What Most Coaches Think
Most coaches think marketing is all about telling everyone about the coaching process, about what a great coach they are, about how they hold space for their overwhelmed clients to discover their authentic selves. Coaches think marketing is uncomfortable and pushy. But they’re wrong. Marketing is the exact opposite of this.
The reason that coaches hang on to the mistaken belief that marketing is horrible and squirmy is because those are the only examples they see of coaches marketing. They see other coaches crowing about their successes, or humble-bragging about how wonderful their coaching is. Coaches look at this and then judge marketing harshly. But – and it’s a big but – this kind of marketing doesn’t really work.
Good, comfortable and effective marketing doesn’t really talk about you at all other than to demonstrate empathy and understanding. It certainly doesn’t talk about the coaching process.
Rather than my continuing to describe what good marketing is, let me show you. The examples below are from coaches who have worked with The Coaching Revolution and are now marketing successfully.
Sarah Clein
Let’s start with Sarah Clein.
Sarah works with midlife women in the public sector. She helps them to avoid burnout, which is where a surprising number of them are headed. (Perhaps it’s not that surprising considering the massive events of recent years?).
Here’s an example of a marketing post in which Sarah talks about her understanding of, and empathy for, the situation in which her potential client finds herself.
From this post, you can see how the women that Sarah wants to attract will read this and think ‘gosh, she’s talking about me!’? There’s nothing pushy, or grubby/grabby or in the least bit uncomfortable about this post. It’s simply targeted and on point. In short, it’s an excellent marketing post.
Paula Sheridan
Paula works within the pharmaceutical industry and works with leaders to help them recognise and promote the massive talent that’s sitting in their team already. She saves the company the huge expense of hiring externally. In her marketing, she talks to them.
The talent that Paula is referring to in particular is the overlooked women, the ones who crack on with the work without complaint, who are ‘a safe pair of hands’ and who train people who are then promoted above them. These women work really hard in the mistaken belief that hard work is what will get them recognised and promoted. Paula also talks to these women in her marketing.
Through her marketing message, Paula demonstrates a deep understand of, and empathy for, the situation in which these women find themselves.
Here’s a post that Paula wrote recently.
Can you see how the kind of woman that Paula wants to attract will read that post and think ‘gosh! She’s talking about me!’?
There’s nothing stomach-churning about this post, is there? It’s comfortable and better yet, it’s effective.
Farrah Burke
Farrah is the youngest coach we’ve ever worked with. She works with new graduates who having finished their degrees now want to figure out their next steps. The advice they’ve been given hasn’t brought them a career yet and honestly, they’re not actually sure what it is that they want to do.
This is a post that Farrah wrote recently:
Can you see how a frustrated new graduate would read this post and think ‘gosh! Farrah is talking about me!’?
Can you also see that it’s not pushy or salesy?
Want To See More?
If you’d like to look at more marketing from Coaching Revolution clients, check out these coaches:
Each has a clear target audience – one that is capable of providing all the clients they ever need.
Every one of these coaches has a clear, comfortable and effective marketing message.
Effective Marketing Is Comfortable!
If you’re still reading this you’ve may have had a bit of a lightbulb moment. You may have realised that what you thought marketing is isn’t right.
If Sarah, Paula and Farrah can learn how to market like this, you can too.