Prosperous Coach Podcast

Find the full transcript and many more resources for coaches at: https://prosperouscoachblog.com/ep-285-masterful-coaches-rely-on-this-skill/

When a client comes to a session with their agenda, what’s the best way to serve them? 

·      Should you imagine the conversation before hand and plan your approach?

·      Should you take on their emotions and problems as your own?

·      Should you step into performance mode and be the one with the answers?

When I say it like that, it’s obviously a ‘no’, right? But when you’re new to being a coach what are you feeling before a session? Performance anxiety. You feel you should know … everything. 

It’s understandable and it’s counter to what’s really needed for an effective session. Shifting from performance mode into curiosity relieves the pressure. It opens the field to sensations — your own and your clients — and intuition kicks in.

Let's dig into this skill and what it does for you and your coaching clients!

Find the full episode & transcript at prosperouscoach.com/284.

Do you fear the idea of narrowing your coaching audience because you think it excludes people and reduces the chance of enrolling clients?

I will address that. For now, here is what I know for sure …

When you target a narrow, viable audience and discover their big problems then geat everything — your messaging, offers, web copy, social posts — to speak directly to them, everything clicks into place.

1.     You have clarity, pinpointed focus and direction.

2.     You grow confidence, understand your value and believe in yourself.

3.     You have leverage. Everything you do builds momentum.

4.     Your audience feels special so they follow you and ideal clients enroll.

5.     You can become a coach in high demand, charge more and earn more.

Let’s talk about this and relieve the worry about excluding people too.

Find the full transcript and other resources for coaches at prosperouscoach.com/283.

Also mentioned:
Episode 191 - Low Pricing Could Kill Your Coaching Business
Parts Work (a workbook by Tom and Lauri Holmes)

My amazing VIP clients inspired this topic. All of them are highly intelligent people with big hearts who want to make a difference in the world. I’m so honored to help them get there.

I’ve noticed 4 distinct ways they and other coaches sabotage themselves.

The first thing to realize is that these 4 things are human, understandable, forgiveable and can be overcome. They are likely life long habitual patterns so it makes sense they would show up when creating a coaching business.

The second thing to realize is that these 4 things can be massive roadblocks to the things you most want:

·      to coach clients who truly want to be coached

·      a steady income doing coaching

·      your own thriving business

So let’s uncover what these 4 pitfalls are and the simplest way to lift yourself out of them so you can coach, earn well and thrive!

Client service is about the whole customer journey starting with how you market. Satisfaction begins before they hire you and continues after they finish with you.

Let’s talk about 7 ways to satisfy prospects and clients.

And, if you’re having trouble attracting clients, it likely comes down to the wrong strategy or a lack of strategy someplace in the customer journey.

I have a FREE downloadable assessment for you called Coaching Business Checkup to reveal any holes in your strategy so you can do everything more effectively and earn more in your business.

5 other Episodes mentioned in this episode:
#66 How to Describe Your Coaching Program Without Selling Coaching
#149 Three Easy Ways to Stay Organized in Your Coaching Business
#194 The 4 Essential Things in Your Coaching Intake Packet
#255 Are You Right Sized With Your Coaching Clients
#271 Inspire Your Coaching Clients to Give You Dynamic Testimonials

Click for the full episode transcript and more resources, especially for new coaches and also get the free Coaching Business Checkup download.

Other episodes mentioned in this episode:

#1 Target a Viable Audience (Episode 266). You know I talk about this a lot. It’s so critical and so many people step over it or just don’t do it quite thoroughly enough.

#2 Discover Their BIG Acute Problem And Top Goal (Episode 65). So many coaches choose a general or chronic problem for their niche

#3 Develop a Signature System To Reach Their Top Goal (Episode 66). Again, I don’t really believe in just doing so many sessions per month. I believe in developing a program, a structure so that your clients know you know what you’re doing and feel excited about investing more with you.

#4 Design A Simple Business Model (Episode 5). You wouldn’t believe how many coaches step over having a set business model. They don’t really know what it is, and I certainly didn’t when I started.

#5 Create a Positive Customer Journey with Strong Conversion Processes (Episode 236). This involves your website and so much more. You need to be able to think like your future clients

#6 Set Up Enrollment Opportunities and Learn How to Enroll (Episode 52)

#7 Build Trust with a Visibility Strategy (Episode 146) This is the way you’re going to market — the way you’re going to stay in front of your target audience and let them know what you have for them. But, not in a salesy way, instead in a generosity marketing kind of way.

#8 Create a Valuable Customer Experience and Collect Social Proof (Episode 271). This is after they enroll with you. You must be sure that what you are doing feels good to them so you can collect valuable testimonials about what it was like to work with you.

#9 Set Up Internal Systems To Save Time (Episode 34). This is something I didn’t do for a long time and now I’m a systems maven!

#10 Develop High Payoff Action Habits (Episode 223)

Find the full transcript and other resources for coaches at ProsperousCoach.com/180.

You’re trying to write your web copy and trying to figure out exactly what you help your ideal clients accomplish in your Signature Program.

But fears and doubts are clouding your judgment and you are in danger of playing too small in your coaching business, which will cost you.

You are worried about promising too much.

Get ready for a mindset shift!

So first, all new coaches worry about overpromising. But experienced coaches do not. What do you think is going on there? 

It’s certainly NOT because they soft pedaled the specific outcomes they help their clients achieve. Because coaches who stay safe in their messaging will not attract and enroll enough clients to survive in their business.

And it’s NOT because they are lying. You can’t stay in business long as a coach if you don’t operate from integrity. 

So where is the line between what you can promise and what you shouldn’t promise?

Find the full transcript for this episode at prosperouscoach.com/279.

Looking back on my journey as a coach and business owner, I see how emotional intelligence has played a part in my success. I had so much to learn. Still do.

Coach training and coaching clients improves emotional intelligence. Just raising your ability to listen is a first step. Clear communication skills makes for a solid foundation. 

From there add empathy and understanding that everyone is differently abled and complex, coming from different degrees of privilege and disadvantage. 

Self awareness is critical factor in EI — an unflinching understanding of your own strengths, weaknesses, beliefs and motivation.

As a new coach constantly stretched beyond comfort zones, the roller coaster of self doubt and elation can keep you scrambling. Greater emotional intelligence helps.

How can you raise more EI? Let's talk about that!

Find the full transcript and more resources for coaches at ProsperousCoach.com/178.

Episodes and resources mentioned include:
#7 - Why is Coaching a Hard Sell?
#65 - Are You Solving a Big Enough Problem for Your Coaching Clients?
#4 - Feel Less Isolated in Your Coaching Business
Hire a Coaching Business Mentor/Guide

Do you ever have the feeling that people in your inner circle aren’t supporting your choice to grow a coaching business?

It can be subtle … family or friends seem not to take interest when you talk about it. Their eyes glaze over or they change the subject quickly.

Or it can be overt … someone directly questions your wisdom in starting a coaching business or taking a bold step in it.

Or it can be in shadow where someone teases you about coaching. 

Coaching is misunderstood by most people. The field’s reputation has been damaged by too many people calling themselves a coach who aren’t and it’s been made fun of in the media.

It’s one of the reasons why I encourage coaches not to sell coaching but rather target a narrow viable audience and solve a problem. You’ll use your coaching to serve your clients but not try to convince prospects of the value of coaching.

It may be tempting to fit your coaching business into whatever remnant of time you have left in the day.

Look, I get it. You might have kids at home, a full time job, or both. You already have a rhythm of what you do day to day. You know your priorities. Adding a new business to your life is totally disruptive.

And, until you see the proof of your efforts in clients, you may withhold your positive energy.

The truth is, you can't grow a business on fumes. It needs regular care and feeding. It needs some of your mind share!

There's a mindset that goes with that fit-it-into-the-downtime approach. And, it's usually not a conscious one. It's what I call the hobbyist or the perpetual student mindset. 

Let’s talk about how to schedule your time and make the most of that time you have until you can transition into a full time professional coach.

 Find the full transcript and other resources for coaches at ProsperousCoach.com/276.

The other day I was helping one of my VIP clients set her fees for her Signature Program and our conversation inspired this episode. 

Anything having to do with money in your coaching business such as income and fees brings up old emotions: 

1.     Fear of succeeding and failing. 

2.     Insecurity about worth. 

3.     Family or cultural beliefs about money. 

4.     Fear of rejection. 

5.     And, mistaken assumptions about why people buy. 

I always encourage my clients to “do the math” rather than choose fees emotionally or based on erroneous ideas about what the market will bear. 

By becoming somewhat dispassionate and stepping into the practical, coaches can begin to understand how they can help themselves earn well. 

This episode is short and eye opening.