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Vinay Parmar - Speaker, Coach, Author

Fantatstic Tips on Career, Life and Business Development

Fantatstic Tips on Career, Life and Business Development

small business coaching

Why A Snail Could Be The Key To Your Success.

23rd June 2015 by VParmar 1 Comment

snail-front

Ninnian took her place on centre stage and took a deep breathe to calm any nerves before she smiled and said “Today I want to talk to you about something that inspires me…..I want to talk about Snails”

Now, I’ve heard a fair few motivational or inspirational speeches in my time but never have I heard anyone say their success was inspired by a snail.

But as this young student, who was competing in the Midlands Speaker of The Year competition,  began to explain it all made sense.

Here is what she shared :

[Read more…] about Why A Snail Could Be The Key To Your Success.

Filed Under: Business, Leadership, Performance Improvement, Personal Development, personal growth Tagged With: Business Coaching Birmingham, Business Consultancy Birmingham, Business Mentor Birmingham, Business Performance Improvement, Business Success, improving results, inspirational business ideas, inspirational business speaker, inspirational speaker, leadership motivational, life coach birmingham, motivational speaking companies, self improvement, small business coaching, vinay parmar, vinspired

The Power Of Small

10th June 2015 by VParmar Leave a Comment

2015-06-01 13.03.14

Last week I finally managed to cross a long time goal off my bucket list, when I took the skies in a plane.

I’m sure most people reading this will have had some kind of experience of flying on a jumbo jet but let me tell you being up there in a two seater semi acrobatic plane is a completely different experience.

It’s both exhilarating and a little terrifying at the same time. I mean, there just a few inches of plastic and fibre glass holding us up in the open air!

Whilst up in the clouds getting used the flight controls, my instructor asked me to turn the plane to the right and that’s when something happened that I wasn’t quiet expecting.

[Read more…] about The Power Of Small

Filed Under: Business, Change, Leadership, Personal Development, personal growth Tagged With: Business Consultancy Birmingham, Business Mentor Birmingham, improving results, inspirational business ideas, inspiring business people, leadership motivational, leadership of a company, motivational coaching, motivational speaking companies, Personal growth, self development, small business coaching, success, vinay parmar

What I learned about Networking from the A Team.

19th November 2014 by VParmar 1 Comment

From the moment I stepped out of the world of the corporate employee 7 years ago, I was told by many wise people “ Vinay, you must network!”

So like a good boy I did what I was told.

I attended regular breakfast networking groups, went to lots of evening meetings and joined various associations.

To be perfectly honest it was a mixed bag of results.

There are people who will say “Networking is a waste of time” or “It doesn’t work. I’m not getting any business from it” and even “It doesn’t suit my business”.

If all that is true, then why do so many ‘business gurus’ wax lyrical about the importance of networking?

Well, I can only speak from my experience (of not being a business guru) and tell you that the one thing I know for certain is that networking does work.

In fact 95% of my business to date has come as direct result of networking and if I track back across my corporate career so have my biggest opportunities.

I said earlier my results were a mixed bag but that was because it took me a while to figure out what worked for me.

Of course there are approaches which will make what you do more or less effective .

Here’s my take on what has worked for me and others I know,  aided by the characters from the 80’s hit US TV show “The  A-Team.”

John ‘Hannibal’ Smith.
John-Hannibal-Smith-the-a-team-37381221-374-500

The signature ending of every episode of the A-Team was Hannibal lighting up a cigar and declaring “I love it when a plan comes together”

Networking should form a core part of your overall marketing plan.

A mistake business owners and professionals make is that they see networking as something outside of their marketing strategy and so they treat it as an ‘add on’ or a luxury activity that they dip into on occasion.

For networking to work it has to be a core activity and have a set of objectives aligned with your business/personal outcomes.

The trouble today is that there are so many networking events that you could end up becoming a full time networker and turn yourself into a busy fool.

Trust me on this, I’ve been there and it’s not a great place to be.

By having a clear set of objectives  you will be able to better select which events suit you, your business and your market.

I ask myself these 3 questions when considering attending a networking event :

#1 Does this event sound like the kind of place where my target market would hangout or at least have people that are directly connected with it?

#2 Does this event look like the kind of place that the target market of my closest business friends hangout?

#3 Does this event look like the place where I am likely to meet like minded people who could become part of my power peer group to help me grow, become better and improve me as a human being?

If I cannot answer YES to at least two of those questions I don’t go.

Yes! I am being judgemental and perhaps I may miss out on opportunities but I am also increasing my odds of finding the right opportunity.

Figure out what is important to you in networking and set your own objectives .

Oh and leave lighting up the cigar until you leave the building.

Templeton “Faceman” Peck
a-team-face-man-dirk-benedict-666862ac-290x400

Face is the master of building rapport and influence. He is normally the one in the team tasked with working his way past gatekeepers or to gain access to restricted areas.

Whilst you may not need to get your hands on a box of AK-47s, you will need to get past the defences of the people you are speaking to.

You need to master the art of building rapport with people.

Rapport is simply the art of creating commonality.

The more comfortable people are with you, the more they will open up.

There is a whole science behind rapport building but here are 3 ways to build rapport quickly:

The Smile. 

It sounds so simple and obvious yet so many people underestimate the power of a smile.

Ask yourself when someone smiles at you, what do you do back? That’s right, you smile too!

A smile is disarming and let’s the other person know that it’s safe to talk to you.

You’d be surprised at the number people I see at networking events with crossed arms and frowns that also complain that they didn’t meet anyone useful.

The Handshake.

Again simple yet underestimated in it’s power.  According to a 2012 study in  the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience a handshake “not only increases the positive effect toward a favorable interaction, but it also diminishes the impact of a negative impression.”

But be careful and pay attention to the kind of handshake you give.

Are you hand crusher? Wet Fish shaker? A hand-on-top kinda power player?

A good handshake feels deliberate but also neutral in force. You don’t want to crush their bones and you most definitely don’t want a feeble flap.

The kinaesthetic impact of a handshake creates an unconscious connection between people based on the premise that we only really ‘touch’ people we trust or feel safe with.

The Name. 

They have a name, so use it.

When you use somebody’s name it sends a signal to their brain for them to pay attention and listen to what is being said.

It also builds familiarity and you are less likely to have that embarrassing situation when, suddenly in the middle of the conversation you forget the other their name.

Here’s a bonus tip. If you cannot pronounce the name ask! It’s far more respectful to check the pronunciation that it is to make your own version up.

For example my name is Vinay and it is pronounced “Vee Nay” but I often get called “Vinny”. I don’t tend to make a big deal about it but I always have more time for someone who takes the time to find out the correct pronunciation.

Your name is a gift and the sweetest sound they will hear in any language.

Murdock.
murdoch+a+team+290x400

The A-Team’s pilot, Murdock can fly any aircraft built with extreme precision. However, due to a helicopter crash in Vietnam, Murdock apparently went insane.

To make an impact you’ve got to be prepared to step outside your comfort zone and be a little bit different – a little crazy maybe.

The worst thing you can do is blend in with the shades of grey. You might think it counter intuitive and safer to be like everyone else in the room but the moment you leave the event so will any memory of you.

When Hutchinson Telecom entered the UK mobile market they knew that in order to be successful they had to standout from their competition. They branded themselves Orange and separated themselves from the likes of BT Cellent, Vodafone and Mercury One 2 One.

In a similar way you want to make an impact and stay front of mind with people you meet long after they leave.

Here are  3 ways for how you can standout form the crowd and be remembered for the right reasons :

Your business card. 

Your business card is one of the most important tools in your marketing tool box. Ditch the standard boring white card and get a little more creative. You could add some colour, a photo of yourself or a brand message on the reverse.

I went to a breakfast meeting where I met a Master Jeweller who talked about his expertise and craft with a passion. His card was a deep purple, on thick card and the lettering was in gold. It represented his brand perfectly. Do you think I’d have thought the same of him if he handed me a “get 250 free” Vistaprint card?

Use props. 

I was involved with an networking group called 4Networking years ago and their founder Brad Burton was famous for going to networking meetings with a pizza box under his arm. He was in the pizza business and it was a great conversation starter.

Another business friend of mine works in the fitness industry. At a recent expo instead of having the usual roller banner and marketing bumpf,  he took with him life size cardboard cut outs of famous body builders.  He asked visitors to his stand to take a picture with a cut out and post to social media.

A pizza box or cardboard cut out might not work for your business but there will be something which has the same kind of effect.

Your introduction 

In one of the new working groups I used to run I had a guy who, instead of the usual 60 second introduction each week, would create a new limerick about his business. Another business owner had a catchphrase in her introduction, which after a short time  become so memorable that group would repeat it before she even finished!

You might think that is unconventional and not the ‘proper way’ to introduce a business but look at what brands like Go Compare!, Compare the Market and Direct Line have done. They all have a jingle, catchy tagline or sound which is synonymous with their business.

At the very least  you can find a way to use your introduction opportunity in a more expressive and compelling fashion than simply churning out the standard My name is. “Blah” and I am a “Blah”

B A Barracus
Unknown

B.A. was the muscle in the team and he was forthright in what he said. One of his catchphrases was “Quit your Jibba Jabba” which roughly translated means “Would you stop talking please?”

There is nothing worse that being trapped in a conversation when the other person is just talking about themselves. Don’t be that guy or gal.

You have two ears and one mouth for a reason. You are supposed to listen more than you talk.

One of the most common questions I get from people about networking is “What do I talk about?”  and I say “Don’t worry about what to talk about instead think of what you could ask about!“

The best networkers speak very little about themselves but ask great questions of others, taking  a genuine interest in the people they are talking to.

I learnt a great tool to help with conversation from my uncle who was a successful insurance agent.

The key thing is that given the chance most people like to talk about themselves

Use F.O.R.M as a quick simple way of striking up conversation.

F – Family or Friends. Do they have kids? Are they married? Where are they from?

0 – Occupation – Ask them more about their profession. How did they get into the field? What do they enjoy most about what they do?

R – Recreation – What do they like to do when they aren’t working? Perhaps they play a sport that you also do?

M – Money No, don’t ask how much they earn!  You might ask about what they think about the economy right?

The more you listen, the more opportunities you will uncover.

Ask questions instead…open questions which give you more than a yes or no answer.

One of my favourite questions to ask someone is “What exciting projects are you working on right now?”

Do you have any top networking tips? What has worked for you?

Filed Under: Business, Leadership, Personal Development Tagged With: Business Coaching Birmingham, Business Consultancy Birmingham, Business Mentor Birmingham, Business Success, coaching, improving results, inspirational business ideas, inspiring business people, life and business coaching, Personal growth, small business coaching, vinay parmar

What makes a strong leader?

6th October 2014 by VParmar Leave a Comment

Last week I was invited to share my thoughts with Danny Kelly on BBC Radio WM about leadership following a YouGov survey which revealed that 59% of respondents felt that Ed Miliband appeared ‘weak.’

I shared 3 key attributes which I feel are key attributes of great leaders : 1) The ability to engage, 2) having a commanding physiology and 3) being prepared to be vulnerable.

You can listen to the whole interview (8 mins) below.

There are other traits which I believe make a strong leader and add to what I said in the interview.

I’m taken back to a book I read many years ago that had a profound effect on me and shaped the way I developed as a leader.

Leadership

Steven R. Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has been a permanent fixture in my book collection for many years. Below I have outlined my adaptation of five of his key principles that I believe translate into practical behaviours for strong leaders.

#1. Be Proactive. 

The strong leader is always on the front foot understanding that they cannot control everything around them. They know that they are not defined by their circumstances or conditions but rather they are defined by how they respond in situations.

The weak leader is caught on the back foot. They believe that they are helpless, a victim of circumstance and that the solution to the problem always lies with someone or something else.

For example,  imagine the performance of a team is suffering.  The strong leader will look at themselves first and ask “what is it that I could do differently to help improve the situation?”  They will step forward, accept responsibility and become part of the solution.

The weak leader will see the problem elsewhere and seek to apportion blame, declaring that it is others that need to change in order to improve things. They will step back, absolve themselves from any responsibility and believe that the solution exists outside of themselves.

#2. Begin with the end in mind. 

The strong leader has a clear vision and makes daily decisions consistent with travelling in that direction.

The weak leader’s decision making is moment to moment. They are a random collection of choices that may or may not help achieve what they want.

The strong leader knows that establishing the end game first is critical to overall success. They understand that if they know where they want to be, then they can make better choices day to day moving towards what they want rather than away from it.

For example, imagine you are leading within an organisation and are asked to identify cost savings. It would be easy to look down your departmental budget and pick out the big numbers to slash. This might win you some ground in the short term but what if those things that were cut are crucial to the long term success of your business? What if the very things that win you points now are the cause of your demise later?

#3. Put first things first. 

Strong leaders focus on the ‘must’ do tasks whereas weak leaders focus on the ‘nice to do’ things.

Where as begin with the end in mind was about the mental preparation and creation, putting first things first is about the physical creation.

In a constantly ‘on’ world you can easily find yourself being busy doing things all day, but are they the right things? Are they the most urgent or important? Or are you doing them because you like to do them?

Take email as an example. Do you respond to every message pretty much as soon as it  comes in? Does the ‘ding’ of email arriving suddenly jolt you into action?

Of course there are urgent emails and messages which need an instant reply and I bet if you really think about it there are very few that actually need that level of immediate response in reality.

What are big important things you should be doing instead? The things which will move you closer to your objective?

If you don’t have a clear end game then how can you know what is and what isn’t urgent?

 #4. Seek fist to understand and then to be understood. 

The strong leader listens…really listens, the weak leader simply hears what is being said.

Most people think they are good listeners but in reality they can still be much better.

In words of William Stringfellow –

“Listening is a rare happening among human beings. You cannot listen to the word another is speaking if you are preoccupied with your own appearance or impressing another, or trying to decide what you are going to say when the other person stops speaking” 

When weak leaders listen, they cannot wait for their turn to speak. They are eager to get their views across and say things like “I understand where you are coming from but…” or “I agree with that but…”

Strong Leaders hold the intention to fully understand before they respond. They are totally present in the conversation and have no compulsion to jump in a share their view. Their purpose is not to agree or disagree, but understand fully the other point of view before deciding how they respond.

#5. Sharpen the saw.

Strong leaders are consistent practitioners, weak leaders are dabblers in what is flavour of the month.

If you took an inventory of all of the things you know, all the knowledge you’ve gained from courses and books how long would the list be? If you were then asked exactly how much of it you consistently practice, how much shorter would your list be?

The strong leader knows that practice is a constant discipline which enables your skills to remain sharp and effective. If Tiger Woods, Roger Federer or Michael Jordan only practised their skills during game time, they wouldn’t have been half as good as they were. The investment in constant practice is what helped them to step up their performance in live situations.

Similarly, if you only practice listening in a conflict situation are you really going to be an effective listener? If you only put first things first on occasion how can you expect you plans to work?

The full 7 habits are a great simple set of principles of life and business but the biggest lesson I learned about strong leadership is this….

Strong leaders do not wait for permission, need titles or require followers. Strong leaders lead themselves first knowing that it is their actions which will inspire others to follow them.

What do you think makes a strong leader? Please leave comments below.

If you need help with becoming a stronger leader or developing the leadership skills of your people then check out Vinspired Coaching or give me a call.

Filed Under: Change, Leadership Tagged With: careers coaching, coaching for business, coaching in business, coaching to success, inspirational business ideas, inspirational business speaker, inspiring business people, leadership motivational, leadership of a company, life and business coaching, life coaching uk, life success coaching, motivational coaching, motivational leadership speakers, motivational professional speaker, motivational speaking companies, personal development coach, personal life coaching, professional motivational speaker, professional motivational speakers, small business coaching

You can’t see the whole picture when you are inside the frame!

26th September 2014 by VParmar 1 Comment

No matter how intelligent, resourceful or confident you are, there will come a point in your life, business or career when you are simply stumped by a problem.

The harder you try the more frustrated you get and the further away you seem from a solution.

The thing is often we focus so much on the problem,  that we fail to see the solution.

I saw a great quote from Les Brown which I think sums up this conundrum well  – “You can’t see the whole picture when you inside the frame!”

Here is a quick video of me explaining how that all hangs together.

If you’ve enjoyed this video blog please leave your comments or share with others!

I love answering questions and providing coaching for business and life success.

So if you have something you would like my view on then drop line or comment with your question below.

Filed Under: Change, Personal Development Tagged With: careers coaching, coaching for business, coaching in business, coaching to success, inspirational business ideas, inspirational business speaker, inspiring business people, leadership motivational, leadership of a company, life and business coaching, life coaching uk, life success coaching, motivational coaching, motivational leadership speakers, motivational professional speaker, motivational speaking companies, personal development coach, personal life coaching, professional motivational speaker, professional motivational speakers, small business coaching

This one is personal.

4th September 2014 by VParmar 2 Comments

When was the last time you stepped outside your comfort zone?

When you really decided to push your boundaries?

How did it feel?

My 4 year old started school today after 3 years in familiar surroundings, people and routines to step into a totally new environment.

Most adults I know would struggle with that kind of change.

Whenever we face a change in life or business most often it fills our heads with fears and reasons not to step over that threshold.

In stark contrast my daughter was full of beans. She was excited at the prospect of a new adventure and then it reminded me of that child like curiosity that makes them so adaptable.

Watch the video above for the full breakdown.

Filed Under: Change, Personal Development Tagged With: Business Coaching Birmingham, Business Consultancy Birmingham, Business Performance Improvement, Business Success, careers coaching, Change, coaching, coaching for business, coaching in business, coaching to success, Good to great, improving results, inspirational business ideas, inspirational business speaker, inspired, inspiring business people, leadership motivational, leadership of a company, life and business coaching, life coach birmingham, life coaching uk, life success coaching, motivational coaching, motivational leadership speakers, motivational professional speaker, motivational speaking companies, personal development coach, Personal growth, personal life coaching, professional motivational speaker, professional motivational speakers, small business coaching, vinay parmar

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