Today’s episode is about earning more through a high-ticket coaching program that inspires enrollment.
I’m going to say something that may shock you … selling coaching by the session may keep you from earning more than few thousand dollars each year.
That was my sad story. So excited about coaching, after training I did what most coaches do, I started offering sample coaching sessions to anyone who would take one and enrolled a few short -erm clients at low fees.
My first full year of being a professional coach I earned $3000. I kid you not. The second year was not much better. People said they appreciated the sessions and got value but they weren’t excited enough about having a coach long term.
What was I doing wrong? I figured that out … later.
- I called myself a life coach and was trying to coach everyone about anything. The lack of specialty was not confidence inspiring.
- I was charging fees that were far too low, which conveyed a lack of credibility.
- And most importantly, the idea of coaching itself was not inspiring to prospects.
You see, most people don’t wake up and say to themselves “I need a coach!” And this is a big problem for coaches. It means that coaches have to convince people they want something they don’t already know they want.
Coaching feels like a hard sell and it’s not a strong position to be in. If you’ve been listening to me for a while, you’ve heard me say this before.
You know it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be a coach, doing coaching and have it be your main skillset for your business. It just means don’t sell coaching.
There’s a better way.
I made some changes to my approach, which made everything click into place:
- I narrowed to a viable target audience and did research to find out what BIG problems were in the way of their big goals.
- I created a Signature Program customized to exactly what my audience knows they want.
- I raised my fees significantly because the Signature Program was worth it.
Changing the perception is what made the difference. Perception is a powerful thing.
No longer was I giving sample coaching sessions and trying to convince a person that coaching was what they want. Suddenly, I and my program were perceived as credible and I could command higher fees.
Create a Customized Signature Program
This is why I help coaches create a VIP Signature Program that’s long term and customized to their chosen target audience. It’s a process that makes everything in your business congruent and powerful.
Coaches feel confident because they have something of value to offer that’s perceived as valuable to prospects. They learn to articulate what they do in meaningful terms and without the agony of trying to convince people to buy coaching. And they are able to earn more serving less clients each year.
The reason why serving less clients is an advantage is that every client you enroll takes a lot of time and energy. Also, there’s the added benefit of working with clients long term on something concrete.
- Begin by targeting a viable audience – one that’s full of seekers – people who do invest in their professional and personal growth.
- Next you uncover their biggest known problems and the ultimate outcome they want to achieve. That becomes your coaching niche.
- Then, you put together a Signature Program tailor made to that audience. Your program has a clear set of milestones that you’ll help your clients achieve on the way to that ultimate desired outcome. You price it to attract clients, which isn’t what you think — low priced.
- Then, you learn how to articulate what you do to prospects in a way that’s benefit rich, supplying them with assurance of both tangible or concrete and intangible or emotional things they KNOW they want to achieve with your help. The structure of your program inspires investment.
- You learn how to create a customer journey — web copy, content and conversion processes — that attract prospects, build trust and rapport, then gently inspires them to have a Discovery Call with you where you can enroll them.
And by the way, that Discovery Call is NOT an offer displayed on your website. It’s something you invite prospects to only after they are already excited about the idea of working with you.
Signature Program Examples
Let’s say you’re a relationship coach helping people to find their soul mate. Your program might include the following milestones – takeaways you’ll help your clients achieve:
- Identifying personal values and partnership values. What are their must haves and deal breakers in their life partnership?
- Getting ready for a partner. What are their strengths but also habits and behaviors in need of adjustment? What are their limiting beliefs about relationships? You might even have something like a life makeover in your program.
- Setting first date goals. Helping them set personal boundaries and show up with confidence.
- Discovering the best places to meet people and connect.
Sounds like coaching, right? But there’s a clear arc to the program with opportunity for the client to bring their agenda to sessions.
Or, maybe you’re a leadership coach and target HR leaders to gain greater impact in their role – something you’ve discovered from market research that’s a top goal of HR leaders. Your program’s milestones might include:
- Creating a vision for the impact they wish to make.
- Identifying what’s been in the way.
- Uncovering their professional strengths and learning how to leverage them.
- Identifying skills and behaviors that need attention and areas to stretch.
- Develop good habits to strengthen their resilience, mindset and competencies.
- Building their rapport, identifying sponsors and other relationships that would help their star rise.
- Helping them develop a thicker skin and become bolder in meetings.
Obviously, there’s a bit more finesse than this for how you describe this program and attract people to it. But can you see the advantage of having a Signature Program?
And do not think that this is something only a few coaches can offer because of expertise. Any coach can offer these kinds of milestones and value bundled into a program that feels special to the prospect.
From Vague and Open Ended to Specific and Structured
So far in your coaching business you might be simply trying to convince a client to hook on … to want coaching and be willing to invest in a certain number of sessions up front.
It’s painful. And it’s without context especially if you haven’t narrowed to a viable audience, done market research and discovered what your audience wants so much they’d be willing to invest in your help to get it.
Programming your coaching into a Signature VIP Program creates a context for why a person would want to invest at a high level in their future success. And, you can offer this program without ever using the word “coaching”. That’s your toolbox not an outcome your audience knows they want.
