Coaching Quote of the Day 27th May 2015
“An expert knows all the answers – if you ask the right questions.”
(Levi Strauss)
expert
Why every coach needs to write a book 1
In this week’s guest post business coach and book mentor Karen Williams focuses upon:
Why every coach needs to write a book
By Karen Williams
When I qualified as a coach in 2006, I got caught up with the hype of the industry. I was hooked with how I could create a decent living, make a bigger difference in the world, and that this would be easy to run a successful business. But it never happened that way in the early days.
Although I was told about niching, and I knew it was important, it wasn’t drummed into me that I had to be an expert.
Even though as a coach you don’t need experience of a topic to do an effective job, many clients will be seeking someone with expertise in the area where they need support. It’s not enough to ask a few good questions as people don’t buy coaching, they buy the result and outcome that they are looking for.
Plus if you think about your niche – if you have one – there are plenty of people doing something similar to you, so you need to know what makes you stand out.
When I did research for my first book in 2009, I was horrified by the statistics that indicated how few coaches are successful. So what is the difference that makes the difference?
Did you know that most successful coaches have written a book?
That’s why you need to do the same!
Of course if every coach wrote a book, then the market would be saturated with knowledge (and books!). Also it’s not just about writing any old book, it’s about writing the one that supports your business and showcases your expertise.
Many of my clients are writing their books, and I’ve had three published myself, so this is why you need to write and publish your book.
- It helps you to get clear on where you are an expert and what it is that you actually do.
Finding the thing that you do well is notoriously difficult as it’s hard to see what others can see. The stuff that you find easy and what you are good at is often where you need to specialise. And working on this stuff – like doing the passions and talents exercise that you can find in my third book – will help you to discover where you shine.
- It enables you to put your mark on the world, and reach more people who need your help.
When you write a book you lift your head above the parapet. Although scary, it makes it easier for others to find out what you stand for and reach the people who need you. There’s only so much networking, social media and speaking that you can do, so it allows you to maximise your time too.
- By aligning your book with your business you can use it to leverage your expertise – it is a marketing tool that can get you more clients.
A great book is a better marketing strategy than an email, business card or a tweet. When you have the systems in place to take people to the next steps in your product funnel, you can grow your business, have multiple streams of income, and get noticed by the people who need your help.
- It is cathartic to get your thoughts and ideas on paper, and it helps you to develop tools to assist your clients.
Many of my clients find that writing a book is incredibly empowering, as it allows them to get their stuff out of their head. They get clear on what they know that helps their clients and also do research if there are gaps in their knowledge. It can help you to develop your personal signature system, the thing you want to get known for, and also enhance the toolkit that you regularly use.
- When you write your best book, you will get noticed by the right people.
Writing a book will help you to demonstrate your credibility. It shows where you’re an expert, and allows you to display your wisdom. Not only will it increase your reach, you’ll be able to attract bigger players in your industry who are potential joint venture partners, affiliates, and willing to support you to create the change you wanted when you started.
Are you ready to write your book?
I’d love your comments on this post as I know that writing my three books (with two more on the way) has certainly grown my business, and my clients are sought after speakers, are getting great PR, and are known for what they do.
To find out more about why your business needs a book, you can download your free eBook at www.yourbookisthehook.com/ebook.
About Karen Williams
If you’re ready to write your book, stand out and become more visible, contact Karen Williams for a free business strategy session.
You can also sign up for her next event Your Book is the Hook Live on Saturday 25 April where she’ll be showing you how to write the book that will get you more confidence, credibility and clients. She also runs an annual writing retreat in Spain and you can join her this year from 24-29 September 2015.
Karen is a Business Coach and Book Mentor and has been running Self Discovery Coaching since 2006. She predominantly works with coaches, consultants and therapists who want to write a book that is the hook to grow their business. She helps them to plan, write, publish and promote their book and use it as a strategic marketing tool to get more clients, make more money and do what they love.
She is known for helping her clients to succeed by standing out from the crowd, getting noticed and being an expert in their business. She is the author of Your Book is the Hook, How to Stand Out in your Business, and the Amazon no. 1 bestseller The Secrets of Successful Coaches.
What do you want to get known for?
In today’s guest post Karen Williams asks an insightful question to help you and your coaching business.
What do you want to get known for?
From my experience, many coaches (and other transformation experts) work with clients who have gone through something similar to themselves. This may be situations like redundancy, cancer, trauma, a chronic illness, or perhaps they have learnt something that they know will help others.
Going through a difficult situation may have been one of their motivators to retrain in this profession, and likely to be one of the reasons that they want to help people now.
My story is similar to that extent. When I started out as a coach, I struggled to get clients and turn my passion into a business that was sustainable. Then I spent time with very successful coaches, discovered their secrets, implemented them into my own business, and then wrote a book about it! That’s why I help my clients to create their own successful business, get more clients, make more money and do what they love.
Even though coaching is traditionally non-directive, and technically you can work with people on any topic, clients will often look for a coach who has credibility in a certain area.
When you’ve been through a situation yourself, you:
- Can understand how someone must be feeling and emphasise with their situation
- Have the resources and information that may help and know where else you can direct your client
- Have credibility in that area and build your business from that topic of expertise
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Want a profitable and fulfilling business?
To create a profitable and fulfilling business, it’s about finding that area where you have knowledge, passion and experience, and building your niche from this place. However, I also know that it can be hard to define what to do, and niching may feel counterintuitive when you start out.
But these days you don’t need to have one of those ‘traditional’ niches such as a career coach, health coach, etc. The narrower you specialise, and the more unique you are, the easier it will be – trust me!
When you know your ideal client and what you do well, the advantage is that everything you do is aimed towards that person. You’ll have the systems in place that allows you to establish your expertise – and everything will stem from this framework.
- Your message and brand are aligned to the clients you want to attract
- Your website will generate leads rather than be a static page that people may come across by accident
- You can stand out from everyone else in your profession as you know what makes you different
- You can market yourself in a way that allows you to easily attract clients as people get what you do and the results that clients get from working with you
- You can create a signature talk/book/information product that automatically leads people to the next step in your marketing funnel and ultimately allows you to build your business easily
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What do you want to get known for?
If you’re struggling to niche, one of my favourite questions to ask is this: “What do you want to get known for?” I’ll be honest; it’s not enough to say “A great coach”, or “making a difference”, etc…
What do you really want to get known for?
Where is your expertise?
What are you good at?
Who would you love to work with and why?
What is your story and how does this relate to your clients?
You could, of course, do one of my favourite exercises, which you’ll find in my second book, How to Stand Out in your Business. Take your passions and talents and explore these areas unique to you. Take time to get clear what you are good at and where you excel, as well as understanding what you feel passionate about and why you love this. You can also look at your story and where you have come from and how you can might be able to help others in areas where you have your own experience.
But ultimately I suggest you ask yourself the question: What do you want to get known for? I’d love your comments below.
About Karen Williams
If you’re ready to stand out and become more visible, or want support to discover what you want to get known for, contact Karen for a free discovery call. You can also join her at the Star Biz conference on 11/12 July and on her Writing Retreat in Spain from 25-30 September 2014.
Karen Williams is the founder of Self Discovery Coaching and is a Business Coach and Mentor, Author, Speaker and Fire Walk Instructor. She predominantly works with solopreneurs (coaches, consultants and therapists) who want to make a difference, but know that to do this, they need to learn the skills to create and grow a successful business. She helps them to get more clients, make more money and do what they love.
She is known for helping her clients to succeed by standing out from the crowd, getting noticed and being an expert in their business. She is the author of The Secrets of Successful Coaches, which reached #1 in the Business charts on Amazon. Her second book, How to Stand Out in your Business, was published in 2012. In the second book she shares the 7 Step Success System that she uses to help her clients to become more visible and create a successful business. She is half way through writing her third book.
Coaching Quote of the Day 10th January 2012
“Every artist was first an amateur.”
(Ralph Waldo Emerson)