Coaching Quote of the Day 16th December 2012
“The best salespeople are great listeners—that’s how you find out what the buyer wants.”
(Larry Wilson and Spencer Johnson)
sales
How do you really get to know your clients? 1
In today’s guest post, Karen Williams answers a question pondered by many looking to start, or grow, a coaching business.
How do you really get to know your clients?
Have you been told you need to niche? Perhaps you are reluctant as you don’t want to restrict your market or maybe you don’t know where to start? Even if you know your niche already, how do you really get to know your clients and what they want?
If you don’t get to know your clients, your message is going to get lost. They will be clicking off your website as soon as they arrive, they won’t get where you are coming from or perhaps they won’t find you in the first place.
If you’re not getting the results you want right now in your business, here’s 3 things to look at first:
- Check that the language you are using on your website is pitched at the right level. When you create your website, your blog or any other literature, make sure you are using your client’s language and ask yourself ‘will my clients understand what I mean?’ Keep it simple. For example, you might want to use ‘say’ instead of ‘verbalise’.
- How much jargon are you using when you are communicating with others – both in writing and face-to-face? For example, you might get a better reaction if you say ‘I help you to manage the way you feel…’ rather than ‘I help you to get in the right state’.
- How clear is your message? I mentioned this in my blog recently, where I give suggestions about how to master your message to get the right response.
So how do you actually reach your clients and find out what they want?
I was talking to a client this week and I simply asked him, ‘who do you know in this field who can help you?’ and when he reeled off people he knew, I suggested that he take them for a coffee. Talking to people who are either in your target client group, or are connected to this group, is a great first step to finding out what they want.
If you already know some of your ideal clients, why not do a survey to find out what their problems are and what you can do to help them? I regularly survey the people on my contact list by using Survey Monkey. I also ask questions via my social media contacts. When you do this using a mixture of quantitative and qualitative questions (i.e. to get some figures and more lengthy responses), you can start to understand the dreams and challenges of the group and the actual language they are using.
Lastly, check out your competitors. Even if you have chosen the most unique niche, there are probably other people doing something similar to what you do. Find out what they do well, what you can model and what you can do differently to meet your client’s needs.
There are a lot of coaches in the industry doing something similar to what you do. To be successful you can’t be the same as everyone else and need to stand out from the crowd. By doing your research, you’ll quickly understand what makes you different, how you can be distinctive from everyone else, yet still give people the results that they desire.
About Karen Williams
As a business coach and mentor, author, speaker, and firewalk instructor, Karen Williams, from Self Discovery Coaching, works with coaches and solopreneurs who are breaking free from the corporate world and want to create a successful business. She helps them to develop the foundations for a successful business, stand out from the crowd and enjoy every step of the way.
Karen is the author of The Secrets of Successful Coaches, which reached #1 in the Business charts on Amazon and has just released her second book, How to Stand Out in your Business, which you can order now.
Karen is also running the Star Biz conference on 3 and 4 November, with 8 expert speakers and a firewalk experience. In this unique two day event, you will discover what makes you outstanding, how you can express this uniqueness in your business, and leave with a 90 day step-by-step plan to transform your business and double your clients.
Top Image: © Tatiana53 | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos
Using Coaching Questions to develop your Social Media Strategy
In this weeks guest post, communications coach and social networking expert, Nicky Kriel shares how you can use your coaching skills when developing your social media strategy.
Using Coaching Questions to develop your Social Media Strategy
by Nicky Kriel
Are you using Social Media to help grow your Coaching Business? It is very easy to say you do Social Media as a business because you have a Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook account, but do you have a Social Media strategy? So many businesses rush into setting up accounts without looking at the bigger picture.
Have you thought what you want to achieve through Social Media and how you will know when you’ve achieved it? It is so important to start with the end in mind; otherwise, you could get caught up in the chat, or find it to be an endless, mindless, unmeasured chore.
As a coach, have you ever asked your clients the following questions?
- “What do you want?”
- “And what will that do for you?”
- “How will you know when you have achieved it?”
Have you thought of asking those questions to yourself about using Social Media for your business?
Here are some questions that will help you focus on what you want to get out of Social Media:
What’s the point?
- Awareness?
- Sales?
- Loyalty?
Pick one! Your focus will be very different according to which one you choose. For most small businesses the point of doing Social Media will be to build Awareness. More awareness tends to drive sales.
Where do your customers hangout?
To answer this question you will need to have a clear idea of who your customers are. Which Social Media platform are they most likely to use? Just because you might be comfortable using Facebook doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be using LinkedIn if your business is predominantly business to business.
What’s your business about?
Forget having a few minutes to explain your business. Can you clearly state what your business is about in one sentence? The clearer you are about your business, the more customers you will attract. It is wonderful being warm and fuzzy as a coach, but if you can’t get your message across concisely, you will struggle to get new clients. On Social Media you have 120 characters on LinkedIn (The Headline) and 160 characters on Twitter (your Bio). People will make a decision whether or not to follow you or connect with you based on what you have written.
Do you have a list of keywords? It is worth spending a few minutes jotting down at least 10 words as your keywords. When you post updates or tweet are you using your keywords?
What’s your one Thing?
What makes you special? What is the one word that you would like to be associated with you? Disney has the word “Magic” and Volvo has “Safety”: So what word is yours? Are you consistently getting that message across on your website, in your bio and in your updates?
How will you know?
How will you know if you have been successful using Social Media?
What will you see? – (Will it be more visits to your website or more email enquiries?)
Hear? (Is it the phone ringing more often?)
Or feel? (Will it be the satisfaction of working with someone new?)
If you don’t know what success means to you, how will you know if you are wasting your time? If what you are currently doing on social media is not helping your business, you need to do something different. Start with the end in mind.
It is worth thinking about because Social Media can grow your business if you are focussed about using it.
About the author
Nicky Kriel, Guildford’s Social Media Queen, is passionate about empowering small business owners to use Social Media to grow their business. Her background is in Marketing and Sales and she is a Master NLP Practitioner.
As a Communication Coach, she helps people remember the “Social” aspect of Social Networking: It is not all about tools and technology, but about people and human relations.
Aside from her private coaching clients, she runs Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook workshops for business owners and bespoke courses for SMEs. Nicky really enjoys helping business owners to level the playing field by harnessing the power of social media.
You are welcome to follow Nicky on Twitter or like her “social media for newbies” Facebook page
What to say when they say “Yes, but…”
Coaches, what do you say when they say “yes, but …”? In this week’s Friday guest post Elizabeth Purvis shares some valuable advice.
What to say when they say “Yes, but…”
By Elizabeth Purvis
So you’re sharing your fabulous program with a potential client. You both know it’s perfect and you can feel her getting excited about the transformation within her reach! You say your new higher fee (without choking – yeeha!) and…
… the next words you hear are “I’d love to, BUT…”
“… I can’t afford it…”
“… It’s not the right time right now…”
“… I need to check with my spouse…”
“… I need to check with my gut – can I get back to you?”
First things first: don’t freak out! The “yes, but” is a concern, or objection… and you’ll hear them around 80% of the time. (Remember, where there’s massive transformation afoot, there is also fear.)
Many spiritual solopreneurs get wiggy about objections, but they’re actually a great thing. They mean that your client is really interested. They know you’re offering them an opportunity to change their lives and they want to step into it. Problem is, they’re just a little afraid. And they need you to support them through it.
Now here’s the secret behind objections and what you MUST do when your client says “I’d love to, but…” (This is the key to smoothly sailing through concerns so that they can embrace the transformation they truly want…)
Their “Yes, BUT” is the real reason why they’re on the phone with you today, right now. That’s what they really and truly need support on, in this moment. Because no matter what “yes, but” may be… it has stopped them before, and it is showing up somewhere else in their life to stop them over and over again. That’s why coaching your potential clients on their “Yes, BUT”’s is actually a tremendous gift. Here’s how to sail smoothly through the top 3 (make that only 3) “I’d love to… but”s so they can say yes to the transformation they truly want…
1. “I’d love to, but… I don’t have the money.”
Most solopreneurs take the money objection at face value, without realizing that “I can’t afford it” is rarely, if ever, really about the money. Your job in that moment is to find out if it’s really about the money, or it’s about something else. (Again, 90% of the time, it’s the latter.)
Here’s the question that will instantly give you your answer:
“Assuming money wasn’t an issue, is this something that you’d like to do?” If they say “yes” hesitantly… then it really isn’t the money. You can just say, “You sound hesitant, is there something else?” This will open the door to discovering the real issue… and coaching them through it.
2. “I’d love to, but… I don’t have the time.”
We all have the same 24 hours in a day, so the time objection is really about priorities. You can find out if they’re truly swamped (or just a little scared) with this question:
“If I waved a magic wand and created all kinds of time in your schedule, is this something you’d want to move forward with?” If they say “Yes, absolutely,” then they only think they don’t have time. You’ll help them by exploring what’s eating all their time and get clear on what’s really important to them.
3. “I’d love to, but… I need to think about it.”
You need to be careful with this one, because without your love and support, because the fear your client is undoubtedly feeling can quickly take over during “thinking time.” And that would be tragic.
If your program is a fit for them, “I have to think about it” usually means “I’m afraid” or “I don’t know if I can do this.” To open the dialogue, simply say, “What is it that you need to think about?” That might sound a little blunt, but when delivered with sincerity and grace, your client will actually breathe a sigh of relief. They will know that you care and that they need not be alone with their fear as they take this powerful next step.
Bonus tip: don’t be afraid to say what you really think and feel.
Remember, your client’s “yeah, buts” are what they need healing on, in this moment, to move forward with their dream. Being fully present and pointing out what you see is blocking their success is a gift of caring, generosity and love.
Further Resources
Do you struggle to attract clients who are ready to pay your fees? When you talk about your programs, do you hear a lot of ‘Sounds great, BUT… I can’t afford it’ or ‘I have to think about it?’ Discover how to attract committed clients who are HAPPY to invest high fees for the transformation you provide at http://www.ClientEnrollmentSecrets.com .
Chocolate Pudding and Coaching
My first full time jobs out of education were all in the hospitality industry. Working as a manager it was obvious that some waiting staff were taking more orders for desserts than others. One of the main differences between those who were selling more was with the way they were describing the desserts.
For example, imagine that you are dining out and at the appropriate time your waiter/waitress came to tell you “Today’s special desert is a chocolate pudding.”
That may sound appealing and you may even place an order. However, now, imagine the same scenario but this time your waiter/waitress tells you that:
“Today’s special desert is a must for chocolate lovers It’s a moist chocolate sponge, with a gooey dark chocolate filling that oozes out when you cut into it, topped with a white chocolate sauce. It is served warm with homemade smooth and creamy vanilla ice-cream that really compliments the chocolate-ness of the pudding.”
If you do like chocolate, which one of the two descriptions is going to have you drooling at the prospect of eating? Which conversation do you think will encourage you to say yes please?
(As a side note I think it’s important to add that both descriptions actually match with the dessert that was served)
One of the other things that those who sold more desserts did was that they did not take “no” personally. They knew that some people don’t like chocolate so are never going to order a chocolate pudding for themselves. They also know that sometimes a guest was just not hungry enough to have anything else. It didn’t mean that they were any less “worthy” as an individual.
I invite you to consider the description that you use to describe your coaching/work that will cause your potential ideal clients to drool at the prospect of working with you?
The Perks and Pitfalls of Social Media for Coaches 6
This week, communications coach, Nicky Kriel shares her thoughts and expertise on the use of social media for coaches.
The Perks and Pitfalls of Social Media for Coaches
By Nicky Kriel
Are you using social media for your coaching business yet? If you are, how is it working for you? And if you are not, what’s stopping you? Social Media offers you a great opportunity to get more clients and build up relations with existing ones. Social Media is not about the Tools and the Technology; it is about people and relationships. And as a coach you are already good at that! If you have enough clients and are making enough money from your coaching business, you can stop reading now, but if you want to grow your business, I have listed five perks and pitfalls for you to consider.
Perks
1. Connect with a far greater audience than you could by networking or asking for referrals. Networking is fun and can be buzzy if you are extroverted, but exactly how many people can you meet at each meeting and how much time is it taking up? Networking online can allow you to make real connections with real people. I am writing this guest blog because I met Jen Waller through Twitter, I have never physically met her although I plan to have coffee with her when I am in her neck of the woods. Within two weeks of being active on Twitter I had my first coaching enquiry. I have never met anyone yet that I haven’t liked in real life after gelling with them through Social Media first.
2. Raise your profile both online and offline – Have you Googled yourself recently? Who does Google think you are? Have you had strangers walk up to you and say “You are……… you are a coach, I love your blog/tweets/Facebook page/website”? Have you been invited to do podcasts about your business? Or radio interviews? Or been quoted by someone else as an expert? All these things are possible without spending a penny on public relations. I know because they have all happened to me last year and they could be happening to you too!
3. Potential clients can get a taste of what you are like before they commit – Your personality comes through even in 140 characters and potential customers can sample bite-size pieces of what you offer. You build rapport before even meeting or talking to people. People feel connected to you if they can read your thoughts and opinions, see pictures of you, hear your voice or watch a video of you.
4. Meet like-minded people – I have met so many supportive wonderful people who are willing me on to succeed. Like attracts like. There are many people out there who will like what you are doing if your intentions are good.
5. Learn – Twitter has provided me with a wealth of information. There is so much information about how to do almost anything and most of it is freely available. YouTube is brilliant for learning how to do things too.
Pitfalls
1. It’s a marathon not a sprint – Things don’t tend to happen instantly. For Social Media to work for you, you need to be part of the community, which means you need to show up consistently. You don’t need to spend hours each day on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn, but you do need to be there.
2. You can’t hide behind a corporate image – People do business with people they know like and trust and you will get further revealing your personality than using stiff marketing language. More people will connect with people than businesses.
3. There is no simple formula – If someone suggests you automate everything, please don’t pay attention to them. There is no substitute for personality. You need to build up your own quality network, engage with your audience as a person and not a robot. Anyone who thinks that simply feeding inspirational quotes into your feed is going to bring you business, needs to consider this: there is only one you. Why use the words of someone else when you can say it yourself?
4. Need to be conscious of what you make public – What you broadcast online becomes public and visible to a large number of people. Don’t put posts you wouldn’t want your family to read or to see as a headline in a newspaper. If you are a coach, telling people you are depressed is probably not a good idea. You always need to be conscious of how you market yourself.
5. Easy to get overwhelmed by Social Media – It is very easy to be overpowered by all the possibilities. It is good to start with a big picture of where you would like to be and have a clear intention in mind of what you want to get out of using Social Media. But remember this; you start all journeys with a single step. It is better to get to know one tool well before moving onto the next rather than trying to do everything at once and giving up.
If you would like to know more about Social Media, I write about Social Media regularly on my blog http://www.nickykriel.com/blog and I have started up a page on Facebook called Social Media for Newbies.
About the Author/Further Resources
Nicky Kriel came from a Marketing and Sales background before she retrained as a Master NLP Practitioner. As a Communication Coach, her passion is empowering people to reach their true potential. Aside from her private coaching clients, she runs personal development and social media courses for business owners. www.nickykriel.com
This is the second guest post from Nicky Kriel. To read her first one, 5 ways to make your coaching business successful, click here
Networking For Coaches 5
Coaches, do you have much success networking? In this weeks guest post Angus MacLennan shares some tips to improve your networking skills.
Networking For Coaches
by Angus MacLennan
Over the last few years I have found networking to be a great way to get new coaching clients. During this time I have met a number of coaches while out networking. Some coaches were great at networking and I learnt a lot from them. Unfortunately, some were not as good and found networking was not working for them.
It is important to realise that Coaching is a business and must be approached like a business. Networking is a great client development tool for any business if it is done properly. I suggest my clients focus on a few key points that help them get the most from networking. They are:
- Your Niche: Have a clearly defined niche. Without a clear niche you cannot have a clear message. When you are out networking you need to have a clear message.
- Your Message: A common mistake is to dilute the message with too many offerings. When you go out networking you must have a clear message. Make it easy for people to understand exactly what you do.
Most coaches are multi-skilled and happy to work across many fields. The problem is that this becomes confusing when you try to explain what you do. Most people will not get a clear understanding of what you do if you tell them you are a Life Coach, Business Coach, Hypotherapist and NLP specialist.
Even if you do use all of your many skills when helping clients I suggest you pick a niche and message and stick to it. Networking works best when you have a clear message that people understand quickly and easily, so don’t confuse them with your list of skills.
- Business Cards: Make sure you only have one card that carries a clear message about you and your niche. I have met too many coaches who hand out multiple cards for multiple “Businesses” at networking meetings and it can harm your credibility.
- Be Professional And Organised: Make sure you come across as a business person. Coaching may be your passion but if you are out networking then you are talking to people who are there to make connections and do business. They want to talk to other professionals who are serious about doing business. Making friends with them may come later but if you want other networkers to refer you on then they must have confidence in you as a business person.
- Talk To People: Be friendly and open and make an effort to talk to people. As a Coach you are skilled at this part but a common mistake I have observed is that Coaches get talking to one person and get stuck. If you can, identify the people you want to speak to before you arrive and then target them. If you cannot do that then make sure you break rapport if necessary and move on. Talk to as many of the right people as you can. You don’t want to be seen to monopolise one person’s networking time so moving on will be good for both of you.
- Follow Up: Always follow up with people who express an interest in you or your services. Make sure you develop a professional and focussed system for following up and it will become a habit. It could be a letter, email or a call but make sure you connect with everyone who expresses an interest.
- Your USP: Have a Unique Selling Point clearly defined and put into a short simple message. This will come out of a combination of your niche and your strengths. What do you offer that is unique? With Six Billion people in the world the chances are your unique selling point is not that unique but make it something unique to you, your area or your particular offering. Don’t re-invent the wheel but have something interesting that will make people take notice and remember you.
- Have A Sales Ramp And A Sales Process: You are in business and if you want to do business then you need to have a Sales Process to take your clients through. Link it to a Sales Ramp that allows you to sell different products to different people, to up-sell when possible and catch people who are not ready for your top product. Multiple points of sale are a great way to form relationships that you can build on.
- Elevator Pitch: Create a 20 second pitch that answers the question: What do you do? Too many coaches I have met cannot answer that question in less than a minute or two. Create a short answer focussing on your niche and then practice it until it sounds natural.
- Your 60 Seconds: Have a 60 second speech and practise it until it sounds natural. It should include the following:
- Name, Company and Location (if relevant)
- What you do – your niche
- Why should they come to you – your USP
- Who you want to meet – be specific about the referrals you want
- Make an offer or have an anecdote – something to ensure they remember you
- Close with Name and Company
- Stay After The Meeting: Hang around and talk to people after the meeting. The primary purpose of networking meetings is to build relationships. Focus on building relationships by asking the right questions and listening to the answers. Remember that people love to talk about themselves so ask more than you tell. It is the relationships you build in the meetings and in the 1-2-1s that get you the referrals. People will only refer you if they like you, trust you and believe you have a worthwhile service.
- Debrief: Always debrief yourself after the event – what worked and what you can improve on. Networking is a learning experience so make sure you learn from your successes and mistakes. Pay attention to the networkers who stand out and model some of their behaviours and phrases.
I have worked with a number of coaches who came to me to help them get better results from networking. The points above have enabled them to focus on what they should be doing. Start with the basics, practice and the results will follow. Networking is an important tool for getting clients so get out there and network.
Have a great day.
Angus
About the Author/Further Resources
Angus MacLennan works with motivated Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners. He has had his articles published in the UK, USA and Australia and has worked with clients across three continents.
His mission and passion is to deliver amazing value to his clients and help them develop their businesses – allowing them to have the work/life balance they really want.
Check out his blog and learn more at: www.coachingentrepreneurs.co.uk
Twitter: http://twitter.com/angusmaclennan
LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/angusmaclennan
He loves what he does so get in touch and book a free session.