1. Euro Coach List Conference
The 2nd Euro Coach List Conference takes place on September 19-20, 2009 in Bristol, UK.

For more info visit: www.ECL90.com

2. EMCC Conference
The 16th Annual European Mentoring & Coaching Council Conference takes place in the Netherlands on Nov 26-28, 2009.

For more info visit: www.emccouncil.org

1. The client has all the answers.
Coaches never give advice or suggestions, right?! Many coaching purists believe this to be true. They believe they just need to ask the right questions and the client will figure out the answer.

If the client had all the answers, why would they need a coach? While an effective coach will have the skills to elicit many answers from their client, sometimes the client just does not have the answer. If they’ve hired you for your expertise on a topic or with a situation then you probably know the answer or solution they need, or could consider, in that moment.

When I first started coaching I was faced with this situation. I was working with a client who was having a challenge with fitness and weight loss. Having been taught that the client had all the answers, I was hesitant to give her suggestions based on my years as a fitness and strength training consultant. Yet it seemed ridiculous to me to have her try to figure out the answer on her own. I realized in that moment that I could ask her questions until she hopefully arrived at an appropriate solution or I could ask her if I could share what I knew from my previous experience as a fitness consultant. She opted for the latter.

As a coach you may need to wear different hats. You can ask the client if it’s ok for you to put on your consulting or mentor hat when you feel it is needed.

2. All the learning takes place during the coaching call.

As a new coach you may think that the client needs to get a big ‘ah ha’ during the coaching call in order for the session to be a success. Learning often happens in the space between coaching sessions when the mind has had time to process the call.

Think about a time you were faced with a challenge. You may have talked with a friend, colleague or family member about it and they may have offered some solutions. Yet none of the solutions felt right. Then you’re out for a walk or in the shower and voila – the answer flashes right before your eyes. Same concept.

You just need to coach during the session. Don’t worry about getting the person to some place. If that’s your focus, then two things may be happening. One – your ego is in the coaching relationships. Two – you may fear that a client will drop you if they don’t get an ‘ah-ha’ each session. Two things you can work on with your coach.

3. You need to be your client’s friend.

You’ve probably read articles stating that hiring a coach is like paying someone to be your friend. Would you really want a friend or family member to coach you? Think about it. Our friends and family will be affected, for example, if we want to change our high-paying career for one that is more fulfilling but pays less. How can they coach you from a non-attached place? For the most part – they can’t. They have a personal agenda, knowingly or unknowingly.

Does your client want you to be their friend? Some may. What your clients need is for you to be willing to risk not being liked in order to support them. They need you to ask one more question when it gets uncomfortable, something a friend may not do. You may be the only person in their life who will tell them a hard truth or to hold them to a higher standard or vision of themselves. A coaching session may be the only time a client gets heard.

If you are your client’s friend, you may develop a personal agenda for them, which interferes with your coaching.

In summary, it’s beneficial to question your perceptions or beliefs about coaching. If someone tells you that this is the way it’s done, ask for the reasoning behind it. Perhaps they do it that way because another way was never tried.

Related Post: 3 Myths about Becoming a Coach

To get started blogging you need to know how to create a blog and what to write about. You can access 10 video tutorials and a report below that shows you how.

Best part – they’re both free.

>> Blogging Tutorials and Roadmap

You can watch 10 video tutorials and learn the technical aspects of setting up a blog via the above link. The topics of these videos range from how to get a domain name and web host to choosing and installing Wordpress themes and plugins. If any of that sounds foreign, don’t worry, the terms are explained in the videos.

While you’re there, remember to download the 60+ page report on becoming a blogger. You’ll learn:
- how to pick a topic for your blog;
- the 5 milestones for a successful blog; and
- 13 X-factors that will boost your blog traffic via social media.

I’ve watched all the videos and read the report more than once. They’re excellent.

Get started blogging!

Sue
P.S. Already blogging? Want one more free report on how to make money from your blog? It’s more advanced than the report and videos above and covers the types of blog posts you can make (including the infamous pillar article), ways to market your blog, and how to monetize your blog. Blog Profits Blueprint

A myth, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “a popular belief or tradition that has grown up around something or someone.”

For instance, you may have heard the story about the women who cut off the ends of the ham before she baked it. Her husband asked her why she did it that way and she replied “that’s the way my mother did it.” When she asked her mother why she cut the ends off the ham, her mother said “my pan was too small so I had to cut off the ends to make it fit.”

The Cost of Believing a Myth…

If you believe a statement or way of doing things is based in fact or truth, when it’s actually a myth, you may follow a less than optimal way of doing something. If you don’t question the statement or way, you may use it as an excuse for why you can’t do something.

For example, if you think you’re too young or too old to be a coach, you may let that stop you from exploring the profession further. If you believe the first myth, listed below, you may be disappointed or think you’re a failure if you don’t build your business quickly, quit your job prematurely, or budget inappropriately.

Three Myths About Becoming a Coach:

1. I just have to hang my ‘coaching’ shingle out and my business will fill up quickly.

This may be true for Oprah, Ellen and other famous people with huge followings or for marketing and sales experts, but not for the average person.  Coaching is a business.  According to Industry Canada¹, 85.3% of micro-enterprises (1-4 employees) created in 2001 survived for three years and 70.4% survived for 5 years.  However, only 55% of businesses started in 2001 with revenues less than $30,000 survived three years.  The U.S. Small Business Administration² states that “two-thirds of new employer firms survive at least two years.”

Coach and author Stephen Fairley interviewed 300 coaches in order to write his book “Getting Started in Personal and Executive Coaching.” He found that 73% of new coaches made less than $10,000 in their first year, which makes the above statistics more sobering.

Most businesses fail due to lack of money, lack of management experience and lack of planning³. If you’re serious about earning a living with your own coaching business, you need to learn how to operate a successful business – including sales and marketing – or find someone to do that for you. This is especially true for those who have been an employee receiving a steady paycheck in exchange for working a set number of hours from an employer. Self-employment is a vastly different mindset.

2. A coach training school will teach me everything I need to know about building a thriving practice.

The amount and depth of practice building instruction and support you will receive from a coach training school varies. Some schools focus mainly on teaching and supporting you to master the skills of coaching while others focus equally on teaching coaching and business building skills. Even if you choose an ICF accredited coach training program, you need to figure out which ones offer the level of practice building components or modules you need.

If you’re set on taking a coach training program that does not offer sufficient business building instruction or support, figure out an alternative way of learning the business side of things. You may be able to find local programs via the school board or college. Many entrepreneurs, including coaches, offer business building programs. If you choose the latter, find out if the leader built a profitable business outside the “teaching entrepreneurs and coaches how to build a business” niche first.

3. I need to complete a coach training program before I can start coaching.

There are no current regulations requiring you to have coach training or certification in order to coach. However, clients come to you to get results. Learning and mastering coaching skills can help you support your clients more effectively.

Most coach training schools encourage you to start coaching right away so you can practice what you just learned. You coach as you learn. Take a coaching course and use the skills you learn with your clients. Then take the next coaching course and use those skills with your clients.

In Summary…
These are three common myths about coaching. If you have any perceptions about becoming a coach or building a coaching business, question them to find out if they’re true.

Sources:
1. Key Small Business Statistics – January 2009
2. U.S. Small Business Administration – FAQ’s (#7)
3. Five Creative Ways to Start a New Small Business in a Turbulent Economy (PDF)

In the past most online coaching magazines or portal sites had coaches – whether paid or volunteer – produce the content and news. Hiring a journalist from outside the coaching industry, especially one of Mark’s caliber, is bold for two reasons:
1. journalists aren’t afraid to tell the truth, and
2. he’ll see the industry from a different perspective.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the ‘right way’ to do things and the status quo when you’re in a profession or industry. In order to grow and improve you need to hear the truth about what’s working and not working. Sometimes the person who can see the truth most clearly is someone from outside the industry.

To grow you also need to learn what works in an unrelated profession or industry and apply it to your own. If I recall correctly, that’s how Coachville was born. The late Thomas Leonard took the concept of membership sites from the internet marketing industry and applied it in the coaching industry. When Coachville launched as a paid membership site in June 2001 it was leading-edge. Coaches wanted to follow Thomas and joined Coachville in droves.

It seems to me that Ruth Ann Harnish and her Coaching Commons team are onto something leading edge with the hiring of Mark. It bodes well for the future of coaching.

To read more about Mark Joyella visit: Mark Joyella Joins the Coaching Commons

This is the perfect time to turn your passion or expertise into a part-time business. A business allows you to supplement the income you earn from your job and take control of your economic destiny. In addition, you could even aim to grow your business so that the business income equals or surpasses your job income. Once this happens consistently, you can decide whether to stay in or leave your job. The ultimate in job security is when you don’t need your job income anymore.

Here are three ways to start a part-time business.

1. Coach Part-Time

Coaching a few hours a week is a great way to start building your coaching business. You could coach clients before work, after work, or on the weekends.

Even though there are no current regulations stating that a coach must be certified or even have coach training, it’s beneficial to at least have some training. Listening and asking questions are essential skills for any coach. Clients hire you because they want results. Good coach training gives you the skills and confidence to support your clients more effectively.

You may be thinking, “But coach training is really expensive!” Given that the investment for most accredited coach training programs is between $3900 to $10,000+, consider starting with an introductory course. Introductory courses are more affordable and can get you started.

As I mentioned previously, clients hire you to get results. What results can you support clients to achieve? If you were tired of your job and were considering a career transition, which coach below would you choose:
1. a coach who supported clients to get get their dream job in 60 days? or
2. a coach who supported clients to obtain life balance, better relationships, better health, find a career they loved, as well as (whatever you said you goal was goes here)?

What’s that saying? “Jack of all trades, master of none.” Being a ‘master’ in your niche also makes it easier to market yourself as you’re only aiming to find those who are interested in your specific expertise.

2. Sell Information Products

You can turn your hobbies and expertise into information products and sell them online. For those who want to become a coach, information products on your niche topic are a way for prospects to get to know you, your style and your expertise level. These products are part of your sales funnel.

Before creating a product it’s important to do market research to find out if there is a hungry market willing to pay to buy your product. You need to know who your market is, how big the market is, what their most pressing problems are, and whether there are products already offering solutions to your market’s most pressing problems. Plus you need to know how to find them so you can determine the best way to get your solution in front of them.

3. Sell Other People’s Stuff

Affiliate marketing is when you sell other people’s products or services and receive a commission for a sale or lead. This is a great way to test a market without creating your own product. If you find that the market is healthy – ie. people are buying – and there are needs that have not been addressed in other products, you may want to create your own products.

There are several places online where you can find products or services with affiliate programs. When you find a product you like, you put a line of coding on your website or blog. You may want to write a review about the product and recommend it to your site visitors or ezine subscribers. It’s not advisable to choose and promote a bunch of products you’ve never used, especially if you’re recommending them to your list! As you send out ezines or articles, the people on your list get to know and trust you. When recommending a product or service to them, it has to be a high quality product that you truly believe will be of benefit to your readers. One of the best ebooks on this topic is the Super Affiliate Handbook

In summary…

Whether you choose to coach part-time, sell information products or sell other people’s products, there are things you will need to learn in order to do so. These include, but are not limited to, how to drive traffic to your website or blog, how to write and structure ’sales’ content, how to entice people to join your list, and more. Don’t let that scare you off though. I didn’t even know what an ebook was before I took a 4-hour teleclass on creating and selling ebooks in 2001. I didn’t know how to write html code, use pay-per-click search engines, write a sales letter etc. I was even convinced, due to an experience in 1st year university English, that I couldn’t even write! I did it, and so can you.

The three options I’ve shared above are just a few options for starting a business. You could have an Ebay or Yahoo! store or be part of a network marketing company etc. There are many ways to get started. I shared the three that I know and have experience with.

If you are serious about taking control of your financial destiny, you need to know where you want to go (your vision) and why that’s important to you. Knowing those two things will keep you going when you get frustrated and want to quit. And there will likely be times like those! It’s time to take action!

Ready to take action? Check out these business building resources and coaching resources to learn more about getting started in these businesses.

The theme for the coaching conference is “Global Conversations: Inspiring individuals, Building communities, Impacting the world.” Registration opened in early May.

For more information visit: ICF Coaching Conference.

It’s easy to surf the web and talk to coaches about the profession of coaching in order to find out more about it. Going inward and finding out your ‘why’ is a more reflective process that some may be resistant to. Plus the true answers may not be apparent right away. You may need to understand the profession better and what your skills, expertise and talents are before you can get to the deeper answers.

You may be thinking that the ‘why’ isn’t really that important. According to Robert Kiyosaki, in “Retire Young, Retire Rich,” the why is more important than the how. Given that he obtained financial freedom at the age of 48, he’s worth listening to. When you think about it, it makes sense. Knowing your ‘why’ gives you the fire and drive to do what you need to do. Obstacles don’t become a dead-end, just a challenge that needs a solution.

Many of us know what to do but for some reason don’t always do it. And if we don’t know what to do, we’re intelligent and resourceful enough to find out what to do from books, seminars, or those who have obtained success in the area we want to achieve it in. Plus if we’re in touch with and listen to our intuition we will be guided towards resources and people.

We may even come up with tons of excuses for not doing the thing that could bring us success. And yes, that is likely an indication that limiting beliefs are in our way. From personal experience, when I’ve wanted something badly enough, those beliefs didn’t get in the way. Here we are… back to the why.

The ‘why’ somehow focuses our energy on what needs to be done. A sense of urgency develops. Action is taken. Momentum develops and we become an unstoppable force. The why and our desire are one and the same.

So how do we figure out the why?

Get a piece of paper or open your word processing document on your computer. Take a few minutes to get settled and take a couple of deep breaths to relax.

Ask yourself the question: Why do I want to become a coach?  Write down all the answers that come into your head without judgment. No matter how fleeting, just write them all down.

Review your list and put an asterisk besides those that resonate with you most, the ones that feel truest.

Now try to go below the surface of each answer to see if there’s a deeper answer. For example, your first answer might be “to help people” and your second answer might be “my skills and talents are a match for this profession.”

Ask: Why do you want to help people?
(answer) To make a difference in the world.

Ask: Why do you want to make a difference in the world?
(answer) Because then I know my life mattered.

When you can’t go any deeper, stop and proceed to the next answer.

In our example, we would then ask: Why do you want your skills and talents be a match for this profession? And continue a few layers with that question.

As you keep answering the original question, you’ll find the true ‘why’ for you. The one that resonates with a place deep within you. The one that reveals what you truly value.

If the ‘why do you want’ form of the question does not flow for you, try ‘why is it important for me to” or some other variation. The important piece is to keep digging down.

There’s one more step…

Take a look at the last answers from above and ask: Is becoming a coach the only way to obtain these outcomes? In our example, we would ask: Is becoming a coach the only way to know that my life mattered? If not, how else can you know your life mattered?

This is not to discourage you from becoming a coach or investigating the profession. You may find other more immediate ways to know that your life mattered, as per our example, in your life. Coaching may also be a way to have this desire or value expressed. Some of you may even find that your ‘whys’ can be expressed through your current profession or job after a perspective or attitude shift.

In summary…

Each person is going to have their own set of criteria for determining whether a profession is right for them or not. The above exercise is just one more tool to use in your research process.

What are the intended results you want to achieve with each of the products and services in your funnel?

It’s beneficial to determine this before creating or offering the product or service as your answers will influence your marketing strategy.

For example, you may offer a free audio as an incentive for website visitors to join your ezine. If you want to introduce your subscribers to your expertise and style, you may choose to give away the audio of a teleclass that gives subscribers three or four action steps they can take to start resolving their challenge. If you want to introduce subscribers to the first product in your funnel, you may offer a sampler audio of that product. If this product is an ebook, then you could offer a free chapter instead of an audio.

This complimentary item may be in the form of an ebook, audio, video, ecourse, membership trial, or combination of these.   These incentives can also be used to entice people to follow you on Twitter or other social media sites. Your freebie needs to have a compelling title that invokes the curiousity of the reader. We’re bombarded with messages all day long so you need to stand out and catch your visitor’s attention. The item has to contain valuable content that is related to the challenge the person is trying to resolve.

Some people create a free ebook and encourage others to pass it on to their friends and colleagues. Usually you’ll find links inside that promote their lead product, their other products and services, or affiliate products. If it’s a brandable ebook, affiliates replace the original links with their affiliate links for the products and services. That way they can give the ebook away to their list and get credited for any sales.

In 2000, Seth Godin first released “Unleashing the Ideavirus” as a pdf ebook in exchange for a name and email address. He gave away over 200,000 free copies before a hard cover edition was even available. When this self-published version was released for sale online, eight weeks after he started giving away the free ebooks, 26000 copies were sold in three weeks.

As you can see, there are many different strategies for how to set up the top of your funnel.

Build a Relationship via Your Ezine

Once someone has subscribed to your list or ezine (and thereby entered your funnel), the next step is to develop a relationship with your subscribers. You do this by delivering quality content in your ezine on a regular basis. If you only send your ezine out periodically, it’s easy for your subscribers to forget who you are and report the email as spam.  Let your personality show so people get to know you. While some people will purchase your products right away, most will want to get a taste of what you offer and your style. Remember to weave in offers for your products and services in your ezine.

Some of you may be thinking, “but I don’t want to be pushy or keep selling to my subscribers.” Time for a perspective shift. If you have a product or service that can truly help your prospect resolve their challenge or answer their questions about an issue – which is likely how they found your site in the first place – you’re doing a disservice if you don’t let them know about it.

You don’t need to be pushy. This can be done tastefully and subtly. I recall authour Cheryl Richardson sharing she did this at the end of her free monthly teleclass by stating that she had a few coaching spaces open. There is an art and a science to obtaining the right balance of the two.

What About Follow-up Messages?

In addition to your ezine, you may decide to send a series of follow-up messages to new subscribers to your ezine. The purpose of these emails is to support the subscriber to read or listen to your freebie and to remind them or even introduce them to your products or services and how they can support them to solve their challenge.

The first email would contain the link to the page where the person can download the free audio etc. that you offer. The next couple of emails can support or encourage your new subscriber to read or listen to the freebie.  If you’ve ever downloaded a report that you intended to read later but forgot, you can see the benefit of this type of follow-up message.  You may also point out parts of the report or audio that you think are important. Of course, you also need to include links to your product but these can be woven in naturally or included in the p.s.

Some people may consider the second email and beyond spam, as they never asked to be subscribed to a series of follow-up messages – just your ezine. You could state in the first email how many emails are in the series of follow-up messages and your reason for sending them. Let the person know they can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link. Always include a link at the bottom of each email so people can unsubscribe.

On the next level of your funnel, you have lower priced items for sale. Once someone makes a purchase, send them a series of automated follow-up messages. The first email would let the purchaser know how to download the product and include trouble-shooting instructions. The next couple of emails could support the purchaser to maximize their use of the product (especially if it’s software). In one email you could send them an unadvertised bonus. In a later email you could recommend a related product or service to the purchaser. This approach can also be used on subsequent levels of your funnel.

As you can probably guess, there are a variety of strategies and philosophies about follow-up messages (purpose, frequency, content etc.) so you’ll need to choose the right one for your business and your subscribers. If in doubt, keep it simple.

I’ve tried several autoresponder programs, including those that are bundled with shopping carts. The one I use and highly recommend is aweber. It’s a third-party service, meaning the software is hosted and managed by the company on their servers. I’ll write more about autoresponders in a future post.

Until then, plan your funnel!

Part 1 of the Series: Creating a Funnel for Your Coaching Business

For Part 2 of the Series: What Do Your Prospective Clients Want?

An ideal target market is hungry for the solution to their challenge and is willing to pay for the solution. It’s much easier to give your market what they want than to guess what they want.

Here are four ways to find out what your target market wants:

1. Observe your current and past clients.
Do the same challenges repeat amongst them? Why are your clients attracted to you? Do you help them solve a specific challenge? If so, you can create a product or program that will leverage your time. But keep reading before you run off and start creating…

2. Ask Your Ezine Subscribers
Ask the subscribers of your ezine what their biggest challenge is. You can also ask if they’ve been able to find the solution, if they’re willing to purchase a product or service that supports them to solve the issue, and even what price points they would be willing to pay. It’s easy to create a survey using free services such as SurveyMonkey.com or Zoomerang.com

3. Visit Online Forums and Discussion Groups
If you don’t have an ezine or list, you can find out what your target market wants by visiting online forums and discussion boards they frequent and reading the posts. What is their biggest challenge? Is anyone providing a solution to it?

4. Look Through Magazines
Look through magazines your target market reads to find ads that repeat week after week (they wouldn’t repeat if they weren’t selling). What is the challenge they are providing the solution for?

The answers you gather will help guide you as to the ‘hot’ challenges and solutions wanted, price points or whether it’s worthwhile to even create a product.

What does your target market want? Have you asked them? If not – find out! What they say may surprise you…

Part 3 in the series: Start With the End in Mind

Part 1 of the Series: Creating a Funnel for Your Coaching Business