Tweet

Stop Selling Coaching, Just Let Your Potential Customers Buy You

Written by: Leanne Hoagland-Smith

Article Overview: Are you a business consultant, executive coach or sales coach? Do you have to sell your services before you can deliver them? How is that working for you? Maybe it is time for a different approach that can quickly increase sales.

Stop Selling Coaching, Just Let Your Potential Customers Buy You

Many executive coaches to sales coaches are constantly attempting to sell their coaching services and even products using a sales based marketing approach. Through interruption marketing tactics such as mailing flyers, doing direct mail and even purchasing media print, radio and tv (cable) space or time. Because these individuals are so focused on their goal to increase sales, they turn off more potential qualified customers (a.k.a. prospects) than they turn on.

First, to stop selling, you must ask yourself if you truly like to sell. Most individuals who enter the coaching field do not fee comfortable selling. Adopting this role as salesperson is a means to an end that being to actually work with the customer and earn a payment for the services. And, this belief, a means to an end is holding you back.

Imagine what would happen to your coaching practice if you actually demonstrated to your potential customers what you do through the quality of your questioning, your active communication skills, your ability to be truly authentic and in the moment. Sure, you might not meet and greet as many folks, however there is a reason that quality is usually better than quantity. Possibly, you must might start looking different, maybe like a Red Jacket, than all those other coaches and consultants in their gray suits. Sales Coaching Tip: Education based marketing is when you demonstrate what you do through your interactions, your expertise as an author and a speaker.

Now to stop selling does demand some behaviors that may not be your strong suit or your natural talents. This may require for you to assess your sales skills and talents especially those involved in interacting with people. Remember the focus should be on the other person. At least 9 times out of 10, your potential customer does not care about your certification, how much you know or how many people you have touched. What they want to know is will you listen to me, do you care about me as an individual not a means to an end, do you know about my specific issues and needs, how can you help me, right now!

With people having less time than ever before, scheduling an appointment in several days to a couple of weeks stops the urgency your potential qualified may be currently feeling or experiencing. You must strike when the iron is hot and even if possible, heat up the iron. What better way than to start demonstrating what you actually do, the value you bring when someone buys your coaching services.

Jay Niblick, President of Innermetrix, shared this analogy during a recent teleconference. In sales, many times you are attempting to push on a single rope being held at the opposite ends by your potential customer and yourself. This simply does not work. If you can have your potential client pull you over to his or her side, isn’t that a lot better and far more easier?

TAKE ACTION SALES COACHING TIP: Write a goal to have one authentic exchange with a potential client or qualified potential client at your next business networking event. Expand your knowledge about education based marketing. Remember, people buy from people they know and trust first and then the products and services second.

Related Articles
  Increase Sales by Selling Sustainable Solutions that Deliver Measurable Results instead of Benefits
  Secrets to Filling your Coaching Practice
  Win More Sales By Better Qualifying Your Potential Customers Also Known As Prospects
  How to Stop Suffering From I Hate to Sell But I Need to Pay My Bills
  Sales Coaching - The Big Differentiator

Article Tags: 9 times out of 10, active communication, belief, coaching services, communication skills, direct mail, executive coaches, gray suits, interacting with people, interruption, mailing flyers, marketing tactics, means to an end, natural talents, prospects, radio and tv, red jacket, sales coaching, salesperson, tv cable



Related Forum Posts
Cafe Expenses - Hi Michele I used to work in a place that had a cafe that broke even every month. This is due to the fact that we couldn't get enough people through buying food and drinks to make a profit and the expenses consisted of: - Staff wages - Not selling all food so it would go to waste - Rent for occupying the premises - Selling products that had a low turn over - Customers would never come back a 2nd time due to the location I would imagine a restaurant would be the same with the hardest part attracting people every night to make a profit while setting your prices at the right price to keep people coming back.
Re: Two Useful Books To Help You Focus On The CLIENT - Hi David, To add to your thread, I'd like to recommend Jonathan Tisch's "Chocolates On The Pillow Aren't Enough: Reinventing The Customer Experience". Tisch's book includes content on "Welcoming Customers", "The New Art of Customization", "The Challenges of Customer Diversity" and "Offering Something Extra to Your Customers" to name a few.
Decide your market first - Stop for a second and decide exactly who it is that you want to sell your product to. Once you've done this you'll have a far better idea of where to find them and what it is that they're interested in Cheers
How to Do Great Marketing with (Amost) No Money - I've given this presentation to CEOs many times. Now i can share it with you. But I cannot because I do not yet have 20 posts. Jeff Ogden, President Find New Customers
Other Great Books... - Feel The Fear And Do It AnyWay - Susan Jeffers How To Stop Worrying And Do It Anyway - Dale Carnegie ('What's the worst that could happen - the worst?' Then prepare yourself for that and reality is such a relief!).


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Business Coach Explains To You How To Add Value

Selling with Humor (and a Sorry Butt)

Work at Home Moms and Their Bad Rap?

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.