime? How often does or should this happen? The culture has to be one of continuous development in order to breed the professional and personal success of the entire organization.

Nothing in the dealership happens without the sale of a vehicle.  But it all starts with the Owner, then the General Manager, then the Sales Manager, then the Sales Team.  It’s not all on the sales managers and sales team.

How many Managers do you believe are truly great leaders? How do you know? What’s the measurement? Is there room for improvement for stronger leadership inside your organization? What’s being done about it? What are you doing about it?

A great questions to consider on a regular basis to combat settling for being good rather than great is “could you better your best? Your very best?!” I don’t mean in terms of sales volume.  I mean in terms of your own personal development, your teamwork and leadership skills.

Ironically, what do you believe would be possible for your sales numbers when you’ve invested in yourself and your team?

Jake Knapp flushed another 3 iron up the middle of the 17th fairway in the final round with a one stroke lead on his playing partner, and one of his best friends, Jonathan Garrick. Jonathan was lighting it up on the back nine going 4 under to that point and putting the pressure on Jake. No question this was a high-pressure situation – one stroke lead with the momentum on Jonathan’s side and 2 holes to play. One mistake and the trophy goes to Jonathan. As we walk off the tee box on 17, Jake asks me about my kids and what sports they like to play. While the majority of players would tense up and shut down conversation, Jake did the exact opposite. The result? Jake drains his birdie putt, shoots a final round 63 and takes home the trophy.

This was Jake’s mentality throughout the entire weekend. Whether he made bogey, par, birdie, or eagle, his demeanour and attitude stayed consistent. It was very much a display of stoicism where he never got too high and never got too low. To me, there was this feeling of Jake winning after his second shot on hole #1, even though he was 4 shots back of the lead after Greyson Sigg’s remarkable 59. Jake landed slightly into the rough on the right side of the green and was happy that it was a “safe shot” and something he could work with. Most players who are in contention on Sunday would be frustrated that they weren’t on the green in regulation which would surely start the momentum against themselves. Jake walked up to his ball and chipped in for birdie, generating momentum for himself as he shot -6 on the front nine.
 

Here are the 3 Key takeaways from caddying a MacKenzie PGA Tour Winner and how it relates to business;

1. Know when to Coach

My role with Jake Knapp during the tournament in Kelowna was to caddy. As a certified Professional Performance Coach, there were moments coaching strategies had the potential to be of value but I wasn’t there to overstep boundaries. The strategy I took early on was to let him lead the conversation and get a feel for his personality, playing style, and routine. I was fortunate enough to be paired up with a person who enjoyed conversation, is genuine, and has developed a strong mental toughness. A simple example of when I did coach was on hole #2 during the first round when we were dealing with swirling winds. The clouds were moving west but the trees were moving east. As Jake was getting his number, I wanted to add a little confidence before his swing. With that, I asked “when you’ve been in situations like this before, what strategy did you take to ensure you made the best shot?” From there, Jake walked me through exactly the type of shot he needed to make. A few seconds later he executed his shot from 118 yards out and made eagle. Would he have made that shot anyway? Of course. He’s the expert and professional. The goal for me was to add an additional amount of confidence prior to the shot. When you speak a goal into existence, it’s amazing the results you can accomplish.

Another example was on Saturday when momentum wasn’t necessarily on his side. Through Thursday and Friday we were conversing in between shots but Saturday was a bit different. I had to give him the space he needed. On hole #14 Jake takes a couple clubs up to the tee box while I wait for him down below. While I was waiting, there were 2 boys no older than 13 watching him tee off. One of them wearing a full golf outfit, including the shoes, and the other commenting on Jake’s shot “that spin is ridiculous”. Clearly they were golf fans. In a moment where Jake needed to regain momentum, I took this as an opportunity to step in and help get it generated. As he came down from the tee box, I told him about the two boys and how cool it must feel to be an inspiration to kids. He smiled and agreed. Then, I continued with asking

how it felt to get a tweet from one of the greatest golfers of all-time, Gary Player, after he overcame a 5 shot deficit on Sunday to win the Canadian Life Open only 2 weeks ago. Jake said it was a pretty cool moment for him.

We had been talking about PGA Tour Player Xander Shauffele the day prior because he was in contention at the US Open and some of the guys knew him personally. They had all spoke very highly of him and said that even though he made the show, he never became too big to stay connected with the guys. They all respect Xander immensely. For a final boost of confidence, I brought up that story to Jake on Saturday and said that when everyone was talking about Xander, I immediately related it to you and what you’ll be like when you make the Tour. I wanted to add inspiration and confidence into Jake when he wasn’t feeling it. He shot -2 on the back nine and ended his round with a much needed birdie on 18 which put him in 2nd place and in contention for Sunday.

Shortly after the round I sent him the following text:

“Hi Jake. Just wanted to say great work today. The roll on the last putt was awesome and a great way to cap the day and start tomorrow. Enjoy the company tonight, definitely a special moment for the 3 of you. See you tomorrow. You got this!”

His reply:

“Thanks brotha! Yeah that was nice to convert after that good driver. Thanks my man, gonna be an exciting day tomorrow!”

And exciting it was.

In summary, having the ability to recognize moments when coaching could be valuable to your team, inspiration is advantageous, or space is required plays critical to their performance. By not doing this, you’re hindering the growth and production of your team member which has a direct impact on their contribution to the culture. The stronger your culture, the stronger your results will be.

2. How to Handle Adversity

Golf is much like entrepreneurship and leading a company. It can feel lonely and it’s an emotional rollercoaster. One day everything seems to come together and it seems easy. The next day it’s as if everyone and everything is conspiring against you. These moments will come and go, we know this. But the challenge lies in being able to handle them effectively when they show up.

In Friday’s round, one of the golfers we were paired with was having a day where everything seemed to be working against him. What didn’t help was his score from Thursday which had started a negative momentum and essentially left him out of contention for the weekend. He decided to withdraw after 9 holes and left the competition. I can relate because I’ve let the negative emotions take over multiple times in the past. The difference now is with the self awareness I’ve developed, I’m able to recognize when the negative emotions are starting to take over and stop them in their tracks. This can be done multiple ways but one of the most effective strategies I use is a breathing exercise combined with digging into my “Jar of Awesomeness”. No longer do I have bad days. I have bad moments, but I do not have bad days.

Breathing exercise:

A quick and effective way to get re-centred is to take in a deep breath for 6 seconds, hold for 2, and release for 7. Think positivity in, negativity out.

From there, dig into your Jar of Awesomeness:

Mentally picture a mason jar with a bunch of small pieces of paper in there. On each one of those pieces is a small note is a memory of a time where you absolutely crushed a goal, had a positive impact on someone, accomplished something you deemed impossible at one point, any other positive experience that you’ve had in the past, or something you’re thankful for.

What this does is shifts your focus from negative to positive in less than 60 seconds and re- established your self-confidence. Sometimes you only need a small win to alter the momentum and other times you need a bigger win in the past to draw from to get you back on track.

What was a bit surprising about the golfer from Friday was that he studied Psychology in University. This proves how difficult it is to possess a controlled mindset as opposed to letting your negative thoughts take over your actions. It takes time and deliberate practice but once developed, has a profound effect on your results.

With Jake, he had a tremendous amount of mental strength and confidence. This stems from the way he was raised and also in the amount of work and preparation he puts in. For example, he showed up 4 hours prior to his tee time on Sunday to work on a few things in his game. He rarely would have needed to dig into his Jar of Awesomeness because there’s a steady flow of confidence coming through him. He also has the ability to learn from his mistakes and move on quickly. On top of this, he has a lot of positive self-talk while on the course which takes him in the right direction shot after shot.

In summary, you can control your momentum through proper techniques. Taking a stoic approach is also an effective way to avoid the negative emotions from taking over. Expect that there will be times where things don’t go your way and know that they won’t last either. Learn from each of those situations and when you start to feel another one come on, use the breathing and Jar of Awesomeness strategy to get back on track.

3. Support

We were standing on the 8th tee box watching another one of Jake’s UCLA teammates, Lorens Chan, hit his shot and see it roll about 2’ past the hole nearly going in. Jake puts his arm around Lorens with a big smile and congratulates him on an awesome shot. Lorens went on to shoot -6 and had the lead going into Sunday. The support that these two had for each other while playing together on Thursday and Friday was a pleasure to be around. Being inside the ropes and witnessing it first-hand, I’m convinced that it played a factor in them going -9 (Lorens) and -11 (Jake) over those two days and set the stage for the weekend. This continued even in the midst of a pressure-filled Sunday with Jake and Jonathan both celebrating each others well-played shots.

If you’re in a sales profession, often the top performers can become envious, jealous, and to a point don’t want to see the other person succeed because they feel it takes away from their success. This simply isn’t true. The more we support each other, the better we all perform. After the round on Sunday, Jake was being interviewed and made a comment that resonated well with this situation in sales. He said that he never wished anything negative to Garrick who

finished second. He actually wanted him to play his best golf. But Jake knew that if he played his best golf, he’d come out on top. And that’s what he did. For Jake, Jonathan wasn’t his real competition, the real competition was with himself. That’s what the best players and salespeople do. They don’t worry about competition because they are focused on getting better after every shot or sale. What the competition does is nearly irrelevant to them which is why they are keen on praising them for making good shots or closing a deal. The end result was Jonathan couldn’t have done any more to claim the title, he left with his head held high and was a true sportsman by giving Jake all the praise he could for winning. For Jake, he proved that he was the best golfer that weekend and took home the trophy.

In this tournament, the 3 former teammates (Knapp, Garrick, Chan) from UCLA finished 1, 2, and 4th respectively. At the next tournament, it could go a different direction. It’s very possible that the roles reverse and either Jonathan or Lorens are the ones holding the trophy on Sunday. If that happens, Jake will be right there to support them for the win.

In summary, healthy competition is good but self-competition is better. Strive for a mentality where your top performers aren’t in competition with each other but rather themselves. Jealousy and envy are cancerous so remove them from your environment immediately, regardless of how strong your top performer is. Having the right type of competition will generate a positive environment where everyone succeeds.

I feel privileged and fortunate to have met a great guy, Jake Knapp, and play a small role in his victory at the 2019 GolfBC Championship.

What an eventful four days!

A truly great leader is rare... When I was a Manager of 55+ team members at 27 years of age it was difficult to find the right support to get me through not only the challenges of the workplace but the personal challenges that came with it as well.

Lack of sleep, stress, and the long hours led to underperformance as a leader at the office and at home. The owner didn't care about that though and didn't see the correlation between personal and professional performance which is ironic because it had a negative effect to his bottom line. It's true that our team needs our support, but just as, and in my opinion, even more important, the leaders of companies need support. It all starts with the leader. It can be a lonely feeling and most of us struggle with opening up for help and guidance.

As a leader in the auto industry, a parent, an entrepreneur, and a certified professional Performance Coach, I can relate far too well with the ups and downs. To be the leader you always wanted and one that your team and family will love, this article is a great resource to draw from.

You got this!

Brandin