How to Have $3k - $10k Days As a Coach

It was 2015 and I'd already, and quite dramatically, quit my 9-5. As a single mum, I decided to take the approach that “if you wanna take the island, you better burn the boat!”

I figured that the safety net of my regular income would give me all the excuses I needed not to pursue my dream business and take all my fears head-on.

But within a few months of quitting my job and launching my business, the reality of my situation became abundantly clear!

I wasn't making any money!!

And no amount of enthusiastic air-punching and hugging strangers at personal growth seminars was going to change that fact. I needed to take action and FAST. I couldn’t feed my children off my positive vibes and fresh air!

So, with finite resources, I set up The Sales Confidence Academy for Coaches and launched my first programme of VIP One Day Intensives. I'd been in sales for over 15 years so this was one area I knew intimately and could easily teach. I'd also identified sales as being a major sticking point for so many coaches. So many coaches struggle with selling before they learn how to sell without feeling sleazy and pushy!!

I quickly learned how offering VIP one-day intensives was a quick win for bringing in clients who had little time, who wanted FAST results, and were willing to pay premium prices for the privilege. 

I invested in a few myself to learn what worked and what didn’t (e.g. DO NOT invite clients to your front room, with the overflowing laundry basket in the corner…I’m serious!! This actually happened to me!)

Whilst there’s some prep work for you upfront – it’s well worth it.  I’ve seen VIP days priced anywhere between $2997 and $9,997! Not bad for a day’s work.

My client Kelly Lunt, a spiritual channel and Intuitive Transformation Coach, sold her first $10k VIP weekend within a few weeks of announcing it because she was super clear on the problem she was solving for her Ideal clients.

The whole experience of a VIP Intensive really can have maximum impact and when done well creates incredible and long-lasting connections with your clients.

So if you've been considering adding VIP One Day Intensives to your portfolio but you haven't known how to get started, here are some tips that I learned along the way that will help you take the leap!

The Benefits of VIP intensives.

For your Clients

Aside from meeting the needs of the clients who LOVE fast results and don’t want or need the hand-holding support of weekly calls, your clients will love the exclusivity of the VIP treatment

Taking your clients out of their daily norm is powerful for releasing and unleashing greater possibilities for creativity, fresh perspectives, new ideas, mindset shifts, confidence, and clarity.

As lockdown lifts, you can begin to plan again to create a wonderful experience for your clients.

You can choose to make the experience really special for your clients and there's nothing quite like a fancy cream tea to talk over the mornings' insights, breakthroughs, and revelations!

For you

You can charge premium prices if you can provide solutions to your client’s deepest needs. And, you get paid quickly. There are no chasing payments, if payment hasn’t been made, the day doesn’t happen!

Once you’ve sourced a venue you love and the worksheet templates are created, you can rinse and repeat over and over.

You can do your intensives as virtual services too if your client can’t travel to you.

You only need a couple per month to make a fantastic income and they provide a great opportunity to up-sell at the end of the day. I always recommend you offer a follow on programme.

Considerations for your Planning

Typically, I offered days that were 5 to 6 hours in length. We’d break for lunch and have 2 comfort breaks scheduled in between about 75 – 90 minutes of intensive work.

Once your client has said yes to you and the date is in the diary, do send them something in the post by way of acknowledgment. 

This is exciting for your client and prepares their state for the day as well as qualifies their purchase. This is important when they have paid a high-ticket price but their VIP day isn’t for a few weeks. You’re minimising the risk of a change of heart and cancellation.

You can send them a “Congratulations and Thank You” card, a gift like a journal, or some Pre-VIP day workbook to complete.

Be specific in the topic that you’re going to deal with to avoid overload and overwhelm. Keep it simple! Don’t attempt to replicate your 3-month coaching package into your VIP day!

There are 4 key themes of VIP days that really work well:

• Getting started – how to kick-start your clients' journey to get them to their first milestone i.e Clarity in your purpose or overcoming a particular fear or crafting a roadmap to reach the first health milestone.
• What Next? – this is addressing where your people get STUCK. Create a VIP day around pushing through a typical plateau in their journey i.e A health coach may take someone to their next level health goal or a career coach may help a client step into the next level of leadership
• Step by Step programme – clients love the security of knowing that if they follow a certain process they’ll get the results – i.e how to create a webinar or a workshop or following proven success principles to reach a new goal
• Skill Mastery – Tap into your zone of genius and help your client master a skill i.e Master the art of highly effective sales calls; or Master negotiating skills or Becoming a productivity ninja using your unique planning system

The possibilities are endless and you just have to consider the options from the perspective of your ideal client and what they need to solve a pressing problem.

As part of the VIP intensive package, I always liked to offer the client a follow-up session within 7-10 days of the Intensive. This can be a 60 minute Zoom session.  A follow-up call provides accountability and support. You’ll also instill confidence as your client has an opportunity to talk through their progress and ask any questions.

A Final Word

Perhaps you, like so many others, totally underestimate your intellectual property, your unique gifts and strengths, and how you can add value. I know I used to!

I would undermine my experiences, skills, and knowledge and feel unworthy and “not good enough.” I devalued what comes easily, imagining that it must come easily for everyone, instead of seeing it as one of my unique talents.

With 16 years of experience in retail sales, sales management, and sales coaching I know about sales and how to sell. Clients came to me because they wanted to make their coaching businesses work for them, which meant making money through selling their coaching packages.

It’s only until you get out there and start sharing what you know and what you have inside of you that you can begin to appreciate your own value and who you can help and how.

There are people who want to know what you know, have what you have, and bask in the light that you illuminate when you show up and lead the way.

Sanae x

p.s If you're hitting a ceiling in your coaching business and you feel in a spin, then drop me a DM and let's talk about how I can help you break out of the feast or famine cycle and into the next level of success.