Strategy and money are the tools of business but people, processes and customers are the key elements.

Gerald Bricker, has thirty years of success at growing sales for automotive parts and engineering services suppliers at greater than fifteen per cent per year. He built successful sales and management teams through strategic planning, leadership development and building customer loyalty.

Aadvise Consulting, LLC is a valued provider of business consulting, coaching, and management development for small to mid-sized businesses.

BusinessInterviews.com:  Can you elaborate on the importance of a holistic approach when it comes to business coaching?

Gerald:  People, processes and customers are the key elements of a business. It is important to understand all three in order to help to improve the results of the business. The tools of business are money and strategy. My experience in general management and sales management along with my analytical skills and MBA enable me to diagnose the health of the business and prescribe a path to improve business results.

BusinessInterviews.com:  What are some ways that you help create work environments where employees are motivated to meet organizational goals?

Gerald: The first way is to strengthen and improve leadership skills. Leadership is getting results through people. Leaders sometimes need help to more effectively build trust, better communicate and better define the mission and vision of the organization. These steps enable the creation of common goals so that everyone and align their personal goals with the organization’s goals.

BusinessInterviews.com:  Can you share the difference between closing a sale and opening a relationship?

Gerald: Opening a relationship is the first step in building trust that both parties can benefit by getting to know each other more deeply. Trust must be established in order to make progress toward closing a sales. Closing a sale means that two parties agree to work together. It is the beginning of a mutually beneficial business agreement.

BusinessInterviews.com:  How would you address an issue where a team has stopped communicating effectively or not at all?

Gerald: Meet with each team member individually and discuss the communication issue. Learn what, or who, is affecting the communication. Then observe the team and observe how communication actually works and who may be affecting communication and how. If there is trust among the team members then the communication issue may be solved by facilitating an open discussion to build a team mission and set common goals.

BusinessInterviews.com:  How has the landscape of business coaching evolve since first launching your business back in 2009?

Gerald:  First, more and more companies are recognizing the value of having a business coach. Second, there are more business coaches entering the market. Third, business coaching has become many things to many people. The important thing to focus on is understanding what aspect of the business may need some outside help and which coach is the one to help with that aspect. It is important for the coach to help identify what that key aspect is and to address it, even if it means recommending a coach who is best equipped to address it.

BusinessInterviews.com:  Can you share a client success story that holds special meaning for you?

Gerald:  Two years ago I worked with a not-for-profit for no fee. The organization had existed for 28 years and had never written a strategic plan. Several key issues were concerning the Founder and Director of the NFP and so, with the help of nine current and former members of the board, a plan was created that addressed the key issues and put the organization on a path to grow and succeed.