Here's how you can start a successful sales coaching business from scratch.

First, you need to identify your niche. What specific area of sales coaching will you focus on? Are you targeting new sales professionals, seasoned sales leaders, or perhaps a specific industry? Finding your niche allows you to tailor your services to meet the specific needs of your target audience. For instance, my focus on the HEART framework has helped me carve out a distinct space in the sales coaching world.

"the riches are in the niches" - It's important to be able to coach in lots of different areas of selling, but customers won't see the value of a "jack-of-all-trades" coach straight away. Instead, focus on one major problem you solve, and then branch out once you've landed your clients

A great start to building a successful sales coaching business from scratch is to identify your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). The first step is to identify a niche that aligns with your particular industry expertise. For Example: If you have been in car sales for over 20 years your niche would be in the Car Sales Industry. Knowing your niche & who you will be targeting is crucial when starting a new coaching business. The most common mistake that I see as a Sales Coach is the coaching business trying to sell their product, service or solution to everyone. The one thing to keep in mind when starting out is that not everyone is your ICP.

Finding your niche is crucial. I focused on sales coaching for the insurance industry, leveraging my extensive experience. By specializing in insurance sales, I provided targeted value, addressing industry-specific challenges like client retention and regulatory compliance. This specialization streamlined my marketing efforts and significantly boosted my credibility and effectiveness in the market.

Coaching from a position of experience is really valuable - whether based on a particular type of industry (like Real Estate) or a level of experience (Coaching Execs, or Coaching for people wanting to level up)

Once you’ve identified your niche, plan your services accordingly. What kind of coaching will you offer? Will it be one-on-one sessions, group workshops, online courses, or a combination of these? Define your coaching methodology and ensure it aligns with the needs and challenges of your target market. Remember, your services should provide clear value and tangible results for your clients.

The next step after finding your niche is to design your sales coaching packages. As a Sales Coach I provide 1:1 Coaching, Group Coaching, and Online & Onsite Sales Trainings. I also offer 3, 6 & 9 month Sales Coaching/Training programs. Having options when starting a new coaching business is a great start. As you grow & in time your service plans will change depending on the demand. It's crucial when starting a new coaching business to have service agreements that explain & outline the full details of your services, plans & programs.

Use a scheduling service! One that can offer different services / prices / descriptions and availability that fit your brand and messages. It allows you have a 'polite cancellation policy' within the booking so you don't have any awkward calls with your client .

What do I charge and am I worth the price are the first questions that come to mind when setting pricing. Setting pricing for a Sales Coaching business is definitely not an easy task when first starting out. To gain an understanding of what it was like to be a mentee, I initially signed up for a few Sales Coaching training sessions. Additionally, to obtain a visual, I participated in a few live and virtual sales training classes. These two actions allowed me to find out how much my competitors were charging for the exact same services that I would be offering. With the information gained I set my pricing below what the established & seasoned Sales Coach was charging to be competitive.

One thing I've seen work successfully is do your first few gigs free. Sounds stupid but have the client film the sales training for you and give testimonials at the end. This will one give you social proof and people can see what your offering also using content to create ad visuals can be helpful. If the gig goes well you'll start to see referrals and call backs in the future.

Always always always charge for your services! If you get into the habit of doing work for free, you'll never charge high enough. Set a very high price for yourself (it should be scary) and then: 1) For your first 5 customers do it for 90% off 2) Next set of 5, do it for 75% off 3) Next of 5 for 50% off 4) Next set at 25% off Then you'll have 20 customer testimonials & references, and you'll be charging at the high price that you want to be. Your first customers get a discount, and you get experience.

How to build a brand that attracts clients (3 easy steps): 1) DEFINE YOUR VALUES Clarify what you stand for and how it benefits your clients. 2) CRAFT YOUR MESSAGE Create a consistent and compelling message that speaks directly to your target audience. ensure you incorporate storytelling to activate the limbic system and reduce neural noise by creating a consistent message throughout your materials. 3) FIND YOUR AUTHENTIC VOICE Showcase your true self to build genuine connections with your audience. Not everyone will like you and that’s OK. It’s worth it just to be true to yourself. I underestimated the importance of having a personal brand for years… No more. It’s important. just do it.

Building a strong personal brand is crucial. Your brand is the image you project to the world, and it should reflect your values, expertise, and unique selling points. Be authentic and consistent in your interactions. Use platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram to showcase your expertise, share success stories, and engage with your audience. Honestly, it came as a surprise to me how much technology has eased my branding efforts. Social media has elevated businesses to unimaginable heights, allowing me to stay updated on my clients and develop meaningful relationships.

One of the most important aspects of starting a new Sales Coaching Business is to Build Your Brand. It's crucial when first starting out to get the community you serve to get to know, like & trust you as the industry expert. The greatest way to succeed in building a brand is to differentiate yourself from the competition by putting yourself out there. Finding out who your target market is and where they hang out is essential when building a brand.

Building a strong brand is essential. My brand reflects my values and the high standards of the insurance industry. A professional logo, consistent messaging, and a focus on client outcomes have helped establish trust and attract clients who resonate with my approach. Your brand is your promise to clients.

Develop a robust marketing strategy to attract clients. Use a mix of online and offline marketing tactics. Leverage social media to share valuable content and engage with your audience. Attend industry conferences and networking events to connect with potential clients and partners. Offer free webinars or workshops to showcase your expertise and attract leads.

Marketing is actually not important if it means social media marketing. Here is why. Does having an online presence help you grow a larger base? ABSOLUTELY. Does having an online presence help you make more money? Possibly If you are a new sales coach, you should be focused on prospecting and calling leads in your hometown. That is the easiest way to start making money and finding success. After you have a strong foundation, then focus on your marketing.

Once you have identified your niche, created service packages, set pricing, & have started with brand building efforts now it's time for the next step to implement and execute a marketing strategy. When creating a marketing strategy it's critical to identify the best channels to reach your target market. You can save time and money by choosing the appropriate marketing channels. One of my successful marketing techniques is to provide case studies of previous client successes. Another successful marketing technique is to provide testimonials from satisfied customers. To keep your marketing strategy exciting & engaging mix it up with audio, video, context.

If your interaction with your clients is always 'paper-work first' which means, you can rely on building your relationship with them on strong legal protetion for both of you. You can use online tools to set up digital signatures, digital copies of agreements, and transparency about your company and how you are going to charge them. Often Clients are expecting to pay alot but also get a lot, so you need to be clear in what circumstances would you offer money back and be legally prorected.

Client testimonials are incredibly powerful in building your business's credibility and trustworthiness. Collecting and showcasing positive feedback from your clients can significantly enhance your reputation. Encourage your satisfied clients to share their success stories and experiences with your coaching services. These testimonials serve as social proof, demonstrating the tangible value and effectiveness of your coaching.

Don’t start a sales coaching service if have not been successful in multiple sales roles, and have not successfully coached members of your team in the past as a leader. Don’t.

The most successful coaches we know manage their time to perfection, so that when they schedule calls with clients, they are modelling exactly what they are coaching - preparation, a great meeting, and appropriate follow ups.

To start a successful sales coaching business, I recommend focusing on three key areas. 1. Identify Your Niche - Specialize: You may want to choose a specific industry where you can demonstrate a true understanding of the unique needs and challenges of that market. 2. Leverage Your Experience - Showcase Achievements: Highlight your own sales leadership background with success stories, lessons learned from setbacks, and what you would do differently if you could go back in time. 3. Build Your Personal Brand - Establish Online Presence: Create your online presence on platforms like LinkedIn, where you share valuable content regularly. Be sure to create this content in your voice. Wishing you much success in your sales coaching journey!

Setting up the business doesn't mean you stop working on becoming a better coach. Make sure you keep honing your craft and work to be a better coach after every session.