Is it right to coach everyone? 5 Things Every Coach Should Know Before Marketing Themselves
Last week I playfully asked the coaching & consulting community to answer the following question:
The WORST thing about being a coach (or *consultant) is……………………….(please fill in the blank)
I got a really thought provoking response from one very experienced and respected coach who replied:
“(The WORST thing) is that there are still some people that perceive (before experiencing it) that coaching is just having a ‘helpful chat’ and therefore perceive it is not something they would pay much for….”
Now I agree with that. I have certainly had a LOT of unpaid, yet helpful conversations with a LOT of people. If you have too you might be interested to hear that I have learned a few things about this from my own experience and that of my own clients that have served me well, & more importantly, helped me to take the pressure off – saving time, energy & money too!
5 Things Every Coach Should Know Before Marketing Themselves
1 – It’s up to me as a coach, to be wise about who I ‘jump in’ to coach. Did they ask for it? Did I ask for their permission? Do I even WANT to help them? Or do I feel I should?
2 – It’s up to me as a coach, to check in with myself – asking myself, who am I coaching for – them or me? Is my need to help them solve their problem greater than their desire to do so? Is my need to attract them as a client greater than what my common sense tells me about their suitability?
3 – It’s up to me as a coach, to position the value of what I am offering. For example, I may have a niche that is just too broad. I may describe myself as a ‘Corporate Coach’ for example. This doesn’t really communicate what I do well. It’s static. It requires the listener to ask me about it… or NOT 
Now, if I used to serve corporate clients, but now I want to work with entrepreneurs, I might describe my new niche as – ‘Coach to Entrepreneurs who want to learn to serve corporate clients more effectively’.
This has m-o-v-e-ment and direction in it, and gives those who hear it great information about who specifically I am helping and the problem I am helping them with. And that has VALUE for those who are looking for it.
4 – It’s up to me as coach, to surrender any need to prove my value to everyone. So, if my response in 3 is met with a lack of interest, this means that person is NOT my client. I can let go and trust, assured that I have no need to waste my time and energy trying to convince them that I can help solve their problem(s)…because if they wanted help, they’d be asking for it.
5 – It is up to me as a coach, to appreciate and demonstrate the difference between ‘having a helpful chat’ and supporting someone else through a particular experience or journey.
That’s where the difference between being a friend and being a COACH exists. And it’s when other people will start seeing the value – it’s also where I can clearly identify if that person is someone I should be coaching or not.
Now, If that all makes you feel ‘icky’ and uneasy, putting you ‘on the spot’… if you feel under pressure just by seeing one of these questions, or if you feel challenged by the replies… then I’ll say there might be something here I can help you with.
I’ve had this painful experience and I know the solution to this problem. That’s why I’m sharing it in a webinar that I’m inviting you to take part in. It’s called:
Women Independents: How to take the pressure off & ease your way in to being Ms. Artfully Affluent
You will discover:
- The top 3 ways most women independents sabotage themselves and how to avoid this
- How to take the pressure off your self & more importantly… get much better business results
- Strategies you can adopt starting today to ease your way into being a financially successful independent – whilst embracing the freedom of the lifestyle you have chosen
It’s happening on 9th May at 1 pm UK time.
Sign up now:
*I use the word coach to mean either coach or consultant interchangeably.
