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Three ways personal development may be making you bad at marketing 1

 in Guest Post  tagged business coach / business coaching / charging / clean language / client / clients / coach / coaches / coaching / coaching courses / coaching qualifications / coaching skills / coaching techniques / coaching training / executive coach / Judy Rees / leadership coaching / life coach / life coaches / life coaching / limitless / marketing / nlp coach / performance coaching / personal coach / personal development / positive / tranceforming communications / why / x-ray listening

In this week’s guest post Judy Rees shares her expertise and thoughts about what may be a reason you are struggling for clients.

Three ways personal development may be making you bad at marketing

By Judy Rees

I’m fed up with meeting “struggling coaches”! Every workshop, networking event or conference I go to (and I go to a lot), I seem to bump into dozens of coaches and therapists who are struggling to find paying clients.

I’d understand it if these guys weren’t so skilled. But the “strugglers” included people with fantastic skills as catalysts of transformation; people I’d even trust to coach me! And while they were unhappy and stuck, the people they might have helped were staying unhappy and stuck, too.

I got so fed up that I decided to do something about it, using Clean Language coaching blended with a little internet-marketing fairy dust.

I offered dozens of free “sweet spot sessions” to struggling coaches, helping them to find places where their unique skills, knowledge, experience and passion coincided with the needs of a hungry crowd, waving wads of fivers and keen to work with them.

We proved the crowds were there – one woman found that more than 13m people per month were searching for exactly the kind of service she could provide. And nobody else was serving those people. They were searching for help, and getting none.

And in the process, I realised that as coaches, we get in our own way. There are some lessons we’ve picked up in our personal development that are tripping almost everybody up.

Here are three ways personal development may be making you bad at marketing:

3. Deleting the word ‘why’. Particularly on NLP courses, we’re discouraged from asking ‘why?’ There are perfectly valid reasons for this – but over time, not asking why can become a habit. And that means you’ve accidentally deleted one of the most compelling ways of convincing someone to work with you.

Make sure you know why you offer great value; why people chose to work with you and not somebody else, why you structure your programmes as you do. And remember, once you get a potential client talking about their challenges, it’s legitimate to ask why their challenge is a problem for them. Then you can step in as the solution!

2. Presenting yourself as limitless. Most coaching skills are very generic: you probably can help pretty much anyone achieve pretty much anything. But people’s problems are very special – and when you have a special problem, you seek out a specialist solution. If you had a serious illness, who would you prefer to ask for help?

“I can do anything for anybody” marketing also makes people suspicious of your claims, and makes it difficult to present supporting evidence.

I’m violently opposed to the idea of “finding your niche” as a coach. I haven’t come all this way just to be pigeonholed! However, I do favour starting the journey with a single step, and focussing on one specific kind of problem (perhaps one where you have some success stories to tell) is a great way to begin.

1. Staying positive. I love ‘solution focussed’ coaching. I love being able to work with clients to figure out what’s gone right; what’s working; and what they would like to have happen.

And that can be a problem, particularly when I’m talking to a potential client. Because its people who have problems who buy solutions. It’s people who are experiencing pain who spend money to change things.

If you’re busy spreading sweetness and light, while everyone around seems ‘negative’ and obsessed with problems, you’re failing to pace your potential clients’ experience. You may be making yourself forget your troubles. But by sabotaging your own marketing efforts, you’ll also be prolonging them.

About the Author/Further Resources

Judy Rees is an author, mentor and information marketer, and an expert in Clean Language and metaphor. Her blog is at www.xraylistening.com

If you’d like to find out more about the sweet spot sessions and perhaps book a session of your own, go to www.tranceformingcommunications.com

Coaching in schools

 in Guest Post  tagged business coach / business coaching / charging / client / clients / coach / coaches / coaching / Coaching Connect / coaching courses / coaching qualifications / coaching skills / coaching techniques / coaching training / executive coach / leadership coaching / life coach / life coaches / life coaching / Liz Scott / mentoring / nlp coach / non-directive / performance coaching / personal coach / personal development / Smart Coaching In Schools / solutions / structure / Students / teachers / teenagers

What’s the best way to deliver coaching in schools?

How can pupils and staff benefit from coaching when budgets are so tight?

Liz Scott is a coach working extensively in education; she’s discovered that pure ‘leadership coaching’ isn’t the answer when working with teenagers. Here are the three key points she learnt from coaching in schools.

Coaching in schools

by Liz Scott

You would think that it would be pretty straight forward when coaching students. You would think that all you need to do is to slightly adapt head teacher coaching to suit a teenager. So when I was asked to coach students I was excited, enthusiastic and very naïve. I thought about ‘Dead Poets Society’ and imaged I would inspire these students to great things using coaching instead of poetry. It wasn’t quite that simple. I rapidly had to modify my technique to suit young people. Here are the three key things I learnt.

1. You need a liberal sprinkling of mentoring.

Realisation dawned rapidly as I sat with my first 15 year old that pure leadership coaching wasn’t the answer.

Students spend such a lot of time at school being told what to do and when to do it. The looseness of pure non-directive coaching wasn’t something they were comfortable with. The students responded best when a structured, mentoring approach was mixed with a non-directive framework.

2. Coaching could produce rapid change

The year 10 students had issues ranging from confidence, communication and organisational-skills.

It was astonishing how quickly they adjusted their habits and behaviours when they saw something from a new perspective. For example, one young lad was incredibly disorganised, he’d forget books, homework and pencils on a daily basis. His teachers were frustrated and he felt they were ‘picking’ on him. After a bit of coaching he realised (for himself) that he needed to do something differently.

As a result of the session he decided he would pack his bag every night before school. When he left I couldn’t believe he would remember this on a daily basis. However, he did. When someone ‘finds their own solution’ through coaching, then things can change quickly,

3. It’s better to train the staff in coaching skills

In an ideal world it would be great for students to have an experienced, qualified coach working with them. However, in reality there isn’t the time or money to do this.

I felt real frustration at the small impact I was able to make with individual students. I could only see a limited number of youngsters and time was tight when I saw them (each session was 20 minutes).

It seems that the real leverage is when the staff are trained in coaching skills and can scatter coaching into their conversations and interactions with the students. This is the area I began to focus on. Instead of me delivering coaching with an ad-hoc number of students I began to work with teachers and TA’s to help them use coaching skills to transform student-relationships, lessons and day to day conversations.

It’s so much better to help the staff learn fundamental coaching skills. When they can do this then the impact can be felt across the school.

Summary

Working in schools is incredibly rewarding. For me the biggest reward is helping the existing staff to adapt their communication using coaching skills. Teachers are already highly skilled in working with young people, so giving them the additional skill of coaching can make a real difference in a school.

About the Author/Further Resources

Liz Scott is part of www.smartcoachingforschools.com. She works with a coach delivering coaching skill training courses in education. Liz also brings coaches together as part of Coaching Connect. You can come to the next Coaching Connect event in October www.coachingconnect.eventbrite.com

Knowing versus Doing

 in Guest Post  tagged Aber Fogarty / business coach / business coaching / challenge / charging / client / clients / coach / coaches / coaching / coaching courses / coaching qualifications / coaching skills / coaching techniques / coaching training / doing / executive coach / goals / knowing / leadership coaching / learning / life coach / life coaches / life coaching / nlp coach / performance coaching / personal coach / personal development / personal dvelopment / SOS Coaching / stuck

In this week’s guest post Amber Fogarty shares her expertise and thoughts about what will assist you, as a coach, to continue growing.

Knowing versus Doing

By Amber Fogarty

In my last Coaching Confidence blog post, I wrote about the importance of being coachable. I also emphasized the value of HAVING a coach if you are a coach.

Here’s the undeniable reality: Even coaches get stuck. Our lives aren’t perfect, and we shouldn’t claim that they are. In many cases, we KNOW what we should be doing. We just don’t always do it. Right? In each of our lives, there is often a gap between knowing and doing. At times, that gap is as wide as the Grand Canyon.

We’ve all heard the saying that “knowing is the enemy of doing.” Knowing is also the enemy of learning, and we always have more to learn.

At a recent team meeting of the coaches in the SOS Coaching Network, we discussed the pressure coaches often feel as they strive to be “a product of the product” and how tough it can be for coaches to challenge themselves in the same ways they challenge their clients.

Our founder Bill Moyer, a veteran coach of 25+ years, imparted this advice, “You can teach something you haven’t mastered, but you can’t teach something you haven’t tried.” He reminded us of the importance of continuing to strive to become a better version of ourselves.

Bill’s words of wisdom ring true, “Perfection is not a realistic goal nor is it relatable for the people we work with. Our clients don’t need a perfect coach, but they do need a coach who’s growing. Working toward our full potential is a lifelong journey. We can NEVER stop growing.”

One of our organizational mottos is, “If you don’t grow, you go.” We share our personal development goals and continually work to achieve them. We encourage each other, while recognizing the need for personal accountability in addition to accountability to each other and the clients we serve. All of us are in the personal development industry, so we must remain committed to our own personal development.

Give some thought to these questions today:

  • Am I stuck? If so, what am I doing about it?
  • Where do I see a gap in my life between knowing and doing, between my thoughts and my actions?
  • Am I striving for perfection, an unattainable goal?
  • Do I challenge myself in the same way I challenge my clients?
  • Do I have a personal development plan that outlines specific goals that will help me to reach my full potential?
  • Do I have a coach who I meet with regularly who holds me accountable for the goals that matter most to me?

 

About the Author/Further Resources

Amber Fogarty is a Partner and Coach with the SOS Coaching Network, which unites an elite group of coaches, trainers, and consultants from around the world, providing them with personalized programs, one-on-one and group coaching, and tools to help them succeed in the rapidly growing coaching industry. Learn more at www.soscoachingnetwork.com.

Loving Communication: A Coach’s View 1

 in Guest Post  tagged Anja Schuetz / behaviour / business coach / business coaching / charging / client / clients / coach / coaches / coaching / coaching courses / coaching qualifications / coaching skills / coaching techniques / coaching training / executive coach / eye contact / focus / hands / intention / Iyanla Vanzant / judge / leadership coaching / life coach / life coaches / life coaching / loving communication / nlp coach / non-verbal communication / Oprah Winfrey / performance coaching / personal coach / personal development / why

In today’s guest post coach Anja Schuetz shares her expertise and thoughts on loving communication.

Loving Communication: A Coach’s View

by Anja Schuetz

The Dutch TV aired a re-run of an Oprah episode the other day, where Iyanla Vanzant returns to the show after 11 years. Oprah and her had parted ways 11 years ago after a “betrayal” and this was the first time they saw each other again. As viewers we became witness to a conversation in which they may or may not make up.

I loved how Iyanla set the tone by starting the conversation with a sincere, heartfelt apology:

Oprah 1

“I love you. I have always loved you and had nothing but positive regard for you. And I am now so sorry. I am aware of how my behavior and my choices could have appeared to you and been experienced by you as betrayal. Please forgive me. Please! That was not my intention. Ever.”

Notice how she takes Oprah’s hands and keeps eye contact as she apologizes. Even though the conversation gets a little heated later on – this strong acknowledgment from both sides in the very beginning set the right intention for both parties and allowed them to keep coming back to a common ground – compassionately and even humorous at times.

It is evident that both party’s intention is to understand each other’s behaviors, reasonings and intentions during that conflict eleven years ago and then MOVE ON from there, while re-newing their relationship.

It is fascinating to watch their language, which doesn’t contain any blame or negative energy. Rather than “But you said…!” they phrase their statements like this “What I heard you saying/What I thought you were saying, is…” Can you hear the difference? It says, ”I’m not holding you responsible for how I feld about what I heard.” As opposed to “You made me feel bad!” It creates an open space. It allows the sender of the message to see how their words arrived on the other side. It bypasses their ego and wins over the desire to be right.

You never told me you liked me…

We all live in our own reality. We all judge situations by the way we see them; by the way we see the world. However how we see the world is colored by how we see ourselves. And how we see ourselves is coloured by our past experiences and the beliefs and rules we have made up for ourselves.

This becomes so very clear in the second part of the following small clip, where Iyanla says, “You never told me you liked me!” and Oprah is flabbergasted how Iyanla could have possibly missed how much she liked her (through the actions and behavior she showed to Iyanla).

Oprah 2

Oprah and Iyanla Vanzant’s Misunderstanding

While this is clear evidence of Oprah and Iyanla speaking different love languages it becomes also clear that Iyanla wouldn’t have “heard” it no matter what language Oprah had spoken. Because she didn’t feel she deserved it. Because according to her own made-up rules, she felt she hadn’t worked hard enough for this yet.

The fame and the opportunities came too early in her perception. That’s why she couldn’t allow herself to receive. Watch how important it is to her to be heard by Oprah, who at first really doesn’t get it, because she doesn’t live by the same limiting rules.

We never know what’s going on in the other person. We never have the full story. We never truly know their feelings and fears, which might have influenced their behavior. Yet we constantly guess and then take our guesses for the truth.

 

Focus on intention!

Every behavior follows a positive intention. We make decisions and behave according to what makes sense to us at the time. However this doesn’t always make sense to other people.

If someone behaves strangely in our eyes, most of us make up a story that fits our image of the world, as to why they are behaving that way. Rather than entering a clarifying conversation, we label them “stupid” and we might even read their minds and tell other people “He thinks he is the king of the world!!” We constantly interpret behaviors and attach meanings to them that make sense to us.

Rather than judging people’s behavior, let’s try and focus on their intention instead. The only way to find out the other person’s intention is to ask them. Open a dialogue and ask, “What was your intention, when you did that?”

Can you hear the difference to “Why did you do that??”

The word “why?” forces the other person into defensive mode and asks for justification of past behavior. It’s a very loaded question and can come across in itself as a judgment. Just imagine someone saying it to you, including the hidden second part of the question, “Why did you do that, you [adjective] [noun]??” 🙂

“What was your intention?” is pretty much the same question, however it sounds a lot less loaded and it’s constructive. It keeps you both looking forward; it keeps you focused on a solution, not on blame and as you agree that the intention was good, you only need to find a better method (=behavior) together on how to follow through on that positive intention.

There are always two goals in any situation: One is to achieve a certain outcome, the other is to maintain our relationships with the people involved.

This is the whole meaning of the quote “Nobody can win an argument.”

As important as it is to focus on our own intentions to achieve our goals in life, as important it is to focus on other people’s intentions before we judge them.

Or better yet… INSTEAD of judging them.

About the Author/Further Resources

Anja Schuetz is a Recognition Professional and Coach. By day she works with managers to use more loving communication in the workplace and by night she coaches women through uncertainty to confidence.

She is also the author of the People Management Coaching Cards at www.selfcoachingcards.eu.

Find out more about Anja at www.anjaschuetz.net or connect with her on Facebook.com/virtualanja or Twitter @virtualanja.

Your Coaching Service Needs YOU!

 in Guest Post  tagged balance / balanced meals / business coach / business coaching / charging / client / clients / coach / coaches / coaching / coaching courses / coaching qualifications / coaching skills / coaching techniques / coaching training / energy / executive coach / exercise / immune system / Indigo Turtle Coaching / leadership coaching / life coach / life coaches / life coaching / Marie Yates / mind and body / nlp coach / performance coaching / personal coach / personal development / posture / Self care / sleep / water

In today’s guest post performance coach Marie Yates addresses something that is relevant to coaches in all niches of coaching.

Your Coaching Service Needs YOU!

By Marie Yates

YOU are your coaching service! So while you’re looking after the marketing, the planning, the finances, the diary… Oh, and the clients… How are you looking after YOU?

You know that the synergy between the mind and body is paramount for true health and wellbeing so do you put this into practice? Do you conduct a large percentage of your business over the telephone? What would happen if you lost your voice?

  • By maintaining a healthy immune system you are much more likely to fight off common viruses. Make sure you are well rested, drink plenty of water and maintain a healthy, balanced diet. Also, managing your negative emotions and stress levels will prevent you from becoming run down and more susceptible to illnesses.

Do you spend a significant amount of time sitting down to work and driving to meet clients? What would happen if you needed to take an extended break from sitting down and/or driving due to back pain?

  • Monitor your posture and how you sit whilst conducting your coaching sessions, work on the computer or when you’re at your desk. The spine is designed for motion so if you find that you are sitting still for long periods of time, take a break and stretch your body. When you are sitting down avoid slouching or leaning forwards.
  • There are additional benefits to having a good posture… For example;

ο A good posture enables effective breathing – deep breathing acts as a stress reducer, releases endorphins (your own unique painkillers!) and focuses the mind!

ο Enhanced capacity for thinking – with correct breathing, there will be more oxygen getting to the brain, enabling it to do an effective job!

ο Improved self image – try slouching for thirty seconds and then sitting up straight, breathing deeply… Is there a difference in how you feel?

Do you feel your energy levels dropping throughout the day? What would happen if you were not giving your client 100% during their session or you a leading a workshop and the fatigue sets in? Eat well balanced meals throughout the day! Although you know that need to aim for your 5 fruit & vegetables a day – do you do this? Avoid the quick fix approach to energy levels that caffeine and sugar have to offer as what goes up, must come down!

  • Drink water and lots of it! Fill a 2 litre bottle with water every day and make it your aim to finish it!
  • Get plenty of sleep! Become more aware of your body and its natural rhythm. If you are an early bird – get up & start the day a little earlier to be your most productive self. If you are a night owl, stay up a little later and get the most out of your day!
  • Take regular exercise! The benefits of exercise are not a secret so incorporate it into your day… With all the exercise DVDs and computer based exercise regimes on offer you don’t even need to leave the house – although fresh air and a change of scenery is an added bonus!

Give yourself the BEST and look after yourself… Lead by example and make sure you have the energy in your mind and body to strive for your own goals!

About the Author/Further Resources

Marie Yates is a performance coach based in the Midlands and can be found at www.indigo-turtle-coaching.co.uk

You Did What With Your Hands? 2

 in Guest Post  tagged adapters / business coach / business coaching / charging / client / clients / coach / coaches / coaching / coaching courses / coaching qualifications / coaching skills / coaching techniques / coaching training / congruence / Enjoy Mediation / executive coach / finger pointing / gestures / hand / interaction / Jeff Thompson / leadership coaching / leakage / life coach / life coaches / life coaching / Mediation / nlp coach / non-verbal communication / NonverbalPHD / performance coaching / personal coach / personal development / pragmatics / semantics / syntactics

In this week’s guest post, Jeff Thompson shares his expertise and thoughts on a subject that will apply to coaches of all niches who meet clients (and potential clients) face to face.

You Did What With Your Hands?

Seriously, Hand Gestures Are Important

by Jeff Thompson

Hand gestures and hand placement are important.We use them all the time yet either their importance is often discounted or they are stated as being the obvious.What do I mean by importance?They are important as they can help us be more effective communicators or contribute to misunderstandings. The obvious comments are often “of course that gesture means that” however are you fully aware of the gestures you use and those used by others?

As coaching, conflict and communication professionals, not only what we say is important but also what we do. This brief article will give some examples of gestures and hand placement that often can reflect an emotional state the person is feeling, as well as being used to compliment or contradict the verbal message being delivered.

This blog post is listed in sections as each one can be read and practiced on its own, while collectively it gives a good starting point (pun to be intended) to becoming aware of the important role of hand gestures and placement.

Firstly:I approach nonverbal communication, and for this blog article solely gestures, from a social semiotic perspective.What does that mean?It means approaching it from 3 steps

1)Identify the gesture used (this is semantics for the geeks out there like me)

2)Determine how is the gesture used in combination with other gestures (syntactics)

3)Explore what the gesture means, especially given the context of the situation (pragmatics)

Feelings or Communication? Hand gestures can communicative or emotional based.Sometimes both.

Is the gesture congruent with the words being spoken?Often when the gesture being used does not match with the words being spoken, it is the gesture that people tend to believe to be more truthful.Have a look at the images below and imagine each person saying they feel confident.Which is more believable?

Intentional or Unintentional?Calling out people and telling them they are not comfortable because they touched the back of their neck could very well be true but often people are not aware of these unintentional gestures (these are called adaptors).The uber-scientific term for this is “leakage.” Really.

Being aware of them does not equal telling people overtly. Rather, observing them helps you prepare what to say or do next.

Also, in regards to intentional or unintentional gestures, ask yourself if the message is being received the way you intended?Consider varying gestures based on cultures and geographic location.The “V” peace sign has a much different meaning based on which way you palm is facing (towards you or the other) and many of the UK readers can vouch for that.

Much more everyday examples include, as further discussed below is pointing your finger.Your intended use of pointing is the gesture form of the exclamation point- you really mean what you are saying.However, the other person thinks you are being rude or condescending and confrontational.No matter what you intention is, it is the person decoding it that has greater importance.

Hand To head or Head to Hand?Ever notice the difference between the two? The first can show interest while the latter often is a sign of boredom.Make a ‘note to self’ to avoid this while working with clients!

Which version do you see below?

Did you really need to point your finger?Pointing can be confrontational. When I think about pointing, it reminds me of teachers or my mother yelling at me (which is negative!).Consider this next time you choose to point at someone. As an alternative, consider doing “The Obama”(second picture).

 

What’s the point (pun intended!) of this and how does it apply to conflict coaching and others who work in conflict resolution?Well, firstly being aware of your own use of gestures can help you be more effective. Did you point and didn’t realize it?Did you notice the person say “I am fine with that” yet at the same time they started fidgeting with their necklace?

Nonverbal communication is not a definitive science but it is a science none the less.I look at it as offering another viewpoint, often one that is subtle and subconscious yet can help you communicate more effectively as well as understands others- especially when you are trying to assist them during a conflict.

For more on this have a look at a brief presentation [here] or by click the image below on semiotics and nonverbal communication.It has lots of finger pointing!

 

Also, feel free to follow me on twitter & my blogs:

For nonverbal communication @NonverbalPhD www.NonverbalPhD.com

For conflict resolution @MediatorJeff www.EnjoyMediation.com

About the Author/Further Resources

Jeff Thompson is based in New York City and is a professional mediator certified with the New York Peace Institute and the International Mediation Institute (IMI). He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Griffith University Law School (Australia) and has a MS in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution from Creighton University. Jeff is employed as a Detective in law enforcement working as a conflict specialist while also engaging in interfaith issues. Jeff’s blog, Enjoy Mediation (http://www.EnjoyMediation.com) is a featured blog at Mediate.com and IMImediation.org. Comments are always welcome- email Jeff at Je***********@**********du.au and follow him on twitter: @NonverbalPhD and @MediatorJeff

How to use lessons about spaghetti sauce in your coaching

 in Guest Post  tagged business coach / business coaching / charging / client / clients / coach / coaches / coaching / coaching courses / coaching qualifications / coaching skills / coaching techniques / coaching training / executive coach / Howard Moskowitz / hypnotherapy / leadership coaching / Lenny Deverill-West / life coach / life coaches / life coaching / Malcom Gladwell / Michael Neill / nlp coach / performance coaching / personal coach / personal development / research / spaghetti sauce / Start Living today / TED talk

In this week’s guest post Lenny Deverill-West demonstrates how lessons from outside of coaching can be used by coaches to benefit your clients.

How to use lessons about spaghetti sauce in your coaching

By Lenny Deverill-West

.

I was watching the clip above on TED by Malcolm Gladwell about how Howard Moskowitz, a food scientist, discovered 1/3 of Americans liked extra chunky spaghetti sauce.

To cut a great story short Howard tested lots of different types of Spaghetti sauce and after testing every conceivable type of sauce, Howard discovered that 1/3 of people liked extra chunky spaghetti sauce and that no other sauce company was servicing that need, by tapping into this gap in the market Prego, the brand he was working with, made $600 million.

What stuck out for me was that spaghetti sauce companies always researched their product by asking people what kind of sauce they liked, but no one ever said they liked extra chunky sauce, even though it turned out a 3rd of people actually did. So the spaghetti sauce companies had always provided their customer with, what their research had told them they wanted.

And this is a bit like coaching, we ask the client what they want and we coach them to help them get it, but what if they are like people who thought they liked traditional spaghetti sauce because that what they were brought up to believe spaghetti sauce should be like, but actually loved chucky spaghetti sauce? Michael Neill is famous for saying that most people do not really know what they want, and are just ordering off the menu for what they think they can have.

For example if you’re coaching someone who would like a change of career, promotion or looking to start up a new business, are they talking about doing something that really lights their fire, that they’d love to do and would make a difference to people or are they talking about doing something that they think they can, something that is already on the menu and doesn’t particular inspire them or make them happy?

I was talking to a colleague at work other day he mentioned that he wanted to build a career but did not know what he wanted to do, he mentioned that he was thinking or doing a qualification in carpentry, which is a great profession, hell we’ll always need carpenters.

When I asked why he wanted to be a carpenter, he said ‘he had looked at the local college prospectus and that was the only thing he thought he would be able to do’, in other words he had looked at the menu and picked what he thought he could have.

I went on to ask him what was he good at, and what would he like to do with his one and only life? He explained he is just great at dealing with people, putting on events for the company he works for and after a short conversation he stopped for a moment and looked off into the distance and then said that in fact he’d love to run his own event management business, but has never thought it was even an option.

Howard Moskowitz says “The mind knows not what the tongue wants” but you could also say “the person knows not what they really because they’re just looking at the menu of what they think they can have’.

It also struck me that in order to find out what kind of spaghetti sauce 1/3 of people liked, Howard and Prego had to create it because it previously didn’t exist, at least not on supermarket shelves.

So when you’re coaching a client around a new career try and spot if they are just ordering of the menu, or is there something else that they would love to be doing?
And go do that!

About the Author/Further Resources

Lenny Deverill-West is a Cognitive Hypnotherapist, NLP Practitioner, Coach and Corporate Trainer based in Southampton.

Lenny spends most his time seeing clients at his Southampton practice and is also developing trainings courses and Hypnotherapy products that are due out early next year. For more information about Lenny Deverill-West visit www.startlivingtoday.co.uk.

Read Lenny’s previous guest posts here and here.

How To Get High-End Clients When You DON’T Have A Big List (Yet!)

 in Guest Post  tagged business coach / business coaching / charging / client / clients / coach / coaches / coaching / coaching courses / coaching qualifications / coaching skills / coaching techniques / coaching training / Elizabeth Purvis / entrepreneurs / executive coach / high end clients / ideal clients / leadership coaching / life coach / life coaches / life coaching / list / marketing / mentoring / nlp coach / performance coaching / personal coach / personal development / Platinum clients / Platinum programs / The Marketing Goddess

As a bonus today – we have an extra guest post where “The Marketing Goddess”, Elizabeth Purvis shares her expertise and advice about finding high-end clients, even if you haven’t got a big list.

How To Get High-End Clients When You DON’T Have A Big List (Yet!)

By Elizabeth Purvis

One of the biggest questions I hear about Platinum is this: “Can I offer Platinum Programs even if I don’t have a list?”

The answer is… yes! 😀

Whether you’re new in business, or just never got around to building a list in any systematic fashion (and if that’s you, no worries, you’re definitely NOT alone), you can still offer Platinum programs.

Indeed, Platinum Programs are perhaps THE best way to create significant income WITHOUT a big list, or even a list at all.

Why? Because all you need to get new Platinum clients is:

a. A well-designed, irresistible Platinum-style program

b. The willingness to be in conversation with a potential client

That’s it!

No matter what business you’re in or where you are in your business right now, you have a tremendous opportunity to create a high-end offer your ideal clients will love.

And while you may be skeptical, it’s well-known in marketing circles that a certain percentage of the clients in every business – sometimes up to 20% – want a high-end or premium level of service.

(Even pizza parlors and dry cleaners have pulled this off. So can YOU.)

So what do you do when you don’t have a list?

Well, my clients will tell you that I’m a huge fan of hand-inviting – that is, reaching out to people already in your circle and making a personal, heartfelt invitation.

(Indeed, this is the “low hanging fruit” lead generation strategy I start everyone with, whether they have a list or not. I also give them specific scripts so they know exactly what to say.)

And rather than coming across as “pushy” (which is what so many heart-centered entrepreneurs fear, which keeps them stopped in their tracks), you will be amazed at how much your clients will appreciate that you thought of them, and cared enough about them to let them know.

So my coach’s request for you for this tip is to think of the people in your circle right now. Who really needs your help to step into their greatness? Who would you LOVE to work with in a deeper, richer way?

If you can’t think of anyone, don’t let that take you out. Get support from a buddy on the brainstorming, because I promise you, they’re there.

At this point, I’ve mentored hundreds of entrepreneurs and I have YET to find a single one who did NOT have ideal clients in their sphere already – even people who live in the proverbial “middle of nowhere.” That’s why I’m so confident about this one.

So do this simple exercise and see what pops for you, ok? You’re going to get some ideas on how to be of service – and that’s always a good thing. 🙂

About the Author/Further Resources

Elizabeth Purvis, “The Marketing Goddess,” mentors extraordinary spiritual women entrepreneurs to 6-figures and beyond.

Known for blending proven Internet marketing strategy and spiritual principles, Elizabeth teaches her clients how to use the path of spiritual entrepreneurship to manifest their mission and live their true calling. She is passionate about empowering spirit-led, purpose-driven women with the 6-figure mindset, energetic tools AND practical authentic marketing strategies to create their dream lifestyle while changing the world.

Elizabeth is the creator of Get Clients In 30 Days! How To Add 10 Clients To Your Business Practically Overnight – Even If You’re Starting From Scratch and The Abundant Business System, a step-by-step marketing and business-building system especially for spiritual women entrepreneurs. A professional fiction writer, Elizabeth has worked with such publishers as Llewellyn Worldwide, Desperado Publishing and Image Comics.

A life-long “Northeastern girl” (including 16 years in New York City), Elizabeth switched coasts and now lives blissfully in Portland, Oregon, with her husband. www.marketinggoddess.com.

Elizabeth is about to teach how to create deeply transformational, highly profitable high-end programs. Act now by clicking www.6figuregoddess.com to learn more.