“Grant was initially brought in to help grow our sales individuals and create a sales process for the team to work from. Grant’s experience allowed him to recognise areas for growth not only in the sales team, wider market opportunities, but also in the senior leadership team with our vision and communication.

 As a relative newcomer to sales management Grant always had time to help with ensuring I could get the most out of my team from planning more effective sales meetings to understanding the individual within my team on a deeper level.

I can attribute my own growth as a manager and the growth within our sales team to the mentorship Grant has provided.”

Sam Drake

Branch Manager

GARADOR AUCKLAND Garage Doors Ltd

We have been working with Grant Shields as a sales coach trainer since 2018 and found him an asset to the professional development of our sales management team.

Grant has helped us develop our own, customised sales process and is currently engaged in training our Sales Managers in leading and coaching their sales teams.

Grant is excellent in digging down into any roadblocks in sales performance and unlocking maximum sales potential.

He is well skilled at helping sales teams identify customers’ needs and tailored solutions and I can highly recommend him in coaching Sales Managers and Sales People.

“Grant has an incredible ability to uplift and empower others. After every conversation with him, I walk away feeling more focused, inspired, and equipped with practical steps to navigate challenges or pursue my goals.

He creates a safe and welcoming space where I feel heard and understood, whether I’m seeking guidance or simply needing someone to listen.

Grant’s genuine care and support have been invaluable to me during difficult times, and his insights have helped me achieve personal milestones I once thought were out of reach.

For anyone seeking trustworthy business advice, personal development strategies, or simply a compassionate ear, I wholeheartedly recommend Grant. His honesty, empathy, and expertise make him an exceptional mentor and ally.”

I highly recommend Grant and his company ‘Why is That’ to anyone considering investing in their business. Grant has been instrumental in helping us refine our company values and goals, while keeping us accountable and on track towards achieving them.

Under Grant’s guidance, we have gained a deeper understanding of different personality types and leadership styles, and the importance of adapting our communication among team members. His expertise has also been invaluable in providing support to our management team, as a trusted advisor with sound advice that fosters a sense of comfort and trust.

Grant’s adaptability to our company’s evolving needs and goals has been impressive. He has given us ample knowledge and tools to help grow our business, while also bringing our team closer together and promoting a strong culture within our organisation.

Grant Shields was a valued member of SalesStar between July 2015 and October 2019.

Grant was highly effective as both a trainer, and a coach, with our clients and became their trusted advisor over many years.

Key strengths were his ability to contextualise content and make it relevant to our client’s sales process and their customer’s buying experience.

Grant’s communication style is exceptionally strong, and he is able to deliver in a considered “style” to suit his audience.

Grant made a significant contribution to creating processes to improve our internal operations, as well as bespoke training content for the Automotive industry.

Personally, I hold Grant in high regard

I originally met Grant Shields of whyisthat.co.nz whilst on another sales course and he stood out amongst all the other Facilitators, so much so that we asked him to conduct all our sales courses.

Since then, Grant has branched out on his own, with his unique and flexible bespoke training and coaching approach that we have come to appreciate and learn from.

Grant takes the time to learn and understand your business, your problems and worries, then builds a strategy that best suits you.

Even if you are, like myself, a bit of a cynic, take a chance with Grant, I bet you will not regret it.

“With this type of training not being the conventional approach for a construction company to train staff, some SCEPTICISM was carried into the initial sessions; however, we were pleasantly surprised and engaged with the training program Grant Shields put together. We feel it has motivated and inspired the team, unifying us in our endeavours, giving us a common goal and better ways to communicate with each other.”

Damian Orman

“NZSki’s experience with Grant  was an exceptionally positive one, from the first time we met to the delivery of our customer service training. Grant spent a lot of time meeting with myself and our executive team to understand our business and our individual needs.

This came through in the delivery of our Train the Trainer program, delivered to all of our HOD’s (Heads of Departments – 88 of them), as well as the tailored customer service program that was delivered to every staff member of NZSki (900+). Grant showed excellent flexibility and as a result delivered a very unique training program to our staff.

Since the training we have received the most amazing feedback from our guests continuously since the season started.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with the exceptional Grant Shields, who has truly transformed my life in ways I never imagined possible.

From the very first conversation, I knew I was in capable hands. His level of dedication, expertise, and genuine care for my well-being shone through in every interaction.

Through our conversations, Grant helped me navigate through challenges, gain clarity on my goals, and develop practical strategies to overcome obstacles.

His insightful questions and thought-provoking exercises enabled me to delve deep into my thoughts, Professional & Personal goals as well as my emotions, leading to profound self-discovery and personal growth.

What sets Grant apart is his unwavering support and encouragement. He not only listened attentively but also provided valuable feedback and guidance every step of the way. His empathetic approach created a safe and nurturing environment where I felt comfortable expressing myself without judgment.

Thanks to Grant, I’ve gained a newfound sense of confidence, purpose, and direction in my professional life. I’ve achieved milestones that once seemed out of reach and have a renewed sense of optimism for the future.

The transformation I’ve experienced is truly remarkable, and I owe it all to the exceptional level of service provided by Grant.

I cannot recommend Grant highly enough to anyone seeking positive change and personal development.

Whether you’re facing challenges or simply looking to grow and thrive, investing in a life coach like Grant is truly a game-changer.

“Grant was contracted by the Paperplus Group to assist with the implementation of a major strategic initiative we were undertaking. Our group is a co-operative and as such is owned by its members. Grants delivery to these people was right on the money and the feedback received from the attendees of the training has been exceptional. The preparation conducted before the sessions along with the content of the program will I am sure enable our group to maximize the opportunity this strategy could provide. I have no hesitation in recommending Grant to any other potential client in the future.”

“This sort of coaching from Grant makes you re-think what you thought you knew about managing a team and provides a strong human touch with a modern well-being approach to management on all levels without the fluff talk or the need to be an enforcer. (This is people engaging with people for greater outcomes)

I have never experienced this sort of coaching before and let me be straight up about this – It is basic but a massive breath of fresh air.

So, the question shouldn’t be – Do you want to work with Grant Shields and his company “Why Is That”

The question you should be asking yourself – Is Why Would You Not?

Commitment, dedication and a dogged determination would be words that I would use to describe Grant. In an industry that is constantly in a change cycle, it is very easy to succumb to the pressures and issues that weigh down a training and development company – one day you are in the next you are out! I have always been impressed by Grant’s energetic approach to a challenge and his ability to deal with the changing environment that his business is a part of. It is because of his own personal ethics and values that I would have no hesitation in strongly recommending Grant and his organisation to any company that is serious and committed to training and development. Grant will always deliver in the most professional way possible. I am incredibly privileged to have him as a friend as well as a colleague

We have interviewed several HR Companies before choosing Grant Shields from WHYISTHAT (formerly Zealmark)

We find that his straight forward approach, which is the opposite of his competitors, who were more interested in bamboozling us with paperwork and statistics, more agreeable to our business model.

Grant has achieved what we couldn’t and he has given the company a solid grounding and a way forward in many departments ranging from Management down to single mentoring and rationalization.

“Grant is an astute professional, who has acquired a broad range of skills in relation to people performance and development. Amongst these varied skills, Grant has this unending passion for training and development. The glowing testimonials from his clients echo Grant’s positive approach, can do attitude and friendly personality. I find Grant to be highly creative and original in his thinking, which is demonstrated by the various training initiatives he’s developed over the years. Grant is one of those rare professionals who prides himself on excellence and will most definitely be very successful in his career. “

“Grant is customer focused, knowledgeable and innovative in his approach. He is resourceful and willing to explore new and creative approaches to stereotypical solutions. His keen interest in technology and its application in sales and training make him a valued resource to any team. Grant is reliable, flexible and a progressive thinker and does well when surrounded by open minded and willing individuals that embrace change. I’ve always enjoyed working with Grant and love this fresh thinking and ideas.”

Grant recently ran sales training for our frontline staff and managers and what a difference this has made to our business. I can strongly recommend him as an excellent trainer who is results driven, inspirational and brings the team onboard to reach their potential. He has many talents, including razor sharp focus, brilliant designer and facilitator. I would recommend him.

We have been using Grant as our preferred training provider for the past 2 years.

I have been impressed with Grant’s ability to customise training sessions, specifically targeting both sales and customer service staff, as well as having a wide range of generic courses which we have utilised to send individuals on for personal development.

I highly recommend Grant if you are looking for a complete training solution.