Testimonials
Recommendations
“Inspired by how useful and how well conveyed it was. Right up there with Anthony Robbins.”
Will Lau – Investor & Entrepreneur
“From the first session I transformed from having a bunch of unclear stuff in my mind to having a clear sense of who I was and how to say this succinctly. The techniques worked like a rocket launching me off my launching pad, and I came away with a clear sense of how well it can work for anyone. Throughout the sessions there is a sense of exciting forward momentum.”
Ian Drower, Business Owner, Coach
“Grabbed my attention and left me wanting more. The world needs this sort of wisdom.”
James Samuel – Social entrepreneur
“…thought I would forward a couple of people’s email feedback, which was unsolicited after my mini presentation at my Inspirational Movie Night this Tuesday:
“Good night last night – I thought your talk at start was very well done and so did Brigitte” Zac
“I just wanted to send you an email to let you know that I really noticed a difference in your public speaking on Tuesday. I was quite taken aback actually. You were louder, clearer and spoke in a very strong manner. I actually sat and smiled as you talked about your past and realised it was the first time I’ve ever witnessed you do that – it came across so well. Well done … so inspiring!!” Clare Nash – BodyTone Ltd
So just wanted to say a big ‘Thank You’ for all your help and support in achieving this so far”
Suzanne Masefield, Life Coach (feedback after 2 sessions)
“The content was great, and so was the presentation.”
John Groom – psychologist & executive mentor
“Marketing without Millions” Business Transformation
The Following is a Case Study – OBD Ltd (obd.co.nz)
Background on OBD, Founders Alex Lovell and Nick Platt
We have been in business for 10 years. While we have been profitable over that time as well as having many loyal customers, it was starting to feel that we were treading water. We were so consumed in day-to-day operations, that our rate of progress had slowed. We were working month-to-month, and were not focusing on the long-term business development. We wanted to get more clarity about our offering, our business identity and values, a clear sense of where we should go next, and better processes in place so we could become more profitable, and therefore less in day-to-day survival mode. Over our time working with Daniel Batten from Beyond The Ceiling we have been able to achieve the following.
Day-to-Day Operations
At a day-to-day level we have made much progress. What we are doing is now more aligned to where we want to be heading. We have made small but significant adjustments to the studio operations which have allowed us to attract talented staff and create a physical space that is perfect for us to spend more time together as company founders bouncing ideas off each other. Development, evolution and bettering ourselves is now part of our organisations DNA at all levels.
Profitability
We have managed to increase our profitability without any loss of business, through taking time-out to focus and streamline the internal processes that had been in place from our company’s incorporation and were beginning to feel the strain of 10 years natural growth. In fact, we are attracting more of the sort of business we want and are passionate about.
Further, we have been able to identify valuable reports where we can add value for clients and which we can charge for, that we used to often do as unpaid work in the name of ‘the sales process.’ As well as bringing more revenue in, we have found it firmly demonstrates that we are more valuable to our customers than they may have realized.
Now that we also feel we have more to offer, the value of certain services we offer has been scaled up and amazingly well received. This mindset shift has lead to a tangible bottom-line result.
Cashflow
We have experienced a 4-fold increase in the average month-end cashflow and a reduction of our previously unacceptable level of bad debts. This is largely due to hiring an accounts administrator. And that will improve further now that we are in a position to start automating much of our invoicing process, which we could not have done earlier.
Focus
We have solved the puzzle of “how do we define a broad offering, and still be strategic?” As a result of investing our attention into a new strategic area, new areas and opportunities are arising.
The clarity and direction we now have has been motivational for us. We know what we are doing, what we need to do and what we love to do. As a result, business has changed for the better. It’s because we are thinking differently. We have eased a lot of ‘stress’, cleared some of the mess that was always an immediate hurdle and now have the mental space and desire to see the next area to focus on.
Points of Difference with Daniel Batten, Beyond The Ceiling
Business communication:
It has helped us achieve results. Daniel can clearly understand a detailed concept that we are deeply and closely into. He can then feed it back to us with perfect clarity and perspective, in a way we could then use and create analogies around. These valuable sound bites succinctly express to others the value of our offering so that they could understand what we do and what they get and need much better.
Holistic knowledge:
Daniel has a unique way of knowing “what effects what” in business. He understood which small areas would yield a big benefit when we made shifts. He could clearly provide value in any industry.
Pragmatism:
We looked at other business coaches and mentors but found that they focused on the sales and systems and giving us more information and advise, much of which we had heard before and felt we were beyond. We didn’t want that as we’’ve been in business for over a decade and already knew much of what we had to improve. Ideally we wanted unbiased and impartial guidance from someone with similar experience that could offer which solutions might suit us best. On the other hand – some coaches are too global in their approach – they know the theories and they sound great but they don’t know how to apply them.
Having an intimate understanding of business from his own experience, Daniel was the perfect hybrid: both holistic and pragmatic.
He understood the balance between the soft and hard side of business – because these things do not exist in isolation. And critically, he understood which soft things lead to hard business results, and why. After working with Daniel, in addition to our results, we have the mindset and knowledge of the behavioural changes that create business results so that we can continue to create more growth for ourselves.
Finally, Daniel understood the importance in business of
- following where your energy is
- following a clear intention
- the value of having the right people in business and how to communicate differently to each type of person for the best all-round result, be they investors, customers or employees.
These factors have again lead to business results, or new business opportunities. For example, seeing the enthusiasm I had for speaking together with the fact he reflected I had something valuable to say that others needed to hear, Daniel encouraged me to move into keynote speaking again where I could demonstrate our expertise in using social media to further customer relations. Almost immediately a keynote speaking opportunity arose, which we took. As a result, as well as generating more local interest in our social media offerings (and positioning us as experts) we have had the offer of more work keynoting in Australia.
Alex Lovell and Nick Platt, OBD Ltd
The following is a Business Strategy Facilitation testimonial
We recently had the pleasure of engaging Daniel Batten to assist us to review and develop the foundations for our Strategic plan for 2010 and beyond. While having attended sessions like this in the corporate arena, I can honestly say this was a totally different experience, stimulating, thought provoking, challenging, but more importantly enabled us to create genuine tangible actions that could be implemented immediately.
Daniel has an encouraging , inspiring style with a knowledge of business trends and real life experiences that enable us to determine the essence of our business, realign our Vision and Values and determine the key personality traits that we wanted reflected through the outcomes to our customers. He was well prepared, managed time and agenda efficiently to ensure we received the most of the day, and delivered on his promise of developing the foundations of our plan.
We used the values the following day in a real business situation, to assist a new client that had come to us due to a total server failure. As they were already stressed out our aim was to make everything as simple as possible to enable them to make quick easy decisions, and have them up and running with the least amount of disruption.
Having now shared the Vision, Values and rational behind the direction with the our team they are totally encouraged, motivated, and generating outcomes for our customers aligned to the values.
Brent Larsen, Managing Director, Network Service Providers (nsp.co.nz)
The Following is a Case Study – Positive Elements Ltd
When we started, what was important was that someone could come in and get an immediate understanding of what we were putting across. Daniel was able to do this immediately and then go beyond what we were thinking of into a whole different paradigm, whether it was in conversation, on a white board or playing games that helped us focus on what we came into the business to do in the first place, while cementing the values and vision of the company.
He was very objective and grounding: cutting successfully through passion and emotional attachment: acknowledging it while driving through.
Daniel got us investment ready, overhauling our key messaging and business positioning documents and then schooled us in investment presenting it in a way that acknowledged the values of the organization as well as reflecting our core values. He thought outside the box and saw what we were wanting to do, and allowed us to reflect the core values and put in place the serious disciplines and structures that were needed to attract investment while still being able to keep a fun aspect to it all.
Daniel Batten’s mediation abilities are spectacular. We had several major issues to overcome in direction, vision and structure that were absolutely important for future growth. He produced outcomes, and the business conclusions he facilitated produced a beneficial outcome for the company while also closing off the opportunity for future conflict down the line.
His dedication to our organization was outstanding. He brought intelligence, broad knowledge in many different areas of business, honesty and compassion and even fun to the table.
If we hadn’t had him there we would not be where we are today, struck major problems. As an outcome over and above what we’d engaged him for, he also found us a brilliant team member who has allowed me as CEO to do what I do best.”
Theresa Grant, Chief Executive Officer, Positive Elements Ltd
I have found Daniel to be of the highest integrity. He is an exceptionally lucid & powerfully compassionate communicator, and his vast experience in the business world, and in life, makes him extremely well qualified to elevate you to the next level.
Tony Knight – Founder, The Himalayan Salt Company
The “Incredible Influence” (2i) Seminar
Not only did my success within the job interview improve to the point I got to decide which of two jobs I wanted most, but by using the connecting techniques I learnt through my work with Daniel and on the Incredible Influence course, my strike-rate went from getting 1 out of 20 job interviews, to getting an interview offer for every job I applied for.
Part of the claim about the Incredible Influence course was that you will be able to negotiate for better pay and adjust the terms and conditions, and enter a discussion as an equal partner, not a beggar. That was exactly my experience during the interview that happened just after the course.
The Incredible Influence course not only taught my the techniques I needed; it also allowed me to see new possibilities I would never previously have imagined, and to not worry about the limitations and the stress. So that allowed me to create a job for myself that beforehand seemed difficult and almost impossible.
Milan Holzapfel, IT Professional
Since the course, I’ve had specific conversations that have furthered my career through explaining what I want from my job. I’ve been invited to write a drivers blog for my travel company. I’ve re-structured my role so that I travel 4 days and have three days off based in auckland. This opens up the ability to have a life. I have had several breakthroughs, and I use the techniques I learnt in this course every day.
Mike Matthews – Tour Operator
Carefully crafted intentional day with excellent modelling of principles being taught throughout. I ‘got it’ that life is one lifelong opportunity to enrol people in what seems to us to be of value, and to find ways of bringing value to them. I will be recommending the course to many others.
Taruni Falconer- Intercultural Consultant
Being able to practice in the Dragons Den without the dragons tearing me apart was so valuable. Full of structure, fun and opportunities to really apply what we were learning.
Ian Drower – Coach & Mentor, Business Owner
I’m amazed at the change that happened in just one day. Not just the learning, it was a whole paradigm shift. It was about so much more than inspirational communication, it was about the whole way we project ourselves out into the world. Thank you so much.
Katherine Burns – Social Entrepreneur
I loved the whole framework of the day. The energy was at least 30-40% above where we would have been if we were on coffee all today. We all got encouraged to have belief and take action.
Justyn Barakat, Entrepreneur
A great seminar, it brought people together and I got a lot out of it. It was amazing how by the end everyone was able to connect. I can see how a lot of people would benefit from it.
Wayne England- Personal Trainer
Created a space where it was OK not knowing what to say. When I got up to speak at the end, I wondered, “Where did those words come from?”
Karen Grimmond – mother
Keynote Speeches
“I found you brilliant Daniel. You’ve explained something to me I never understood and had forgotten”.
Kathryn Reid
“Magnificant. Your strength of skill and authenticity have allowed me to see greater room to improve my skills. Thank you for such valuable content.” Lysa Black, Life Coach, Slim Choice
“You were indeed very inspiring. Your personal stories greatly added to your presentation and created very visual images of how important it is to keep going, to keep learning until one achieves one’s goals.”
Karina Ankhara, Life Coach
“Great 4 points. Very memorable. I will practice all 4 points. I thought your presentation/content/entire speech was excellent”
Heather Baker, Insurance Executive. Futureproof Life
“Just what I needed, having returned to the workforce – in particular the salesforce.”
Jennine Crofts, Business Development Manager Kalooma
“Fantastic! Challenged and changed the perspective to ‘possibilities’ and ‘what ifs’.”
Kathy Walker, Founder, Secret Smile
“Daniel has a very engaging manner. I think a lot of us learnt just from watching him deliver. We all have taken away something fantastic.”
Lucy Addison, Managing Director, Intuitive Systems
