Coaching Blog

Coaches and Others: Lose Your Isolation.

Posted by Julia Stewart

Dimdim

There aren't many companies that I would write a love letter to or about

Here is just one that I thought I would share with you, because you'd probably love them, too. And even if you aren't in the market for their service, you might as well try it out, because it's free and trust me, you'll find cool ways to use it.

 

Here's my experience.

 

As the owner of a "cutting edge" coaching school, I went on a mission last year to find the perfect way to share coach training. Something that would combine the intense experience of live training with the convenience and cost-savings of teleclasses. I knew there had to be something better than teleclasses. I was right, but it took a long time to find it.

 

I explored every software out there from WebEx, to GoToMeeting, to InstantTeleseminar and a whole bunch you've never even heard of. You know what I found out? They are all expensive, clunky, sometimes hard to use and they almost always require participants to wait while the system downloads something to their computers, before they can even join the class.

 

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty leery about downloading anything that I don't already understand and I hate to wait.

 

My clients and students are the same way. I bet you are too. And I bet your friends, family, clients, customers and/or students are, too.

 

Somebody finally answered my prayers (Thank you, Seth Godin, for pointing the way). Less than a year ago, I discovered a brand new company that had set their sights on turning the business of webinars upside down.

 

You're not interested in doing webinars? Well, do you...

 

  • Wish you could visit with family and friends, like they were in the room with you (smiling faces and all)?
  • Do you wish you could watch your favorite videos with your faraway friends and chat and laugh like you were together?
  • Do you ever have long-distance phone meetings where you're all trying to follow they same notes, contracts, reports, etc.?
  • Do you ever wish you could stop driving/flying/training and spending time, money, fuel and what's left of the environment, just so you could do your work with others?

 

In other words, if you could use this service for nothing, then why on Earth wouldn't you? The only reason I can think of is that you just don't know about it, yet.

 

So I'm telling you: Get Dimdim.

It's as close to perfect as it comes. You can meet freely. And easily. And do lots of cool stuff with the people you love, no matter where they are.

 

Yes, you can do more if you pay something (An annual subscription is a fraction of what WebEx costs for one month), but for most people, the free account is all you'll ever need and it's not a free trial. It's free forever!

 

And yes, Dimdim has offered to expand my service if I tell my friends about it, so that's my selfish reason for writing, but I already brag about Dimdim to everyone I know. So.

 

 

 

 

Topics: Coaching, coach training, Free, Coach Training Programs, Seth Godin, teleclass, video coaching, coach training school, In-person coach training

Coaches: Will Video Help or Hurt Your Business?

Posted by Julia Stewart

Annetta WilsonI had a fantastic conversation yesterday about using video for coaching, with Media Trainer and Talent Coach, Annetta Wilson, who coaches television journalists for major networks.

Annetta was a television journalist for about 30 years (hard to believe from her picture) before becoming a coach, so she really knows her stuff about on-camera image. I told her I was fascinated by the possibilities of video for coaching, but some bad examples of it have made me cautious.

Annetta confirmed that video magnifies the visual, so getting the visuals right on screen is even more important than it is during in-person presentations or coaching sessions.

It's clear that an entire new set of skills may be needed for effective video coaching - or are they? What are your experiences? 

And then, of course, there is the use of video for marketing on the web. You may have heard that online video is all the rage among marketers, but I think video done badly can be way worse than no video, at all. 

I remember the coach who emailed me a video she made (just for me!) of herself trying to sell me something. Never mind that I didn't know her and hadn't expressed any interest in what she was selling (a huge no-no, right there). When I saw how bad the video was (Her face was magenta, her living room clutter was distracting and she kept making annoying smacking sounds, as she spoke), I made an instant Note to Self: Don't use video unless you use it well! 

Annetta uses video extraordinarily well. Just check her video on her homepage. Not only is she poised and professional, she also comes across as totally authentic. That's no easy combination to achieve. (If it were, Hillary Clinton might be President instead of Barack Obama!)

I don't believe coaches need to be as polished on screen as television newscasters. In fact, too much polish would get in the way of great coaching. But when I see some of the dreadful YouTube videos that have been posted by coaches (it's honestly hard to tell if some of them are joking), all I can say is, we haven't struck the right balance, yet!

Video is a huge trend. Are you ready for video coaching?

Topics: Barack Obama, video coaching, YouTube, Talent Coach

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