Prosperous Coach Podcast

This Episode is part of the Smart Mindsets & Habits series. Today we're exploring how to show up for Discovery Sessions and other enrollment moments in a way that inspires a person to sign up for your coaching programs.

I'm glad to report that I no longer worry about the enrollment moment, even when I'm sharing the price of my signature VIP mentoring program. There are a few reasons for that ...

First, I've been having Discovery Sessions nearly every week for the last 17 years. Experience does count.

If this is a scary thing for you, that's understandable.

Have as many Discovery Sessions as you can, because you'll get better and better at it. And, it is the best way to enroll clients.

Another reason I don't worry is that I've learned to detach from outcome. It's a critical mindset for anyone who is selling something — especially when you're selling you! 

And the amazing thing is that taking the expectation or desperation for 'yes' out of the moment actually relieves pressure for both you and your prospect.

They sense your ease and THAT is attractive in and of itself.

I've talked about Discovery Sessions in episode #19, which you'll find helpful if you missed it before. And in the show notes for that episode you can get a copy of my 10 step cheat sheet with enrollment questions and a Discovery Session process that works beautifully. Find it at: prosperouscoach.com/19

For this episode, I'm diving into more mindset pieces. And mindset truly is something you can control.

Don't Perform. Connect.

Thank goodness that we live in a time where realness is valued. Not very long ago stiff professionalism was revered. In blogs, presentations, speaking gigs, the style was to show up buttoned up and polished.

Can you imagine?

It's not like that anymore. In fact, most people in most circumstances prefer a more relaxed, accessible style.

So as a coach, whether you're writing web copy or social posts or giving a presentation, the rule of the day is be yourself. Connect.

Don't bother trying to be perfect.

That's doubly true for the enrollment moment whether that's in a Discovery Session or at the pitch point in a webinar.

Honor Them With Vulnerability

You know who taught me how to enroll? My clients. And also the prospects who walked away.

Over the years I noticed something that perhaps should have been obvious ... I noticed that when prospects showed up enthusiastic I wanted to work with them!

My favorite clients are authentically enthusiastic people. They are simultaneously enthusiastic and doubtful. Enthusiastic and fearful. Enthusiasm can carry through and stand out over other emotions.

And so I learned from them that enthusiasm is irresistible!

And there's something else that draws me to people who are a good fit for me ... vulnerability.

Okay, you might be thinking ... "But Rhonda, they are the prospect, the client. You are the professional so you have to show up differently."

Not so much.

When I work with coaches I encourage them to say to their first few prospects something like "I'd love to have you as one of my first clients." That vulnerability will absolutely be appreciated. And it let's you be where you are in your stage of business rather than having to pretend.

... Find more about how to be REAL and enroll more clients even as a new coach here.

We're taking a pause from the Smart Mindsets & Habits Series. This episode is another On Air Coaching Session (there are 3 previous) where you get to listen in as I work with a coach to decide on a viable target audience for her coaching business.

I'm sorry, I no longer offer On Air Coaching Sessions but you can grab a Strategy Session if you want help choosing your target audience and coaching niche.  

Today, I have the pleasure of working with Deborah York. Deborah introduced herself this way ...

I am a divorced mother of two young men that are coming into their own. My younger son will be graduating soon and going off to med school. And my other son is working full time and taking classes and still trying to figure out what he wants to do.
 
 That kind of makes me think about my coaching and trying to wrangle it in to determine which direction I really want to go into. I tell people all the time that I'm a Jill of all trade and master of some because I have two master's degrees. 

I love working with people in helping them to uncover their purpose or their path in life. And that's, I guess what's caused me to struggle a little bit because I want to help everyone. And I understand as a coach, you can't help everyone.

One of my Masters is in industrial organizational psychology that has a specialization leadership coaching. So when I initially started coaching, and it's been almost 10 years ago now, I started off coaching people that were in management or are looking to get into management. And through that, it made me look even deeper. So I ended up getting another certification in health and nutrition. My approach is more of a holistic approach, uh, but still trying to find that right group of people that saw the value that I brought to the table who were willing to pay for it has been the struggle.

Don't Do This Alone

Deborah isn't alone in that struggle. Most coaches, including me, start out not knowing who is a viable and ideal target audience for their coaching business. Many simply do not choose and that often means their business doesn't get off the ground.
 
 And, it's not the easiest thing to figure out on your own.

I wanted to acknowledge Deborah and all women who are the primary or sole provider for their kids, plus getting advanced degrees while holding a full time job and then starting their own coaching business. Super women! You all have my deepest respect.

All Coaching Is Holistic In Nature

Deborah mentioned that she coaches her clients holistically. I pump my fist for that!

When I'm working with coaches to help them build their coaching businesses, there are some days I'll do somatic coaching to get them in touch with the wisdom of their bodies. Some days we'll talk about what's going on at home. Sometimes we're going to talk about mindset or spirituality.

But even though every coach can coach about any topic and we should work holistically with our clients, that does not mean that you shouldn't specialize. In fact, to some degree the more you specialize on a narrow and viable audience, the easier it will be to attract clients who pay you well.
 
 The best way to go is to create a program for that unique target audience where you help them reach their top goal and overcome related challenges in a holistic way.

So, Deborah was already clear about working holistically with her audience.

Questions Revealed Her Ideal & Viable Coaching Audience

Next, I asked Deborah ... (find more from this coaching session here.)

This episode is part of the Smart Mindsets & Habits series. 

If you're struggling with your mindset, there's help for you in this series. You can find the link to all the episodes in this series on today's show notes https://prosperouscoach.com/23  

And soon, I'll be focusing on the habits part because smart mindsets and habits are the dynamic duo for leaping forward in your coaching business.

A shout out to Mona, a listener, who said:

I have been enjoying listening to your podcast. I find it a very genuine-inspirational resource.  Thank you for offering such AMAZING content! I always look forward to the next episode!

Thank you, Mona! I appreciate you for your classy note to me.

And a quick request for everyone listening, please help other coaches find my podcast. It's easy to share any episode whether you're listening on my website or on a podcast app. I appreciate you for being a resource to other coaches! Let's help each other on this journey.

Elusive and Much Sought After

Confidence is kind of a squishy and sometimes elusive thing. Especially when you're a new coach, just starting to build your business. Or if new to any type of undertaking.

Building your coaching business from the ground up is a marathon not a sprint. It really take time and brain power and creativity. It can feel like a roller coaster and the Imposter Syndrome is in your face a lot. You're alternately elated then stuck then overwhelmed.

I totally get it.

I'll tell you, I've only been podcasting for 5 months. The learning curve is super steep. I'm still a bit green, learning how to improve audio quality, plan well, get it all done, content upgrades, getting more people to my show... on and on.

So my confidence level is like the tides, ebbing and flowing. And sometimes it ebbs so far out so that I cannot hardly feel it at all! And then I get a high tide where I'm feeling pretty good, you know I think I'm doing pretty well.

I'm really lucky to be a part of a support group that keeps me going. And by the way I just launched Prosperous Coach Club, which is a support group for new coaches. Find it by going to https://prosperouscoach.com/fb. We'd love to have you join into the excellent conversations there about how to get clients, accomplish weekly goals, technology recommendations — all sorts of topics. It's a place that you can be vulnerable and gain confidence!

So confidence comes and goes.

Do you know what comes before confidence? The pre-cursor if you will?

Courage Is the Precursor to Confidence

... Read more about raising confidence through courage here.

This episode is part of the series called Smart Mindsets & Habits.

Mindset is a huge driver of success. When you have powerful mindsets motivating you AND you're taking strategic actions — that combo will get you anywhere you want to go in life.

This episode is about market research — an often skipped over strategic action that helps you attract clients who want what you offer.

I'm also going to cover 2 mindsets related to market research that will literally make the difference in whether you'll have a thriving coaching business or not.

So let's start with 2 mindset shifts that I encourage you to make, if you haven't already. These mindsets help you to embrace the idea of market research and other strategic actions.

Act Like the CEO of Your Coaching Business

When I finished coach training, I launched a coaching practice rather than a business. I hung my shingle as a coach and I was open for clients. 

That mindset kept me from what I really wanted for nearly 3 years — to be serving clients masterfully while earning well.

I spent all day every day chasing my next coaching client. My website was all about coaching. My marketing efforts sold coaching. I didn't target a specific audience, I had no niche, no strategy, no focus.

I had lots of practice clients. People who were more or less doing me a favor because they could see how enthusiastic I was about coaching and so they hired me for a month or two at low prices. We did some good work but it wasn't deep lasting work. They weren't wholly committed to the process because they didn't really buy into the idea of coaching — which is what I was selling.

Then, realizing that what I was doing wasn't working, I shifted to acting like the owner of a business. I started doing what all business owners do. 

That shift in the way I thought about my time, my energy and my actions changed the way others perceived me too.

When you step fully into the role of CEO in your own business you're no longer just floating and hoping. 

Instead, your day-to-day is all about building traction, leveraging your efforts, becoming a recognizable brand and offering something that's truly wanted.

You are attracting clients and profits, not just for today, but for your future too.

What can you do right now to take ownership of your coaching business? Here are 3 suggestions that fit the start up phase. Maybe you've done some or all of these.

1. Create a home office. You need a door, a desk, wifi, a computer.

When you make a physical place for your business, it signals to yourself and the world that you are in this for the long run and not just playing about.

Read about the other two ways to take ownership of your coaching business here.

This episode is part 2 about how to selectively and wisely decide when to say 'yes' to coaching business opportunities. It's about teaching yourself to stand in your power and answer from your highest self.

Part 1 was about how to breakthrough the bright shiny object syndrome so that you're not wasting money on webinars, online programs or masterminds that you're not ready for yet. That's probably because your business foundation isn't solid yet. I know that's frustrating and it's a good time to stop and get that all nailed down before getting into advanced business programs.

Many of you have been letting me know that that episode hit the mark. Thank you for reaching out. I love hearing from you.

Ellen wrote to me: "I've taken many courses and been part of many mastermind groups and webinars but it's all come to naught because I haven't converted that learning into practical actions. That's because I've been struggling to figure out who I'm called to serve and what pain point or problem I'm trying to solve."

As it turned out, Ellen grabbed a strategy session with me and we quickly figured out her ideal target audience plus the problem she'll help them solve. At the end of the session she said: "Rhonda, that was amazing! I can't believe what we came up with. I came in confused about my niche and wanted a plan of what to do next. And I got all of that!"

Ellen, that makes me so happy!

So if you want to solidify any aspect of your business foundation — your audience, your niche, your business model — don't struggle and try to figure that out on your own. Grab a Strategy Session and let's nail that down for you. You can find that on today's show notes at prosperouscoach.com/21

Today we're digging into other types of offers you might be getting as a coach. For example, let's say someone emailed offering you a radio show program or a feature in a magazine. Or, someone is promising to get you leads. Or, maybe another coach wants to collaborate with you.

When offers like this come in, it's elating. There's this sense of "I'm not having to do everything myself!" Someone is saying they'll pave the road for you. And it's really tempting to say 'Yes'.

But are these opportunities right for you?  Especially for the stage of business you're in.

If you're in startup mode — that's the first 18 months or so of your business — it's all about solidifying your business foundation. You are:

·      Targeting an audience.

·      Finding out what makes them tick.

·      Figuring out your signature program to help them.

·      Developing your brand.

·      Building community.

·      Setting up your business model, a website and conversion process.

The learning curve is high and while you're doing all of this you're also figuring yourself out as a coach, as a business owner.

And for that reason it's a vulnerable time too.

The potential for distraction and getting pulled off course is high. Some diversions will muddy your vision, waste your resources and set you back. 

But what if do feel you're ready and one of these offers is your breakthrough moment?

How can you discern between the good opportunities and the right opportunities?

Early on in my business I was endlessly distracted. Do you know what I mean?

There was so much stuff in my inbox, my head would spin.

One national radio program courted me ...

Find more about how to distinguish between good and the RIGHT opportunities here.

Notes for this episode can be found here.

This episode is part 1 about how to selectively and wisely decide where and when to invest your time, energy and money in opportunities that come your way as a coach. Opportunities such as:

• more skills training
• how-to programs that teach a marketing tactic 
• offers to send you leads or promote you
• offers to partner with another coach or expert

Today, we'll dig into the bright shiny object syndrome. That's when you have a incredibly strong impulse to invest money in training, apps - all sorts of bells and whistles - for your coaching business.

Have you ever taken expensive training or a mastermind and, though you enjoyed the experience, you didn't forward in your business? You couldn't apply what you learned.

There's a simple reason for that ... you may not have been developmentally ready for that program yet.

Spending like can quickly eat up your profits! So I have tips and mindset mastery coming your way here.

Before we dive in, I want to thank you.

With your support, Prosperous Coach Podcast has surpassed 4000 downloads with just our 20th episode. A shout out to Kate in Basel, Switzerland. Kate said:

"I've really been enjoying your podcast and want to thank you for the really helpful, clear, and good vibes content that you are sharing. I always look forward to hearing your intro music!"

Thank you, Kate!

I put my heart into these episodes. And coaches need clear guidelines. Very soon I'm launching a Facebook group for subscribers of the podcast. All coaches are welcome. More on that next week.

Okay let's breakthrough the bright shiny object pattern ...

Why does this syndrome exist?

When your coaching business is new and you've not yet filled your time serving clients, you're in a vulnerable place.

You're vulnerable because you are yearning — for more coaching clients, for higher revenues, or simply for recognition that you're valuable — and you're looking outside yourself for answers.

So you go surfing and get on a bunch of lists or click a bunch of ads.

All manner of offers and opportunities are dangling like glittering diamonds in front of you.

And your credit card is in hand. Maybe you've even memorized it.

I've been there. Much less than I used to thanks to the tips I'm going to share, but it still snags me occasionally.

I'm Not Skilled Enough

As a coach, sometimes there's this voice saying "I'm not skilled enough yet" that has you reaching for more training to learn different types of coaching skills, get more certifications, to pile up credentials.

There's a learned belief under that, that what you know now isn't enough for where you are now developmentally. And that's where the deepest wisdom is -- where you are now.

Obviously, there are times when learning more skills will be right for your current situation. 

But I wonder ... how many purchases for more skills training are driven by a rational decision?

Think about it this way, if you are endlessly in student mode, how are you ever going to succeed in your coaching business?

Learning is a lot like breathing. The breath in is followed by the out breath. It's a natural rhythm. 

But if you breathe in and hold your breath, your lungs start to wither. And eventually the organism that is you forces your lungs to let out the CO2 so you can breathe in again.

So the metaphor is this ...

Read about the metaphor and how to stop buying training here.

This is the first episode in a new series that I'm doing called Smart Mindsets, Habits, and Systems. There's a ton of juicy stuff that's going to be in this series. 

Now, in this session we're going to dig into something that I know is critical and also difficult for a lot of people — how to actually enroll clients.

How can do enroll clients in a way that doesn't feel like you're selling? How can you do it authentically standing in your power with ease and grace?

I'm going to explain how.

When I shifted to this method of enrolling, it changed my success rate at how easily I enrolled clients. I've taught this to every coach that I worked with. It takes a little bit of practice, but it's not hard.

It's much easier than giving a free sample coaching session!

We're going to get down into it in just a minute. This session is sponsored by my own free offer to you. 

DOWNLOAD your free copy of a cheat sheet that walks you through 10 Steps to Enroll More Clients.

You'll find this cheat sheet really helpful and it also includes some of the secrets I'll share with you in this episode.

Have you ever choked when it came time to tell a potential client your fees?

This is where discovery sessions often go astray because you're shifting a conversation that's more connective with your potential client to suddenly trying to tell them what you charge and why it's worth it. 

Have you spent hours delivering your best sample sessions only to hear "thanks, but I can't afford you"?

Those two problems are big for new coaches. You're not alone in that. I struggled mightily at this once upon a time. 

If you want to dramatically improve your enrollment into coaching programs, there's a different that inspires prospects to say YES and hire you. 

3 Shifts to Enroll More Clients

There are three shifts you can make right now that will ease the money conversation and the whole enrollment process in your discovery sessions.

Shift from:          Over delivering in introductory or sample session

Shift to:               Having more effective enrollment conversations

Shift from:          Stumbling into your pitch at the end of the session 

Shift to:               Being transparent from the get go that you're going to                             tell them about your program after a set of questions

Shift from:          Timidly asking for the sale

Shift to:               Confidently owning your worth

Something clicks internally when you believe in yourself. It seems hard to do, but it is something you can control. 

A Powerful Mindset Shift

I'm sure you've heard how important it is in life — in business with your clients, with your friends and family — to stand in your power. 

This is something I've been challenged with in my life. So I've made a study of it. That's my teacher archetype coming in there. 

Everyone fears rejection when asking for significant fees. You start wondering, "who am I to think that I can help this client and why would they pay me well for coaching?" 

That thought form can take over your mind.

Read how to make the mindset shift here.

This is the last episode in the current season called Smart and Profitable Niches. Show notes and mentions from this episode are at https://prosperouscoach.com/18

Because I can tell everybody's really liking the On Air coaching sessions I've been doing with coaches to help them find their niche, I'll keep doing those. They're really fun, arent' they?

Unless you're in coach training you don't get to hear other coaches coach. It's a meta world, where you get layers of information. You get to hear how someone else coaches, which is always interesting. You get to hear how someone like you, a coach, is being coached. And it's inspiring to hear people go from confusion to illumination on a topic that you may be challenged by — choosing your niche.

Also to look for and interview other coaches who have chosen a unique and narrow niche and who are well into their business. So you can see what it's like, four years, six years, 10 years in or 20 years. As in my case. 

The Big Mindset Shift

Episode #7 was popular. I think I know why. It's about a critical mindset shift that I encourage all coaches to make.

And when you make the shift, your eyes are opened to how business and marketing works. 

It comes down to this ... that even though we as coaches love coaching with every fiber of our being ... most other people do not. They either don't know what it is or they have a preconceived notion about coaching — believing it's expensive or elitist or ridiculous because of how media spins the idea of coaching. 

So, if you are selling coaching, that's what your website is all about and that's what your posts are about, you're going to miss the mark most of the time.

Change your mind about what you're selling and about what coaching actually is. It's an amazing skillset but not an outcome people will buy.

Sell Outcomes Not Coaching

What coaches really sell is outcomes. You've heard this but somewhere deep in the heart of you, you may not have really gotten this on the level that you need to. People invest in programs and experiences when they believe that it is going to get them where they want to go. 

And that's why you need to target an audience and to build your niche around what they want instead of the type of coaching you offer. 

 There's a misunderstanding about what a coaching niche is and in Episode #8 I busted that myth. 

Your niche is NOT the over arching area that you want to coach about. That's a track.

When coaches hire me many have already chosen what I call their track. By itself, it is not enough to help you attract a steady flow of clients. 

Your Coaching Track is Not Your Niche

If you know that track, then it gives you an idea of how to narrow your target audience.

Some people try to choose all the tracks. I see this on coaching websites where there's a services tab and a menu beneath that with 4 or 5 different coaching tracks.

There's no doubt that you are capable of coaching around every topic. But you are not capable of adequately marketing all of those areas. 

Not choosing indicates that you don't know really what you're doing.

Business and marketing is all about choices.

Marketing needs to be clear, congruent and consistent. The 3 C's. And that's why you focus it on one audience. 

... Find more about how your niche doesn't limit you here.

In this episode I interview my first guest on Prosperous Coach Podcast — a coach who is 10 years into her unique and narrow coaching niche. 

And her business is going strong.

Tami and I, 10 years and 20 years into our coaching business respectively, both targeted a unique audience and build our coaching niche around their top problem. It's the main reason for focus, longevity and financial success. Not to mention great joy!

Tami is a great example of the Teacher Archetype because she turned her personal and professional challenges into solutions for others with the same challenges.

Listen in as Tami effortlessly shares words of support and wisdom to all coaches. 

We want to see YOU reach 10 years of success and more!

Tami Stackelhouse dreams of a day when all fibromyalgia patients have access to the care and support they need to thrive. She is doing all she can to make that dream come true. A fibromyalgia patient herself, Tami has gone from disabled to thriving. Her compassion, gentle support, and fun coaching style have helped fibromyalgia patients all over the world take back control of their lives. She is the Founder of the International Fibromyalgia Coaching Institute, where she teaches thriving patients to coach other fibromyalgia patients. And she is author of The Fibromyalgia Coach and Take Back Your Life. 

A stressful customer service job brought on Tami's fibromyalgia —a chronic condition — and she had to quit.

Three years in and about to apply for disability, she was talking to her doctor about the downhill trajectory of her life.

Then her doctor referred her to a health coach who helped her come up with a healing strategy.

Six months later Tami decided to become a health coach herself.

After being a general health coach, which was okay but not particularly thrilling, a friend encouraged her to niche more narrowly around what she knew best.

Smart friend!

Tami's "burning bush moment" came around in her first conversation with another fibromyalgia patient.

It's a magic moment, when your background, your story, your experience coalesce into clarity about how to pivot your niche and business model for greater satisfaction and success.

But here's the thing ... don't wait for your own burning bush moment to happen.

It will happen by staying in action and allowing, not pushing for answers to come.

I always suggest that you narrow to one viable audience and niche around their top challenges as a way to open yourself to those magical moments. 

How Does a Coach Make it To Their 10th Year Business Anniversary?

Now Tami is 10 years in and very successful.

Like a true entrepreneur, Tami has shifted and pivoted her business to align with what's going on with her and her audience.

One major pivot came when Tami had a wait list of clients and realized she simply could not help all the fibromyalgia patients that were coming her way.

A wonderful, but still troubling, problem to have!

Fibromyalgia affects one in twenty women. MDs don't have a clear treatment for the condition, which can be quite debilitating.

In the manner of a Teacher Archetype Coach, Tami decided to create her Fibromyalgia Coaching Institute. (The Teacher Archetype responds to a problem by creating a viable solution for others.)

She felt she needed to duplicate herself.

Let Your Journey Tell You What To Do

Find more about letting your journey inform you here

In this episode, I'm doing another ON AIR COACHING Session (where I coach the coach) with Casey Onder. We're going to determine her ideal target audience for her coaching business.

A Better Definition of Success

Casey is an industrial organizational pyschologist by training. A year ago she left a job in leadership consulting to pursue a career as a coach. 

Her life's work from here on has to do with reforming what success and work could look like in the US because she's done a lot of traveling and seen how different it can be in other countries.

Too Many Ideas = Stuckness

When choosing a target audience it really helps to eliminate as many choices as possible so there's just one or two left to discuss and then only one to refine.

Casey came to our session feeling like she had a bunch of disparate ideas about potential target audiences for her coaching business. 

• She is interested in people who are in a similar state that she was in career-wise —" hating what you're doing and knowing that it is not you." These people have invested so much time and money learning to do one thing, Now they feel stuck there.
• Another idea Casey has was to work with, what she called thinkers. The technical people. Similarly things haven't fallen into place for those people. They are either overworking or want to make a switch.

They have lost themselves in demanding occupations, feeling like they sold out for what they thought success was in the past.

Casey had several concerns about this group so it was easy to just take this option off the short list.

• Casey also is interested in women who are very bright. Again they are following a prescribed notion of success in their career.

I suggested that her audience could include this group by simply using the word 'women' in her audience description. And we'll pull in how bright they are another way.

Teasing Out the Common Themes

As Casey spoke, what seemed like a big ball of confusing ideas to her, emerged as a set of strong themes to me.

I could see a way that she could pull those themes together into one audience.

What really jumped out was the idea of people feeling burdened by their professional career choice. And Casey affirmed that.

Casey's Coaching Audience Discovered

Prior to our session Casey had sent me answers to a few questions. In those answers were clues.

I mentioned the phrase "high achievers" to Casey. And also the idea of "people who come from successful families" where there's an assumption they will go into a professional career track. 

I asked Casey if she comes from a family like that. And she said she did.

So when I strung that altogether as a potential audience for Casey — high achieving women from ambitious families — and asked her what she thought of working with that group, she said:

Oh yeah, I would love to work with that group!

You can see how it would really help to clear the clutter in YOUR mind with my help. Grab a Strategy Session with me as a first step and let's put you onto a success path with confidence.

Refining the Audience

Isn't it great that as coaches we can develop a business that serves people like ourselves?

Casey said that these people would be in a relatively prestigious role. So we discussed doctors, lawyers and other types of professionals.

... Find more about refining your coaching audience here.