Coach & Grow R.I.C.H.

The Life Coach at Zappos.com

2011-07-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

Are you familiar with Zappos.com?

Zappos.com is the world’s largest online shoe store – I’m a huge fan.

This amazing company has achieved great success (including being bought by Amazon.com for $1.2 billion) by focusing on superior customer service and company culture/core values.

Well, last week I was in Las Vegas attending the awesome JV Networking Summit and as part of the event we took the Zappos Tour at their corporate headquarters.

The tour was fascinating. I highly recommend it the next time you’re in Vegas. It’s super fun, interesting and free.

Anyway, one of the fun facts we learned is that Zappos has a full-time life coach on staff whose purpose is to coach employees to achieve whatever 30-day goal they want.

How cool is that?!

The goal doesn’t have to be related to work. There are no restrictions or a reporting structure. The employee simply signs up to work with the coach and when a slot becomes available they get started.

Want to know the top 3 things the Zappos employees want coaching on?

#1 – Career Development
#2 – Weight Loss
#3 – Management of Personal Finances / Budgeting

I wanted to share this with you because…

A. I think it’s awesome that Zappos.com offers free life coaching as an employee perk and I like to pass along fun coach-related stories.

B. More important, I wanted to plant a seed for life coaches who want to coach within a company or organization.

Why couldn't you go out and find companies in your area who you could partner with to offer life coaching as an employee benefit?

I bet you could do it if you set the intention and then took inspired action.

What do you think?

The Power of Masterminding

2011-06-17T17:41:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wonder if there is a "Secret Sauce" that will catapult your business success?

Well, last weekend was my 11 year anniversary of being a full-time entrepreneur, business owner and coach.

And as I thought about what has helped me most, I realized it was...

Having strong, meaningful business relationships.

Want to know the BEST ways to cultivate powerful business relationships?

Participate in Programs, Go to Live Events and Join Mastermind Groups.

Today's post is all about Mastermind Groups. I think you'll enjoy it!

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One of the big challenges faced by the solopreneur coach is the isolation that comes from working alone.

An excellent way to mitigate this issue is by participating in a Mastermind Group.

While mastermind groups have existed since the begin of civilization, the concept became much more common after Napolean Hill published "Think and Grow Rich" in 1937 and defined the mastermind as a "coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose."

I like to define a mastermind group as two or more people who come together to support each other in achieving a desired goal or outcome.

BENEFITS of participating in a mastermind include:
- You have a group of people who are committed to helping you succeed.
- You receive support, encouragement and inspiration as you move forward towards your goals.
- You become more focused as your mastermind can help hold you accountable.
- You can test out your ideas and receive valuable feedback and other perspectives.
- You can tap into the resources, knowledge and connections that the other members bring to the group.
- You can develop powerful long-term business relationships and friendships.

2 Main Ways to Mastermind:

1. You can join a paid mastermind group with a dedicated leader/facilitator.

2. You can co-create a mastermind group with your peers as a way to mutually support each other.

There are rewards to both types of masterminds.

When you invest in a paid mastermind, you are more likely to take it seriously and typically, the bigger the financial investment, the more committed the members.

In addition, if you want to offer a higher-end paid mastermind in your business, you'll be more successful if you've experienced a paid mastermind yourself.

In an unpaid mastermind group of peers, you are co-creating it with the other members, which means you have the ability to influence who is in the mastermind, how it is structured, etc.

Keys to Success when forming a mastermind group with peers:

1. Clear Focus - You need to be clear about the purpose of the mastermind and ideally, the members should be focused on similar goals and objectives.

2. Structure - As the mastermind is forming, you need to decide how often you will meet, how long the meetings will be and whether you will meet in person or by phone. After you determine the structure you need to stick with it, which includes starting and ending on time.

3. Time Frame - It's important to set an initial time frame for the mastermind and have all members commit to participating for that period of time. This can be as short as one month or as long as a year. At the end of the initial time frame, evaluate if the mastermind will continue.

4. Meeting Logistics - Typically, each member receives equal "floor time" during every mastermind meeting. The person who has the floor shares what they want feedback on and then asks the other members for input.

5. Leadership - In order for the mastermind to run well, there needs to be some type of leadership. Someone needs to step-up and get things rolling. After the group is formed there can be one leader or rotating leaders.

Leadership responsibilities can include officially starting the meeting, facilitating the meeting, documenting action-items to help keep members accountable, sending a reminder before and a post-meeting summary afterwards.

6. Group Cohesion and Synergy – Your mastermind will be most effective when the members have things in common, such as having a similar target market or niche or length of time in business.

Over the years, I have participated in several different masterminds. One that was particularly successful was co-created by 6 of us after attending a San Francisco Coaches meeting. We met in person once per month for nearly 3 years. We are now in our 9th year and while we meet far less frequently, our bonds and connections are stronger than ever. Here's a picture from our most recent gathering!

Recently, I joined a year-long paid mastermind with one of my mentors, Brendon Burchard and I've already noticed how making a big investment in myself and my business has helped me step up, think bigger and become more focused and productive. This is from the VIP Dinner for Empire Group members. It was fun!

If you're not already, I strongly encourage you to join and participate in a mastermind group. The support, accountability, resources and connections are tremendous and can literally change your business and life!

How to Sign-Up More Clients with the Two-Step Marketing Approach

2011-05-12T05:48:00.000-07:00

Let's start off with some marketing basics.

As a coach, your marketing will be most effective when you focus on educating and providing value.

This is exactly what the Two-Step Marketing Approach does.

A big mistake coaches make is that they try to sell their services and enroll new clients too soon.

It's like asking someone to marry you after the first date. While there are occasions when this does work, you're much more likely to get a YES after a courtship period when you've really gotten to know each other.

The Two-Step Marketing Approach is how you court potential clients. It's how they become familiar with you and how you build that all-important "know-like-trust factor."

Here's an example of how the Two-Step Marketing Approach works...

Instead of immediately inviting a potential client to learn more about your coaching services and hire you as a their coach, you can instead invite them to your free training.

Your free training could be a teleseminar, webinar, workshop, audio recording or video training.

Then, at the end of your free training you extend an invitation for them to take the next step.

If you are focused on enrolling individual clients, that next step would be to have a complimentary consultation with you.

For example...

1. You host a free teleseminar on a hot topic your ideal clients are really interested in. You deliver an awesome, inspiring, content-rich call. Don't worry about giving away too much information for free. They'll still need you to help them get into action and implement what they've learned.

2. Towards the end of the call you extend an invitation for them to take the next step.

Here's an example of how you can extend the invitation:

"We're almost at the end of today's call and I've done my best to give you as many strategies, tips, tools and resources about how to as I can in the time we have available together today.

As I'm sure you know, it's valuable to receive useful information and resources, but the real secret to success is about implementation. I encourage you to get into action and start putting to use what you've learned right away.

In fact, supporting my clients in taking action and overcoming whatever might be keeping them stuck is a big part of what my coaching is about.

On that note, I have a special opportunity for you. I invite you to have a free strategy session with me so you can take the smart, strategic action necessary to . In the strategy session we'll create your customized action plan, explore how to remove obstacles that might get in your way and I'll answer any questions you have about what we've covered today.

You'll also have the opportunity to learn more about how my coaching helps people move forward as quickly and easily as possible so they can .

I only have a limited number of slots available and you'll need to sign up by to take advantage of this special offer.

If you are serious about and are committed to making it happen, email me at and I'll send you a link to my online calendar so you can schedule your free strategy session."

RESOURCE: A good online scheduling tool that I use is www.TimeTrade.com.

Do you see how inviting a potential client to a free teleseminar with you that provides huge value and then inviting them to take the next step can often be a lot more effective than immediately inviting them to have a consultation with you?

As I mentioned earlier, the Two-Step Marketing Approach works well for enrolling individual clients and for filling your coaching groups. If you're focused on group coaching, you can follow this formula and in the strategy session invite the person to join your coaching group.

Another variation is instead of offering the free strategy session, at the end of your free training you can make a direct offer for people to join your coaching group.

I just created a free video about the Two-Step Marketing Approach. The video focuses on using this approach for filling a coaching group, but you can apply it to your individual coaching as well.

Click here to see the video training about using the Two-Step Marketing Approach.

And then if you have questions or comments about this approach, post them below the video and I'll personally reply.

Your Quarterly Business Check-Up

2011-04-26T09:43:00.000-07:00

Last week we celebrated a number of spring holidays here in the US, including Easter, Passover and Earth Day. I hope you enjoyed whatever you celebrate. My husband Adam and I had fun hosting a Passover Seder on Monday, digging in the dirt for Earth Day and greeting the Easter Bunny on Sunday. I guess we’re pretty all-inclusive and like to celebrate!

On to biz…. once a quarter or with every change of season, it’s important to set aside some time and evaluate how you are progressing with your business objectives.

If you are like most people, you set your intentions and goals in the beginning of the year. That’s great! The next step is to revisit them quarterly to determine if you are on track. This is important so you can course correct if necessary.

Here are the key areas to address in your quarterly business check-up:

1. Reconnect with your intentions, goals and objectives for the year.

Hopefully you wrote down your goals and intentions in the beginning of the year. Take a minute now and reconnect with those. You might need to look in your journal, coaching notes, or business planner as a reminder of what you wanted to achieve this year.

2. Identify your accomplishments.

What have you achieved and accomplished so far this year?

This is so important! Most people don’t do this. Instead we tend to put all of our attention on what isn’t working. (And we’ll get to that in a minute, but for now, let’s focus on what you did right!)

Let’s face it… if you are like 99% of people, you are probably not as far along with your annual intentions and goals as you’d like. That’s okay. It’s very common, especially for coaches, to think and dream big. Which is GREAT. But the downside is if we don’t achieve what we hoped, in the timeframe we expected, it’s easy to get discouraged.

Don’t let this happen to you!

Take the time to list out all of your accomplishments so far this year. No achievement is too small to acknowledge.

3. Now that you’ve acknowledged your achievements, it’s time to identify the areas of your business that don’t look the way you’d like them to.

Are you on track to achieve your annual revenue goal?

Are you moving forward with your important big projects?

Are you coaching your ideal number of clients?

At this stage it’s most important to do a realistic assessment without beating yourself up. There is still plenty of time this year to kick it into high gear.

Be honest with yourself and identify the areas of your business that need more attention. No judgement, just an accurate assessment.

4. Next, ask yourself how committed you are to achieving success in the areas of your business that are not looking the way you want them to.

This is really important. Your commitment and desire are absolutely critical for moving forward.

Review the areas of your business that need attention and on a scale of 1-10, identify how committed you are to achieving success in each area.

10 = You are totally committed.

1 = It is no longer a priority for you.

It’s good to take things off of your list that no longer serve you or aren’t a priority anymore. This allows you to really focus on what is most important.

5. Identify your top 3 areas of focus and determine what type of support, systems or infrastructure you need to put in place to achieve your goals in this area.

This is CRITICAL! Too often we tell ourselves we’ll “try harder.” Trying harder rarely works. Adopting a more effective strategy, creating a more supportive environment, hiring a top-notch coach, getting some external deadlines… those types of things work.

Identify the external structures that will support you in achieving your goals. Don’t rely on willpower. Make it easier on yourself and create an environment supports you.

6. Finally, determine 3 specific actions you will take to move your business forward. Write out your actions and specify when you’ll complete them by. Share your commitment with your coach or accountability partner. If you don’t have a business coach or accountability that should probably be one of your 3 actions J.

Taking the Stress Out of Tax Time

2011-04-07T07:37:00.000-07:00

It's tax season here in the USA.

When I first started my business, I used to be totally stressed out during tax time. Can you relate?

Fortunately, I'm not stressed out this year.

That's because after completely dreading the process for way too long, I finally got smart and put some systems in place.

(Plus I'm still feeling jazzed and energized from my helicopter-skiing trip last week in Telluride to celebrate my brother's 40th birthday. Heli-skiing was an incredible experience and I did not expect to be so fascinated by "assuming the position." If you're curious, you can read about it on my personal blog: www.EpicLifeTour.com.)

Back to dealing with taxes...

Here are some tips to make the process easier:

1. Have a separate business checking account. (You'd be amazed how many coaches have been
in business for years and still haven't done this.)

2. Have a dedicated credit or debit card. Use it for as many of your business expenses as possible. This makes tracking soooo much easier. Plus, most financial institutions will send you a year end summary that categorizes your expenditures.

3. Hire an accountant or tax preparer who specializes in small business owners. Even if you are the "do it yourself" type, utilize the services of a knowledgeable professional at least once who can make sure you're maximizing your deductions and doing things right.

4. Use financial tracking software like Quicken or Quickbooks. Have your financial data entered
monthly, ideally by someone other than you!

5. Set up a separate bank account for tax payments and contribute to it monthly so when it is time to pay your quarterly or end of year taxes, you already have funds set aside.

6. Use your daytimer/online calendar to track business meals and miles. Write down who you met with and how many miles you traveled to get there.

Ultimately, the secret is having a system in place that keeps you on track during the year so you're not frantically pulling together all of your data a week before taxes are due.

If you have any tips you'd like to share, post them here, I'd love to hear them.

P.S.

If you have specific tax questions please contact a qualified tax professional.

I'm sharing these tips because they have been very helpful for me and my clients. However this is not any type of tax or legal advice. I am not an accountant or attorney, nor do I play one on TV :-)

Are You Backing Up Your Computer?

2011-03-12T08:36:00.000-08:00

I'm asking about your computer backup
because a lot of coaches put "backing up
their computer" in the same category as
"flossing their teeth."

They understand the importance and
benefits, but the activity doesn't happen
as regularly as it should!

If you can relate, this email is for you...

There are the 2 main ways to backup
your computer:

LOCAL BACKUP - This is when you
use backup software (included in
Windows and the Mac OS) to copy
your files to an external source (such
as a DVD, flash drive or external hard
drive). This is a good approach as long
as you remember to do it regularly.

REMOTE BACKUP - This is when your
files are backed up online and stored
remotely. Once you get your online
backup system in place, it runs
automatically so there is nothing you
have to remember to do.

I recommend - and personally use - a
combination of these strategies.

REMOTE BACKUP SYSTEMS are great
because it happens automatically and if
there is a catastrophe (flood, fire, earthquake,
etc.) all of your documents, pictures, music,
applications and other files will be safe. If
you are only going to implement one
backup strategy, choose the remote backup.

I use CrashPlan.com as my remote backup
system. It's highly recommended, very
affordable and super easy. (Unlike Mozy.com
which was a pain because it requires that you
keep your computer on and connected to the
internet during the set-up, which can take days
if you have a lot of data.)

LOCAL BACKUP SYSTEMS are great because
when you want and need to access your backup files,
they are right there. There is no ongoing fee, so
it's less expensive. Plus, if you use something like
an external hard drive that you keep connected to
your computer, you can schedule automatic backups.

HINT: If you are doing local backups and it's not set-
up to happen automatically, create and follow a backup
schedule or system. For example, pick a specific day
of the week to do your backup or combine it with
another regular activity, such as paying the bills.
I travel a lot, so my system is to do my local backup
before a trip.

So, since you are still reading this I bet that
your current computer backup system could
use an upgrade.

Am I right?

Okay, here's the plan...

1. Decide whether you want to do a local backup,
remote backup or both.

2. Get your computer backup system running
by next Thursday, March 17th.

Are you in?

If so, leave a comment stating your commitment to
get your computer backup system in place by
March 17, 2011.

Then, after your computer backup system is up
and running, come back to the C&GR blog and post
another comment announcing your accomplishment.

To help make this a bit more fun, I'm going
to sweeten the deal...

*** Post a comment here by Thursday 3/17/11
that you have your computer backup system in
place and be entered to win a private, 30 minute,
business strategy session with me! ***

Okay, if you don't currently have an
effective computer backup system in place,
now's the time to make it happen.

Go do it, let me know by leaving a comment
and if you win, it will be great to connect
with you 1-1 during your business strategy
session.

P.S.
If you have a hard time making decisions, start
with online remote backup using CrashPlan.com.

P.P.S.
Last year my husband's computer crashed and
he did NOT have a backup system in place. When
all that was going down, he was NOT fun to be around.
If you are thinking of putting this off, don't. Do it for
yourself, your business AND your loved ones.

P.P.S.S.
Do you want to know why March 17th is a great
deadline for handling your computer backup system?
March 17th is St. Patrick's Day and there is an
expression about the "Luck of the Irish." It's good
to feel lucky... It's even better to create your
own luck. Backing up your computer is an excellent
way to create your own luck.

Is fear of failure holding you back?

2011-02-22T17:28:00.000-08:00

I recently had a strategy session with a talented coach who planned on launching a year-long coaching group for executive women. She worked hard on her marketing, offered several free teleclasses and spent a lot of time writing her sales page... but her program didn't fill.

Naturally, she was disappointed.

Fortunately, she also realized that failure is part of success. The key thing is to learn from your failures, fine-tune your strategies and actions and then try again.

Please don't fall into the trap I see so many coaches make: Trying something once and if it doesn't work out the way you hoped you give up and move on to something else. This is a huge mistake!

If the coach had not offered the group program, she never would have received all the knowledge and insight she gained when we analyzed why the group did not fill.

She is now well-prepared to do some market research, make the necessary modifications and offer her group again.

In addition, the coach's efforts were not in vain. One of the attendees on her free teleclasses was so impressed with the coach and her program that she inquired about it being offered as a one day workshop as part of a University's continuing education program. The coach is now excitedly preparing to deliver the workshop and looking forward to a $4,000 payday!

You will fail more times than you'd like and even though it's not fun, it's necessary. As Sochiro Honda, the founder of Honda Motor Company said, "Success is 99% Failure."

Don't be afraid to fail.

Leverage "The New Year Effect"

2010-11-19T11:03:00.000-08:00

By: Michelle Schubnel

In the beginning of a new year people naturally
focus on making a fresh start, setting important
goals and going for the things they most want to
achieve. That's why January is one of the best
months to attract and secure new coaching
clients. I call this "The New Year Effect."

How are you going to leverage The
New Year Effect in your business?

Here are some ideas...

1. Send a Holiday Greeting

Successful business owners are masters
at keeping their name and their business
on people's minds. Send a heartfelt holiday
greeting and be sure to include your
company name, email address and a
sentence or two that describes what you
do. To avoid getting lost in the shuffle,
send a Thanksgiving card in November
or a New Year's card in January.

2. Include a Value-Add

In addition to a holiday card or letter,
include something of value that relates
to your coaching and specialty. For
example, you could include a goal
setting worksheet, a Top Ten List
about keeping New Year's Resolutions,
an invitation to attend a free teleclass
or a gift certificate for a free coaching
session.

3. Acknowledge Current Clients

It is common to thank customers for
their business around the holidays.
This can be a small gift, a nice hand-
written note or a bonus coaching session.
Clients appreciate the acknowledgement
and it's an easy way to add value. Here
are some gift ideas: bubble bath, herbal teas,
an inspirational daily calendar, candles, a
copy of your favorite book or CD. And for
those "hard to buy for" people, you can't
go wrong with a gift card.

4. Reconnect with Past Clients

As I'm sure you know, it is much easier to
sell to a former customer than it is to find
a new one. The holidays and new year
are an excellent time to reconnect with
past clients. Consider giving former
clients a complimentary "New Year
Goal Setting" coaching session. A
percentage of them will likely begin
coaching again. Or give former clients
a gift certificate for 50% off of one month
of coaching that they can use or give
to someone they know.

5. Offer Gift Certificates

Enable people you know to give the
gift of coaching by offering gift certificates,
ie: 1 session, 1 month, 3 months, etc. Get
even better results by picking a specific
focus for the gift certificate. For example,
choose a theme that is applicable to who
you coach and what you coach on, such as:

- A Business Goal Setting Session
- Jump Start Your Career Transition
- 90 Days to Better Health and Fitness

6. Take Advantage of The New Year Effect

Develop and implement a specific marketing
campaign that positions your coaching as
the best way for people to achieve their most
important goals and objectives in the year.
Write an article or special report, offer a
workshop, create an audio recording, deliver
a teleclass, do a radio interview... the possibilities
are endless. Just be sure to do something to
take advantage of the readiness factor so
many people have in the beginning of
a new year.

7. Get Creative with the Complimentary
Consultation

Give your free coaching session an
appealing name, such as "New Year Strategy
Session," and challenge yourself to do a
certain number in the next two months.
Give the person real value and then explain
how your coaching can provide the support
necessary to effectively implement their
strategies and achieve their goals.

8. Launch a Group Coaching Program

If you're not already coaching groups, consider
starting one in the new year. Group coaching
is an excellent way to coach with more people,
including price-sensitive clients, grow your
business and increase your income. It's also
a ton of fun. Plus, people like joining groups,
especially in the beginning of the year.

How are you going to leverage the The New Year Effect?

2010-10-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

I have always loved Halloween.

As a kid, it was about scoring as much candy as possible. In my teenage years, it was a night when I could justify getting into trouble. And as an adult, I have totally loved costuming-up for Halloween parties.

Halloween now has a new meaning for me. My mom died on October 28, 2005 and her funeral was on Halloween. A few hours after she died we set October 31 as the date for the funeral. At the time I thought, "Well this really sucks. From now on Halloween won't be fun because the day will always remind me of my mom's funeral."

My mother's funeral was a spectacular East Coast autumn day... clear, crisp and sunny. As I noticed signs of the changing season, I remembered something that I learned from my study of and participation in Native American traditions.

According to Native American philosophy, the time between Halloween (October 31st) and All Souls Day (November 1st) is the time of year when the "veil between the two worlds is the thinnest." It is the time when the spirit world is closest and most connected to our physical world here on earth.

That perspective shifted how I felt about my mom being buried on Halloween. Instead of it being a bummer, it was now a gift. Suddenly it was "pretty cool" that my mom's funeral was on Halloween.

The next Halloween, one year after my mother's funeral, I participated in a sweat lodge ceremony - a native American prayer tradition, conducted inside a sweat lodge, which looks like an igloo but feels like a sauna. During the ceremony we were reminded that the end of October through the beginning of November is a powerful time to connect with the souls and spirits of people who have passed on.

During that sweat lodge ceremony I felt my Mom's presence in a big way, much more so than at any other time since her death. It was incredibly powerful and enabled me to see and experience how I can still have a profound connection with my mom, even though she is no longer here physically on earth.

It's now been 5 years since my mother’s death. With the passing of time I have found that the intense pain and sadness has lessened, and the overall missing of my mom has increased.

If you are experiencing grief from the loss of a loved one, I encourage you to take advantage of this special time of year and connect with the people in your life who have passed on. Allow the feelings of sadness and grief to be fully felt. Take comfort in special memories. Remember and honor all that you loved about the person. Ask for guidance and support. This is a powerful time of year to reconnect.

In memory of:
Barbara Ann Schubnel
1943 – 2005

Barbara Schubnel at the Venetian
Vegas Trip - Summer 2004

I love and miss you Mom. It’s too bad you never got to meet my wonderful husband Adam. I know you would love him as much as I do.

Why Coaching Doesn't Sell... And What To Do About It

2010-09-24T13:56:00.000-07:00

By: Michelle Schubnel

There are two big reasons why "coaching doesn't sell."

Reason #1: The majority of people don't really know what coaching is. It's hard to sell something if your prospects don't understand what that thing is.

Reason #2: Even if your prospects do understand what coaching is, if you are focusing on marketing and selling coaching, you're focusing on the wrong thing.

You see, most people don't really want coaching...
But they do want solutions to their problems.

Understanding this distinction and implementing it in your marketing and client enrollment process is critical for the success of your business.

For instance, does your answer to the question "What do you do?" focus on you and coaching (like the Doesn't Sell example below) or do you focus on your ideal client and what is most important to them (like the Hot Replies)?

Doesn't Sell:
"I'm a professional certified co-active coach and I coach my clients so they can take their life or business to the next level."

Hot Replies:
"I help men in their 50's-60's who have been unexpectedly laid off, find new work as quickly as possible."

"I work with home-based business owners who have trouble with time management. I help them become more focused and efficient so they can make more money in less time."

How about when you are looking for speaking engagements or writing articles? Do your topics focus on coaching or do they focus on solutions to big problems?

Doesn't Sell:
"How Coaching Can Help You Achieve Your Goals"
"The Benefits of Working With A Coach "

Hot Topics:
"The 5 Best Ways to Connect With Your Teenager"
"Healthy Eating for Busy Moms: 7 Simple Secrets
for Making Healthy and Tasty Meals Quickly and Easily"

And how about with your client enrollment?
Do you hope that when someone experiences your coaching they will want more? Or do you follow a specific process that focuses on what people really want and enables them to see working with you as a terrific solution?

Doesn't Work:
Offering sample sessions and coaching the person on anything they want, hoping that you do such a good job that they see the value of coaching and will want to hire you.

Proven Process:
Offering a complimentary consultation to potential clients where you focus on a big result or outcome the person most wants
to achieve, the impact achieving that result will have, what is currently standing in the way and how your coaching can help.

Can you start to see how coaching doesn't really sell?

Instead, the secret for filling your practice with ideal, well-paying clients is to stop focusing on coaching and instead focus
on solutions to problems and desired results and outcomes.

How is this playing out in your business?

Does your marketing focus on coaching or on solutions to problems?

Need more information and details this topic?

=====

Go here to download a recording of my recent teleseminar and discussion on this topic:

Why Coaching Doesn't Sell... And What To Do About It.

Get the recording at: www.whycoachingdoesnotsell.com

Who Says Coaching Can't Be Explained?

2010-08-20T21:31:00.000-07:00

Has anyone ever told you that coaching can't really be explained, that it can only be experienced?

I say that's a myth! Not only is it possible for you to explain how your coaching works, you MUST be able to do so in order to attract and secure new clients, grow your practice and create a sustainable and thriving business.

Here's Why: People need to believe that your coaching will be effective. They need to understand how you are going to help them achieve the results and changes that they desire in order to feel comfortable and confident about hiring you.

In the Coach & Grow R.I.C.H. system we call this knowing your "How" and the good news is if you've coached clients, you already have your "How" within you.

Here's an exercise that will help you determine your "How."

1. What do you do with a client in the first session?

2. What do you typically do after that?

3. Then what do you do?

4. What typically happens next in the coaching relationship?

5. Then what do you do?

6. Keep answering "What happens next?" and "Then what do you do?" over and over until you can't think of any more situations that come up or things that you typically do with clients.

7. Next make a list of any assessments, tools or exercises that you use with clients.

8. Then make a list of the beliefs, themes or principles that you incorporate into your coaching.

9. Read through what you have written so far. Do you notice any themes or patterns?

10. Finally, organize what you have written into 3 - 7 main steps or areas that you work on with clients.

Here's a Sample "How" for a life coach who helps clients
design and live a more fulfilling, balanced and fun-filled life.

"I use a four step coaching process with my clients. First, we identify what having a fulfilling, balanced and fun-filled life looks like for you. It is much easier to attract something new into your life when you are clear about what you really want. I have some powerful exercises that will help you quickly gain clarity.

Next, we identify at least three ways that you can experience more fulfillment, balance and fun in your life right now. This is often a lot easier than you might think!

Building on that forward momentum, I support you in creating your ideal life plan. The ideal life plan includes specific action steps in two primary areas: eliminating the things that drain your energy and no longer serve you and creating new habits and ways of being that truly enliven you.

Finally, as your coach, I keep you focused, motivated and accountable as you implement your life plan. As you know, change isn't always easy. Setbacks can occur. Limiting beliefs may surface. Through our coaching you will discover how to overcome any challenges that may arise, enabling you to continue steadily forward as you create and live a more fulfilling, balanced and fun-filled life."

Doesn't this sample do a good job of explaining how this coach works with clients? It clearly and concisely describes the coaching process and what a client can expect.

Knowing your "How" and being able to confidently share it is key for attracting and securing new clients. In fact it is one of the 5 critical steps in...

The Coaching Business Blueprint.

If you missed this powerful new resource and would like more training on creating your "How," you can still get the recording and materials for a limited time at no charge.

www.TheCoachingBusinessBlueprint.com

How to Package & Price Your Coaching

2010-07-30T06:56:00.000-07:00

Of all the decisions that coaches need to make, setting fees/pricing is probably one of the hardest… and one of the most important! Pricing not only determines your bottom line, it also impacts whether or not someone becomes a client.

While there are many factors that influence pricing, ultimately you are just picking a number. And the good news is, it’s easy to change that number if you need to.

There are 3 main ways that coaches typically charge for their services:

- By The Session (e.g., $100/session)
- By The Month (e.g., $400/month)
- By The Package (e.g., 6 month package for $2,400)

I recommend the “By The Package” approach. There are a number of reasons why. Here are the two biggies:

#1 - It makes your income more stable and predictable. You can forecast your revenue and not be worried that all of your clients are going to suddenly complete on the same month.

#2 - Clients who sign up for a 3+ month coaching package are willing to make an investment and a commitment. They take coaching more seriously and therefore get better results. These are the kinds of clients you want.

How to Create Your Coaching Package

Step #1: Decide how much individual coaching the client receives (number of months, number of sessions/month and length of sessions). Make your decision based on how much coaching will best support your clients in achieving the results they desire, how much coaching you want to provide and how much coaching will clients sign up for.

Step #2: Determine what additional services, value-adds or perks you want to include in your coaching package. For example: check-in calls, email access, assessments, written coaching session reports, other services such as consulting, healing, intuitive readings, muscle-testing, “done-for-you” services such as a Resume Re-Write, Marketing Plan Creation, Customized Eating and Exercise Plan, etc.

Step #3: Price your coaching package. There are many factors to consider when setting your fees, including your target market and niche, your background and experience, your business objectives and what is included in your coaching package.

If you are a newer coach, I recommend you choose a price that you feel good about and that is in the "more affordable" range.

If you are an experienced coach and have a proven track-record of helping your clients achieve results, your fees will likely be on the higher side.

Sample Coaching Package

"I start new clients off with a 6 month coaching package that includes 3 scheduled coaching sessions per month, email access, quick check-in calls between our scheduled sessions and a copy of my "Boost Your Business" home study course. The investment for the complete program is $3,000."

FAQ's

Question: Should I have a couple of coaching packages available at different price points?

Answer: It's very good to be able to offer a potential client options at different price points. Having "higher-priced, medium-priced and lower-priced" options means you'll be able to serve a much bigger segment of your target market. Do this by having different WAYS that clients can work with you. For example you could:

=> Offer group coaching as your "lower-priced" option. This is perfect for price-sensitive clients, people who prefer a group environment and people who want an entry-level way to experience you and your coaching. (And a bunch of people in that last category will "graduate" and end up coaching with you 1-1!)

=> Offer a full-day Coaching Intensive as your "higher-priced" option. When creating your "higher-priced" option don't focus on giving more coaching. Instead focus on what will enable clients to achieve the desired results quickly. Premium buyers will make a big investment IF you enable them to achieve results quickly.

How are you currently packaging and pricing your coaching?

Post your thoughts, comments and questions below.

Also, be sure to get a copy of The Coaching Business Blueprint. I am so excited to offer this new tool as a free resource to the coaching community. Next week I’ll be hosting a complimentary teleseminar where I’ll walk you step-by-step through The Blueprint. Reserve your spot today at www.TheCoachingBusinessBlueprint.com.

The Top 10 of Things I Wish I Knew When I Started My Coaching Business

2010-06-18T14:11:00.000-07:00

#10 - Passion Is Your Trump Card
Your passion, enthusiasm and energy will open doors, deliver opportunities and literally work as a magic wand in your business. Find your true passion and stay connected to it!

#9 - Use Your Head And Check-In With Your Heart
As a business-owner you need to make a lot of decisions. If your brain is telling you one thing and your heart is telling you something else, trust your heart. Follow your intuition.

#8 - Be Who You Are
This is your business. You get to create it however you want. Quirks are good and your best clients will be most attracted to the real, authentic you.

#7 - Have Big Enough "Why's"
What are your reasons for wanting a thriving, rewarding and profitable coaching business? You need strong and powerful reasons so you get and stay committed to do what it takes.

#6 - Things Often Take Longer Than Expected
Whether it's launching a website, achieving a full practice or reaching an income goal, things often take longer than you want or expect. Build in extra time and don't beat yourself up. Late is better than never.

#5 - Playing Big Is Actually Easier Than Playing Small
This may seem counter-intuitive, but it's totally true! When you play big and really go for it you have to take more action, reach out for support, be bold and really put yourself out there. Playing small really doesn't serve you or the world.

#4 - If You Aren't Willing to Invest, Neither Will Your Clients
Building a successful business requires a significant investment of time, energy and money. If you aren't willing to make financial investments in your business, you end up attracting potential clients who aren't willing to make financial investments either.

#3 - It's Okay To Make Mistakes
Making mistakes and experiencing setbacks are inevitable when growing a business. Be okay with it. Besides, nobody pays half as much attention to your mistakes or setbacks as you do.

#2 - Perfection Is Highly Overrated
Done is better than perfect. Keep in mind the 80/20 rule and remember that often "good enough" really is perfect.

#1 - To Grow Your Business, You Must Grow Yourself
The more you grow yourself as person, the faster and easier your business will grow.

Why Clients Love Group Coaching

2010-05-06T09:37:00.000-07:00

When we think about the benefits of group
coaching, it's natural to initially focus on
what's in it for us, as the coach.

Of course there is another side of that coin:
the benefits of group coaching for the client.

I've been doing a lot of research on group
coaching and the fact is, many people are
more interested in and attracted to group
coaching than to individual coaching.

Here's why:

Connection and Community. People want
a sense of belonging and joining a coaching
group addresses that desire.

Greater Accountability = Better Results.
We are much more likely to keep commitments
made publicly to a group than privately to a coach.
We realize that a group provides a much higher
level of accountability, which means better results.

To Feel Better. When we are going through
a challenge on our own, it's easy to start beating
ourselves up. But put us in a group with others
who are in a similar situation and suddenly we
feel a lot better.

Develop and Expand Network. This is a
particularly appealing benefit for groups that
have a business or professional focus.

Deepen Knowledge and Accelerate Growth.
There is huge collective wisdom in a group
and it's one of the best ways to address,
"Not knowing what we don't know." Experiencing
someone else being coached is a powerful way
to uncover those things and gain awareness
and insights we wouldn't have otherwise.

To Share and Contribute. Deep down we all
want to make an impact and contribute to others.
Participating in a coaching group is an excellent
avenue for this.

Less Pressure. This is especially true when
compared to paying big bucks for private
coaching, where the last thing we want to do
is to show up feeling unprepared and therefore
not get the most out of our investment.

Something To Look Forward To. The most
successful coaching groups are enjoyable,
uplifting and inspiring... if not down-right fun.
And who doesn't want more fun,
enjoyment and inspiration?

Great Return on Investment. This is particularly
relevant when the fee for your coaching group
is significantly less than your individual coaching
rates.

As you read through these, did you find yourself
connecting with what you love about groups?
There really are a lot of benefits and reasons why
people are attracted to groups.

Group Coaching Marketing Tip:

If you want to create an irresistible group that
people are excited to join, highlight the client
benefits in your marketing. It's one of the keys
for successfully marketing and filling groups...
and it's something many coaches overlook!

Want more guidance on how to design,
market, fill and deliver successful coaching
groups?

Join me on my special upcoming teleseminar:
5 Quick Steps to Group Coaching Success.

Get all the details and reserve your spot at:
www.GroupCoachingSuccess.com

Free Book: Get Paid For Who You Are

2010-04-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

My friend David Wood is giving away copies of
his new book, "Be Who You Are." This is one of
the most unique and innovative book launches I've seen.
You can check it out and get your free book here:

http://tinyurl.com/yyuzsan

How To Not Dread Tax Day

2010-04-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

Here in the USA April 15th was the deadline
for filing and paying income tax. It got me
thinking back to how I used to dread Tax Day
in my first few years of business.

For starters, I really didn't understand all the
ins-and-outs of small business finance,
deductions and bookkeeping. And since I
didn't have any support or good systems in
place, it was a total headache getting all of
the necessary data together.

Then, when I finally got my taxes done, I
could not believe how small my bottom line
was. It was a good thing I was living in a
rent-controlled apartment back then!

Even though I felt like a pretty successful
coach - I was coaching an average of 10 -15
clients at $350/month - I began to realize that
just coaching individual clients was not going
to give me the income or lifestyle I wanted.

Can you relate?

Here are the two strategies that made all the
difference and why I no longer dread Tax Day:

1. Invest in setting up your financial and
bookkeeping systems and then get outside
support to keep things up-to-date. Unless you
love "doing the books," having a bookkeeper
and account are two of the best services you
can invest in, even if you are just starting out.

2. Grow your business beyond the 1-1 coaching
model. You can run workshops or trainings,
develop information products, coach groups, run
a membership site... there are a lot of options, so
choose the one that feels right, get committed and
start taking action to make it a reality.

Yes, these can be big projects... and I can tell
you they are both totally worth it.

Here's to you not dreading Tax Day in 2011!

One of the most rewarding things about being a coach...

2010-04-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

... is getting a "Thanks Coach!" email from a client who quickly gets results by implementing a strategy discussed in a coaching session.

I just got one of those emails from a client who after our session this week shifted his pricing model from a per/session fee to a monthly fee with minimum commitment.

Well, today my client had a complimentary consultation with a hot prospect and the person signed up for his new package: $995/month for six months of coaching! What a difference from the $300 per/session model he used to focus on when enrolling new clients.

I love it when coaching can make such a big difference (and quickly too!)

Have you found your R.I.C.H. Niche?

2010-04-05T08:29:00.000-07:00

I'm curious about something...

Do you know the #1 Roadblock that keeps
so many smart and talented people from
building the coaching business they desire?

It's not having a "R.I.C.H. Niche."
Now, I bet you're wondering what a
R.I.C.H. Niche is and if you have one.
Let's start with how you can tell.
Answer these 3 questions.
(And please be really honest with
yourself.)

1. Do you feel uncomfortable or nervous
when people ask, "What do you do?"

2. Do you find that your family and friends
don't really get your coaching?

3. Is it difficult for you to explain how your
coaching works?

If you answered YES to any of these
questions, then you are definitely
missing your R.I.C.H. Niche. Let me
help you find it!

I recently held a information-packed teleseminar
call "Communicate Confidently and Fill Your Practice"
where participants learned...

- What a R.I.C.H. Niche is and how to
quickly narrow-in on yours.

- A proven 3-step process on how to
attract more clients simply by how
you speak about your coaching.

- What you need to say so people really
understand what you do as a coach.

- How to dramatically increase the number
of referrals you receive.

- The BIG mistakes coaches make when
talking about their business and how to
avoid them.

- Exciting details about my upcoming
training program for coaches who are
serious about filling their practice with
awesome clients.

If don't yet have your R.I.C.H. Niche,
and you weren't able to join me live on
this call, don't worry!

You can get the recording of the teleclass,
"Communicate Confidently and Fill
Your Practice" here:
=> www.coachandgrowrich.com/free/teleclasses

How to Better Understand Your Target Market

2010-04-02T07:10:00.000-07:00

Having a defined target market - a specific group
of people that you focus on reaching in order to
sell your services - is critical for effective and
successful marketing. In fact, there's a saying
"If you try to market to everyone you end up
marketing to nobody."

This is especially true when marketing coaching.
Coaches who try to be all things to all people, struggle.
Coaches who define a narrow target market with
specific wants, needs and desires and then focus
their energy on reaching and serving those people
get results.

Because here's the deal: If you don't know who
your best prospects are, and as much as you can
about them, you are going to waste a lot of time,
energy and money trying to market to people who
are not interested in what you have to offer.
Answer the following questions to see how
well you know your target market.

9 Questions To Better Understand Your Target Market

1. How well can you describe your target market?
Write at least one paragraph and be as specific as possible.

2. What are their biggest problems?
What keeps them awake at night?

3. How are they currently addressing these problems?

4. What are their most important goals and desires?

5. What obstacles are keeping them from achieving
these goals and desires?

6. Does this target market use coaching to address
their big problems and achieve their most important goals?

7. How can you find your target market?

8. Where does your target market "hang out,"
both in person and online?

9. How would your target market search for you?

Unless you've been in business for a while,
or you're just a total rockstar, my guess is you
may not immediately know the answers to all
of these questions.

So your next step is to engage in some target
market research. While it might seem like a lot
of work, investing the time and energy to really
understand your market pays huge dividends!

7 Ways To Rearch Your Target Market

1. Conduct an online survey. People love to give
their opinions and if you make it quick and easy for
them, they will tell you exactly what you need to know.
I like Surveymonkey.com.

2. Do personal interviews with current and past clients.
Not only is this approach great for gaining in-depth,
first-hand knowledge, it's also an excellent strategy
for reconnecting with past clients who might now be
ready for additional coaching.

3. Run focus groups. This strategy is great because
you can gain a lot of information at once and the
participants in the group will often feed off of each
other, enabling you to get even deeper information.
In fact, a coach in one of my recent trainings did
several focus groups and in addition to learning
a ton about her target market, she also discovered
that they loved connecting with other women in a
group environment. So the coach altered her
business model and started offering group coaching!

4. Research your competitors. It's a good sign
when other coaches are serving the same target
market as you. It means that that market hires
coaches. You can quickly increase your knowledge
by studying the marketing messages of your
competitors.

5. Reach out to industry experts and people in
your target market. This can also have unexpected
benefits. For example, one of my clients was invited
to speak at an industry event by a big wig he
interviewed as part of his market research.

6. Talk to other professionals who serve your
target market. These people are also your ideal
strategic alliance and joint venture partners.
So in addition to gaining lots of information,
you can also start developing powerful
relationships with people who can help
you more easily reach your ideal clients.

7. Immerse yourself in your target market.
Read magazines, books and articles.
Attend conferences and events. Participate
in online social networks and forums. Join
associations and clubs. You don't necessarily
have to eat, drink and breathe your target market,
but it sure can't hurt!

The Bottom Line: There's an old expression that
says that you need to walk a mile in someone else's
shoes in order to really understand them.

Do this with your target market and you'll find
yourself with a wealth of information that will
enable you to better connect with, market to,
enroll and serve your ideal clients.

As opposed to a mile from where you started
in a pair of stolen shoes! Ha ha ha ha ha.

Who needs a vacation?

2010-02-24T12:27:00.000-08:00

Let me guess, you do.

Me too!

Regardless of how much we love our work,
it's so important to take time off, get away,
unplug, unwind, relax, rejuvenate and enjoy
whatever it is that our hearts desire.

Interestingly, I recently read a study about
people who left their job to start their
own business.

When asked why they made the leap, having
more free time and being more in control of
their schedule was one of the top two reasons.
(The other: to make more money.)

Anyway, despite free time being such a priority,
when asked about their actual schedule as a
business owner, the majority stated that they
feel like they have a lot less time off now and that
they took more actual vacations when they had a job.

Sound familiar?

Wanna know how to remedy the situation?

Plan a vacation!

Do this with me right now.

Open up your calendar and then close your eyes,
take a deep breath and think about a vacation
that you'd love to take this year.

(If all you can think about are reasons why
you can't take a vacation this year, stand up,
walk into the bathroom and flush those down
the toilet. Seriously. It works.)

Okay, back to imagining a vacation you'd love
to take this year.

Really visualize it. Where will you go?
What will you do? Who will you be with?
How long will you be away?

Take another deep breath. Imagine you are there
in this very moment. Feel your body start to
relax and a smile come across your face.

Now look at your calendar and pick a time to
block out for your vacation. Don't worry about
how it's going to happen, just look at your
calendar and say, "If things could work out
exactly the way I want them to I would take
my vacation here," and then write it in.

Deep breath.

So, how did that go for you?

If you did this little exercise with me, I'm
guessing you're either feeling kind of excited
or a little depressed. Either way, you've
taken the first step and planted that first seed
towards the vacation you deserve. Here's
to having that blossom.

xo,
Michelle

P.S.

In November, around our 2 year wedding anniversary,
my husband and I realized that while we did a lot
of travel together for business and to visit family,
we hadn't taken a "real" vacation since our honeymoon.

I know 2 years isn't a super long time, but it was
a good awakening for us, so we decided that we would
take some type of big, international trip in 2010.

Well, the other day we emptied out our frequent
flyer accounts and booked 2 round trip business class
tickets from San Francisco to Bangalore, India and
we're going for the entire month of December!!

Although we haven't figured out how all the logistics
will work (i.e.: how my husband will get all that
time off from his job), we took the leap anyway
and are trusting that it's all going to work out
and be totally great.

P.P.S.
I'd love to read your vacation ideas and plans.
Post your comments here on my blog!

Watching Lots of Winter Olympics, Despite Hit to Productivity

2010-02-19T00:21:00.000-08:00

For the past week I've spent a lot more time than I'd like to admit watching the winter Olympics on TV. And while it's definitely hindering my productivity, it's totally stoking my inspiration.

It started with the opening ceremonies and the parade of nations. I love seeing all the athletes from around the world and cheering for all the countries where I have some kind of connection. My poor husband had to endure my never-ending commentary that went something like this, "Yay Denmark! That's where Michala is from, remember she stayed with us.... Yay Finland, that's where Sanna is from and remember when I spoke at the conference there..." You get the picture.

After the opening ceremony I became immersed in the competition. I'm a big fan of the skiing and snowboarding events and am blown away by the dedication, hard work and commitment demonstrated by these amazing athletes.

As someone who thinks a lot about how professional coaches can best market their services, the Olympics are a gold mine. Inspirational, coaching-oriented stories abound. And the Olympics are the one sporting event that just about everyone around the world can relate to.

Use this opportunity to connect with your clients, prospects and subscribers. I guarantee that if you spend just a little time watching the Olympics this weekend you'll find the inspiration about what to write.

Are Tolerations Holding You Back?

2010-02-12T16:22:00.000-08:00

I don't know if it's because of the new decade or what, but I am totally focused on handling tolerations these days.

Tolerations are things we put up with that drain our energy, hold us back and cause us frustration, anxiety and stress.

A toleration can be huge... like living in a cramped apartment in an undesirable neighborhood. Or it can be little and seemingly insignificant, like having a burnt out lightbulb in your coat closet.

Some tolerations - like the burnt out lightbulb - can be addressed quickly and easily. Handling others can require a significant investment of time, energy and money - such as finding, and being able to afford, a new and better place to live.

The thing that all tolerations have in common is that when you handle them you feel really good!

I first learned about the concept of identifying and addressing tolerations when I did my initial coach training with Coach U .

Coach U (and Coachville) were founded by the late Thomas Leonard. It's hard to believe that yesterday was the 7 year anniversary of his death.

On a more upbeat note, I think it's awesome that Dave Buck and Andrea Lee are honoring Thomas, his legacy and keeping his work alive. Get dialed in at: www.bestofthomas.com.

As I've been addressing tolerations - big and small - I have found myself remembering some of the key coaching points around handling tolerations:

Make a list of every toleration that you can think of. Don't worry if some of them seem "impossible" to handle. In order to address them, you first need to acknowledge them, and the best way to do that is by writing them down.
Prioritize your list and "Focus on Five" at any one time in order to avoid overwhelm and fast-track your results.
Include big and small tolerations when you "Focus on Five." This is especially important if you are taking on a big toleration (such as leaving an unfulfilling job to coach full time) that might take some time to address. Set yourself up to enjoy feelings of success and accomplishment by including a few tolerations that are relatively quick and easy to handle (ie: scheduling that overdue dental appointment, sewing the button back on your favorite shirt or organizing the pile of papers in the corner of your office).
Address the source. As great as it feels to deal with something we've been putting up with (ie: getting your taxes done right before the deadline). It's ten times better to put systems in place so that when tax time rolls around, all you need to do is run a few reports and pull together some paperwork.
Have patience. This is critical if you are handling big tolerations!

In memory of Thomas Leonard...

Here's to handling tolerations and moving a step closer to living a Toleration Free Life!

The "M Word" Virtual Conference

2009-11-02T16:43:00.000-08:00

Love it, hate it or want it, there is just something about Money that widens our eyes and makes our heart beat a little faster.

That's probably why a recent issue of choice magazine, "The M Word", was so wildly popular. The issue was jam packed with articles on how to make money and why we love, adore, crave and are sometimes afraid of money.

Sound familiar?

Because of the importance of the "Money" topic, choice magazine is hosting "The M Word Virtual Conference" and I have the pleasure of speaking at this event.

This is a 3 day virtual conference that you can attend from the comfort of your own office or home. The conference has a list of amazing speakers that will take you through 3 exciting days of learning and application related to building your business.

Want to improve your relationship with money?

Ready to learn specific strategies on how to market and sell more comfortably and easily?

Join me at choice magazine's Virtual M Word Conference and discover how to get your money flow going!

Get all the details here: http://tiny.cc/Mword

Resource: Time Driver Online Scheduling Tool

2009-10-22T17:06:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for a better way to schedule coaching appointments with clients or complimentary consultations with prospects?

I recently learned about TimeDriver.com - an online scheduling tool that links with Google Calendars or Outlook.

I've found it to be very user-friendly and it's definitely taken the headache out of setting up appointments.

The fee is only $29/year and they have a 90 day free trial.

Are You Focusing on Your Ideal Clients' $10,000 Problems?

2009-10-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

If you've been studying how to most effectively market your coaching you probably realize that people are more interested in solutions to their problems than in hiring a coach or experiencing coaching.

That's why you want to position your coaching services as the fastest, easiest, most enjoyable and most effective way to address the critical, specific and pressing problems that your target market has. The bigger and more urgent the problem, the more likely the person will hire you.

Think of these important, specific and pressing challenges as "$10,000 Problems."

$10,000 Problems...

are the issues that keep your ideal clients awake a night.
cause your ideal clients a lot of struggle and stress.
are things that your ideal clients realize they cannot effectively address on their own.
are so significant because the person has compelling reasons why addressing the problem now is so important.

Perhaps the best way to describe a $10,000 problem is by comparing it to a generic problem. Here are some examples...

Generic Problem #1: Small business owners who need to attract more clients.

$10,000 Problem #1: Small business owners who realize that in order to achieve their financial objectives they need to create a high-end offering that leverages their unique gifts and skills and then find the A-List clients who will happily pay for the extra value they provide.

Generic Problem #2: People who want to make a career transition.

$10,000 Problem #2: BabyBoomers who have been laid-off and want to use the opportunity to make a complete career shift. They have a limited window of time and resources to explore and pursue new career options. They are concerned that if they don't act quickly they will be sucked back into their former profession.

Generic Problem #3: Executives who want to improve their leadership.

$10,000 Problem #3: Newly hired executives with a directive leadership style who need to balance taking charge effectively while also getting buy-in from the existing team in order to achieve their first quarter milestones and "pass" their 90 day probation period.

What differences do you notice between the generic problems and the $10,000 Problems?

In general, $10,000 Problems...

are specific and when addressed will have a sustainable impact.
are time-sensitive and need to be addressed sooner rather than later.
occur within a subset of a broader target market.

How to take the "$10,000 Problem" concept and utilize it in your business:

1. Develop a list of at least five $10,000 problems that your target market faces. You probably have a sense of what these are. Start off by listing the "generic" problems that your coaching addresses or the results it enables clients to achieve and then go deeper. Identify possible scenarios and situations when these problems commonly occur. Explore why solving these problems are so important.

2. Identify the subset of your target market where the $10,000 problems occur most and focus on reaching out and finding those people. These are the people within your target market who have the highest "Readiness Factor" and therefore most likely to hire you.

3. Develop specific marketing campaigns geared towards the subset of your target market who have $10,000 problems. Whether you are focusing on speaking, networking, internet marketing or another marketing strategy, you will get the best results from your efforts when you create campaigns that address $10,000 problems.

4. Focus on and discuss $10,000 problems in your complimentary consultation with prospects. If you've learned the step-by-step C&GR client enrollment system, you already know that this is a critical part of your sales process. When you enable a prospect to articulate their $10,000 problem and you show how your coaching is the best solution, it then becomes very easy for that person to say "Yes" to your coaching.

5. Really connect with the fact that your coaching "solves" $10,000 problems. Although the $10,000 number is a bit arbitrary, it's important for you to think about your coaching as having that kind of impact. This helps you see the value of what you provide. It also put your coaching fee in perspective. For example, if a client invests a total of $2,000 in your coaching and as a result is able to address their $10,000 problem then they are getting a great return on their investment. (And if you are doing corporate or organizational coaching you might want to bump that number up and focus on identifying the $100,000 problems that the corporations and organizations you most want to work with are facing.)

FACT: People hire coaches to solve their problems. The optimum way to fill your practice with eager, well-paying clients is by positioning your coaching as the best solution to your prospects big problems.

What $10,000 problems do you and can you support people in solving?

Q&A: How to Handle Prospect No-Shows

2009-09-11T13:42:00.000-07:00

QUESTION: "I was very excited for a complimentary coaching consultation yesterday but the person did not call. Should I bother following up? I'm not needy and don't want to come across that way. I also don't want to set the precedent that missing calls is okay. My time IS valuable! But then again, people are people, things come up and I would like the business. What should I do?"

ANSWER: Unfortuanately No-Shows do happen and often it’s an indication that the person is not serious.

Here's what I recommend:

1. Five minute after the scheduled call time send a quick email or call the person. Sometimes the problem is simply a misunderstanding about who is calling whom.

2. Immediately after the missed appointment send a follow-up email. Here’s some sample language:

Dear (name),
I had us scheduled for your coaching consultation today at Xpm Pacific.
I’m wondering if you missed it because something came up or perhaps it ended up in your calendar on a different day or time.
If you are still interested in having a complimentary consultation to discover how my coaching enables people to (insert what you coach on, e.g.: identify and pursue a career path that is truly in alignment with who they really are and how they want to live their life) , I can do a one-time reschedule for you and have availability (insert 1-2 times) .
If you've decided that you are not ready for a consultation, that's fine too.
Please just let me know either way.
All the best,
(your name)

Tactics for Reducing No-Shows

1. Send a confirmation email that clearly states all of the details, including:

who calls who
phone number
day and date
time and time zone

2. In your confirmation email state your cancellation policy and emphasize that even though it is a free consultation you take these calls very seriously and are saving the time slot in your busy schedule specifically for that person.

3. Send the person questions to prepare for the consultation and request an email replay with the answers at least 24 hours before the consultation. In addition to providing value, this will help the person take the consultation more seriously. Also, if you don't receive an email in advance it gives you an indication of the person's commitment level.

4. Send a reminder email the day of the consultation.

Put these tactics into place now and focus on developing your business so that the people you are offering consultations to are pre-qualified. In other words:

They have the "problem" that your coaching coaching can "solve."
They are ready to take action.
They appreciate and value the opportunity to meet with you.

When you do this, the No-Show issue pretty much goes away!

Q&A About Billing and Handling Cancellations

2009-09-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

Just got this email from a past client and thought I'd post my answers to her great questions about client billing and how to handle client reschedules and cancellations.

"Michelle - I have been reviewing my CAGR course materials as a refresher, and realize just how AWESOME that stuff is! I thought I "got" it the first time around, but realize it takes time to really integrate the ideas into my mind & biz. (For ex., just realizing that I've been losing my compass re: what to publish in my ezine & blog b/c I hadn't clearly articulated my How. Now that I have taken time to do that, I'm on track again. whoo-hoo!)

Can you help me with a few admin questions?"

QUESTION: How do I get clients on a monthly schedule? (right now I bill them after their 3- or 4-session cycles & I'd like to bill all at once, on same day so I can predict my monthly income)

ANSWER: I recommend you do all of your billing on the first of the month for that month's coaching. When you start with a client in the middle of the month, pro-rate the fee for that month based on the number of sessions they are getting and then begin the monthly billing on the first.

I use my shopping cart system and have all of my clients on recurring billing. Once you get it up and running it is a very easy and efficient way to handle client billing.

QUESTION: How can I handle reschedules and cancellations so I don't lose money?

ANSWER: Another great question. It sounds like you are coaching your clients 3-4 times per month. This is part of the problem. It can be a challenge to consistently schedule 4 sessions/month. Especially if you or the client does a lot of travel. Fix it by changing your coaching packages and offering 2 or 3 x/month packages. And this doesn't mean you have to reduce your fees either! Often having more time off between sessions makes clients more hungry and ready for your coaching.

Also, make sure you clearly explain your cancellation/reschedule policy both in writing and verbally at the start of the coaching relationship. A big part is your professionalism. Here's the language I use. This is from my Policies & Procedures document that all clients get at the start of the coaching engagement.

Changes/Cancellations
I request that you make our scheduled coaching calls a priority. On the rare occasion when you need to reschedule please let me know at least 48 hours in advance. Except in the case of an emergency, you will be charged for last minute cancellations or missed calls.

Hope this helps and if you have ideas or thoughts on these topics please leave a comment!

Increase Client Retention by Adding the Right Value

2009-08-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

In a service-based business like coaching there's a continual need to find new clients.

And while client turnover is natural, wouldn't it be great if you could reduce the number of new clients you need to attract while still meeting your business objectives?

One simple way to accomplish this is by increasing the length of time that clients stay with you.

For example, let's say your ideal full coaching practice is 15 individual coaching clients.

If the typical client coaches with you for 3 months, you need to attract 60 new clients each year to achieve your full practice goal. That seems like a lot, doesn't it?

Extend the average duration by just one month and that number drops to 45.

Get your average coaching relationship up to 6 months and you need 30 new clients.

Work with clients for 3/4 of the year and now you only need to attract 2 new clients each month to maintain a full practice. Doesn't that sound a lot better than needing to find 60 new clients?

So, what are the secrets to increasing client retention?

You can start by packaging your coaching services as a multi-month program. For example a 3 month, 6 month or year long coaching program.

An even better way is to add so much value that the last thing your clients want to do is stop working with you.

While there are many ways to add value - from remembering special occasions and sending cards to checking in via email and forwarding resources - the very best way is to discover the particular needs and desires of each individual client so you can be of service in a way that is most valuable to him or her.

Here are some examples from my coaching practice to give you some ideas:

One of my clients does a lot of public speaking so I email her the day before an event to wish her luck and the day after to find out how it went. This literally takes me 5 minutes and provides huge value to her. Even though she's a solopreneur, she definitely doesn't feel like she's going at it all alone.
I have a client who is working on a new website and I've been providing feedback on the overall strategy, design, copy, etc. When something comes up where a dialogue is most useful I call her instead of waiting to address it in our next scheduled coaching session. She has thanked me profusely for my responsiveness as it has enabled her to move this daunting project along at breakneck speed.
One of my clients typically uses our coaching sessions for brainstorming, strategizing and planning. As he talks a mile a minute I scribble notes and then type them up and send them to him after our session. The very first time I did this he said that one session alone was worth the monthly coaching fee. I've continued to work with him in this way ever since. He's been a client for more than 2 years... and has doubled his income during that time as well!

Ready to increase your client retention?

Make a list of your current clients and for each one identify:

How you can add more value to that client in a way s/he will appreciate most.
What would make your coaching feel truly indispensible to that client.
At least one specific action you can take for each client to provide relevant value.

Maximizing client retention is a skill that gets fine-tuned over time. Adding enough of the right value is a great place to focus. And if you're not sure how you can best be of service to a particular client, ask!

Summer Mode

2009-08-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

During the past 9 years that I have been coaching full time my business has slowed down in the summer. The first few years I would freak out when my client base started declining in May and June.

Now I have come to appreciate the summer slowdown. In fact, the past few years I have actually given myself permission to get into full on "summer mode." When I'm in this mode I still coach my clients and get my monthly administrative tasks handled, but I take a break from most everything else.

Instead I focus on "life stuff."

For example, in the summer of 2005 I spent a lot of time in New York with my mom who was battling cancer. She died a few months later and I was so grateful that I was able to get in so much quality time with her.

In the summer of 2006 I had ACL replacement surgery on my knee. By making my healing and physical therapy the top priority I enjoyed a full recovery and was skiing that winter.

In 2007 I got engaged and was so happy to have extra time to plan the wedding and take a nice long trip back East to introduce Adam to my family.

Last year the focus was house-buying. I looked at 72 houses that summer and ultimately moved into a beautiful home in the Oakland Hills in the middle of September.

Despite the fact that I have taken a lot of time off the past five summers, my business has steadily grown each year and my client base always ramps back up each fall.

If you're like me, the constant pressure to grow your business can become daunting. Even when business is going well, it seems like there is always more you could do.

Now, don't get me wrong, as long as you are in business you need to do marketing and business development. You just don't need to focus on it all the time - especially when you have automated systems in place so your marketing can work 24/7 even when you are on vacation.

Isn't having the ability to take a break from business and focus on "life stuff" one of the big reasons we got into this profession in the first place?

Note: This is an updated version of an article that originally appeared in the August, 2008 Coach & Grow R.I.C.H. newsletter.

JetBlue's Example of Creative Pricing

2009-08-14T08:35:00.000-07:00

When it comes to pricing coaching services, people in the profession typically charge by the hour or by the month. While there is nothing inherently wrong with either of these approaches - I recommend by the month - it's fun and profitable to have an occasionally promotion or get creative with your packaging and pricing.

Let's look at a current promotion in the airline industry as an example: For one flat price ($599) you can fly on JetBlue anywhere you like, as often as you like, from September 8 to October 8, 2009.

Seriously.

The "All You Can Jet" pass has no blackout dates. Any seat JetBlue has to its 57 destinations on 600 daily flights is available and even the domestic taxes and fees are included in the $599 price. (Wanna get away? Click here for details about JetBlue's "All You Can Jet" pass.)

Okay - let's talk about how this example can apply to professional coaching.

Use Special Offers During Slow Times - In the US, travel typically dips in the beginning of September after the busy summer season. So it's no surprise that this JetBlue promotion begins on September 8th, the day after Labor Day.

In the coaching profession it is exactly the opposite. We often see a decrease in the summer and a surge of business in the fall. Using special offers during the slow times of your business cycle is a great way to bring in price-sensitive customers you may not otherwise attract.

The Appeal of "All You Can Eat" - Whether it's the comfort of knowing we'll walk away satisfied (or at least full) or wanting to feel like we are really getting our money's worth, there's no denying the marketing power of the "All You Can Eat" or "All Access" promotion.

In the coaching world we see this in the "Coaching Gym" model. Instead of having scheduled coaching appointments, the coach sets their office hours and clients call in during those times, as often as they want.

Another approach is offering "Just In Time" coaching where the client calls the coach whenever they need coaching. While all access coaching may not be for everyone, there are definitely clients (think busy senior executives) who will pay top dollar for this type of premium service.

Pay One Price - With a properly structured offer, people jump at the opportunity to pay upfront for something they really want. This is especially true for people with fluctuating incomes, such as commissioned sales people.

You can do this in your coaching business by creating a coaching package, ie: a 6 month program, and giving a discount for clients who pay upfront in full.

What do you think? Is it time for you to get creative with your packaging and pricing? Would a special offer or promotion benefit your business?

The Power of Online Video

2009-07-13T23:00:00.000-07:00

Are you using the internet to market your coaching business?

Are you taking advantage of the power of online video?

Online video is so incredibly effective and popular because it enables you to instantly make a personal and intimate connection with people. With a well-designed online video you can easily develop the level of trust people want to have in a coach without you having to be there.

Which can translate into more clients. And more visibility. Without more work.

Do you know that there are 2 main types of online video?

The first, and most common, is creating a video of yourself speaking as if you're talking directly to someone. This is great because your website visitors can get a real sense of who you are, how you look, how you sound and how you communicate. It shows that you're a real person.

Unfortunately, there can be a lot of challenges with this approach. Homemade videos often look unprofessional. If you don't have the right lighting, good sound quality and the proper background, your video may not portray the image you desire.

Of course you could hire a videographer, but let's face it, that can be a pretty big investment.

In addition, I find that there are a lot of great coaches who aren't really excited about being in front of the camera.

The good news is that you have another option... One that has created thousands of new subscribers and put thousands of dollars in the pockets of those who use it.

That's why I've asked my friend and colleague Rob Schultz to do a free call with me about everything you need to know to get started and achieve success with online video... without even needing a video camera!

If you don't know Rob, you're in for a treat. A former Hollywood visual effects whiz, Rob has created wildly successful videos for coaching stars like Michael Port, Milana Leshinsky and Melanie Benson Strick. Rob provides a ton of value and you'll be sure to leave the call with new tools, strategies and tips you can start using right away.

FREE CALL:
The Simple Secrets to Online Video Success No One Else is Telling You

Reserve your spot here: http://budurl.com/CoachesVideoCall

During this amazing hour I'll be interviewing Rob so you can discover:

How to make your video a client and customer attraction magnet
How you can create an online slideshow, even if technology isn't your thing
Why using images, text, video and music to communicate your message can be 10x more powerful than your voice and spoken word

And the best part is that Rob will be sharing tips anyone can use:

It's not about how good you look.
It's not about the lighting.
It's not about the microphone.
It's not about complicated technology.

If you want to learn how to harness the incredible power of online video and generate more excited, qualified prospects, don't wait! Reserve your spot now for The Simple Secrets to Online Video Success No One Else is Telling You.

And if you can't make it live, sign up anyway and we'll send you the MP3 recording which you can listen to at your convenience.

Time Article: Women Will Rule Business

2009-05-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

Excellent articleabout how female leadership skills and work styles are positively impacting today's businesses. Read more at Time.com.

Daylight Savings Time

2009-03-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

Did you enjoy an extra hour of daylight on Sunday evening?

I love when it stays light out later. But from an operational and business standpoint, I could do without Daylight Savings Time. Apparently a lot of other people feel that way too. Check out: www.standardtime.com.

What do you think? Should the US continue it's current practice of observing Daylight Savings Time?

The Coach-like Approach at the 2009 Academy Awards

2009-02-23T15:31:00.000-08:00

Did you watch the 2009 Academy Awards?

I enjoyed it and really liked the way they had former Oscar winners individually introduce the nominees for Best Actor/Actress and Best Supporting Actor/Actress.

What struck me is how the introductions demonstrated the power of acknowledgement. This is something we coaches do with our clients and I think we may forget how powerful it is.

Perhaps the best example was Shirley MacLaine's introduction of Anne Hathaway. I felt like I was witness to an intimate conversation. Shirley spoke directly to Anne and Anne was visibly moved.

MacLaine: "Anne Hathaway We loved you as a princess, we loved you in Prada."

Coaching Point: The power of using a person's name when delivering heartfelt acknowledgement.

Camera cuts to Hathaway: She has her hand over her heart. She is so open and present, fully receiving what she is being told.

MacLaine: "And this year in Rachel Getting Married you fearless stepped into the shoes of someone struggling with addiction and grief. I think you are an amazing example. You're not afraid to show both your dark and bright side."

Coaching Point: Acknowledgement is most effective when you use specifics, detailing particular skills and situations.

MacLaine: "And by the way, I think you have an extraordinary voice, so keep singing too."

Coaching Point: Sharing what we see for our clients that they may not see for themselves.

Camera cuts to Hathaway: With teary eyes she says, "Thank you! I love you." Hathaway is so moved, so present and so real.

Coaching Point: Accurate, heartfelt acknowledgement is a wonderful gift we give to our clients!

Creating Your Part-Time Coaching Schedule

2009-02-20T11:23:00.000-08:00

I just finished up a complimentary consultation with a new coach who is also a mother of 5. One of her biggest challenges is finding the time for her coaching business. When I asked her about her schedule she told me she blocks out two hours/day to work on her business and coach clients: 9am and 11pm. And it really wasn't working that well for her.

After a little coaching she realized she could actually re-arrange her schedule and devote one day per week to her coaching business. Although it's actually less blocked out time (7 hours instead of 10), I guarantee that she will be more effective during that time and gain a lot more momentum in her business.

If you are coaching part-time, here are some scheduling tips:

1. Create a schedule for your coaching business and stick with it. I know that "life" sometimes happens and you may not be able to follow your schedule exactly, but do your best. Make a commitment, put it in your calendar and treat it as sacred time.

2. Set aside blocks of time. Just like in the example above, you're time will be most effective if you put big blocks of time in your calendar, instead of an hour here and an hour there.

3. Let others know. Once you create your schedule, tell your partner, your children, your friends and your colleagues about your coaching schedule. Then they'll know in advance why you're not available during those times and if you're not being as diligent as you could be, they can give you the little kick-in-the pants you might need.

4. Having a schedule sends a powerful message. It can be challenging building a business part-time. When you set a schedule and stick with it you send a message to yourself, the universe and your community that you are serious and committed to your success.

Is Coaching Worth the Money?

2008-04-17T21:50:00.000-07:00

Obviously I think so!

So does the owner of the business featured in this article and video from the Wall Street Journal about executive/business coaching.

Day of Marketing - New York City

2008-04-03T14:10:00.000-07:00

Day of Marketing is an amazing 2 day event for coaches and therapists who are focused on building and maintaining a thriving and rewarding practice, even during a slow economy.

I am one of the experts on the business-building panel and will be doing individual marketing consultations with participants during Mastermind Saturday.

This is a top-notch event and I am honored and excited to be a part of it.

And, as one of my friends, you can save $120 on your registration fee. Just use this link: Day of Marketing Private Registration Page with special pricing.

Hope to see you there!

Day of Marketing
May 16 and 17
Columbia University
New York City

What's Keeping You Stuck?

2008-03-26T12:39:00.000-07:00

Note: This article was originally published in the Coach & Grow R.I.C.H. newsletter, a free monthly publication featuring business-building strategies for professional coaches.

I was recently speaking with a veteran coach, let's call him Dave, who has been dragging his feet for a LONG TIME around launching a website for his business.

Dave felt he was stuck because he didn't know what to do and was worried about making a bad decision and wasting his time and money.

Reasonable concerns.

So we coached around it. Within 15 minutes, "not knowing what to do," was no longer an issue. Dave decided what domain name to register (his name) and learned where and how to register it (godaddy.com).

We clarified his objectives and desires around website development and support. I recommended he check out Web Power Tools and Indra Successful Coach Marketing, two reputable and affordable companies to contact. We even created an outline of the main pages and core content for the site.

We then addressed his fear of buyer's remorse, which was pretty easy to do. The action plan we outlined was within his budget. The time and energy required to fine-tune his message and write the copy are investments he needs and is ready to make.

Next I got permission and asked, "So Dave, when are you going to take action on this?"

After the initial, "I hoped you weren't going to ask me that," I got a whole lot of excuses.

Dave did need more information and guidance on "the how's" of launching a website, but that's not what has been keeping him stuck.

Sound familiar?

(I love this picture of Mud Maid at the Lost Gardens of Heligan. It's such a great depiction of stuckness, don't you think? I found it on freedigitalphotos.net)

Instead, Dave's need for things to be perfect and the underlying fear of really "putting himself out there" were the real reasons he was not moving forward.

If you find yourself in this situation, what should you do?

Do a Quick Cost/Benefit Analysis. Connect with your objective. Identify the benefits of achieving it and the costs of remaining stagnant. Dave was very clear that the big benefit would be a lot more business credibility. The costs were missed opportunities and an overall dragging down of his business.
Do Some Easy Things. Build momentum by getting into action around the simple, easy, obvious next steps. For Dave that was registering his domain name and researching/contacting the web development companies.
Be Okay with "Starter" Mode. For example, if you envision having a custom, fancy, interactive, fully e-commerce capable website but haven't done anything to make that happen yet, it's okay to start with a basic, 5 page "brochure" site.
Create External Accountability. It's easy to put things off until tomorrow. That's why you want to create external reasons to get things done. For example, Dave could set up a lunch meeting with some prospects that have been referred to him and use the meeting date as a deadline to get his new site launched.

While it is normal to feel stuck on occasion, the key is not staying there very long! The most successful people in business are really good at making decisions, taking action and getting things done.

As one of my favorite mentors, T. Harv Eker says,

"Indecision is the leading cause of roadkill."

Tech Resource: Resize Your Image

2008-03-02T23:26:00.000-08:00

Resize Your Image is an online tool that makes it easy to resize photos. Really helpful if you use photos in your newsletter or on your website or blog. Check it out!

Should you join BNI?

2008-02-29T16:15:00.000-08:00

A client recently asked, "Do you think I should join BNI?"

BNI, short for Business Networking International, is a lead-sharing networking group.

I was a member of a San Francisco BNI Chapter during my first year in business as a full time coach. It was a great experience and I definitely benefited from my involvement in BNI. Specifically:

5 fellow chapter members became clients
8 referrals became clients
3 strategic alliances were formed (with an accountant, graphic designer and biz attorney)
Several speaking engagements were generated

Back then I was coaching by phone from my studio apartment in the Marina District of San Francisco. Having a weekly in-person meeting where I built friendships, gained business knowledge, improved my speaking, developed a great pitch and dressed to impress at least one day a week was definitely key to my success.

Joining BNI, or another lead-sharing organization, such as Le Tip (USA/Canada), Business Swap (Australia), Elite Leads (SF Bay Area), can be an excellent tool and marketing strategy to grow your coaching business. The important question is, "Is it right for you?"

5 Key Criteria for Benefiting from a Lead-Sharing Networking Group

You need to be specific about who you coach and what you coach on. Think about it. In order for the other members to give you qualified referrals, they need to easily understand what you do. And you don't have to be a business coach. There was a career coach in our group who was constantly getting leads.
You must enjoy it. Do you like the idea of attending a weekly meeting with other small business owners in your area? Are you excited to build business and personal relationships and become an active member of a group? If so, great. You'll like this type of networking.
You need a large, healthy and dynamic chapter. The coaches who generate the best results by joining lead sharing groups are members of a great chapter. Shop around and choose wisely. The size and quality of your fellow members impact your results.
You need to give leads to other members. It's the law of reciprocity. Givers gain. You need to refer people you know to your fellow members, and this can sometimes be challenging. For example, a chiropractor who sees hundreds of clients per month has a much easier time generating referrals than a coach who works from home and coaches clients across the country.
You need to be committed. You can't just show up when you feel like it. To get good results you need to make it a weekly priority.

Go for a Test Drive
Research organizations in your area and visit their meetings. Many chapters will allow you to attend a few times so you can get a feel for the group.

Weigh the Pros and Cons
In addition to potentially gaining new clients, be sure to consider the intangible benefits that address the loneliness and isolation that that is so common in the profession.

Trust Your Gut
If it feels right, go for it. If not, say no thank you and move on to the next thing!

P.S.
I dug up this picture from my San Francisco BNI days. I coached for 7 years from this office, a.k.a the entry way to my studio apartment. That's the door out of the apartment on the left. I don't miss that office.

What kind of coach are you?

2008-02-15T15:01:00.000-08:00

Ah, a question that doesn't always have an easy answer.

What do you call yourself?
I'd love to know. Use the survey tool to the left or post a comment below.

Do you use one of the "standard" titles?

life coach
business coach
executive coach
corporate coach
professional coach

Do you incorporate your niche or specialty?

career coach
relationship coach
transition coach
creativity coach
leadership coach
team-building coach
ADD/ADHD coach

Do you reference your training?

Are you California woo-woo?
(I live in the San Francisco Bay Area so I can say that, right?)

achievement coach
empowerment coach
motivational coach
self discovery coach

Okay, so I'm having some fun here, but it is an important topic. A lot of coaches struggle with what to call themselves.

For example, a client was recently redesigning his business cards and needed to decide what to put on his cards. The main focus of his business is high end one-on-one coaching.

He works with senior level executives, small business owners and sole proprietors. Most of his clients are in high tech and live in the San Francisco/Silicon Valley area.

The majority of his coaching would be considered life coaching, although he definitely does some strategic/business/career coaching with his clients.

He is also a PCC, Professional Certified Coach through the ICF.

He considered these options:

life coach
business coach
executive coach
professional certified coach

He chose professional certified coach and he feels good about his decision.

What do you think? Post your comments below!

Blogging from my iPhone

2008-02-13T17:05:00.000-08:00

I recently got an iPhone and thought it would be fun to try posting from it while I was taking BART into San Francisco for the monthly SF Coaches meeting.

Tech challenge: I was able to create this post but unable to type anything, so I'm writing this now from my office. I love technology and gadgets, especially when I really know how to use them. If you have any hints on how to create posts in blogger using an iPhone, please let me know.

Launching a Blog

2008-02-12T16:47:00.000-08:00

Woo hoo! I'm blogging. It's exciting to finally enter the blogosphere after thinking about it for way too long.

The thing that spurred me into action? I am going to be a student in the upcoming Coach & Grow R.I.C.H. teleclasses on Blogger Basics. And to participate in the class you need a blogger account, so I just set it up.

All of us at Coach & Grow R.I.C.H. are so happy to have Rachel Pradhan, of Indra Successful Coach Marketing, share her wisdom and knowledge on why you should blog and how to get started.

Join us for Blogger Basics on Tuesday 2/19 and Tuesday 2/26!

**These teleclasses are FREE for members of Coach & Grow R.I.C.H. Virtual University.

Swimming with Dolphins

2008-01-31T20:35:00.000-08:00

Adam and I just returned from a week in Hawaii. He was there for work so I decided to join him (not a tough decision). I have to say, I really like having a husband who travels to Hawaii for work and feel very fortunate that I have the ability and flexibility to join him.

While Adam was working on Oahu, I spent a few days on the Big Island with my dear friend Summer. We took a whale/dolphin watching trip out of Kona with Captain Douglas, who has a wonderful "coach-like approach" about connecting with the animals. No whales, but we saw several large dolphin pods and got in the water to swim with them three times - it was amazing! If you find yourself in Kona, Hawaii, this is a great way to spend the day.

I didn't take many pictures, but this one came out pretty good.

New Year's Resolutions Don't Work. Coaching Does.

2008-01-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

Note: This article was originally published in January 2008 Coach & Grow R.I.C.H. newsletter, a free monthly publication featuring business-building strategies for professional coaches.

Have you been inundated with greetings, articles, programs and other special offers related to the start of the new year?

Ever wonder why?

There is a natural sense of fresh beginnings and renewed possibility that occurs at the start of each year. This makes it a great time to market and promote your coaching services. Kudos to you if you are already in New Year Marketing Mode!

What?!? You haven't taken any action yet to leverage the New Year Phenomenon?

No worries! It's not too late.

Just think of it as riding the second wave of the New Year Mindset. Focus on the fact that New Year's Resolutions don't work, but coaching does. In fact, in the January 14th San Francisco Chronicle I read,

"About 35 percent of people break their New Year's resolutions by the end of January, according to a survey by Franklin Covey."

Did you know that you can leverage the "New Year's resolutions don't work..." theme from mid December through early February? Early February is also the same time as International Coaching Week (Feb 3-9, 2008). How perfect!

Ready to take action?
Use this simple 4 step plan and increase your client base in the next 30 days:

1. Create and offer something that leverages the idea, "New Year's resolutions don't work. Coaching does." For example:

Give a workshop or presentation.
Write an article, report or top ten list.
Do a teleclass or webinar.
Develop an e-course.
Record a podcast.

Offer your thing for free and make sure it positions you and your coaching as a resource. Ideally your free thing would be customized for your target market.

2. Promote your free thing, targeting your ideal client base as much as possible.

3. Offer a Complimentary Coaching Consultation (CCC) to the people who receive your free thing.

4. Conduct your CCC's, handle sales objections and convert a percentage of your prospects into wonderful, new, paying clients.

This is a pretty simple and straightforward process, right?

Yes, it requires some work on your part, but we're not talking about rocket science.

The "New Year's resolutions don't work" theme is universal. Whether you are a life coach, a corporate coach or a business coach, whethere you specialize in relationships, ADD or business, you can apply this theme to any market.

Want results? Take action. Get out of your comfort zone. Let go of perfectionism. Be willing to put yourself out there. Take advantage of this natural time for making a fresh start.

And remember, New Year's resolutions don't work. Coaching does.

Guitar Hero III

2008-01-09T10:21:00.000-08:00

Adam gave me Guitar Hero III for Christmas. I have to admit, I'm addicted!

The Power of Deadlines

2007-10-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

NOTE: This article was originally published in October 2007 Coach & Grow R.I.C.H. newsletter, a free monthly publication featuring business-building strategies for professional coaches.

Do you remember being in school and how having a deadline for a final project or paper was key for it getting done? Whether you took the slow and steady approach or pulled a few all-nighters, you met the deadline. A set due date (and your desire to pass the course) ensured the task was completed.

There is tremendous power in time limits. I've been experiencing this with planning my wedding. Adam and I chose to have a relatively short engagement. Our big day is on 11/11/2007. Three months to make everything happen.

Although a short time frame can be hectic, I'm glad we chose this route. We are making decisions quickly, our actions are inspired and we're getting things done.

The positive impact of a rapidly approaching deadline is amazing. I never would have believed that I could choose a wedding dress in 90 minutes or book our honeymoon after two nights of internet research.

Creating external deadlines is key for success in business and life. It's one of the best ways to maximize your efficiency and get stuff done.

If you are like most people, you probably keep the commitments you make to other people much more rigorously than you do the promises you make to yourself.

For example, have you thought about engaging in a new initiative in your business, such as launching a website, developing a product or offering a training or teleclass, but you keep putting it off?

Do you find yourself thinking, "I'll start that tomorrow, or next week or next month?"

One of the best remedies for this syndrome is creating a firm deadline that has external accountability. For example, you could:

Book a speaking engagement... even if you don't have a complete presentation prepared.
Schedule a teleclass... even if you haven't decided everything you will cover.
Arrange a meeting with a top executive... even if you have never done corporate work.
Offer to teach a class... even if the curriculum isn't set.
Pre-sell a product... and then develop it.
Plan a radio interview... and then determine how you want to position yourself.
Run an advertisement offering a free E-Book as an incentive... and then write it.
Sign up to exhibit at a trade show... and then create the necessary materials.

What external deadline can you put on your business calendar?

Once you commit to a deadline, you will naturally take more action.

5 Keys for Meeting Deadlines

1. Prioritize
For example, if you want to offer a teleclass, but haven't worked out all the details, start with the top priorities. Choose the day and time, determine the topic and title, write a short overview and begin publicizing it. Once those things are in place you can fine-tune the content, create handouts and practice your teleclass leading skills.

2. Keep It Simple
Let's say you want to schedule a radio interview or sign up to exhibit at a tradeshow and you need some internet presence before then. Start with a blog or simple one page website. You can always expand it in the future.

3. Work with Others
Instead of offering a workshop on your own, co-lead it with someone else. If you are new to corporate coaching and you get that meeting booked with a top executive, partner with another coach who has the necessary experience.

4. Schedule Your Time
Let's say you purchase an advertisement and offer a free E-Book as an incentive for people to respond. You have two weeks before the ad runs. Make a list of everything that you need to do and then block out specific time in your calendar to tackle your list.

5. Have No Fear
One of my clients was asked to fill-in for a speaker who canceled two days before an event. Her immediate reaction was, "I'd love to do this, but I need more time!" After some coaching she realized that with focused effort, extra support from her assistant and leveraging work she had done in the past she could pull it off, and she did!

One of the great things about having your own business is the control you have over your time and schedule. And there are two sides to the coin, so if you find yourself continually putting an important project off until tomorrow, put a stake in the ground with some type of external commitment and deadline. It works!

Coach Your Clients to Achieve Their Dreams

2007-09-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Note: This article was originally published in the September, 2007 Coach & Grow R.I.C.H. newsletter, a free monthly publication featuring business-building strategies for professional coaches.

Do you coach clients on achieving their dreams? Would you like to?

This is the essence of most coaching, yet surprisingly few coaches are truly effective in this area. I believe there are 2 main reasons for this:

The coach is not living his/her own dreams.
The coach lacks a proven, effective coaching process.

If you find yourself in this boat, check out Marcia Weider's 7 Day Dream Coach Certification Workshop. This is a powerful coach training and certification program that addresses these two issues.

In case you didn't know, Marcia was one of the first coaches to ever appear on Oprah, and she is a very successful author, speaker and coach.

When you become a dream coach you help others discover and create their dreams through a proven, structured, step-by-step coaching process that produces amazing results. There is even a helpful workbook that you can use with your clients.

The training also features a strong emphasis on marketing, getting clients and growing your business.

I know this first-hand! I am one of the expert trainers who is brought in to teach you exactly what you need to do in order to attract your ideal prospects and how to turn them into paying clients.

Want to learn more? You can get more info about the Dream Coach certification program here.

This is a great program if...

You like the idea of learning a structured, step-by-step coaching process to use with your clients.
You want to spend a week focused on yourself, your business and your dreams.
You want to learn a powerful coaching methodology that will help you coach your clients to breakthrough results.
You are thinking about getting ICF certification or recertification. (You get 45 ICF CEUs that can be used towards ICF accreditation.)

You also might want to check out Marcia's very cool online global community called Amazing Dreamers. This is a great place to go to make your dreams come true. It’s available anytime, day or night, and it's free!

Being of Service and Asking for Help

2006-08-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

Note: This article was originally published in the August, 2006 Coach & Grow R.I.C.H. newsletter, a free monthly publication featuring business-building strategies for professional coaches.

Do you enjoy being of service to others?

If you are like most people, I bet you answered yes.

At a recent speaking engagement, I asked the audience of about 50 people to, "Raise your hand if you enjoy helping others." Every single person in the room raised their hand. I then asked them to raise their hand if they enjoyed asking for help. Guess what? Only 4 people raised their hands, less than 10% of the room.

How do you feel about asking for help?

Up until recently, I wasn’t so keen on requesting assistance. That changed as a result of my knee surgery.

ACL Replacement
Right Knee
07/19/06
Cause: ski injury
Surgeon: Dr. Warren King
Some dead guy's achilles tendon is now in my knee. Amazing

Whether I liked it or not, I had to reach out and ask for help. I needed:

Drivers (to and from my surgery, to my follow-up appointment across the bay the next day, to physical therapy...)
Someone to stay at my house the first night
Someone to pick up my mail
Someone to bring me ice and re-fill my knee-icing machine
The list goes on!

At first I didn't feel comfortable asking for help.

But then, the more I asked, the more natural, easy and even enjoyable it became. Here's why:

Getting help made my life a whole lot better.
Even casual acquaintances and new neighbors literally bent over backwards to lend me a hand.
It was so fun to see the "I feel great because I did something nice for someone today" smile on every single person who came to my house and helped me out.
My relationships were strengthened and I experienced a wonderful sense of community by allowing others to be of service to me.
Asking for help really is a win-win.

During the first week after my surgery I had a perspective change that made it a lot easier for me to ask for help. Instead of feeling like I was being a burden by asking for help, I reframed it:

When I ask for help I am also giving someone an opportunity, an opportunity to be of service, an opportunity to feel good, an opportunity to feel connected.

Once I had that shift, asking for help became a piece of cake. And now, after a few weeks of consistently asking for help, I'm converted!

You can dramatically improve the quality of your business and your life when you stop being an independent Lone Ranger (I totally had that going on) and spend more time reaching out and asking for assistance.

Are you ready for a shift in this area?

I figure there are two approaches. The first is to wait until you have no choice but to ask for help (ie: like me and my knee surgery) and then you'll experience the benefits and you'll be converted too.

Or you could use this 4 Step System I created to become part of the "willing to ask for help" club.

Step 1: Make a list of the help you need.
For example, with regard to growing your coaching business, here are some areas where you might need help:

Client referrals
Speaking opportunities
People with whom you can conduct an informational interview
Strategic alliance partners
Technical resources
Support services

Step 2: Make a list of everyone who you can ask for help. These people might include:

Friends
Family
Neighbors
Co-workers
Past colleagues
Your children’s friends parents
Your service providers (accountant, attorney, health care provider)

Step 3: Make a game out of matching up the things you need help with and the people you can ask. Set an "ask for help" goal. I recommend at least one "ask" per day!

Step 4: Remember the shift in thinking. You are not "being a pain," you are giving someone an opportunity to feel good.

You already know how good it feels to be of service.

Isn't it time to embrace the other side and allow the people you know to enjoy that same good feeling by allowing them to be of service to you?

How to Get Your Phone to Ring

2006-06-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

I recently hurt my knee skiing. After an MRI and two office visits to a local orthopedist I learned that I tore my ACL (a ligament in the knee).

Bummer.

After the initial “this sucks” emotions passed, I got busy figuring out the best way to handle it.

I did research and quickly decided that I wanted ACL reconstruction surgery by a highly-recommended sports medicine orthopedic surgeon. I was on a mission to find a Bay Area “rockstar” to do the surgery, oversee my rehab and help me get into tip-top shape by the 2007 ski season.

For the next 3 days I made calls, sent a bunch of emails and asked everyone I could for referrals.

One of the referrals was perfect and I am now scheduled for ACL reconstruction surgery on July 19 with Dr. Warren King, who happens to be one of the orthopedic surgeons for the Oakland Raiders football team.

As I was dealing with my knee injury I kept thinking about the importance and benefits of specialization for service-based professionals.

The best way to become sought out, to have your phone ring, to be seen as a credible expert and to easily get new clients... is by specializing.

For example, the first orthopedist I saw was a generalist. When he gave me my torn ACL diagnosis, he drew a lousy rendition of the knee anatomy on the back of a piece of scrap paper. When I asked about how other aggressive skiers responded to his treatment plan he had few inspiring success stories to share. My second appointment was so unsettling that I became dizzy, nauseous and nearly fainted. Seriously.

My experience with Dr. King was completely opposite from my experience with the first orthopedist.

Everything about my appointment with Dr. King instilled confidence. Nothing about my appointments with the first orthopedist did.

The sign outside Dr. King’s office reads: Sports Medicine Orthopedics.

Dr. King’s waiting room is filled with informational fact sheets about sports-related injuries. The walls of Dr. King’s examination room are covered with anatomy charts, common sports injury information and signed photographs from professional athletes whom he has treated. When Dr. King explained my injury and treatment options he had a really cool plastic model of the knee bones and ligaments that gave me a very quick and clear understanding of ACL tears. After just 15 minutes with Dr. King I knew he was my guy.

He is a specialist.
He has a well-run practice.
I felt like he “got” me and my injury recovery objectives.
He recommended a course of action that inspired me.
I am confident that he will fix me up good as new.
And he came highly recommended.

Deciding to have Dr. King be my surgeon was a no-brainer decision. In 15 minutes he got a new client, someone who sought him out, someone to whom he did not directly market.

Coaches who specialize can also get clients this quickly and easily.

Think about it.

How is your client enrollment?

2006-05-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

Note: This article was originally published in the May, 2006 Coach & Grow R.I.C.H. newsletter, a free monthly publication featuring business-building strategies for professional coaches.

Since the year 2000 we have taught thousands of coaches around the world how to convert more prospects into paying clients using the step-by-step Coach & Grow R.I.C.H. system. Here are just a few of the enhancements and fine-tuning we have made to the process based on all of the real-life feedback we have received.

What to Call Your "Free Session"

Many coaches offer a free coaching session to expose potential clients to their services. We often hear it called a "free coaching session" or a "sample session." While technically accurate, these names do not sound very professional and actually devalue our services. We're not giving away "free tastes" at Costco – we are conducting a professional meeting.

Instead, call it a "Complimentary Coaching Consultation." The big shift here is calling it a coaching consultation instead of a coaching session. Yes, the person will be coached, but if all you are doing is having a coaching session with the person on whatever issue they bring to the call, I guarantee you are not getting the best possible results.

Making the Offer

It sounds so simple, yet it is amazing how many coaches do not consistently offer Complimentary Coaching Consultations.

Case in point: A coach hired me to help her grow her practice. She explained that people seem interested in her life coaching, but that she wasn't getting many new clients. The problem? She was waiting for people to specifically inquire about her services. We quickly fixed this for her!

Now when she talks about her coaching and the person appears interested she says,

"I'd love to offer you a complimentary coaching consultation. These consultations are for people like you who want to learn how my coaching services help busy, successful professionals find more time to do the things they love."

In her first month using this approach she scheduled 9 Complimentary Coaching Consultations and secured 5 new clients. You have to consistently make the offer!

The Homework Questions

As part of the C&GR system we recommend you give homework questions prior to the Complimentary Coaching Consultation. The best homework questions address these three areas:

1. What does the person really want?
This is key! You want to identify their "$1,000 Problem." You want the focus of the consultation to be on the main thing the person really wants and is willing to pay for.

2. Why does the person want this change/thing?
Once you identify their "$1,000 Problem," the second question helps the person connect with their reasons. How will they feel when they achieve what they want? How will they feel if nothing changes? This question should help them see the positive benefits that they will enjoy in their life, business or career.

3. What is holding them back?
This is the final area to explore. Is the person coachable? Are they ready?

Of course you want to customize your specific homework questions based on who you coach and what you coach on. Just be sure to address these key points!

Ready for more clients?

The most effective way to rapidly increase your client base is by offering and conducting a lot of Complimentary Coaching Consultations. Set a goal and make it your top priority. Again and again we see coaches who achieve great results by focusing on client enrollment. You can too!

Want more guidance?

Check out our Master the Complimentary Coaching Consultation instant training download!