What moves a potential coaching client over from ‘maybe’ to ‘YES’?
Your website? Low pricing? Free coaching?
No. Nope. And definitely not.
I asked my clients what made it easy for them to hire me for over two decades now.
It comes down to 6 simple, somewhat surprising things that have more to do with how you’re being than what you’re doing.
Although, make no mistake—strategy and visibility are what bring prospects to maybe.
After all, people have to know you exist and perceive that you understand them before they even consider hiring you. You need a consistent presence in the marketplace.
Let’s dig into these 6 simple things that can help tip the scales in your favor. This will bring you hope because it’s all about being a good human.
Grow Ideal Coaching Clients
Here’s something I know for sure and have come to appreciate—growing clients is a gradual process that starts well before you ever meet them.
Why do I appreciate that?
Ever heard of the slow food movement?
What about becoming friends before you become lovers?
And getting healthy through habit and practice.
All the best things in life take time. You plant a little sapling in the ground and it may take a few seasons before it’s mature enough to bear fruit.
If you nourish and nurture it along, it will feed you for life.
It’s the same with your coaching business. It grows over time and most of your coaching clients will need to be nurtured to inspire them to follow you. That gets them to maybe. Getting to ‘yes’ is different.
And that’s okay because you’re not dependent on the person who just found you. Your business depends on a sustainable flow of clients.
So, raise patience for the process!
Do your best to stay visible with messaging that is meaningful to your ideal clients and then also SHOW UP in these 6 simple but effective ways.
#1 Be Responsive
99% of my VIP clients hear about my podcast, listen to several episodes and subscribe. Those are the pre-requisites to trust and getting to ‘maybe’.
When they feel ready, some fill out the application on my website and I invite them to a Discovery Call. For many years now, anyone who has a Discovery Call with me says ‘yes’ with rare exception.
What got them to ‘yes’? It was all the ways I respond as a human being. My clients tell me that it was my timely and thoughtful responses that had them hire me instead of someone else. My posts and podcast episodes spurred them to reach out. My responsiveness got them to ‘yes’.
And I can tell you from hiring coaches myself that the opposite—lack of responsiveness—has turned me off and sent me away for good.
Some coaches and mentors take what I call The ALOOF Method. They appear so exclusive and inaccessible that their prospects only experience fully automated processes. That can work if you’re selling group programs or online training .
If you’re offering a PRIVATE experience being aloof and fully automated does not inspire ‘YES’!
Those actions shout: “I don’t have time for you.”
I tried that aloof approach for a while because I saw others doing this. It felt cold and was totally ineffective. Episode 324 is a about the downside of pushing for ‘yes’ fast and automating everything. It’s called Should Coaches Offer a Free Call on Their Website?
I decided to be high touch in my business and it’s paid off.
There is a time and a place for automation but it’s not when you want to enroll an ideal client into a private high-ticket Signature program.
There is a significant difference between just attracting any client and attracting an ideal client. Believe me, you want every client you work with to be an ideal client. That’s how you’ll LOVE doing what you do, stay in business long term and thrive financially.
I reply personally to all inquiries into my 5-month VIP Signature Program and I recommend you do too.
Some things can be templated but if you want your potential clients to feel seen, heard and understood, be responsive and connective.
#2 Be Kind
Kindness is more important than ever because there’s a lot of ugliness in the world right now.
Be kind in every aspect of your business.
It costs you nothing but can tip a ‘maybe’ to a ‘yes!’. Think about it. Don’t you love authentic, caring customer service? I’ll pay more for a service when I’m treated well from the get go. A lot of people will.
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 are satisfying to clients.
Being kind does NOT mean:
- forsaking your boundaries
- bending on policies, or
- dropping your price
Be kind and professional in the same breath and action.
#3 Be Professional
What does it mean to be professional? Set intention to find that out for yourself and bring professionalism with you into every aspect of your business and service.
To me, professional is:
- High integrity
- Honesty
- Standing in my personal power
- Knowing my value
- Trusting my intuition and choices
- Admitting mistakes
Integrity is the #1 thing that people look for in services. It’s a critical trait for a coach! Episode 141 has 5 Questions to Test Your Coaching Business Integrity. Check that out.
#4 Be Organized
People love it when you appear organized!
I’ve always been highly organized in practice and I’m good at setting up systems. It helps me to earn well while working less.
That doesn’t mean I don’t make mistakes. It just means that most mistakes are minor and easy to correct because there’s a foundation in place.
But don’t worry, if being organized isn’t your forte, you can hire a virtual assistance to help you put systems in place.
This next one might surprise you …
#5 Be Consistent
People can lean into consistency and it builds trust.
Be consistent in your messaging and offers. Be consistent about how you show up.
This doesn’t mean you can’t also sometimes be spontaneous, try something new.
TRUST is critical for people to take an ultimate step with you. Enough trust and they will invest in your high-ticket Signature Program.
#6 Be Direct
As a new coach, I was afraid to be direct. I waffled, demurred, held back.
I coached a friend early on and she gave me some valuable, hard to hear, feedback. She said I was too soft with her. I let her off the hook. She needed to be challenged and I didn’t bring that.
People hire you to be their thinking partner. A bit of edge and truth telling can help a client make big shifts.
So, now, 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!
You can also show up as direct in your content—the ways you stay visible in front of your audience. Don’t soft pedal your message. Show up powerfully
Build a Clear Pathway to Your Coaching Offers
These 6 ways of being can be points of excellence—the thing that makes the difference between you getting hired or someone else getting hired.
And remember, you also need that clear pathway to you. Build your business foundation and your customer journey, stay visible in the marketplace and then also layer on top these behaviors. Powerful stuff!