I thought long and hard about what, over the years, clients have told me tipped them over from maybe to yes.
And it’s not what I would have thought – pricing, specific features of my program. It’s something surprising.
This episode gives you 6 simple and 1 strategic thing that you can do now to help your coaching prospects shift from just considering your services to clicking onto the certainty button and committing.
By the way, that shift isn’t last minute. It’s something you want to inspire gradually before you ever meet your potential client!
The 7 Things That Tip Coaching Prospects Over to YES!
So, let’s start with 6 simple things, which are really more about BEING than doing.
#1 Be Responsive
Repeatedly my newly enrolled clients tell me that they were impressed and comforted by how responsive I am. When they were considering business coaches for coaches, above all else it was my timely and thoughtful responses that had them hire me instead of someone else.
And I can tell you from hiring coaches myself that it impresses me too while the opposite turns me off and sends me away.
There’s an approach that some coaches and mentors take that I call The ALOOF Method. The idea is to appear so exclusive and inaccessible that your prospects only receive automated emails or maybe, if they are lucky, an email with a VA.
Those actions shout: “I don’t have time for you.”
I tried this approach for a while early on in my business because I saw others doing this. I felt cold and it was ineffective. Episode 137 is a good one to listen to after this episode. It’s called Your Future Coaching Clients Might Be Turned Off By Automation.
I decided to be high touch in my business and it’s paid off big time.
There is a time and a place for automation but it’s not when you want to enroll an ideal client into a 1:1 Signature Program at a high-ticket price!There is a significant difference between any client and an ideal client. Believe me, you want the latter to be every client you work with. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself not enjoying your clients or your business. That makes it difficult to succeed for the long run.
So, yes, I reply personally to all inquiries into my VIP Signature Program and I recommend you do too. Some things can be templated but real connection must come across to your prospects.
#2 Be Kind
Kindness is so important in these times. It starts with your intention and trickles into everything you do. People need to feel seen, heard and understood. That is the greatest kindness you can give to a prospective coaching client.
Being kind costs you nothing but it makes a big difference in consideration. Think about it. Doesn’t it impress you when customer service reps are kind? Doesn’t it impress you when you feel cared for?
My clients say they love it that I’m both kind and direct. Maybe you don’t think those things go well together but in balance they go a long way in supporting your clients.
And make no mistake, being kind does not involve forsaking your boundaries, bending on policies, dropping your price or anything like that. It is possible to be kind and also professional in the same breath and action. Which brings me to …
#3 Be Professional
What does it mean to you to be professional?
Take some time to figure that out and then set intention right now to bring that with you into every aspect of your business and service.
To me it’s about having integrity, being honest, showing up knowing my value and standing in my personal power. It’s about following my intuition or going with my gut and trusting myself in all my business dealings. It’s also about admitting mistakes.
Integrity is the #1 thing that people look for in businesses and services. It’s a critical trait for a coach! Episode 141 has 5 Questions to Test Your Coaching Business Integrity.
#4 Be Organized
I’m lucky in this. I’ve always been highly organized in practice and I’m good at setting up systems. It helps me to work less and still earn well.
And don’t worry, if this isn’t your forte you can get support from a VA or assistant to help you put systems in place that make you look very organized. Perception is what’s important here.
This next one might surprise you …
#5 Be Consistent
Consistency is something that people can lean against.
This doesn’t mean you can’t also sometimes be spontaneous, try something new. But if part of your personal brand conveys a sense of consistency it helps people to trust you and your business.
TRUST, as you know, is part of the triumvirate that inspires people to hire service providers. If your prospects feels that they know, like and trust YOU, they are far more likely to take a next step with you. Enough trust and they will invest in your Signature Program.
#6 Be Direct
As a new coach, I was afraid to be direct. I waffled, demurred, held back. I’ve come to realize that people hire coaches because they want someone real as a thinking partner. A bit of edge and truth telling can help a client make big shifts.
So, I say it like I see it while also being kind and owning my biases. This more than anything has earned me respect from my peers and clients. Start growing this muscle now!
#7 Build a Clear Pathway to You
Okay so now the STRATEGIC thing you can do that will make all the difference in getting your ideal clients to yes from their own integrity … create a well thought out customer journey that helps your ideal clients find you and build a relationship with them.
This is about you and your target audience. How can you show them where you are, who you are and that you understand them in every social post, in all of your messaging, on your website – everywhere!
This is my jam, y’all.
Are you a new coach who is ready for step-by-step hand-holding to create everything for your business with expert support and then launch with confidence?
I have 2 openings starting in February 2025 for my 5-month VIP Coaching Business Breakthrough — a 100% private program with me — Rhonda Hess of Prosperous Coach.
Now is the time for you to put both feet in, invest in yourself & your business, and bring your full self to the table. I can help you lay the stepping stones tailor made to bring you ideal paying clients. Let’s do this together.
Together we will land your niche, craft messaging & web copy, develop your Signature Program, handle pricing, packaging and positioning, marketing strategy, content and everything in between.
