THE PERSON BEHIND SMARTER
About Simon Hale
Coach and mentor to owners of businesses that sell expertise.
I believe the people who run consultancies, agencies and specialist advisory businesses are some of the most capable in the economy, building some of its most undervalued businesses. My work is helping them build businesses that achieve what they want them to.
WHERE I COME FROM
Thirty years of frontline business
I spent thirty years in frontline commercial roles for companies like Oracle, Infor and Lawson. Long sales cycles, many stakeholders, and a lot to lose. It taught me what actually moves a business forward and what is just activity.
I have also built three businesses of my own, so I know what it feels like when the pipeline is personal, when everything comes back to you, and when the business is bigger than it used to be but not any easier to run.
QUALIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS
Coaching at the core
I hold an ILM Level 5 Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring. I am a Member of the Association of Business Mentors, an approved mentor on the government-backed Help to Grow programme, and I am working towards EMCC accreditation at Practitioner level. I work to the Global Code of Ethics for coaches and mentors, with regular professional supervision.
I work as a coach and a mentor, and I am always clear which. Most of the time I coach, because the best answers about your business are usually yours. Where my experience adds something, I mentor. Where neither of us has a reference point, I bring what the evidence says good looks like, and I tell you how strong it is.
THE SMARTER SYSTEM
Why the SMARTer System covers the whole business
For years my focus was how businesses win and keep clients. But winning work is only one part of a business that works. Owners want a business that achieves what they want it to, and that takes direction, delivery, people, money and systems too. So the SMARTer System covers ten key areas, with established practice behind every one, and one coach and mentor to work across them with you.
HOW I WORK
Direct, but on your side
I'll tell you what I see, including the uncomfortable parts. I'll give you practice you can use on Monday, not theory. And I'll build capability in your business, not a relationship you depend on: the engagement is designed to end, and the capability is designed to stay. When a question needs a specialist rather than a coach, I'll say so and help you brief them. What I won't do is promise revenue or results, because nobody honest can.
BERKSHIRE BASED
A little more
I am based in Berkshire and work with owners across the UK on Zoom. I work with a small number of clients at a time, chosen because I think I can help and because their businesses interest me.
Let's talk
Forty-five minutes to an hour on Zoom, free, and no pitch. If I can help, I'll say how. If I can't, I'll point you to someone who can.