We had a fantastic coach marketing call this past week, about developing deep solutions for clients. I'd like to share some of the content with you….
One problem with many coaches is that their toolkit and approach to coaching clients is only skin deep. Aside from hurting the superficial coaches' reputation, this issue makes all coaches look bad.
In this marketing call (we have these every week so that coaches have ongoing support to attract clients and build a super-successful practice), we covered a step-by-step process to develop a deep, valuable coaching solution for clients. If you missed it and join our program at www.centerforexecutivecoaching.com, it is posted along with hundreds of hours of other
tele-classes in our member area.
With that in mind, here are 6 ways to tell whether or not you have a deep, robust solution for clients. Please don't shrug off this list and assume you meet these criteria. I'd estimate that 90% of coaches don't come close, but think that they do.
1. You have chosen a target market. We suggest that you spend at least 70% of your time focused on serving a specific target market, and working to become the go-to professional in that market for your solution set.
2. You have a deep understanding of the most pressing problems that decision makers in your market face. Many coaches choose soft, fuzzy issues that are irrelevant to people outside of coaching or leadership development.
3. You understand both the logical and emotional costs of those problems. Otherwise, you can't show that you empathize with the client, or show them that the problem costs so much that your fees are miniscule in comparison.
4. You have developed a complete solution to resolve these issues. A complete solution includes a proprietary coaching
methodology that addresses the root causes of the problem, a process to get the client from point A to their desired point B, a way to track and measure results, and inclusion of any other experts, tools, support, or follow up required to sustain results.
5. You have crafted a compelling marketing message that shows why you are the perfect person to solve the problems that your market faces. This message includes much more than your credentials and bio, and is part of the secret sauce we teach in our program.
6. You are fluent in the language of your target market, so that they know you understand their issues from their perspective, and see them as unique.
Very few coaches meet all six of the above criteria.
At the Center for Executive Coaching, we specialize in showing our members how to create a successful, no-fluff, results-driven coaching practice. Take a look at the resources on this site and contact us anytime with questions.