From Strategy to Success: The Untold Benefits of Having a Marketing Coach by Your Side

Whether you're just starting your entrepreneurial journey or a seasoned veteran navigating the ever-changing business landscape, this article is for you.?

Why??

Because no matter where you're at on your business journey, a marketing coach can be the catalyst to propel you to the next stage of your business.

"Wait, a marketing coach? Why would I need that?" you might be asking. And that's precisely what we're going to explore in this article.?

We're going to unpack the reasons why having a marketing coach can be a game-changer for your business, whether you're a solopreneur, a small business owner, or a CEO of a rapidly scaling enterprise.?

So, buckle up, grab your favourite coffee (or tea, we're not picky!), and let's dive into why you might just need a marketing coach more than you think.?

Reason 1: Clarity

A business or marketing coach acts as a guiding light, illuminating the path toward your goals and helping bring clarity amid complexity.?

Often, we can be too close to our business to see the full picture or to identify the blind spots. Here’s where a business coach steps in.?

They provide an external, objective perspective, allowing us to see our business from a different vantage point.?

They ask powerful questions, challenge assumptions, and help dissect intricate situations.?

This process can help to clarify goals, define your business strategies, and understand strengths and weaknesses better. They act like a sounding board for your thoughts and ideas, helping to distil them into clear, actionable plans. With a business coach, you're not only finding your way through the business fog, but you're also building a clear roadmap for your journey.

What does this look like??

Let's imagine that you're the owner of a fledgling e-commerce business. Sales have been good, but you're feeling overwhelmed. You're wearing too many hats—handling inventory, customer service, marketing, you name it. Plus, you're unsure of your next steps for scaling. This is where a coach can really make a difference.

I have many ambitious but overwhelmed clients in this position. One approach that works for them is to have a trusted sounding board with whom to relook at the vision for the business. Then we can reverse engineer from the perspective of what the ideal CEO life would look like for you.?

My philosophy is:? if it’s not working for your life, would it really benefit your business in the long run anyway?

A great coach might propose that you focus on your unique strengths and delegate or outsource other tasks. For example, if your forte is sourcing unique products and inventory management, but you struggle with keeping up with your digital marketing. The tricky part is identifying the issue so you can find the right solution that works for you and your business.

A helpful exercise for clarity is defining key performance indicators (KPIs). These can help you measure your progress objectively, and assist you in designing a strategic plan to scale your business. Regardless of what next steps you need to take, clarity is essential and working with a coach can help you get there fast.

Reason 2: Accountability

A marketing coach plays an instrumental role in fostering accountability, a crucial ingredient for success in any business endeavor.?

How? Well, when you collaborate with a business coach, you're not just speaking your goals and plans into existence, you're also making a commitment to someone who's invested in your success.?

Your coach will regularly check in on your progress, ask about the challenges you're facing, and discuss strategies to overcome them. This regular follow-up creates a sense of responsibility and motivation to follow through on your commitments. After all, it's much harder to put things off or ignore tasks when you know there's someone waiting to discuss your progress. This level of accountability can keep you on track, fuel your motivation, and lead to more consistent progress and tangible results.?

Having those coaching sessions booked means you are much more likely to stay accountable to your plan, and make the tweaks that are necessary to keep you focused on your ultimate goal and stay off the burnout circuit.

What does this look like??

Let's take the case of Laura, a promising entrepreneur who launched her own graphic design business. Laura is immensely creative and has a knack for design, but struggles with time management and consistently meeting her business goals.?

In my initial sessions, we set clear, measurable objectives for the business. For instance, one of Laura’s goals might be to acquire ten new clients within the next three months. Together, we would create a step-by-step action plan to achieve this goal.

We all know plans are only as good as execution. As Laura’s accountability partner, we would review the action plan. Did she reach out to potential clients as planned? If not, what held her back? What obstacles did she encounter, and how can she devise a strategy to overcome them? If Laura starts to veer off course during the week, these sessions serve as a course correction, keeping her focused on her target.

In this way, Laura receives a level of accountability that would be tough to achieve on your own. Especially when internal priorities tend to take a backseat to client delivery, knowing someone is tracking your progress and expecting you to take the agreed-upon steps toward your goals can make all the difference, ensuring you stay focused, make consistent efforts, and, most importantly, move your business forward.

Reason 3: Marketing ideas

A marketing coach can be a powerful ally when it comes to brainstorming and implementing marketing ideas. Given their experience and exposure to diverse industries, they're often equipped with a broad range of marketing strategies and tactics that you may not have considered.?

From having worked with many entrepreneurs in similar circumstances, a coach will help you identify your unique selling proposition, define your target audience more accurately, and advise on ways to reach that audience effectively. From digital marketing strategies such as SEO, social media, and content marketing, to more traditional methods like networking or print advertising, a business coach can provide guidance on what might work best for your business.?

It’s no secret that as a former marketing professor, I love data and analytics. My clients work with me to understand how to measure the effectiveness of their marketing efforts and how to tweak and improve the strategy based on customer response and engagement.?

Essentially, a business coach can serve as a dynamic sounding board for marketing ideas, enabling you to create and execute a strong marketing plan that aligns with your business goals.

What does this look like??

Let's consider the case of Mike, who owns a local artisanal bakery. His bakery offers a delightful assortment of breads and pastries, but he's been struggling to attract new customers and build awareness of his business.

Enter a business coach, who, after getting to know Mike and his business, understands the unique selling points of Mike's bakery: the use of organic, locally-sourced ingredients and an impressive variety of unique pastry offerings. The coach suggests focusing marketing efforts on these standout aspects to differentiate Mike's bakery from competitors and coaches Mike through designing a multi-pronged marketing strategy to increase local awareness.

What I’ve learnt from advising countless businesses over the years is that problem solving with an expert who already knows your business and processes means powerful up-levels when you need them. Anyone could have told Mike to make more engaging social media content or improve SEO, but a coach who’s helped you with the nuts and bolts of your business strategy will tend to give you that one solution that will move the needle.

For Mike’s marketing, I might suggest working with cafe partners whom he is already supplying to create a pop up or organising bread-making workshops to engage with the community versus a content heavy SEO strategy where Mike and his team were more focused on the kitchen than on content writing.?

Through this collaborative process, Mike doesn't just receive a handful of marketing ideas; he gets a tailored marketing strategy with clear steps and mechanisms to measure success. This multifaceted approach gives Mike's marketing a solid direction and offers him the tools to grow his customer base effectively.

Reason 4: Unbiased insight

Few of us have the luxury of walking away from our day-to-day tasks to get a little perspective. When you're in the thick of running your business, it's easy to become emotionally attached to your ideas or ways of doing things. This can lead to blind spots or tunnel vision, hindering your ability to make the best decisions. This is where a marketing coach can be like a breath of fresh air, bringing in unbiased, impartial insights without the emotional response.

A coach would objectively assess situations, propose fresh ideas, and challenge your preconceived notions. They're free from internal politics, personal relationships, or past experiences that may colour your judgement. This external perspective enables them to help you see potential pitfalls, untapped opportunities, or more effective strategies that you might have otherwise overlooked.?

What does this look like??

Let's consider Sarah, the founder of a tech startup that has developed an innovative project management software. Despite the product's impressive features, Sarah is struggling with low sales. Being a tech enthusiast, she firmly believes that adding more advanced features will attract more customers. However, this approach hasn't been working as expected.

Enter her business coach, who comes in with a fresh, unbiased perspective. After understanding Sarah's business and her approach so far, the coach suggests conducting a comprehensive market analysis and gathering user feedback. The results reveal that while the software is indeed feature-rich, it's also seen as too complex for the average user, making it less appealing to the broader market.

Though initially surprised by this feedback, Sarah realises that her emotional attachment to the product and her passion for advanced tech had clouded her judgement. Guided by the coach's unbiased insight, she decides to simplify the user interface and offer various versions of the software, catering to both tech-savvy users and those preferring a more straightforward tool.

In this case, the business coach's unbiased perspective helped Sarah see a critical issue she had overlooked. Instead of adding more advanced features, the coach helped her understand the need to meet the users where they are, leading to a more successful strategy that appealed to a broader range of potential customers.

Reason 5: Close knowledge gaps

A marketing coach can play a pivotal role in closing knowledge gaps that could hinder your business growth. As an entrepreneur or business leader we tend to want to take on every aspect of running a business - from finance, marketing, HR, operations, and sales. The truth is, it's virtually impossible to be an expert in every area no matter how much heart and learning you dedicate.?

A good marketing coach brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from a variety of fields and industries to the table. They can provide insights, resources, and advice in areas where your understanding might be limited. Whether you're struggling to understand your financial statements, unsure of how to optimise your operations, or perplexed about digital marketing strategies, your coach can provide guidance, recommend learning resources, or even connect you with other experts in their network. Essentially, a business coach helps fill the gaps in your business knowledge, empowering you to make more informed and effective decisions, and equipping you with the skills necessary to steer your business towards success.

What does this look like??

Let's imagine you're running a successful online retail business. Your home decor products are loved by your customers, but despite high sales, the business's profitability isn't where you want it to be. Understanding financial statements and managing cash flow isn't really your forte - your passion lies in curating unique items.

Enter a marketing coach. In this case, the coach understands your predicament and sees that the knowledge gap in financial management is limiting your business's profitability. They take the time to walk you through the basics of profit and loss statements and cash flow statements, teaching you how to interpret these documents and apply the insights to your business.

Moreover, recognizing that financial management is not your area of interest, your coach might help you explore options for outsourcing these tasks in the future, while ensuring you maintain the essential background to make informed decisions.

In this scenario, the business coach helps close the knowledge gap in financial management, empowering you to improve your business's profitability. They offer education where needed, and also help you strategize for the future, allowing you to focus on what you do best.

I empower my clients to implement simple, relevant forecasting systems, enabling them to manage their resources better. This often leads to better pricing strategies, ensuring that products are priced appropriately to cover costs and generate a healthy profit.

Reason 6: Unlock self-imposed limits

One of the most profound ways a business or marketing coach can help you is by unlocking your self-imposed limits.?

Sometimes, the biggest barriers to our success aren't external factors, but our own internal beliefs and fears. You might subconsciously doubt your abilities, fear failure, or feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of your business goals. A business coach can help you recognize and overcome these limits. They can challenge your self-doubts, encourage you to step out of your comfort zone, and help you build the confidence to tackle challenges head-on, transforming your mindset, fostering a positive attitude, resilience, and a growth mentality.?

What does this look like??

Let's consider Lee, an entrepreneur who's been running a successful local restaurant for several years. He dreams of expanding his business by opening more locations but is paralyzed by the fear of failure. He worries about the financial risks, the complexities of managing multiple locations, and whether his concept will be successful in a different neighbourhood.

This is where his business coach comes in. Over several sessions, the coach helps Lee identify and confront his fears and self-imposed limits. They work together to dissect each worry, analysing them from different perspectives. For example, for the financial risks, the coach guides Alex in a detailed risk assessment, helping him understand the potential challenges and strategies to mitigate them. They also explore various funding options to lessen the financial burden.

The coach suggests a gradual expansion strategy to address Lee’s worry about managing multiple locations, starting with just one additional location. They also discuss building a reliable management team to distribute responsibilities.

Finally, to confirm whether his restaurant concept will be well-received elsewhere, the coach proposes conducting thorough market research and possibly launching a pop-up restaurant in the prospective location to gauge interest.

In addition, the coach continuously encourages Lee, reinforcing his past successes and capabilities, and reminding him that every entrepreneur faces risks and uncertainties.

Over time, with the coach's guidance and support, Lee's confidence grows. He begins to shed his self-imposed limits, embracing the challenges of expansion rather than fearing them.

Reason 7: Help navigate challenges/blocks

A business coach can be an invaluable guide when it comes to navigating the myriad challenges or blocks you might encounter in your business journey. These could range from operational hiccups and strategic quandaries to leadership struggles or even personal blocks like fear or procrastination. A coach can offer proven strategies, fresh perspectives, and actionable advice to help you tackle these obstacles by identifying the root cause.

Running a business can be lonely. A good coach is there to support and encourage you during tough times, helping to bolster your resilience and maintain focus on your goals. I know I often find myself rehashing what my own business coach would say! Knowing you can speak to someone you trust helps you to manage hurdles with greater confidence. Essentially, a business coach equips you with the tools, strategies, and mindset to navigate challenges more effectively, turning obstacles into opportunities for learning and growth.

What does this look like??

Consider the example of Katy, a small business owner who runs a social media marketing firm. Katy's business has been growing steadily, but she's hit a roadblock: she's struggling to manage her expanding team, resulting in missed deadlines, miscommunication, and declining morale.

Enter a business coach. After assessing the situation, the coach recognizes that the issue isn't with Katy's team, but with the lack of a robust leadership and management structure. Katy is brilliant at her job but she hasn't had any formal experience in leading a team. This is where the coach's expertise comes into play.

The coach helps Katy understand the essentials of leadership and team management, including effective communication, delegating tasks, conflict resolution, and motivation strategies. They role-play various scenarios, allowing Katy to practise her new skills in a safe environment. They also create a plan to implement regular team meetings, establish clear roles and responsibilities, and set up a system for tracking and managing projects more effectively.

Working through her personal blocks around leadership, Katy builds up her confidence and overcomes her fears of confrontation and learns to delegate more effectively.

The result? Katy is able to navigate the challenge of leading her expanding team.?

She becomes a more effective leader, communications within her team improve, projects are managed more efficiently, and morale within her firm rises.?

Reason 8: Resource for networking/outsourcing

Networking and outsourcing are two strategic moves that can have a significant impact on your business growth, and a business coach can be instrumental in both. With their extensive experience and broad professional connections, business coaches can often connect you to valuable contacts in your industry, potential partners, or even clients.?

My clients enjoy working with me on networking best practices, like a compelling elevator pitch and identifying and following up with leads. On the outsourcing front, because they know you well, a coach can help you find external experts that align with your personal and business values. Receiving guidance on how to select reliable service providers, negotiate contracts, and manage these external resources effectively will free up your time to focus on core business functions faster.?

In essence, a business coach can be your gateway to a larger business community and help streamline your operations through strategic outsourcing, leading to greater efficiency and growth.

What does this look like??

Take the example of Chris, who runs a promising startup in the sustainable fashion industry. Chris is incredibly passionate about her work but struggles with two major issues: first, she feels isolated and lacks connections with other industry players; second, he's overwhelmed by the administrative tasks that eat up a significant portion of her time.

Enter a business coach who brings in a wealth of industry experience and a vast network of contacts. To help Chris build valuable connections, the coach introduces her to industry groups, relevant trade shows, and online forums where she can network with like-minded entrepreneurs, suppliers, and potential customers. The coach also prepares Chris for these networking opportunities, helping her develop a compelling pitch.

To address Chris's second challenge, together, they create a plan to find and hire competent freelancers or agencies to take on tasks and set up processes for managing these external resources to ensure a smooth transition.

With the coach's guidance, Chris is able to connect with key players in her industry and reduce his workload through effective outsourcing. Not only does this open up opportunities for collaborations and partnerships, but it also frees up Chris's time, allowing her to focus more on strategic growth initiatives – or, you know, her next trip to Bali.?

From a guide and mentor providing clarity and accountability to cheerleader, there’s no doubt that the right business coach can be transformative. Regardless of your industry or the size of your business, a good business coach can empower you to reach new heights, unlocking potential you might not have known you had.?

Speaking from my own experience, if you have a good coach, your success matters as much to them as it does to you. It’s how we measure our own success, so we’re deeply invested in seeing your business thrive.?

So, whether you're feeling stuck, looking to grow, or just starting out, consider investing in a business coach. It might be the best decision you'll make for your business.

Ready to power-up your business strategy??

It's time to take the guesswork out of running your business. Whether you're an established company that's hit a plateau or just launching your start-up, navigating the path to your goals can be daunting. But you don't have to do it alone.?

With over 25 years of experience in business and marketing, I've worked with major multinational corporations and hundreds of small businesses, helping them stay competitive and achieve their aspirations. Together, we'll take a fresh look at your business identity, pinpoint opportunities, and tackle challenges head-on.?

I'll work with you to customize a coaching program tailored to your specific needs and objectives. No cookie cutter solutions here, only bespoke strategies designed to drive your success.

I'm here to provide supportive, action-oriented mentorship to guide your business direction, manage resources, set effective processes, and keep you on track towards your business goals.

Sign up for a free discovery call and let's turn your business vision into reality.

Book your call here.