Five Traits All Great Coaches Have in Common
Jan Zucker
?? Print and Digital Strategist - We empower coaches, authors, educators, and trainers to expand their content and deliver their message through innovative print and digital solutions.
Even after all these years as an entrepreneur, every coach I work with teaches me something new.
I have come to understand one key point, however: there are coaches, and then there are COACHES, and the difference is night and day.
I can tell the difference almost immediately, and after all this time I have come to understand the characteristics that distinguish them.
Last month we discussed three key skill sets every coach should have. This month, we raise the bar and discuss how GREAT coaches succeed in today's super-competitive environment and why the rest struggle to find clients.
Below are the five most common traits of great coaches I have observed:
Great Coaches Understand Their Client
Not every potential client is suitable. Great coaches know the type of client that is most compatible with them and more importantly, who they know can achieve success. They are not afraid to say "no", even to lucrative potential clients if they can't promise them a transformational result.
Being a great coach means being prepared and committed to ensuring your client succeeds in their goals.
They Simplify Their Business Model???
Great coaches follow a version of the K.I.S.S. model. They:
a.???Identify and address their client's pain points.
b.???Make sure their products and services are effective for their ideal clients.
c.???Make sure there is a meeting of the minds about what constitutes a successful conclusion for their clients.
d.???Establish benchmarks along the journey to gauge progress.
e.???Communicate! Communicate! Communicate!
They Know Their Worth
Great coaches are singularly focused and dedicated to changing the lives of their clients, but also want to be appropriately compensated for their work. Most high-impact coaches are very comfortable charging more than the industry average because they have proven they are worth it.
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Undercharging for services will not only effects coaches’ income but can also have a negative impact on coaches’ perceived value to clients. Great coaches have no problem offering discounts when appropriate or even coaching for free when they feel they can help. The most successful coaches I've worked with always keep their finances at the forefront of their minds.
Marketing Does Not Run Their Business. Great Coaching Does.
Great coaches don't need to sell.
With all the advice out there about how to market their services, it's no wonder many coaches are caught like a deer in the headlights and are so confused that they try to implement all the marketing strategies they've read about at the same time.
Successful coaches don't have this problem. They are singularly focused on coaching. Being a great coach brings them the best marketing available: word-of-mouth referrals.
Besides referrals, the best coaches do not spread themselves too thin. They don't worry about likes or followers. They care about the best ways to demonstrate their expertise and build a connection with their potential clients.
Their marketing strategy is simple, and because they know their ideal client, they write insightful content explaining their skillset and how they will ease their pain. They also tend to spend time with potential clients to get a taste of how it feels to work with them. This should be accomplished with one actual coaching session, not a get-to-know-you meeting.
When finished with this initial session, most clients have only one question: when can I start?
Great Coaches Continually Invest in Themselves
If you speak to 10 great coaches, typically 8 of them had looked for and found a mentor who has already achieved the success they want to attain. And, just like your clients, great coaches know the right mentor when they meet them.
They are aware that they need to keep evolving, so they continuously seek out the latest theories and technologies that can benefit themselves and their clients.
The great and nearly great coaches are constantly reevaluating themselves and asking:
Becoming a Great Coach is Simple, but Not Easy.
While all this advice may appear to be straightforward, I’m continuously surprised at how often coaches lose sight of the best ways to successfully grow their business: