What are the most common mistakes getting coaching clients? Part 1.
7. Not understanding the true nature of the game
Coaching is largely a referral game, and someone getting a light bulb reaction and realizing they need your services.
You understand the true nature of the game, and base your marketing around this understanding.
8. Not understanding you need to offer services that your client wants and needs
Building a coaching business is not about creating the service or product that you wish to sell. It is about creating a service someone else wants to buy.
You need to understand that coaching is about filling a gap for the client. The client has a problem or a desire, but there is a gap. Your service fills this gap. This is called gap-selling.
9. Thinking meaningless messages create a spark
Content is golden! The words you speak, the image you put out there, and the feeling you give others is what makes a person say, “I want a coach.”
You need to stand out above the crowd. Your message needs to spark an interest, food for thought. But it can’t be what everyone else is also doing.
10. Not spending time wisely
This usually means spending time behind a computer and at home. This is why I actually recommend outsourcing the build of your website to a web designer, and purchasing professional forms and contracts online initially instead of creating your own.
You should be making phone calls, getting and organizing meetings, workshops or speaking engagements, networking. This takes time! The cave is just a seduction, and a professional in those things that aren’t your core strength and core business are better off with a professional.
11. Taking the marketing route everyone else takes
Do a considerable amount of research as to what everyone else is doing. I view competition to be a great thing in a market where there is enough space for everyone if you go about it the right way. You need to present yourself differently. You can look at my Facebook page and see I have trained many coaches all over the world, yet I rarely see the novel approach.
Start getting creative! You can do what everyone else is doing, and on top of that you need to be even more creative than that!
12. Not understanding that, ultimately, quality is expressed through results. Not understanding that results are what will get you clients!
Many starting coaches think they can acquire clients by spending a lot of money joining coaching organizations, and taking more courses so they can list them on the website. Indeed, training is key to getting results, but being a seminar junkie without real life application isn’t. Flying the banner of coaching organizations may look like a nice visual on your website, but says nothing about results. The results part is where referral process starts helping you.
You need to understand that results are your number 1 priority to build a successful coaching business. You may actually be better off allocating the limiting funds you have not by taking another workshop, or taking the most expensive training that isn’t the best but with the lure to be able to join international coaching organizations. Research your training based on results, the one training that can get you the first clients, and live training is the only way! Then apply, and practice!
