#108 Four Game-Changing Business Concepts That Will Transform Your Coaching Business

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I'm really excited today to share four game-changing concepts that completely shifted how I approach business. These are ideas I wish I'd understood sooner, and I'm glad to share my five years of learning with you. These concepts have transformed my coaching business, and I believe they can do the same for yours.

Concept 1: Identifying Your Ideal Customer

Your ideal customer is more important than you think.

When I started, I thought coaching was about helping as many people as possible. But not all customers are created equal! I've learned this myself through several iterations of my business. Some clients will energise you whilst others will drain you. Some will happily pay you, and others, especially if they're not paying very much money, will question every penny.

Business is so much easier when you serve the right people.

Just this week, I've been reminded of this valuable lesson. I very rarely do discovery calls because my hours are limited by working only during school hours. This means that discovery calls can easily take up a huge part of my working day.

So I very rarely do those calls but, obviously, if someone messages and really wants to meet, I will try and meet them. I spoke to two people this week who knew nothing about me—they didn't know my social media, they'd never listened to my podcast, they hadn't even taken time to look at my website or my prices. I just thought, "Oh my gosh, never, ever let me get on a call with an unqualified lead again!", because it was a waste of my time and theirs. They didn't know anything about what they needed or what I was offering.

It really showed me:

• The value of marketing
• The value of nurturing your leads
• The value of building your personal brand so you attract the right people

I would highly recommend guiding potential clients to filling out a pre-selection form before they book a discovery call with you, and it's a good idea to send them details of your offer and your pricing before they book a call with you. There can be so much time wasted talking to someone who hasn't been attracted by you in particular.

The customer journey

My experience this week has been a great lesson about the customer journey. Sometimes that customer is too early in their journey to invest in your services. For example, I used to want people to come out of coach training school and hire me. I knew they had a need, but they didn't know they had a need.

They would say, "This is so exciting! I'm launching my business." And they had no idea that there was a lot to learn from that point. They're not actually my ideal client because they don't yet realise they need to learn marketing and sales skills to grow their business.

Who is your ideal client?

My ideal client is actually a year or two in, sometimes many more years than that, who really knows there is a lot to learn. It's all about the nuance. Small things make a huge difference. You need support, community, and direct feedback again and again to really understand how to get your offer polished and to get your edge in your business so sharp that it's like a beautiful diamond. Now, the market is incredibly competitive, and we do all need to be that beautiful diamond, not just a round rock on the beach.

Instead of talking to that person who you know is unhappy in their job but perhaps has whined for years about it and you know they're never going to do anything about it—they are not your ideal client. Your ideal client is the type of person who thinks, "Maybe there is more to this. Let me figure out what." And "I think it's really important to think about what options there are. Let me think about learning something new. Let me buy some personal development books and try and improve myself."

That is your ideal client. So, it's really easy to think it's the person that's really unhappy, and sometimes it is. But sometimes that person still needs to be the type of person who invests in themselves and sees coaching as essential, not a luxury.

This is why, instead of asking yourself, "How can I get more clients?" you should ask, "How can I get better clients?"

Concept 2: Value-Based Pricing

The next shift is: charge based on value, not on what you think they can afford.

One of the biggest mindset blocks I see in coaches is pricing. We worry that our ideal client can't afford it, that they haven't got any money. But we get to choose our pricing based on the transformation that we provide, not what is in your client's bank account.

Low prices will attract people who don't value what you do.

Instead, think about the value of the outcome. If you help a client get a pay rise or get heard in the boardroom, it is worth thousands of pounds to them. So why charge pennies for that knowledge? The right clients will pay for results, not just your time.

Concept 3: Evolving Your Offers

The businesses that last are the ones that will adapt and sell better versions of their offers. This used to be me when I used to think, "Ah, they've been established for years. How can I compete?" And now, I know I can compete because I'm up to date and I'm relevant and I'm all in. I'm obsessed by updating my skills.

So don't think that you cannot enter the market and be amazing. You may have that spark that others might have lost.

You may be willing to adapt and make your offer better. Think about Apple - they don't just sell the iPhone once, they release new versions, better features, and customers keep coming back. So don't wait until your offer is perfect. Know that you can release a new version again and again, just like the best businesses out there.

Ask yourself:

Aim for long-term success

If you want long-term success, think about building offers that evolve and keep delivering value.

Also think about multiple ways to serve your best clients. That might be through an initially shorter-term one-on-one arrangement leading into a higher ticket or a mastermind or next-level programme of some sort. I have taken a long time working on this because I really do think having one offer that you really get known for, is the most powerful strategy you can have in your business. So, whilst I suggest this, I also think you often need to have those clients before you start thinking about your second and third offers.

Going back to having no idea how hard it is, you might think it's easy to have three offers, but it's really not. I'm at my absolute limit with two offers right now, and it's taken me years to get to the place where I've got two offers established. It really isn't easy to have lots of different things on the go because it's really hard to find time to sell them. You will get known for your niche so, if you're swapping and changing every week, it's going to be exhausting for you explaining everything and your clients are going to be exhausted trying to keep up with you and your messaging.

This is about playing the long game. Start with one offer, to one person, at one time, then progress from there at the right time.

Concept 4: Full Commitment

Shift four is to commit, and that is a good thing. One of the biggest reasons why people struggle is that they are half in, half out. They dabble and make excuses that they have no time, instead of truly committing.

Think about it as a diet. Are you just doing this for a week to fit into a particular dress for a wedding, for example, or are you prepared to shift your entire lifestyle for that healthier lifestyle?

If you are constantly looking for an exit, then you won't really see the results.

How are you treating your business?

Ask yourself now, are you treating your coaching business like a side hustle or a hobby? Or is this something you are going all in on? And, if you are all in, then force yourself to make it work. That is the time when things start shifting in the right direction.

When you stop looking for a backup plan or an exit route, you will force yourself to make it work. You will do all the hard things that you need to do as a business owner.

The commitment level is high, especially for the first few years in business. Even after that, the commitment level is high. And that is when you will start seeing real attraction.

Recap and Final Thoughts

Let's recap the four game-changing business concepts that will transform your coaching business:

1. Work with the right clients, not just any clients.
2. Charge based on value, not what you assume people can afford.
3. Keep improving and adapting your offers.
4. Fully commit and go all in.

These concepts have completely changed how I approach my business, and I'm confident they can do the same for you. Remember, success in coaching isn't just about helping as many people as possible—it's about helping the right people in the right way, charging what your transformation is worth, continuously evolving your offerings, and committing fully to your business journey.

Let me know how you get on!

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You can also listen to all my new content on my podcast?Women in the Coaching Arena

PS. If you're ready for the next step, I have 3 spaces available to join my mentorship programme Business of Coaching’ programme to start on the 11th of March with a bonus additional 4-week small-group accelerator (max 5 people).

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