Even though you’re a coach I bet you’re not asking this question after you set your business goals…. This approach to goals combined with this one question was a game changer in our business…it could be for yours too…AND something powerful to share with your clients…
What does surfing and running a coaching business have in common?
Hey there it’s Melinda with the coaches console and I just had to take a quick break. I’m actually at Manhattan Beach. You can kind of see the beach behind me. I’m at Manhattan Beach and I’m here with my husband for a conference. Their afternoon activity – a group of us are learning how to surf. I’m sitting here watching them, and, I’m listening to the instructors; and I just keep seeing
this parallel to surfing and having a coaching business.
I just want to take a few quick moments to share with you because the cool thing that I just learned with. So I’ve never surfed before. It’s amazing! What I just learned was, the instructors had us take a little bit of time upfront, to understand the
board, understand the poses, how to pop up, how to do it in slow motion, how to put all the moves together, the safety of surfing. We took a little bit of time upfront to understand everything that we needed to know before we ever got in the water. And then they took us in the water. Tt didn’t just send us out into the wild blue ocean on our own. They actually paired us up each one of us had our own instructor. The instructor studied the board, held the board, and, kicked as we rode the wave. So all we had to think
of was the one next most important thing – how to pop up. We didn’t have to worry about stabilizing or anything else. Then the surfer instructor actually said: “it’s like we’re your concierge for surfing.” They do all the work while we just pop up and have fun.
I thought about this with your coaching business. Because so many times, entrepreneurs, they just jump right in they dive into the
wild blue ocean. And try to figure it out as they go. But just like these surf instructors, they didn’t throws into the ocean. They helped us. They took it step by step, and, we put it all together. Now as a result, the people in our group, they’re popping up. They’re having a great time and they’re enjoying the ride. The same can be true for you. When you take the time upfront to invest in your business, understand what has to happen first, then next, and, so on in the order to do things in your business can become
a well-oiled machine. You can actually enjoy the right, but when you just dive in, and, try to figure it out as you go, you might give up before you ever have fun.
Think that are you having fun running your business. Tt can be easy if you invest a little bit of time at front. Understand what pieces need to be in place. Learn the sequence and get a trusted guide to help you step by step.
The Evolutionary Scale of an Entrepreneur: Where You Think You Are Versus Where You Really Are
Note: This is the first article in a 5-part series designed to guide you in aligning your business mindset, actions, and goals, and therefore supercharging your productivity and success.
by: Melinda Cohan, July 29th, 2016
You’ve heard it a million times before: “Choose a Niche.”
It’s common—and solid—advice. I know, it can be so annoying when you hear it. In fact, that advice used to make me want to punch someone in the face! But when I changed my perspective, I began leveraging the power of the niche, and I was able to grow my business and make a bigger impact.
Why?
Choosing a niche allows you to fine-tune your marketing, to make it laser-focused and effective. It enables you to support your clients on a deeper level.
But …
So many new coaches misinterpret this advice and believe that choosing a niche means they’re confined to supporting a certain type of person; that they’re forever limited in how they can use their coaching gifts. Further, it may seem like choosing a niche forever limits your revenue. (I know, I’ve experienced this mindset, myself.)
As a result, many new coaches decide not to select a niche, believing their passion is bigger than that. (Incidentally, this is a Hobbyist’s mindset, which doesn’t work once you’ve moved up to the next rung of the ladder on the entrepreneurial scale.)
The root of this problem is in how people define “niche.”
So often, coaches mistakenly come up with a client avatar, and call it a niche (for example, if you’re a relationship coach, you may believe your niche is 30-year- old men on the brink of divorce, who earn a certain amount and have 3.2 children).
If that’s not a niche, then what is?
The dictionary defines “niche” as a specialized but profitable corner of the market.
To take it one step further, we consider a niche a set of challenges a common group of people face … and the results they desire.
When it comes to nailing your niche, then, you must identify a specific set of challenges your coaching can overcome, and results it can achieve. Then, you must find the most common collection of people who face these challenges and desire these results.
From this perspective, you can focus on a select group to make your marketing laser-focused, but you can still attract different types of people from many areas.
For example, TCC helps people overcome these challenges: not making money, struggling to get clients, and overwhelm. The results they most want: to get more clients, earn more money, and make a huge impact. When we look at all the people in this niche, we zero in on coaches. Our marketing is geared toward coaches, but we also attract many others in this niche, including nutritionists, personal trainers, consultants, massage therapists and more.
Let’s go back to the relationship coach example.
It’s your passion to support people in relationships. But your niche is not the men, or the women, or the couple. Your niche focuses on the top 3 challenges those men, women, and/or couples face when they’re in relationships … and the top 3 results they desire.
Make sense?
What’s really awesome about defining a niche in this way is that it actually frees you up to work with more types of people.
You’re not tied down to marketing to men, OR women, OR couples. Instead, your marketing focuses on all the people experiencing the top challenges and desiring the top results you previously identified.
In other words, may actually have the chance to work with men and women and couples!
Here’s where it gets even better: when you can clearly articulate your niche according to challenges and desired results, you can create more effective marketing copy for your website, sales pages, program descriptions, email campaigns, and more.
Because you’ve dialed in on those challenges and desired results, you can use the same language your ideal clients use. This conveys the message that you understand what they’re facing and can help them.
Your marketing becomes laser-focused. And when your marketing is laser-focused, it attracts, engages, and converts potential clients.
So, yes – nailing your niche is a must! It’s a key foundation to your marketing success, no matter which marketing strategy you use. (And, as a huge benefit, it will help you avoid failed marketing attempts that cost you time, money, and energy!)
How confident are you that you’re able to deliver what you’ve promised in your marketing … that you’re able to help your clients solve their challenges and achieve the results they desire?
by: Melinda Cohan, Jul 25th, 2016
Are you a Hobbyist, or a Business Owner?
Understanding the distinction is a crucial step in your entrepreneurial journey. This single insight can seriously impact the level of success you experience in your business, and with your coaching.
Failing to understand it may cause you to hit the upper limits of your success without your even realizing it … and no matter how great your efforts, you will not see the results you desire.
Over the past two weeks, I published a 2-part series on The Evolutionary Scale of an Entrepreneur, in which I described the following 5 rungs on the ladder:
In case you missed those posts, a Technician is typically someone who secures a job doing something she’s really good at, and that she truly enjoys doing.
Most coaches/entrepreneurs have the courage to move beyond Technician, and become Hobbyists … and that’s where they often get stuck. They fail to move on to the next rung: Business Owner.
Why?
Because while they set goals and intentions as Business Owners, they operate from the mindset and commitment levels of Hobbyists.
Here’s the great news:
When you can bring your mindset and actions into alignment with your goals and intentions, you can finally move from Hobbyist to Business Owner … and reap the rewards, which include increased cash flow, greater fulfillment, and more FUN!
As a quick note, neither Hobbyist nor Business owner is good or bad, right or wrong. They’re just 2 different ways of running a business. The point here is that to achieve the level of success you desire, your mindset must align with your goals and intentions. When you create this alignment, you experience peace, results, and happiness.
Take a look at the following chart, which outlines the distinction between Hobbyist and Business Owner in several key areas of a business.
Thanks to all of the above, Business Owners coach more clients, make more money, and make a far greater difference in the world.
Now, both Hobbyists and Business Owners can be great coaches.
They just have different mindsets, actions and goals for their business.
So let me ask you an important question:
Are you reaching the level of success you desire? Are you making the impact you want to make?
If you are, then exactly where you are is perfect, whether you’re a Hobbyist or a Business Owner.
If you’re not, take a closer look at the distinction between Hobbyist and Business Owner to identify where you are and where you want to be.
Then, place your attention on closing that gap, and as you move up to the next rung of the ladder on the entrepreneurial scale, you’ll start experiencing the level of success you envision for yourself, while having the desired impact you wish to have on this world.
Stay tuned for next week’s article, in which I discuss the truth about defining your niche. Here’s a hint: your niche is not a person! (Gasp! I know – and I can’t wait to share this information with you!)
Why is this an important part of this 5-part series? Well, when you move to the Business Owner rung of the ladder on the entrepreneurial scale, you absolutely must create a clear foundation for your marketing, just as you do in the back end of your business. Nailing your niche is critical, before you can even begin getting “out there” and landing clients.