Are you worried your mistakes in life hurt your credibility as a coach?

I get that — it’s certainly a concern I had that held me back.

Most of my VIP clients share early on in our work together the fear that their failures in life will turn away potential coaching clients. There’s a feeling you need to be perfect, right?

And, 15 years or more ago, that might have been somewhat true in business.

But, thank you Brene Brown, vulnerability and truth telling is attractive and also makes life easier.

In Episode 328, where I interviewed Leslie K. Wang about her successes with attracting coaching clients, she mentioned how important it is to be a 3-dimensional person when posting online or in content, such as a podcast.

I agree. Being real helps you attract your most ideal clients.

So, why not actually leverage your personal story into your coaching niche? Reveal the many pitfalls that lead you to where you are now.

Let’s dig into how your personal story works in your favor.

Vulnerability Wasn’t Always Prized

When I launched Prosperous Coach in 2006, sharing your mistakes or shortcomings was not a great strategy in messaging.

For example, unless you were famous already, sharing that you went bankrupt, ruined your marriage or lost your business wasn’t a good reason for prospects to listen to what you have to say on those topics.

There was a more stiff buttoned-up style and come from in marketing.

If you were looking for help to achieve something, you were looking for an expert who had significant credentials and social proof in the old-fashioned way.

And if you wanted to attract clients you needed to toot your own horn without much airtime, if any, spent on the uncomfortable zigzag it took you to get to where you are now.

Trust was built by showing people how you have everything figured out. You emphasized your knowledge and successes up front and kept more personal things to yourself.

There was a happy sea change a while ago that made it okay to be vulnerable with prospects and clients.

I was a late adopter of that in my business and it contributed to a slow down for a few years while I shifted my mindset.

I found it more difficult to drop the shield. I’m encouraging YOU to drop the shield from the get go. Do you have to reveal every embarrassing thing about yourself. Absolutely not.

But, find a way to be authentic, the true you. It will make your business so much easier, less stressful and more effective.

More Authentic Marketing for Coaches

Now, I’m a total convert and can easily say that it’s a relief to just be me all the time. Not omit or hide anything.

This is one of the best things about this new-ish come from and marketing style. You can BE YOURSELF, show up as you are and have been, while also sharing how you can help your clients as you’ve helped yourself.

My awesome listeners of my podcast often tell me how much they appreciate that I keep it real!

You can keep it real too.

I was talking to one of my VIP clients the other day and she was concerned about whether her personal story would turn her clients off.

But she had chosen a target audience and niche that’s related to those difficult times in her past. It can be a great way to go in your niche!

And, I could clearly see that sharing her story would build trust with her audience.

And trust, as you know, is the #1 factor that inspires followers and enrolls ideal clients. Think about it … if someone cannot see you as trustworthy, they certainly cannot hire you.

6 Powerful Questions Clues to Your Coaching Niche

When I’m helping my clients choose a target audience and develop their coaching niche, I ask questions to uncover their skills, experience and expertise, their interests and personal story.

Often, it’s their personal story that reveals the juiciest audience and coaching niche for them.

And while it’s wonderful to be able to leverage expertise in your coaching business, if you don’t really have expertise yet it doesn’t mean there’s not something else in your life to help you build that all important trust with people — have AFFINITY with them.

So, what’s your personal story?

Take some time to think about this. Here are 6 powerful questions and see what comes up:

  1. What were the turning points in your life that lead you to where you are now?

2. What or who made the biggest positive impression on you over the years and why?

3. What are the biggest challenges that you’ve made great strides to overcome?

4. How have you felt misunderstood by others and learned to excel despite it?

5. What personal experiences have forced you to learn more than the average person about something very specific?

6. What repetitive lessons has your soul been trying to learn incrementally over the years?

A few caveats about this …

Still … often it’s the pain we experience in lives become our greatest victory. Like Oprah says: “Turn your wounds into wisdom.” Or, with a bit less elegance: “When life hands you lemons make lemonade.”

If you can help others move past a mighty struggle that you overcame, that’s a life purpose.

Here are some ways that some of my clients have turned their past challenges into a fantastic coaching niche:

These are all real businesses of real coaches, so you can’t copy these.

And, I could go on and on.

Most of my VIP clients have found a way to leverage their past challenges in their business. And in their podcasts, articles and videos they’ve shared their personal stories to help their clients understand they are not alone.

That’s a powerful way to build trust.

How will you incorporate your personal story into your coaching niche and messaging?

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TOPIC: Client Attaction, Podcast, Powerful Questions, Smart & Profitable Coaching Niches, Your Wealthy Mindset