If I started my coaching business all over again, this is what I would do differently

It's been five years since I started coaching and just over 3 years since I started coaching full time. There's been a lot of ups and downs and a ton of learning along the way. So if I was to start my business from ZERO here's what I would do differently:

1. Focus on service - the Grapefruit distinction

Talking about the concept and theories behind the work I was doing only got me so far. It opened a few doors to conversations but never went any further. The reason being that people didn't know what my coaching was like until they EXPERIENCED it. I could talk to them about all of the benefits and wonderful changes that could happen for them but until they had a powerful experience for themselves they would be none the wise as to how my coaching could be beneficial for them.

Imagine someone who has never tased a grapefruit before, I could try as best as I can to describe what the grapefruit tastes like but until someone tries it for themselves they won't know how it tastes and if they like it or not. As a coach, give out as many grapefruits for people to try as you possibly can.

2. Share my story

Being a coach is great but the thing that truly connects us with other people is our humanness. Instead of trying to look like the expert, I have found it incredibly powerful to share my story and what led me to coaching. When people hear my journey through depression to where I am today and how I am continuing to work on myself they are blown away. I have become more open to showing my vulnerabilities with people and this has lead to deep relationships. This helps create a human-to-human connection in which I can explore someone's deep desires and fears. And this is where the real work happens.

3. Commit to the cause - be laser focussed

In the first two years of starting out as a coach, I was distracted. Distracted by get rich quick schemes, creating the perfect content, running events, producing a podcast, etc.

When I focussed in on one thing - creating conversations - that's when by business took off. I ditched all of the other distractions which were helpful but not THE most important thing when it comes to building a coaching business and created a singular focus to create conversations in which I could make a difference in someone's life.

4. Stop going into conversations with an agenda

At first I wanted to create specific outcomes for my coaching calls which meant my listening was pretty closed. I was only listening out for what interested me and then I could guide the conversation how I wanted.

When I dropped the agenda and started going into conversations wide open, with only one intention - to listen deeply - I found that the conversations I were having went a lot deeper and created a greater shift in someone's life. I was taking people to places in conversations that most people wouldn't take them to and the results were amazing.

5. Fall head first into mistakes

In the beginning it was all clunky. How I started conversations, how I invited people to a call, how I listened in a conversation, how I spoke - all of it. But I didn't give up. However, I did start to show up being scared of making a mistake and this held me back.

When I gave myself infinite permission to mess up and keep messing up, I started playing the game at a different level with a greater sense of freedom and this meant that the impact I was having in conversations was huge. I was letting my intuition guide me in what questions I would ask or what I would share and I had more and more people asking to work with me.

6. Study the greats and BE a great client

At first, I couldn't afford a coach (at least that's what I convinced myself of) so I started to deeply study the work of Steve Chandler thanks to a tip off to my first mentor John Dashfield - I took to his books and audios as if I had paid thousands of pounds to work with Steve and I started to put into action what I was learning.

The more I learnt, the more I applied, the more results I was seeing in my business - but again, this only got myself so far. It wasn't until I hired a coach that my business really started to take off.

If I was starting from zero today, I would do all I can to hire a coach and one that felt like the best fit for me and how I wanted my business to be. Alongside this I would study the work of Steve Chandler, Melissa Ford , Karen Davis, NCC, PCC and more. And I would take my learnings to my coach to help me apply them to my business.

7. Create fees that are easy to say yes to

My ego told me I needed to charge high fees because that's what the best coaches do. Whilst my insecure thinking told me I wasn't good enough to charge those fees. So I landed somewhere in the middle and create fees that were easy for people to say yes to. My first ever client paid ￡800 for 6 months of coaching and my first group programme was ￡350 per person. This felt too easy for me so I then made a big jump in my fees and hardly had anyone wanting to pay my new fees.

In hindsight I should have lowered them again to make it easy for someone to say yes. I would create options for people that I knew I could over-deliver on. So whenever someone finished working with me, they would say "I can't believe you only charge ￡x for this" - this would help me to get busy and full up my coaching practice. And then I could look at raising my fees.

8. Share the possibilities I see

Something that I have been stepping into recently and sharing with clients and potential clients are the possibilities I see for them. Don't get me wrong these are possibilities I am blind, they are possibilities I can see having spent enough time getting into the clients world and understanding what their biggest dreams and deepest desires are.

From here, I can share the possibilities I see for them. If this lights them up, then I know we could be onto a winner for them!

9. Enrol people into the version of their life that they want to be living

This has been a game-changer for me in recent months, thanks to a conversation with Steve Hardison - when I take myself out of the equation and help someone to see how they can live into their life in the fullest way possible, that's when the magic starts happening for someone - when they can actually start seeing what they want as being a realistic possibility for them and not just a pipe dream

I've had 100s of conversations where all I've done is enrol someone into their own life and what they truly want. Some of these have lead to paying clients, some have led to referrals, some have led to people hiring a different coach and its all great because the world wins. There's one more person taking ownership of their life and what they truly want.

I am launching the second round of my Business Accelerator programme - to help coaches and service-led business people to build a prosperous and sustainable business from a place of authenticity. I have created it to help you create greater impact from a place that truly aligns with your values. This isn't a 'how to' approach - the work is focussed on creating you into the most powerful and loving version of yourself so that you can show up in the world as that.

The group programme starts in October and is for 6 months. It includes group coaching sessions, 1:1 coaching, an online course, recommended reading, my ebook on creating coaching clients using social media, a private FB group and additional resources I have complied over the 5 years I have been coaching.

We'll be officially kicking off at the end of October and there are two bonus pre-webinars in Aug & Sept for those who are signed up early.

If you are interested in hearing more, please send me a DM and I am happy to have a conversation with you

Peace and love.

Your friendly neighbourhood mind sherpa.

'Alex'