How to Start Removing the Clumsiness and Awkwardness When Selling Coaching
Though a sales trainer I do not purport to be, I’ve been supporting coaches for 20 years, and after getting their websites up and new leads by email, the next part is SELLING.
And selling gives coaches the HEEBIE JEEBIES!
There’s fear of rejection, imposter syndrome, hesitation in asking for money, not feeling worthy, and more. (If you know another one, please post below.)
But I’ve got a word to help you quell the anxious flare-up about selling …
It’s called PROCESS.
Think of the whole “getting clients to pay for coaching” effort as a PROCESS — that there are STEPS you can take to make it smooth, natural, and graceful.
Knowing that it’s a PROCESS means …
- You can just simply go task by task, in order, instead of winging it on a call.
- You no longer have to attempt to CONVINCE anyone to buy coaching — and instead, work the steps that get clients excited.
- You can get better by practicing your steps.
Just like in tennis …
Just like a smooth forehand ground stroke in tennis, when shown the process (positioning, the gripping position, the timing of the stroke, where to look), you’ll get more accurate over time.
Just like baking a cake …
Just like baking a cake, you’ll learn the recipe, measurements, and mixing methods, and your cake gets better each time.
Replace the confusing notion of SELLING with a clear set of steps in a PROCESS that you can through that leads to a natural invitation to work together.
The process will include …
Many sales trainers outline their approach. Many coach mentors sell their systems. But in the end, you’ll need to own the approach and make it yours. And from the dozen or so programs I’ve seen, the key elements are:
- Getting to know the client very, very, VERY well — their situation, goals, needs, struggles, desires, etc — so they feel heard and understood.
- Make sure the client has a big, worthwhile goal to go towards.
- Sharing the best stuff about you — your approach, stories of past clients, other credibility builders — because they want to believe in you. It may feel like bragging, but realize that THE CLIENT wants to know this stuff.
- YOU leading them along your process. OWN IT.
- A CLEAR WAY FORWARD. This is your proposal or offer or program or whatever you want to call it. It’s a firm invitation to work with you for an exact fee.
Another approach to breaking the ice about getting out there and turning people into clients is the Cold / Warm / Hot approach which I wrote about in The Coaching Website Guide, and won’t outline here. But essentially you go slow and let people thaw out, warm up, and get hot about their own dreams. It’s a process too.
The most important word of the day is PROCESS.
To remove the clumsy, awkward, anxious feeling when you think of SELLING people on coaching is to immediately smash the thought with, “I don’t need to convince anyone of anything. I have a PROCESS that I will go through.” Then, you slow down, recall your steps, and just take the first step — your first step.
To Sum It Up …
So, if you feel all kinds of squeezy inside when a new potential client shows up on your radar, forget selling, think “take them through your PROCESS.”
I’ll even go so far as to encourage you to make this PROCESS fun and exciting.
How can you do that so you actually look forward to it?