Congratulations!
You've decided to take the LEAP into Entrepreneurship.
The possibilities are endless possibilities ~ for you and for your business.
It's time to launch your coaching or consulting practice or jump-start your marketing business.
Follow this action guide and carry that momentum forward laying the foundation for solid, steady growth and profitability.
It's time to launch your coaching or consulting practice or jump-start your marketing business.
Follow this action guide and carry that momentum forward laying the foundation for solid, steady growth and profitability.
Ensure your successful launch with these essential steps:
1. Narrow Your Niche
By asking yourself some important questions about who your ideal clients are you'll be setting yourself up for success. Of course, when we're first starting out, we'd never turn away the opportunity to work with any client, but going through the process of figuring out how you can be the most effective will allow you to position yourself as an expert in your niche.
- Who do you really want to work with?
- What does that potential client want or need?
- What massive divide can your solutions bridge?
- How can you make a difference for your potential client?
Doing the work to figure out who you can best serve will lay the foundation for your product and program development as well as the basis for your marketing messages.
2. Create Your Signature Product or Program
What do your Ideal Clients need? Here's your chance to develop something truly useful for them.
- What are your ideal clients' ultimate 'Rise & Shine' challenges?
- What problem keeps them up at night and is the first things they think of in the morning?
- What problems do they need to solve?
- What solution can you create, or what process can you outline for them that will move them from their misery to absolute mastery of that issue?
Develop a step-by-step process that will help them slay their dragon, overcome their challenges and take them from where they are to where they want to be.
- Package your solutions into a product, service or program that best serves them.
- Determine the most effective means to deliver it.
- Name your product or service in a way that features the solutions you've developed.
Voila!
You now have your very own signature product or program. Something you've created that is unique to you. A special gift to share with your clients. One that helps them and serves their needs.
3. Become A Marketing Master
Ok... I get that you may not have a Master's degree in marketing and so...you may be wondering how you'll create magic with your marketing messages. Booking your first clients and actually launching your business will absolutely depend on how effectively you inspire and move people to take action. Your marketing message is your key to success.
Wouldn't it be perfectly blissful if your phone started buzzing, your email pinging and your schedule just booked up solid because you hung out your shingle... I mean put up your website? That would be completely awesome right?
The reality is...and there's no getting around it, over it, under it or through it...you are going to have to learn the art of promotion if you want to be successful as a coach, a speaker or any form of entrepreneur, for that matter.
Everything you do in your business - the words you speak, the messages you write, the publications you post... it all has to center around your marketing message.
These elements will help:
Ok... I get that you may not have a Master's degree in marketing and so...you may be wondering how you'll create magic with your marketing messages. Booking your first clients and actually launching your business will absolutely depend on how effectively you inspire and move people to take action. Your marketing message is your key to success.
Wouldn't it be perfectly blissful if your phone started buzzing, your email pinging and your schedule just booked up solid because you hung out your shingle... I mean put up your website? That would be completely awesome right?
The reality is...and there's no getting around it, over it, under it or through it...you are going to have to learn the art of promotion if you want to be successful as a coach, a speaker or any form of entrepreneur, for that matter.
Everything you do in your business - the words you speak, the messages you write, the publications you post... it all has to center around your marketing message.
These elements will help:
- Having laser-like focus about who you can best serve and how you'll do it
- Understanding what the top-of-mind challenges are for your ideal clients
- Improving your communication skills
- Taking a writing course designed specifically for marketing
- Practice
- Having someone review and edit your work
- Understanding that your message will evolve over time
What's important is to get something going. Take action to get the ball moving forward and then build some momentum.
With everything you do that is business related, aim for progress, not perfection.
With everything you do that is business related, aim for progress, not perfection.
4. Cast Your Web.
Make It 'Sticky,' Not Stinky
Once you've gone through the process of targeting your niche, and developing solutions for your ideal clients' challenges, getting your website up and live is a vital step but I don't recommend it as the very first step (obviously...we're here at #4 in a 6 step action plan.) Whether you're creating your own website or having a nice fancy one built for you (or maybe you're building a nice fancy one yourself...if you are, please show me how) your website is your virtual storefront. Make it as attractive as you can with the budget you have to work with.
Your potential clients need to know where and how to contact you. Google is everyone's friend. Your website should include all the essentials, (and that's a whole other checklist) but by working through who your ideal client is, and creating amazing products or programs that solve their tough dilemmas, you'll be able to design your website to showcase the solutions you provide.
You'll have the best chance of attracting your ideal client by designing your site for them, with their needs in mind.
One critical factor to consider when designing your website is that you have less than a handful of seconds - one hand, not two - to capture the attention of your potential client.
It is imperative that you stand out with your message right there on your home page so it grabs their eyeballs immediately.
Think about ways that will set you apart from what everyone else is doing.
Your potential clients need to know where and how to contact you. Google is everyone's friend. Your website should include all the essentials, (and that's a whole other checklist) but by working through who your ideal client is, and creating amazing products or programs that solve their tough dilemmas, you'll be able to design your website to showcase the solutions you provide.
You'll have the best chance of attracting your ideal client by designing your site for them, with their needs in mind.
One critical factor to consider when designing your website is that you have less than a handful of seconds - one hand, not two - to capture the attention of your potential client.
It is imperative that you stand out with your message right there on your home page so it grabs their eyeballs immediately.
Think about ways that will set you apart from what everyone else is doing.
- What makes you unique and special?
- What are your strengths?
- If I'm your potential client, why would I hire you as opposed to the next coach Google pulls up for me in my search?
- How can you make your potential clients stay on YOUR website? See #3.
5. Build a list. Keep Adding To It
So you've narrowed your niche with Zen-like precision, you've created your signature product, program or service, you've honed your writing skills and crafted a killer marketing message and now...drumroll please... it's time to send that message out into the world, to promote your services or your product.
So you've narrowed your niche with Zen-like precision, you've created your signature product, program or service, you've honed your writing skills and crafted a killer marketing message and now...drumroll please... it's time to send that message out into the world, to promote your services or your product.
It's time to promote your business. Exciting right?
Maybe the drumming has faded a bit because you'll have to come up with an answer to the next question:
Who are you going to promote to?
Your website will need an opt-in prompt to capture potential clients' e-mail addresses. Ask for contact information in exchange for complimentary information you offer.
By tying your offer into your signature product or program, you'll increase your chances for success and book more clients.
This is an excellent way to showcase your expertise and your ability to solve their top-of-mind challenges. It also gives you an opportunity to build a relationship with them.
Your success as a coach will absolutely depend on your ability to foster and build relationships. Be completely honest here. Would you give a stranger your money without a rock-solid guarantee for your satisfaction? Or at least, a referral from someone you already know and trust that the purchase you're about to make is really a good one?
Of course you wouldn't hand over your hard-earned cash to a virtual stranger without a guarantee.
Who are you going to promote to?
Your website will need an opt-in prompt to capture potential clients' e-mail addresses. Ask for contact information in exchange for complimentary information you offer.
By tying your offer into your signature product or program, you'll increase your chances for success and book more clients.
This is an excellent way to showcase your expertise and your ability to solve their top-of-mind challenges. It also gives you an opportunity to build a relationship with them.
Your success as a coach will absolutely depend on your ability to foster and build relationships. Be completely honest here. Would you give a stranger your money without a rock-solid guarantee for your satisfaction? Or at least, a referral from someone you already know and trust that the purchase you're about to make is really a good one?
Of course you wouldn't hand over your hard-earned cash to a virtual stranger without a guarantee.
How can you build a foundation of trust and familiarity with your potential clients?
The answer is a single word: Contact.
Your potential clients need a way to get to know you, to begin to like you and to begin to trust you as an expert along with what you have to offer. There are many ways to build credibility and establish your expertise within your niche.
- Offer a complimentary Free Consultation
- Online chat - "Ask-the-Expert" open session
- Skype or Zoom
- E-mail campaign
- Teleseminars
- Webinars
- Podcast - be a guest or host
- Start a blog
- Live events...
Which of these comes easiest to you? Pick the one that works best with your personality and strengths and then start to build from there and provide plenty of free stuff. You want your potential clients to come away with the feeling that they 'can't believe this is free!'
Not necessarily for the sale, but ask for the opportunity to showcase your product, service or program - to talk about it, to present it, to let people know what you're offering. Ask for the opportunity to serve. Ask for the referral. And don't be afraid to ask for the sale either. We are in the business of selling, after all.
The absolute worst thing you'll hear is 'No'. How bad is that?
Just move forward, we're aiming for progress, not perfection, remember? Eventually, if you do this work and with practice, you'll start to get more and more clients saying "Yes" I'd like to hire you, "Yes", I want to subscribe to your newsletter. "Yes", I'd like to interview you for my podcast. "Yes" my best friend needs your program.
Then, even better, you'll hear "Thank you so much for helping me solve that problem. Because of you, I overcame that challenge. Your recommendation changed my life. I'm out of debt, sixty pounds lighter and loving my relationship with my spouse because of your program."
How awesome will that be?
6. Ask
Not necessarily for the sale, but ask for the opportunity to showcase your product, service or program - to talk about it, to present it, to let people know what you're offering. Ask for the opportunity to serve. Ask for the referral. And don't be afraid to ask for the sale either. We are in the business of selling, after all.
The absolute worst thing you'll hear is 'No'. How bad is that?
Just move forward, we're aiming for progress, not perfection, remember? Eventually, if you do this work and with practice, you'll start to get more and more clients saying "Yes" I'd like to hire you, "Yes", I want to subscribe to your newsletter. "Yes", I'd like to interview you for my podcast. "Yes" my best friend needs your program.
How awesome will that be?
You're welcome to use this article in your E-zine, on your blog or website provided you include the following in its entirety:
Andrea Raco, creator and curator of Coach For Life and Coach For Life Connections Blog and Newsletter, supports entrepreneurs, organizations and business builders with strategies, solutions and success systems. She has an honours degree in Sociology/Anthropology, enjoys writing and is certified as a Professional Life Coach specializing in relationship coaching & personal success coaching. She is delighted to offer you Free Gold Key Success Solutions at: www.coachforlife.ca
No comments:
Post a Comment