Archives – December, 2008
Don't let the fear of answering tough question slow you down or stop you from getting out and in front of potential clients. New coaches find some question intimidating and difficult to answer because they have not given their answers a great deal of thought. Remember most people are asking questions about coaching and your experience because they want to know what you do and if what you do can benefit them. I had to stop and think about that, then sit down and formulate answers to some of the questions I found difficult.
How many clients do you have?
This one completely knocked me off my feet when I only had two clients! Then I realized the person asking this question may not have heard of coaching and may be surprised that there are coaching businesses that help people in this way. This question is easy to answer if you have a full schedule of clients but if you are a new coach with few clients, this is a tough question. There are two ways to answer this question.
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December 12, 2008
As a new coach are there question people ask about your coaching that make you squirm?
Face it, coaches who are just starting a coaching business often shy away from networking events because of the questions people ask that you stumble over answering. It is time to get over it and learn to answer those questions with confidence. Why not turn the question into an opportunity to invite someone for an introductory coaching session?
What do you do?
This is a common first question many people will ask at a networking event. You probably ask the same question of others. Your reply to this question should never be “I am a coach”. That statement can be included in your answer but your answer must be far more complete because many people do not know what coaching is. Include four key elements in your answer. Describe what you do, as a coach by stating whom you are, whom you help, how you help them, and what they get from your help. Who you are is your name and niche catch phrase. For example, “I am
Suzan Schmitt
the coach marketer”. Whom you help describes your niche coaching market. I help new coaches and coaches that want to grow their coaching business. How you help them reflects the challenges you help your niche market overcome. I help my customer get more coaching clients and increase their revenue. What they get details the benefits received by your clients when they overcome their challenges. My clients get more coaching clients so they can have the income and lifestyle they want while doing the work they love and help others.
Here is another common tough question.
How many clients do you have?
Even though coaching has been around for a long time there are still a ton of people who do not know what coaching is or how it could help them. I meet people every day who have no idea what coaching is or how I could earn a nice living doing coaching.
The person asking this question may not have heard of coaching and may be surprised that there are coaching businesses that help people in this way. This question is easy to answer if you have a full schedule of clients but if you are a new coach with few clients, this is a tough question. There are two ways to answer this question. You can tell them the limit on the number of clients you see per week, “I choose to see 15 clients per week maximum” or you can ask a question that addresses their underlying question. Most people, who ask this question, really want to know if you are a good coach and if you can help them. Tell them “that is a great question and I find that most people that ask that question really want to know if I am a good coach or if I can help them. That is why I offer an introductory coaching session. My introductory coaching session is a great way for people to experience what coaching is like so they can determine if coaching can help them”. Now you have answered their question next you want to ask if they are interested in finding out more about your introductory coaching session.
We will cover more difficult questions in my next blog post. I would like to know what questions make you crazy so we can work on good answers. Also, what challenges in your coaching business are troubling you?
December 11, 2008
Remember the purpose of an introductory session is to get clients to coach with you. An unstructured sample coaching session does not achieve that goal.
Build Rapport
People need to know, like, and trust you before they will want to coach with you. Building rapport is the first step to this process. There is an old sales motto that says, “like, likes, like”. What that means is that people are attracted to people that they see as similar to them.
Find Things You Have in Common
We like people who have something in common with us and who “act” like us. When you first begin a conversation with a new client, ask them to tell you a little about themselves and look for things that the two of you have in common.
Pay Attention to Their Personal Communication Style
Remember people like people like them so try to mirror some of their actions and behaviors. You are not doing this to be manipulative you are doing this to be observant and to improve communication.
Explore and Stimulate Their Desire for Change
Ask the client what part of their life they want to change. Remind them to deal in reality but explore all possibilities. After they answer continue to probe deeper by asking things like how would that look specifically, ask them what else that would look like, ask if there is anything else until you feel they have explored their desire deeply.
Stimulate Their Desire for Change
Our desire will increase as we become clearer about exactly what we want. You can help your client become more clear by asking what those changes will look like, what they will feel like, and what possibilities those changes will create.
My home study program "No Sales Required Client Attraction" gives you a guide to walk you through a sure fire introductory session.
Uncover Hidden Barriers, Limiting Beliefs, and Limiting Thoughts
No tricks to this step, just ask the client what could be holding them back from making the changes and reaching these goals. Ask them if there is anything that is stopping them or standing in their way to making these changes.
Magnify and Clarify the Pain if They do Not Make Changes
This sounds cruel but humans are motivated to avoid pain and we buy things based on emotion rather than logic so in order to help them you must make sure they have a clear motivation to change.
Let the Know that They are Not Alone
We see our problems and challenges as situations that face only us. Often we feel that we are the only person in the world that this is happening to and no one else has ever faced this specific challenge. We feel alone in our suffering.
Add Clarity and Direction to Your Plan for Them
Give the client an outline of the main areas of challenge you suggest they begin working on. Explain how your coaching strategy will address those areas.
Explain Your Coaching Structure and Fees
Explain your coaching fee structure making sure you have at least two options and ask which one they think is right for them.
If you like this article be sure to read "5 Things You Can Do Right Now to Get Coaching Clients"
December 8, 2008
What is a Power Team?
A power team is a group of three to six noncompetitive business people who have similar customers and there is a natural synergy between the businesses. For example, a doctor, a nutritionist, and a health and wellness coach or an accountant, a lawyer and a business coach could comprise two power teams.
Be Friends and Be Consistent
Get to know your partners by meeting together regularly and giving them a sample of your services. Once they know, like and trust you they will want to give you referrals because it helps them help their clients. They become a center of influence themselves, they will want to be helpful to you, they believe in your service, and they want to benefit from a cooperative effort.
Be a Valuable Resource
Become a valuable resource for your partners by passing on qualified referrals that are ready to use their services because they
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December 7, 2008
Is there anything on the back of your business card?
How many times does someone ask you to tell them what a coach does? It happens to me often and when I was a new coach, I would fumble my words or say something ineffective. Coaching is a very difficult thing to describe. Coaching is super hard to describe if you have not narrowed down your niche.
Put it on the back of your business card.
I starting thinking that if it was hard for me to describe coaching then it would be really hard for others like friends or clients to tell people what I do and refer me. It was time to order new business cards when I realized
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December 4, 2008
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