EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: 'How I Sell SCC? to C-Level Clients' Interview with Chris Coffey

Never before have I heard a more frequently (and reluctantly) posed question than this.  On a good day I may see it 2-3x – in an email, on the phone, or even carefully crafted in a handwritten letter.  But most weeks the question litters my inbox like ramen packets in my old college dorm room (thank you Top Ramen for the memories).  And with the advent of mass work-from-home orders and the subsequent adoption of remote coaching, the query seems more pertinent than ever: “How do I sell coaching?”

Yet amongst the throngs of “tell me hows” stands a man whose cool confidence remains unfettered by the shifting trends.  “The truth is that I didn’t plan this out,” said the Master Coach as he joined me for an interview on a brisk October morning. “It’s the product of extensive trial and error.  Once I dialed it in there’s been no need to change it for decades.”  Mr. Chris Coffey, a suave ex-Hollywood actor with a dash of New York toughness concealed by his smooth SoCal swagger, was touted by his peers as one who ‘almost never walks away from a prospect empty handed.’

As we poured our coffee and checked our mics, I explained that those of us lacking a prolific profile like his tend to struggle with selling – whether attempting to explain our methods, justify our fees, or simply close the deal.  Nodding in agreement, he grinned like a proud father ready to teach their boy how to ride a bike.  “It’s as though coaches are waiting for some mystical being to descend to earth and gift them with clients.  That’s not how this works.  They have to go out and find clients.  They need to sit down and talk to them.”

Before ushering us into the deep end of the dialogue, I gave some context.  “They just feel……” the words had barely escaped as Chris semi-sarcastically interjected, “Pushy?  Fake?  Forceful?”  He was right.  We talked about the difficulties executive coaches have being stuck between wanting to help and wanting to sell.  Looking at the confusion on Chris’ face I could tell he was ready to accelerate the exchange.  

“You have to understand,” he said, methodically, as though he was choosing each word at the same time they left his lips, “…that selling is helping.”  He went on to explain that the groundwork for effective sales is first determining if this person has a ‘problem’ or need, then if you have a viable solution, then (and only then) determining if your fees match their budget.  Advocating for our coaches, I felt it necessary to point out that some people felt a sort of ethical friction when pushing to close a sale.

To this day his words resonate: “Once you know they have a need that your coaching solves, and at a budget you can both agree on, it is your ethical duty to complete the sale and help this person get better.”

Eager to understand more fully, I asked him to walk me through his sales approach from the top.  (Note to readers: I've included some pull-quotes from the interview and encourage you to share the ones that resonate with you. Tag @Chris Coffey and me so we can comment on your post.)

1. Send introduction email

The first step after being contacted by a prospective client is to send an introductory email. Chris uses this correspondence to point his prospects towards a few hand-selected resources that jump start the conversation. Certified coaches have numerous email templates inside their Certified Coach Login: https://get.mgscc.net/login/ During your first meeting with the leader, he asks if they had a chance to see the resources he sent ahead of time.  Whether they say yes or no, now is the time to start digging into the high-impact materials and uses this dialogue to begin vetting their commitment to the process.  As Chris so eloquently puts it:

To see his email template and more resources, join the free course Chris and I created to teach each step in great detail: https://mgscc.net/how-i-sell-scc.   

2. Review Most Improved Leadership Skills List

Chris, along with Marshall Goldsmith, Frank Wagner, and others, has compiled a very clear list of the most frequently selected leadership skills to improve upon. He suggests asking, "If you could wave a magic wand and be more effective at any of these areas AND be recognized and acknowledged by others as more effective – which ones would you choose?" Give them 2-3 minutes to select some skills. Reduce their list to 2 skills to improve. This helps the prospect start thinking about their leadership, areas they'd want to improve, and even start building the commitment to making the changes they desire.  This list (and many more resources) are available in the free course: “How I Sell SCC?”

3. Conduct cost-benefit analysis

Transition to a cost-benefits dialogue by asking "What would change if you were not just more effective at these areas, but were recognized and acknowledged by others as being more effective?" Take note of the prospect's response. Dig deep to uncover the real value of change. For example, if the response is, "My team would be better at collaborating," dig deeper by asking how that would impact business metrics like time-to-market, revenue-per-head, innovation, etc. Add up all the benefits to illustrate the magnitude of value that comes from effective leadership. Then ask what the costs are. Regardless of the client, the most frequent costs are time (< 1 hr/month), publicity (from involving stakeholders), and money. In the latter case, when the value is higher than the costs, the participant sees and articulates the ROI themselves.

4. Explain your coaching process

At this point you should begin describing your coaching process. For MGSCC? certified coaches this is simple: We pick something to get better at, involve stakeholders using FeedForward, and build an action plan - then we measure the change. Inside the coach login there are numerous resources to aid you as well as video demonstrations of how to describe the process. Make it clear what is required and what is optional, and allow time for Q&A.  If you’re using a coaching methodology other than Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching?, share whatever it is that you do.

5. Demonstrate outcomes from REAL clients 

After you’ve identified the value of coaching and some specific areas to improve using your coaching, it’s now time to highlight typical results experienced by leaders you work with.  Turn the discussion towards the tangible, concrete outcomes of the Stakeholder Centered Coaching? method. Share mini-survey scores from your past clients (anonymized where relevant!) to show the results they can expect to receive by choosing you as their coach. Review After Action Assessment from clients that document the quantitative and qualitative outcomes from your coaching. Affirm them by asking again, "What if YOU were recognized by others as being measurably more effective in these areas within 6-12 months of coaching?" This type of 'is it worth it?' conversation allows a seamless transition to contracting.

6. Move to close with behavioral contracting

Although maintaining professional and legal contract database can be a daunting task for coaches, certified MGSCC? coaches have a number of contract templates available inside your coach login (https://get.mgscc.net/login/). Review the terms with the client and edit where necessary. Although the meeting may not conclude with the commercial agreement amongst all relevant parties, it is a very powerful move to get clarity on the behavioral expectations for both the coach and the person being coached for the engagement.  This step solidifies the leader's intention to pursue coaching with you and already aligns acceptable behaviors within the engagement. Remember, the aim of this meeting is not to conclude the sales process here and now, but to ensure that you and your coaching process stand out from all others in their coach pool. With strong brand recognition and competitive market positioning, Stakeholder Centered Coaching? coaches may find the contracting phase to be relatively painless as the hard part is done for you.

After thanking Chris for his generosity of time and intelligence, I turned our focus to our audience for questions.  We were greeted by a flood of thumbs-ups and thanks, sprinkled with further questions on the specifics of how he implements each step.  Moving down the list we saw more and more need for prescriptive guidance and ready-made resources to support coaches in executing this sales process.

With an overwhelmingly positive response to the interview, and a flood of requests for more, Chris and I committed to our listeners/readers to go the extra mile.  Over the past weeks we’ve captured his best practices, collected his editable resources, and compiled his sales wisdom into a comprehensive training course called ‘How I Sell SCC? to C-Suite Clients.’  “It’s a system,” he explained, “I don’t have to think about it anymore.  I do what I know works.  And now you can, too”. 

As of writing this, the course is being offered free, but with intentions to limit registrations in the near future.   Get in while you still can: https://mgscc.net/how-i-sell-sc

Author: Brandon James Mergard, CEO @ Marshall Goldsmith Coaching

P.S. - By popular request I have resurrected perhaps the most impactful quote from our interview. It came about when our audience asked a rather pointed question about how to manage pricing objections. Chris' confident response found many of our listeners (myself included) feeling rather sheepish when reminded us of the immense value we bring and how shamefully quick we are to lower our prices in the face of objections. He quipped:

If that's not a quotable quote, then I'm not sure what is...