New coaches reach out to me every week and they almost always have the same set of struggles to get traction in their coaching business.
Do you recognize yourself in any of these?
- Your head endlessly spins around niche ideas.
- When you talk about coaching people get bored.
- People you know aren’t referring clients to you.
- You work hard on social posts but nothing happens.
- You get lots of advice that leaves you confused and overwhelmed.
- Coaching prospects can’t justify your fees and Discovery Calls fall flat.
- You’ve invested so much already you wonder if you’ll every repay yourself.
Please know this … you are in good company. You’ve learned the coaching side of your coaching business but not the business side yet. And, there’s no reason that you should know how to do this right by yourself.
It may seem weird to hear this … I believe you are in exactly the right place, even if your plans feel stalled.
You are at the base of a learning curve. Things will come into greater focus for you if you can shift your perspective.
All of these challenges and their solutions are related to similar root causes.
Listen for the pattern and see if the puzzle pieces start fitting together for you.
#1 Your Head Endlessly Spins Around Coaching Niche Ideas
Root Cause: You’ve been thinking about the topics you like to coach about and that’s keeping you stuck. You know something is missing and you are right. It is the most important part of a smart niche.
The Solution: Instead of thinking about coaching topics, think about WHO you’ll serve. Choose one unique, specific group of people to serve that fit in with the niche topic you’re most leaning toward. Keep in mind this subgroup must be actively seeking solutions for big problems that you can help them solve over time.
For example, instead of being a ‘transition coach’ and targeting all women where your message and offers will sound vague, instead target a sub-group of women facing one very specific and important transition then develop your niche around that. See the difference?
#2 When You Talk About Coaching People Get Bored
Root cause: Unlike coaches, most people don’t know they want coaching. They want specific outcomes and solutions to specific problems so there’s your opportunity.
The Solution: Stop talking about and trying to sell coaching. Talk about what your target audience deeply cares about. That will never bore your audience!
#3 People Who Know You Aren’t Referring Coaching Clients to You
Root cause: (I know that hurts and you don’t understand why.) It’s because your network isn’t clear what you really do. This is about language.
Solution: Articulate what you do by describing specific outcomes that you help a specific audience achieve. Then, not only will you get referrals from friends and colleagues, your clients will also fill your business for you.
You are starting to see a pattern, aren’t you? The big challenges that coaches face are solved by making some significant shifts in perspective.
Think about it … if your perspective is stuck it makes it difficult to move forward decisively, get traction and enroll plenty of clients.
Start with your audience in mind and keep it there.
#4 You Work Hard on Social Posts and Content but Nothing Happens
2 Root Causes:
- Your messages don’t stand out.
- You haven’t consistently hit the highly relevant points for your audience Most coaches post about self-actualization topics – balance, self-care, life purpose. That’s old hat and non-specific because it could fit ANY audience.
The Solution: Create a customer journey where your ideal clients will find YOU. It involves strategizing all of your content – from web copy to your offers to podcast episodes and articles to social posts.
Learn the small details about what your target audience wants and what’s in their way of that. Not big sweeping things, but specific things.
Then learn where they go to find solutions. Be fully present there. That might not even be on a social channel so open your mind. Find out where they are, where they go and what they’re looking for there.
Also … think about how your voice, approach and perspective is unique from others online?
Develop your style to be unlike anyone else’s.
Then, show up consistently that way.
#5 You Get Lots of Coaching Business Advice That Leaves You Confused and Overwhelmed
Root Cause: You are following too many different mentors who all advocate different business models that don’t blend well together.
This was something I learned the hard way. I was on so many lists, reading so many books. That lead me astray.
The Solution: Shut off the firehose. Get off lists.
Choose one mentor that you resonate with,
invest your time and money there and stop looking outside that circle for answers.
Implement all their advice to build your business then you’ll know that you are doing things where all parts work in concert instead of against each other.
#6 Coaching Prospects Can’t Justify Your Fees and Discovery Calls Fall Flat
3 Root causes and none are related to price:
- You are coaching in your Discovery Calls.
- You haven’t connected the dots between what they want and your program.
- Coaching is perceived as a luxury service rather than essential support so don’t sell coaching.
Do coaching but don’t sell it.
The Solution: Create a Signature Program with specific milestones your audience most wants to achieve. Use their words to describe it not vague coaching terms.
My income tripled the first year I made this big shift
and went up steadily from there as I attracted my ideal clients.
I was no longer wasting time on people who would never invest in my services.
#7You’ve Invested So Much Already and Wonder If Your Coaching Business Will Ever Repay You
2 Root Causes:
- You’re not charging enough.
- You didn’t know that all business owners invest highly in their own business.
The Solution: Own your value. Set fees that pay you well and stand by them.
You will be perceived as far more credible than if you stay low priced. People who are perceived as experts can charge much more for their services and get it. And, of course, then you must deliver value. I have no doubts you can do that!
Invest your money wisely into your business. Stop yourself from buying all the bright shiny training programs and fancy apps. Instead invest where it really counts. Smart investments do pay off.
Once you have strategy working for you everything falls into place and you’ll earn well. You will pay yourself back and you’ll be so proud of yourself!