The 3-Step Process for Getting Coaching Clients

The 3-Step Process for Getting Coaching Clients
By: Christian E. Mickelsen

Do you know the 3-step process for
getting coaching clients? It's pretty
simple actually. I'll share this process
with you in just a moment, but first
let me ask you a question...

Are you making it easy for clients
to hire you, or are you making it hard?
Many coaches find it hard to GET clients
because they make it hard for potential
clients to hire them. What ends up
happening is...

You put a lot of hours into your coaching
business, learning and implementing new
marketing ideas, creating new programs
that you hope people will be hot for, and
you keep at it... until, eventually you might
start to feel a little (or a lot) burned out.

This thing you love and are so excited about
becomes something you might be thinking
about giving up on! But, it's not your fault.
You see, most coaches are being told all the
wrong things to do to get clients. Let me
shed some light on this for you with the
3 step process for getting clients.

CLIENTS THAT HIRE YOU FOLLOW THESE STEPS:
1) They somehow hear about you and what you do.
2) They have a sample coaching session with you.
3) They give you their credit card info. (or write you a check).

Now wasn't that simple! But, let me elaborate
a little further for you on each of these topics.

--> 1) They somehow hear about you and what you do.
I actually spend over 30 hours teaching all of the
things you can do so people will "somehow hear
about you and what you do" in my "Executive Circle"
program (http://www.KickStartYourCoaching.com)
Here are some fundamentals...

People can "hear about you and what you do" from
articles you write and then send out in newsletters,
or submit online. Or, from presentations you give (in
person or via tele-classes), or from networking events,
or people can be introduced to you from a strategic
alliance partner. These are all pieces of the marketing
puzzle and most of these activities will be designed to
move them to the next step...

--> 2) They have a sample coaching sessions with you.
Most coaches spend 90% of their energy on step 1,
learning the ins and outs, creating their materials,
going to networking events, etc. And then when they
have someone request a sample session, they blow it!

Spend 95% of your sample session asking your potential
clients about what they want, why they want it, what's
not working, why it's not working, and the impact these
challenges are having on them. This is the KEY to moving
them to the next step...

--> 3) They give you their credit card info. (or write
you a check). If you aren't already, get set up with a
way to accept credit cards. I use the system associated with
my online shopping cart, http://www.CartsForCoaches.com.
Accepting credit cards is essential because it's the easiest,
most convenient way to pay for things.

Plus, it's great to get a financial commitment to coaching
right on the spot. When people give you money first, they
will do their part to "soak up the value" better, instead of
getting the coaching, AND THEN deciding if it was worth it.
And with credit cards, people can pay for 6 months of
coaching in full, up front (instead of just month-to-month).
It's always fun to get a few thousand dollars all at once
(and clients love it to, if you give them incentives for
doing so).

Bottom Line:
Let your coaching business follow this three-step
process, and you'll make it easier for clients to
figure out what to do. This will result in more
sample sessions, and more clients!!