You’ve spent money and time to train as a coach. You’ve chosen a narrow and viable niche (at least I hope you have!) You’ve branded, put up a website and faithfully posted on social media … so MANY times!
And now you’ve got a Discovery Call scheduled. You want to enroll this client! You need to enroll this client!
But already, before the call, you can feel imposter syndrome creeping in. You don’t like to sell. You don’t want to have to sell yourself but YOU THINK that’s what this call is all about.
You must convince this person that you are their best resource right now so they can be more and accomplish more.
It’s too much pressure. Stop pressuring yourself! Instead prepare yourself for your call in a more peaceful and client-centered way. Take the spotlight off of you.
In episode #216 5 Secrets of Selling for Coaches I mentioned prepping for your Discovery Call. That’s what this episode is about.
I used to hate doing Discovery Calls because of the way it would twist me up inside. Before the call I felt like I was stepping onto a stage with my pants around my ankles.
It was, of course, me who put myself through the ringer every time. No one else did.
And when the call was over, sometimes I’d beat myself up if the client didn’t hire me and wonder what I did wrong. Or, if they did hire me, I’d wonder why. What was the linchpin that held the call together and produced the result of YES! How could I do that every time?
Well, that told me something about myself I did not like. I was not being authentic or in my integrity in the Discovery Call. Not good.
Is Getting a New Coaching Client the Whole Point?
It’s been a very long time since I felt that way in a Discovery Call or had those pre or post-call jitters. And there were 5 things that changed:
- My mindset. More about that in a minute.
- Knowing my target audience extremely well. I’ve talked about this many times before.
- Having a smart process for my Discovery Call.
- Keeping the focus on assessing fit rather than coaching during the call.
- And, learning to prep in a way that ensured success every time.
Don’t get me wrong … I’m not saying that every Discovery Call I do these days results in a new client. But … almost all of them do because I don’t offer a Discovery Call to just anyone.
I only offer a Discovery Call to people:
1. Who already know what my program is all about and they are ready to make the investment.
2. They’ve been following me. They have already been to my website. Most have already listened to a dozen episodes of Prosperous Coach Podcast.
You want YOUR future clients to be ideal prospects first and for those reasons OR the enrollment process will feel salesy and uncomfortable.
And here’s the mindset shift I mentioned — think of every Discovery Call as a success no matter the outcome because it ends with a decision that your prospect believes is right for them.
So because of that mindset shift and more, since about 16 years ago, I have truly let go of attachment to whether a client hires me or not. And THAT lack of expectation and nervous energy translate to my prospect. They can feel it and know I want what is best for them.
They don’t feel any pressure. I’m not doing any convincing. It’s just a conversation between equals.
Prep Helps You Put the Focus on Your Prospective Coaching Client
Coaches who are interested in working with me in my VIP program fill out an application on my website. This is smart for 3 reasons:
- It gives them a chance to share things about themselves with me. People LOVE to share things about themselves.
- It gives me a chance to share how I help my clients through the kind of questions I ask. And, of course, it’s all target audience specific to their BIG problems and goals.
- When a prospect takes time to fill out an application they are already investing and that shows a level of commitment to their success already.
So that’s the first part of prep. Next, before I have the Discovery Call, I study their application and I research the person. A lot of my prospects are on social media. Some have websites or even articles, videos or podcasts out there. So, I take the time to find out more about them.
And when my prospect realizes that I’ve already invested my time in them, they feel seen and reciprocated.
All of this puts the spotlight on the prospect. I’m not thinking about me. I’m curious about them and want to know more. It helps me to make my Discovery Call about:
Service not Performance
I am in my integrity and I’m authentic.
You can do all of this too and I promise you that you that it will dramatically change your results in Discovery Calls. One of those positive results will be the peaceful way you feel about the call, your prospect and yourself. That’s how you grow confidence and grow your business!