Has a coaching client asked you for a refund? It’s a symptom.
Coaches unwittingly create requests like that by undervaluing themselves, which shows up in
- messaging
- offers
- pricing, and
- enrollment processes
How you value yourself colors what prospects and clients experience with you.
Your uncertainty breeds their uncertainty. They’ll show that by asking for:
- References
- Guarantees
- An escape hatch
They’ll ask questions that seem mistrustful which knocks down your confidence.
That painful cycle stops when you decide to own your value. And, YES, you can simply DECIDE!
Then, in every way you operate your business, show that you’ve owned your value.
Let’s talk about practical ways to generate faith in yourself and your prospects faith in you.
Are You Responsible for Your Client’s Results?
Take this in … your client’s results are NOT up to you.
Yes, your presence, words and actions impact your clients. And, you are responsible for the consequences of your behavior.
But you cannot control how your client shows up or how they respond during or after a session.
It may seem like a fine line, but as your awareness grows, that line becomes more solid and reliable.
What can you actually control?
- The way you show up
- What you say
- How you respond
The rest is up to your client.
In my agreement document of my onboarding packet for newly enrolled clients, I ask them to initial this statement:
I understand that I am responsible for my feelings, decisions, actions and results.
Help prospective clients understand that coaching is co-creative. It is a partnership. Each of you has a specific role and they are responsible for their results.
If they know this from the start, they will be better clients and get more from working with you.
Raise Your Professionalism and Belief in Your Coaching Services
If you are selling coaching session packages and are relatively new to coaching, you may get requests for references, guarantees and refunds.
As you gain experience and believe in the value of your services, those requests stop.
Clients take cues from you.
If you show up uncertain, that comes across energetically and lowers your prospect’s or your client’s confidence in your services and perhaps even in their ability to take in the coaching and transform.
Show that you believe in your
- services
- client’s ability to transform, and
- your professionalism
Believing in all 3 of these things does not require years of experience. Start telling yourself every day that you and your services are worthwhile.
Offer a Signature Program at a High-Ticket Price
I teach coaches to offer a Signature Program customized to your target audience and the big challenges they have on their way to achieving their big goal.
Then price program that high.
Why? Ironically, the more you charge for your services, to a degree, the higher quality client you attract. I’m talking about clients who do take responsibility for their own success. The investment itself in your high-ticket services is a gateway to their own success. And responsible clients instinctively know this.
Low pricing is full of pitfalls. Get past it as fast as you can.
I have several episodes on money mindset. Check them all out at prosperouscoach.com/money.
It’s never too early for you to give yourself and your clients every advantage by making this shift!
Publish Content Weekly That Helps You Pre-Qualify Coaching Clients
The next way to prevent distrust is having a strategic content strategy. It helps you pre-qualify coaching clients Discourage prospects who are looking for transformation without investing their time, money and energy.
Early on in my coaching business I was trying to enroll any client from any audience at any price because I was desperate to get an income flowing.
That mindset and approach held me back for years and is disastrous for so many reasons.
Step into the CEO mindset and run your business strategically so you can earn well and stay in business.
That’s why you start by targeting a viable audience and building a niche/specialty around that so you can stand out in the crowd and become known for your specialty. Specialties attract better clients.
Then, all your content focuses on WHO you work with and HOW you help them achieve what’s important to them. That helps you attract the right type of clients who:
- fit your niche
- want the scope of your work
- are actively seeking solutions and
- know they will have to invest to make progress
Assess Fit with Your Coaching Prospect in Your Discovery Call
The way you conduct Discovery Calls signals a lot about how you value yourself and sets the tone for possible enrollment.
Check out these episodes for details about how to conduct a professional Discovery Call that doesn’t require convincing:
- episodes 162 and 198 to handle objections
- episodes 217 and 241 to have better Discovery Calls, and
- episode 242, which has a DOWNLOADABLE CHEAT SHEET with powerful questions to ask in the call
It’s equally important to assess the fit of your prospective coaching clients for you as it is for them to assess the fit of you and your program.
During Discovery Calls, pay close attention to your intuition.
You know what is right for you and what is not.
If you are desperate for clients and income you may ignore your intuition and enroll a client who is not right for you. If you’re tuned in and owning your value, you’ll attract clients who are
- Coachable
- Respectful
- Responsible for themselves
- A good fit for you
Own your value. Stay inspired and make things happen!