In this week’s guest post Angus MacLennan shares his expertise and thoughts about what a coach should have if they want to succeed.

Angus is also offering a special offer to readers of Coaching Confidence, the coaching blog. You’ll find the details at the bottom of this page for you to read after this post.

Coaches Need Coaches Too

By Angus MacLennan

Every coach should have a coach if they want to succeed! I have a coach and I have coached many coaches over the last few years. Coaches who were great at helping their clients get the results they need but not so good at making a living from coaching. The reasons tend to be the same – they need help with what I call the Business Essentials.

Some of the basics that need to be covered in any coaching business are:

• Clear Message – have a clear and concise message.

Many coaches try to be all things to everyone they meet. You need to have a good answer when someone asks you what you do and you need to get it across quickly. I recommend you have a niche and know how to pitch to them – across social media and face to face. If you can’t explain your offering and how to buy it in four points then you are overly complicating it. Keep it simple and interesting and people will want to know more.

• Business Plan – without a plan you are guaranteed to struggle.

Keep it simple. A one page plan is a good place to start. Make sure you answer all the questions you need to in that one page and you will know where your business is going and what you need to do to get there.

• Marketing Plan – you need a marketing plan to succeed.

Coaches who want to be successful need to create a plan and work it consistently. Something simple is what I recommend. If it is longer than one A4 page then you are going into too much detail. It should cover online media, networking, referrals, direct marketing, newsletters and advertising. Focus on where your target market “hangs out”. Remember that action gets results and massive action gets massive results.

• Financials – always be on top of your incomings and outgoings.

Have a simple schedule to invoice and a procedure to follow up with anyone who pays late. I personally ask all my clients to set up their retainer payments by Standing Order payable at the beginning of the month. Charge fees that reflect the actual cost of doing business. The money you charge for one hour actually pays for the many hours you put into the client including your preparation time and follow up time.

• Time Management – manage your time or it will manage you.

If you are not getting the results you want then go back to basics. Have a prioritised To Do List, SMART 90 day goals and make sure you manage your interruptions. I recommend the Spinning Plates Process. It’s a great process to get your business and life under your control. Create a weekly schedule that includes all the key results areas in your business and then stick to the plan until you start seeing the results.

Running a successful coaching business is not easy but it can be simple. Focus on the Business Essentials and make sure you have someone to hold you to account and you will get the results you deserve. Get yourself a coach!

For an introductory Coaching Session follow the short link http://bit.ly/bLrhrM

Have a great day.

Angus MacLennan

About the Author/Further Resources

My name is Angus MacLennan and I am a Business Coach who gets results with motivated Entrepreneurs and SME Business Owners by providing practical no-nonsense support.

I enjoy writing articles about Business Growth and Development and I am lucky enough to be published in the UK, USA and Australia and to have my work incorporated into multiple training and support programmes.

My mission is to deliver a quality service to help every client develop their business and enable them to have the work/life balance they want.

Over the past 7 years I have had hundreds of hours experience coaching business owners across three continents.

I am a Master Practitioner of NLP, a Master Results Coach and have a Degree in Industrial/Organisational Psychology and a Post Grad Dip in Personnel Management.

Special Offer

Angus is happily setting aside time for anyone who comes via here for an Introductory Coaching Session. He will also give 3 readers 1/3 off his 3 month program if they sign up before the 8th July.