Coaching Biz Tips

We don't need no stinkin' rules

(This is an excerpt from The Biz Model Toolkit for Coaches, an info product I'm writing which will be available soon. Impatient? You can get a sneak peek here.)

If you ask a group of coaches about having a successful coaching business, you’d probably get a whole bunch of opinions and advice; some good, some not so good. But that’s all it is—opinions and advice. There is no official “right way” to build a coaching business.

And yet there seems to be this sheep-like mentality about what’s okay and what’s not.

I wish I had a nickle for every time I’ve heard someone say “But isn’t that against the rules?” Rules?!? Where are these rules written, and who enforces them? Are the Coach Police going to write you a ticket?

I strongly encourage you to challenge anything that sounds like a rule when it comes to how you design and market your coaching business. The only rule worth following is “Get, keep and grow the value of customers.”

In fact, I hereby declare the following “rules” officially busted:

• BUSTED: Thou shalt offer a minimum of two hours of coaching per client per month.
• BUSTED: One call per client per week.
• BUSTED: One client per call.
• BUSTED: Do not bother your customers too much with emails and offers.
• BUSTED: You must explain what coaching is and how it works. You must use the phrase “live the life of your dreams” at least once while doing so.
• BUSTED: You should only use marketing strategies that you personally like used on you.
• BUSTED: People who buy services don’t want products.
• BUSTED: People who buy products don’t want services.
• BUSTED: If another coach is already successfully established in a niche, you should find another niche.
• BUSTED: You may only work with people in your target market; therefore, you must be careful to avoid excluding anyone you might conceivably want to work with.

What 'rules' have you bought into that get in the way of growing a healthy coaching business? Leave them here in the comment section -- I'll sweep them up and dispose of them for you!

Myth: My Subscribers Will Get Pissed if I Promote Myself

Imagine it: Your list is finally starting to gain momentum. You're pouring your heart into your newsletter or blog. You're going out of your way to give 5-star value to your list. You've been working night and day to make sure your sales funnel is positively stuffed with goodies…

But nobody's buying.

What's going on? Why aren't you getting clients and making sales?

There are a number of possible reasons, but the most likely is that you're not getting business because you're not promoting your coaching products and services. And you're not promoting because you're afraid of pissing off your subscribers.

See, there's this wackadoodle idea floating around that you're supposed to get coaching customers without… well, without marketing, promoting or selling. There, I said it.

MARKETING. PROMOTING. SELLING.

How rude! You're hoping people will take the hint and buy something without having to be asked in a direct way. 'Cuz if you're direct about it, they might get pissed and unsubscribe.

Warning: Radical Idea Alert

To that, I say, "I WANT them to unsubscribe."

Huh?!? Why on earth would I want people to unsubscribe from my list?

Simple: My list is part of my prospecting system, and the whole point of the prospecting system is to convert qualified prospects to customers. Key word: QUALIFIED. And if someone doesn't want to receive promotional offers from me, that's a pretty good indication that they are not qualified to be a customer.

Qualified prospects:

• Are seeking a solution to a need
• Are motivated to make a purchase
• Have the financial resources to make the purchase
• Have the authority to make the buying decision

I want my list to be 100% qualified, so when an unqualified prospect unsubscribes, it's a GOOD THING. It means the system is working!

Qualified prospects WANT what you're offering

If you let the fear of losing subscribers keep you from serving your customers, you won't be in business very long.

Of course, you want to make sure to give subscribers whatever free information or value you promised when they joined your list; you don't want to bombard them with nothing but offers – just don't be afraid to promote your products and services when it's appropriate.

Qualified prospects will thank you by saying yes or asking questions; unqualified prospects will either ignore the offer or leave the list. And if they're not a qualified prospect for you, they probably belong on someone else's list, right?

Bottom line: Don't be afraid to promote to your list; it's an essential step in the customer qualification process.