The Most Common Mistakes
Having interviewed and worked with hundreds of coaches, here are some of the most common problems that keep coaches from having successful practices.
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They don’t know how to identify a qualified prospect . – Only 5% of the population would make a good coaching client. You need to know what to look for.
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They don’t understand the prospect’s mind . – Most people are really busy, and they have never heard of coaching. You need to understand how to best approach a prospect and demonstrate how your service will benefit them.
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The focus of their presentation is on themselves. – Many coaches waste time talking about themselves. Your prospect will not be interested in you, until you have demonstrated what’s in it for them.
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They don’t know how to sell coaching .- Nobody wants to buy coaching. Less than 1 in 1,000 people are actually out there looking for a coach. Don’t even try to «sell» coaching. You can’t effectively sell something nobody understands.
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They try to describe coaching – Describing coaching doesn’t work. You simply get a bemused expression from most potential clients.
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They don’t know how to demonstrate the value of coaching. – Would you buy an expensive service that you had never tried? Would you pay hundreds of dollars a month for something that gives vague promises of a better life or career? Not likely. If you want people to hire you, you need to give them a killer sample session that clearly demonstrates a valuable outcome.
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They don’t know the marketing strategy that will work best for them . – Too many new coaches struggle trying to get clients the way their coach does. You need to find a few contact strategies that are the best fit with who you are, who you want to work with, and where you live.
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They don’t know who to price themselves . – Most new coaches prices themselves on their insecurities. Many experienced coaches under price themselves. You need to know how to price yourself to your market.
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They don’t know who to ask for the business. – Too many coaches give away lots of sample sessions, but don’t know how to ask for the business.
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They don’t know how to work their contacts . – The average person knows enough people to get their first 20 clients. You need to know how to help these people help you.
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They don’t know how to identify a good niche . – If you know what to look for, you can focus your marketing efforts on a select group of people that you really enjoy working with.
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They don’t know how to get organized . – Too many coaches waste huge amounts of time which could be used getting clients. In business, time is money, you need to find the best way to focus your efforts on productive and enjoyable activities that get you clients.
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They don’t know how to overcome the classic obstacles in starting a practice. .- Too many good coaches are suffering in silence because they cannot overcome their own doubts and fears and other classic obstacles coaches face in building their practice.
Coaches Need To Know More About Marketing
Coaching is still a very young occupation but when I first discovered it in 1996, it was in its infancy. As I went through my training and certification I was surprised to see how little time was focused on marketing. I can understand the need for coaching schools to focus on teaching coaching skills, however that leaves too many coaches struggling to fill their practices.
