Many coaches shy away from the idea of sales and marketing, because they think of them as a necessary evil rather than an integral part of their service. This reluctance often stems from a misconception that these activities are manipulative or detract from the authenticity of their coaching practice.
However, when approached correctly, sales and marketing aren’t adversaries they’re your allies in providing excellent customer service.
The truth is that marketing is simply a case of becoming visible to those you can help the most and a sale is simply a positive change in status for the client.
Let’s Talk Marketing
At its core, marketing is about becoming visible to those who need your services most. It’s not about standing on a metaphorical chair whilst simultaneously yelling “BUY MY STUFF!!” but about communicating quietly and consistently to a well-defined niche.
A niche is a demographic group, or in other words a defined segment of the population that has specific challenges that your coaching services can uniquely address.
By identifying and focusing on a niche, you can tailor everything you say to resonate deeply with them. This not only increases the effectiveness of marketing efforts but also has a positive impact on the world. You heard me correctly, your marketing can have a positive impact on the world. Not only that, but it will also ensure that you attract clients who are a perfect fit for you.
Let me elaborate on the positive impact of marketing.
The easiest way for me to help you understand what I mean is to use my marketing as an example. Not everyone who sees my marketing will become a client. However, I know from the regular messages I receive, that something I wrote or said had a positive impact on a coach. They tell me things like ‘when you said that a niche is a demographic group, it was like a lightbulb went off in my head’ and ‘when I realised that I don’t have to share my story to build rapport, it was such a relief!’. They go one tell me about the positive impact the lightbulb moment had on their businesses, and I am delighted to hear about them.
Having a focus for your marketing allows coaches to create a helpful and compelling message that speaks directly to their potential clients. When potential clients feel understood the perceived value of the service you offer increases (there’s a reason that specialists can charge more than generalists!).
Selling as Customer Service
Once a coach has effectively marketed to their niche, the next step is converting interest into a commitment to be coached – this is where many coaches feel uneasy, because they associate the idea of sales with pressure tactics or insincerity. This is simply incorrect.
Before I continue, let’s be grown up and use the correct language here, it’s not a chemistry session or a discovery session, the conversation you have with a potential client is a sales conversation. If you have marketed well, the sales conversation is a simple conversation because the potential client knows what you do, how much it costs and that you work with people like them. The ‘persuasion’ part of the process is already done. The reason they’re in a conversation with you at all is to meet you and feel your energy.
Good customer service is about meeting the needs of your client (potential or actual), providing solutions, and making sure that every contact that they have with you is a positive experience. That contact might be reading a post you’ve written on LinkedIn, listening to a podcast you create, or appear as a guest on, or being your client – all those contacts should be positive.
Selling your service as a coach is simply an opportunity to help them understand how coaching can support them to resolve their problems and improve their lives. Marketing and sales are about guiding potential clients through the decision-making process with empathy, clarity, and support.
When a client decides to invest in coaching, they are not just purchasing a service; they are committing to a journey of growth and change. By framing the sales process as a collaborative exploration of how your coaching can facilitate this transformation, you shift the focus from “making a sale” to “providing a solution.” This mindset ensures that the interaction is client-centered, respectful, and ultimately more effective.
A Sale as a Change in Status
The final and perhaps most crucial concept for coaches to understand is that a sale represents a change in status for the client. This change is not merely transactional but transformational. When a client decides to engage with a coach, they are stepping into a new phase of their life, one characterised by proactive personal or professional development.
This change in status is significant and should be celebrated as such. It signifies the client’s readiness to invest in their growth and to trust you as a partner in their journey. As a coach, recognizing and honouring this change can reinforce the positive impact of your work and the value you bring to your clients’ lives.
Conclusion
Reframing the concepts of marketing and sales within the context of coaching requires a shift in perspective. By understanding that marketing required focus, selling is an aspect of excellent customer service, and understanding that a sale signifies a meaningful change in status for the client, coaches can embrace these activities as integral to their mission. This approach not only enhances the coach-client relationship but also ensures that the services provided are aligned with the genuine needs and aspirations of the clients. When done correctly, marketing and sales are not just business activities; they are vital components of transformative coaching practice.
An Opportunity
If you’re ready to move beyond wishful thinking and start reframing your thinking and building a real coaching business, join my next free Nail Your Niche challenge.
In it, I don’t gatekeep knowledge or information. Every coach’s question gets answered. Everything I know gets shared openly.
There is an optional £99 upgrade that gives you three additional 60-minute group mentoring sessions with me, but the core challenge is completely free. Because the biggest barrier to coach success isn’t just a lack of information – it’s a lack of implementation.
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