It's OK to sell, it's how you do it.
Donna Brewer
Foundational business expert, accredited business strategist and mentor helping coaches and small business owners build a solid business framework, save time, market effectively, increase clients and scale their revenue
I get it, when you train to be a coach, you are not trained to be a business owner, Entrepreneur, Solopreneur, Freelancer, whatever label you choose, and marketing, sales audience growth all of that can feel just a little bit overwhelming and confusing.
I just want to take you through a few basics things that will help you go from stuck to unstuck, and help you feel less confused and overwhelmed. I also have a great new free guide which you can download here is the link.
Firstly I want to say that growing your business is about strategic focussed planning and action. The more strategic and focussed you are the easier it is to show up, grow your audience, and get paid for what you love to do, which is coach.
So let me break that down, because I get that it's easy for me to say, I have done this for over 30 years.
Have you ever stopped for a minute and thought about the future? Thought about where you want to be 12 months from now, and what that actually looks like. Have you thought about how much you want to earn, and mapped that out, and set some goals to achieve what it is you want?
If not then this is the perfect time. This is how you do it.
First, write out these three things.
What is my expertise?
Who is my absolute best client?
What is their biggest problem?
When I mean biggest problem, the thing that is stopping them in their tracks everyday, keeps them awake at night, makes them anxious, stressed, overwhelmed. When you have this figured out, you can then start to address that problem, and how you help them. It needs to be absolutely 100% clear how you help them, and in a language that they understand.
Secondly. Think about your services.
Are my services and what I offer right for that client?
Let's think about that. If you have a particular client in mind, but you have designed a package that does not fit with their actual requirements, they will not buy it. So, this needs to be qualified a little bit more.
Have a deep dive into their psychological profile. Do they have time constraints? parents for example do, they also struggle to invest in themselves.
Are they a CEO but do not want to admit they are struggling with something?
Is there a particular culture barrier in companies that you need to break down?
When you have taken the time to do this, you can then figure out what packages and services would be right for your clients. which leads me onto my next point.
Thirdly. Their ability to pay for your services.
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If your client cannot afford you, they will not become your client, so focus on what they need and what they will pay. Do some market research. Look at other coaches and organisations, so you can see that your clients will buy, and what they are buying.
When you are designing your services, you should not only be thinking about 1:1 coaching, you should write down all the ways you could help your client, and what you can charge for that service.
It's always about that ideal client. Here are some things to consider.
Would your client prefer a 1:1 or a group, a community for many people can be more supportive than 1:1 Can you sell them a book, magazine, self -paced online course? Can you run a training program like I do. Are you able to offer mentorship, based on your experience?
As a coach, you could potentially have so much more to offer, than just 1:1 coaching.
This multi-layered approach will make your business not only more financially viable, but also have wider appeal to your client. If you think about you, and an issue you have there are multiple ways to solve that problem, and you may look at multiple avenues to get the desired outcome you require.
This is how you should approach your pricing, because then you can market those services to offer multiple solutions.
So now it's onto the marketing, and selling of those services.
Does your LinkedIn profile, tell people exactly who you help, and how, and how much? If not why not?
Sometimes pricing is definitely complicated, especially with corporate packages, so it is less appropriate to show pricing. This is my take on it. Someone checks out your profile, they see exactly what you do, how much you charge, and they either connect, or don't. It's better to not waste time trying to convince people to buy. At least if they see your starting point, then when people reach out, it's already a better qualified lead.
Educating is different to convincing, they may need more information on what you offer, but at least the price is not an issue, it becomes more about the product fit. Which you know you can answer, because you understand the issue.
Clients just need support, when you are guiding them through this process, and when you look at sales in this way, then it will feel more authentic to all parties. It's important to start the relationship as it means to continue. That way you will do great work together, and get more referrals, get great comments, which will help build your social proof.
If it helps, I know sales and marketing can be overwhelming, with many barriers, but when you know where you want to be, and who you are looking for, and how you help, then this process is made so much easier.
If this resonates and you would like more information on my 12 week business basics 101 training course at £997 then please DM me for a conversation where I can tell you more.
In the meantime here is a link to my new free guide on the 10 steps I am using to grow my business.
Until next time
Donna.
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