Discover Your Coaching Niche

Archive for September, 2007

This is a continuation of our article. In the first two posts we listed six of the top mistakes made by coaches when networking.

They are:
1. Not Taking Your Business Card
2. Not Having a Concise Answer to “So what do you do?”
3. Networking with Other Coaches
4. Not Being Clear on Who Your Target Market Are
5. Premature Selling
6. Not Making Notes

So let’s continue with number 7. This one is more common than you would ever imagine.

7. Not Following Up

If you’re not following up, why on earth are you networking? You need to make time to systematically call your prospects in the days after the networking event.

This requires thinking about your prospect, your interaction and what you’re going to say when you call.

8. Not Getting Trained

You got trained in coaching skills, didn’t you? You most likely invested time and effort in learning how to coach. Networking, for the vast majority of coaches, does not come naturally – it’s something you need to learn.

So take a course. I can strongly recommend Will Kintish’s networking courses – more details via http://www.kintish.co.uk .

9. Not Being Consistent

As with all marketing strategies, you can’t just go to one networking event and think “That’s it”. Networking – both attendance and follow-up – is something you must do consistently.

You should be looking to attend relevant networking events at least fortnightly. Make this a part of your working life.

10. Getting Drunk

There are often opportunities for drinking at networking events. If you do drink, do so in moderation. This is business, not pleasure. No-one is particularly attractive when drunk, and it’s easy to underestimate how much drink will affect you.

Bonus Tip: Be Innovative – Consider Using CDs

One variation on handing out business cards worth mentioning is a professional who gives out recordings of a presentation he’s given on CDs. It’s now quite possible to record – cost-effectively – a presentation, teleclass or briefing you’ve given, and give it away, in place of a business card.

Just be sure it’s relevant to your target market, it’s produced to a high standard and has all your contact details included.

Conclusion

In this article I’ve discussed the most common mistakes that coaches make when using networking to build their business. Which ones are you now aware of that you can avoid? And what actions are you going to take as a result of reading this article?

Alun Richards helps coaches find and reach their coaching niche. Discover yours with Alun’s free mini-course, “Discover Your Coaching Niche“, available from http://www.brandingyou.org/ecoursesales.html

© Copyright Alun Richards 2007. All Rights Reserved. You may freely distribute this article providing you do so in its entirety; ensuring the copyright and contact details above are included.

Technorati Tags: discover your coaching niche, coaching niche, coaching marketing

In the first part of this article, we looked at the first three mistakes coaches make when networking.

These were:
1. Not taking your business card
2. Not having a concise answer to “so what do you do?” and
3. Networking with coaches

Let’s continue with the next most common mistakes…

4. Not Being Clear on Who Your Target Market Are

This will kill you quicker than anything else. If you’re not clear on your target market – your niche – you will attract no-one. You’ll end up attending random “networking” events where the likelihood of finding a match with your services is remote.

So before you start planning your networking, get clear on your coaching niche. Then ensure you go to events attended by your target market!

5. Premature Selling

Let’s be clear about what networking is all about. It’s not about you delivering your sales pitch. It’s not even about getting a client at that event. Really. It’s about understanding the needs of the person in front of you and building a relationship.

It may turn out you have nothing relevant to offer them. That’s OK. You may know other resources you can recommend to them – and if you do, be sure to share.

6. Not Making Notes

When you meet a likely prospect, take their business card. Let’s assume you’re getting on well, and there seems to be a match with what they want and your services.

Ask if you can call them in a few days to outline your services in more detail. Write on the card when they’re happy for you to call them. Then make sure you call them then.

This article will continue in the next post.

Technorati Tags: coaching marketing, discover your coaching niche, promotion

For coaches, networking, when applied consistently, and focused on your target market, is an excellent way to bring in new leads.  But, more often than not, coaches make mistakes that hamper the success of networking as a client-getting strategy.

So, read on, and discover: do you make these mistakes when networking?

1. Not Taking Your Business Card

If you’re networking, you’re going to be collecting business cards, and your prospects will ask for yours.  It’s one of the cheapest forms of promotion there is.  

So take a stack of cards.  If you haven’t got any – order some professionally-produced cards today!  Look for recommendations for printers from fellow coaches, or from other professionals.

2. Not Having a Concise Answer to “So what do you do?”

This is so easy to do, yet many fall at the first fence.  Have a short elevator speech that makes it clear who you coach, and what solutions you offer.  If you haven’t developed you elevator speech yet, my BrandingYou! Workbook will guide you through producing one. 

It’s available for instant download via  http://www.brandingyou.org/brandingyousales.htm

Give enough information in your first response, but don’t overwhelm.  Test out your elevator speech and get feedback on it from your target market.

3. Networking with Other Coaches

Who are you networking with?  Naturally, it should be with your target market.  

A networking event put on by a coaching association, or attended by other coaches is not the type of networking event you want.  Who, there, ultimately, is going to buy your services?  No-one!  Go to networking event attended by your target market!

This article will continue in the subsequent posts.

I have added an article page to my coaching resources site, BrandingYou! .  So that many of my articles relating to discovering your coaching niche, or improving the marketing of your coaching practice are available there in one chunk.  You may find them easier to read as a result. 

My two most recent articles are posted there, including my article on the Seven Coaching MegaTrends: 
http://www.brandingyou.org/megatrends.html 
…and Don’t Get Clients, Get Leads! which is posted here: http://www.brandingyou.org/leadsnotclients.html .

 

In the previous posts, we’ve stated that clients want leads rather than clients, and have outlined how coaches can get these leads.

7. So I Don’t Want Clients, I Want Leads? 

Absolutely. To recap, you want a means by which a large number of people from your target market can try you out on a low-cost, low-commitment, low-risk basis.

You want your low-cost product or service to be representative of you and what you offer. It should meet your prospects’ needs, and encourage them to want more from you.

8. So What Do I Do First to Get Leads? 

Locate your target market, and ask them what they want most.  Make sure you cover content and medium.

Listen to the answers. Then act on them!

Conclusion
 
In this article we’ve looked at why coaches should not be looking for clients.  We’ve argued that they should be looking for leads.

And we’ve laid out a process to follow that will ensure you get leads from your target market.

So the only remaining thing is to ask “What are you going to do next, as a result of reading this article?”
 
 
Alun Richards
Author of The BrandingYou! Workbook
Free Discover Your Coaching Niche Mini-Course available here:
http://www.brandingyou.org/ecoursesales.html

© Copyright Alun Richards 2007. All Rights Reserved.  You may freely distribute this article providing you do so in its entirety; ensuring the copyright and contact details above are included.

in the first part of this article, we asserted that coaches don’t want clients – they want leads.  And we started to explore how coaches can attract leads.

4. That’s Quite a List – What Should I Choose? 

Well, rather than you choose what your target market might want, why not ask them?

Its always tempting to assume you know what your market want.  Sometimes it just seems so obvious.  But you can be surprised – it’s much better to ask, and act from knowledge, rather than guess, and act from ignorance.

And while you’re asking them what medium your product should take, do check that the content of the product is what they require, too. 

For example, you might believe that your target market need to know how to get clients. They might actually have a problem with converting prospects.  So ask! 

5. So They Tell Me What They Want – Then What? 

Now you have the most important information about your target market. You know what they want (the content) and what format they want their product or service.

Now all you have to do is produce the product (or service).  As you know it’s what they want, you should have no problem getting them to buy it.  Assuming you can produce the product – or get someone else to do it – you have a means to generate leads like they are going out of style.

Naturally, you’ll want a means to tell your target market about your product, to get it to them and to take payment, and you’ll want to keep your new prospects – your leads’ – details on file.

6. Why Do I Want To Keep My Leads on File? 

Because in the example we used at the start of this article, no-one is going to marry you straight off the street. (Or no-one you’ll be happily married to in a few years time, anyway.) They’re going to want to get to know you over a period of time.

So you’re probably going to have a few more interactions with these leads before any one of them commits and decides to buy your coaching services. Of course, several will drop out along the way. But that’s fine, as long as:
(1) they spend some money first, and
(2) there’s a queue of people to replace them.

This article continues in the next post.

Introduction

One of the biggest problems that coaches say they experience is getting clients.  In fact, their biggest problem is the thought that they need to get clients.  Read on to find out why… 

1. Don’t Get Clients! 

You heard me right – don’t get clients.  Look at it like this: do you, assuming for a moment you’re male and single, walk up to girls in the street and ask them to marry you?

No, of course you don’t!  That would be too big a step.  You want to take smaller steps first. You might want to go out for a coffee, to see if you might like to spend more time in each other’s company.

Well, it’s the same with clients.  If you have a mindset that you must get clients, you’re handicapping yourself from the start.

What you really want is leads. You want prospects who might be interested in what you have to offer, but would like to get to know you a bit better first.

2. Are You Sure I Want Leads? 

Yes. To many prospects, to ask if they’ll be a client – perhaps for a minimum of three months – is a step too far.  They’re going to say no, most likely. You’re asking them to commit time and money – and a lot of effort – with someone they’ve only just met.  How can they know if you and your services are right for them? 

Now, if there was a way to try out your services that was not such a commitment, then they might be interested.

3. But How Can They Try Out My Services? 

There are several ways, and savvy coaches are already employing a number of them. Basically, you want a low-cost, low-commitment product or service that a prospect can try out, and get to know you.

These may include offline presentations at your own, or other peoples’ seminars, exhibitions or workshops, where prospects can get a taste of what you offer. They could include your newsletter, e-courses delivered by autoresponder, e-books, specail reports, teleclasses or other low-cost products.

They could also include articles, recordings of presentations, your blog, podcasts, home study courses – the list is long and only limited by your imagination.

This article continues in the next two posts…

Coaching MegaTrend 7: Availability of Web-based Technologies

We are in the midst of an explosion in the availability of affordable, easy to use web-based technologies.  And savvy coaches are beginning to realise what benefits this can have to their coaching practices.

A coach’s website is taken for granted these days, as is a their newsletter.  If you look at several coaches’ websites you’ll see a remarkable consistency.  They no longer differentiate.  The area in which to compete has moved on. 

Audio and even video are creeping into coaches’ websites.  But the coaches who will succeed are those offering something that their market want – their content must be relevant and valuable to their target market. 

Those coaches who utilise teleseminars, autoresponders and increasingly blogs that meet a client need will prosper.  Those that do not will fall by the wayside.

The next big technology trend is likely to be coaches’ podcasts. And the same dynamic will apply – the content must be relevant and valuable to the client.  In the next six months we forecast a flood of coaches’ podcasts – and 90% which will not be around six months after their inception.

We’re seeing far more use of internet automation – for keeping in touch with prospects via autoresponders and newsletters, for online surveys, membership sites… …the list is long and growing.

The winners in the use of the web-based technologies will be those unafraid to experiment, who use technology for the benefits it can bring to them and their clients, rather than for its own sake.

Alun Richards helps coaches find and reach their coaching niche.  Discover yours with Alun’s free mini-course, “Discover Your Coaching Niche”, available from
http://www.brandingyou.org/ecoursesales.html  

© Copyright Alun Richards 2007. All Rights Reserved.  You may freely distribute this article providing you do so in its entirety; ensuring the copyright and contact details above are included.

 

Coaching MegaTrend 5: Coaching Products

Coaches are increasingly using online products – both their own products and those of others – to achieve different marketing objectives.  These products can be ebooks, articles, short courses delivered by autoresponders, teleclasses, downloadable mp3s, CDs, home study courses and combinations of the above.

Some coaches are using products to augment their coaching offerings, to appeal to different segments of their market.  Others use them as a promotion device, to attract new prospects to their marketing funnel.  Yet others are using products to leverage their time with clients – so that the client gets the maximum benefit while minimising costly 1:1 coaching time.

Coaches are finding that products can achieve multiple objectives – they can bring in revenue while building client loyalty and gently guiding prospects to the coach’s higher-value coaching services.

Coaching MegaTrend 6: Coaching Programmes

We are seeing the growth of the specialist coach, who blends coaching with instruction and training, and sometimes adds consultancy. 

Coaching programmes typically have an overall aim, a set duration and have specific content that is communicated in addition to the coaching.  They typically offer a programme – often between six and eight weeks – designed to build knowledge and skills in a particular area.  Examples of this are CJ Hayden’s Get Clients Now! programme which blends training, coaching and consultancy.

This trend is leading to the coaching market fragmenting somewhat – and becoming less homogeneous.  It’s not enough to just be a coach, it’s what sort of coach are you, dealing with what sort of clients to achieve what?

Taken together with MegaTrend 4 – niches and differentiation and  MegaTrend 3 – the increasing maturity of the coaching market, we are seeing coaches profiting from providing coaching programmes to specific market niches.