Do you Make this Mistake in Building Your Coaching Business Online?

You don’t make money on the phone (or in person) coaching.

Yeah – that’s collecting money.

You don’t actually make money unless you’re marketing your coaching business.

This was actually my second biggest mistake in building my coaching business -  not realizing:

• that my online activities – blogging, social networking, article publishing – were actually building my coaching business for me 24/7
• that I needed a daily/weekly plan for my activities to calculate and predict a response on my efforts – a Return on (time) Investment

We could probably argue about that all day long, but just think about this – Nobody knows who you are, or about your coaching message unless you’re publishing your coaching solution and making relationships. That’s where the real money is made.

If you don’t build brand awareness for you and your coaching business you probably won’t get hired – at least not often. Think about any client you’ve had until now. Did they know you on any level before they hired you? At the very least they knew you through a referral they trusted – but somehow your reputation preceded you. That’s what I am talking about.

You might be asking yourself – “What do I do to cultivate a business brand for my coaching business online?”

Here’s the short list with links to a few places that expand on the activity nicely:

• Post to your self-hosted blog daily
• Publish articles 3 – 5 times a week – daily if possible
• Build followers & friends on Twitter & Facebook
• Make connections on LinkedIn
• Selectively find other Social Networks to participate in depending on your nice
• Participate and read everything with in a specialty network where your ideal prospect

In fact, Chris Brogan put’s it this way:

If you’re looking to establish your online presence, and build relationships, it’s not the kind of project where you show up, build your profiles, friend a few people, and call it good. It’s a lot like tending the farm. Here are seven particular “chores” you could do every day that should prove beneficial to your online interests.

You can read his post “19 Presence Management Chores You COULD Do Every Day”

Here are a few more basics to make sure your social networking profiles are set up for the best “farming” experience in cultivating relationships:

Personal Branding Tips for LinkedIn

Get More Business Show with LinkedIn Expert – Viveka von Rosen

6 Tips for Using Your Twitter Profile to Get New Followers

10 Ways to Use Facebook for Business

I cannot emphasize this enough – You must have a daily / weekly plan of these business building activities with a particular focused action of what you want to happen to establish a following and an internet presence so that you will have clients coming to you for coaching and your products.

Don’t make the mistake of not taking your online presence seriously enough – and not serioiusly enought to craft a plan to deliver results.  And if you don’t know how – hire a coach to walk you through the process.

I’d love to talk about it with you.

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What is the Biggest Mistake I’ve Made Building My Coaching Business?

The biggest mistake I have made in building my coaching business using online marketing is to not create enough content for my marketplace.

This year I committed to publishing more articles – every time I publish an article I get between 10 and 25 new subscribers to my email list.

Recently I decided to post to my blog daily and 2-3 times a day if possible. My RSS feed subscribers has increased SEVEN TIMES what it was two weeks ago.

I am not the only one who has noticed that consistent creation of content goes hand in hand with successful online marketing. Terry Dean, a  pioneer of many of the current Internet Marketing Strategies posted about what he has observed in his most successful clients. In his short video he says that his most successful clients produce regular content that is in some way unique in their market – Take a look at what Terry had to say about this here.

Perry Marshall, another pioneer of Internet Marketing Strategies, recently posted about the “constant drip” process of marketing via email.  He gives an excellent word picture of how over many years the tiny force of a drip of water could create the Grand Canyon, making the point that by regularly sharing content with your market place “carves deep grooves in your marketplace. It leaves permanent, indelible marks.” Perry further makes the point that well written email autoresponders over the long haul will turn prospects from cold to warm to hot. Take a look at what Perry had to say about this here.

Here’s another word picture that you might relate to…

This weekend I started working out (again) at a gym just across the field from my beautiful Montana home. My sister is a personal trainer and looks like a million bucks. She tells me that if I follow her simple plan for weights and cardio, that I too, will look like a million bucks – and – all of my friends will notice my results in just six short weeks. Since Friday I have run three miles, not once but twice a day, in additon to various weight lifting exercises. Yet when I look in the mirror 3 days later I don’t look any different.

If you know any thing about physical exercise and the human body, you know, like my sister does, that this is going to take a bit longer than three days of working out. And, if I work out for a few days and then take a week off, I’m not going to make much impact on my muscles and the shape of my body.

It is the same with establishing yourself as an expert on the Internet to build your coaching business. You must commit to creating regular installments of your expertise for your ideal prospect to discover the wealth of wisdom.

The more you share in articles, blog posts, Internet radio shows, teleclasses, etc the easier it will be to not only create but more importantly to sell your products and your coaching. Every article, every post, shared not only in your own blog or article account, but even as a guest post or article – your message is spread far and wide. Even better is when your prospect has accepted your invitation to accept your free report or audio, in exchange for permission to contact them by email. That is the beginning of trust in your marketing efforts.

Each piece of content you create works to create a place in your prospects heart and mind, moving them closer to becoming a life long customer, and client.

I can say honestly that any time I have seen a lull in my own business it has been because I have slowed down my content distribution. In my opinion, that is my number one mistake – and this mistake is one that I see is common to many other coaches.

Does your client have enough information available from your blog, your articles which hopefully can be found in various places online and in regular emails from you – to make an informed decision as to your level of expertise so they can hire you as a coach or purchase your products online? Have you given your prospects enough information to decide that they “know, like and trust” you?

I would love to read your feedback on this.

• Is there something that’s really working for you in attracting your ideal prospect and client?
• How often is too often to post?
• How often is too often to send your clients an email?
• Have you tested your own marketplace to see what amount of content and contact equals an increase (or decrease) in sales or new clients?

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Blogging Software Comparison

I have already addressed the question of website vs. blog, but is any blog suitable for building your coaching business? I’m going to explain here what the basic differences of the major blog software options available and give you my perspective on what I believe to be the best option and why.

LiveJournal: This is where I posted my first blog which was more like an online journal for me. There is a cost to use and host at LiveJournal. Customization is limited and complicated for the average user. The addition of simple programming for implementing marketing strategies is also limited and complicated. I suppose it serves a purpose in the social networking but I don’t consider it a strong choice for business use.

Typepad: This was my next stop as I learned the benefits of blogging for my business. I actually liked this blogging software, but there are some of the same limitations with Typepad as with LiveJournal. There is a monthly fee for hosting and using the Typepad blog. Customization is a little easier with Typepad but still very limited. They make nice use of widgets that the blogger can add to enhance what the blog “does” in terms of marketability and monetization.

Blogger: this is easy blog software to use.  While I have an account / profile there I don’t actively post in a blog there. Apparently Google, who owns Blogger, does allow user to post advertising (which is important to the monetization of your blog). But Blogger, which is hosted and operated by Google, has a frequent planned & unplanned outages – downtime, which is extremely inconvenient if you’re trying to run a business. I am also told that it doesn’t take much to “exceed the bandwidth” and have too many visitors to your blog.

There are probably several more less popular options that because they are less well known there are limited resources for customization and upgraded programming to make your blog more “powerful” in terms of what it can do for your business.

In my opinion, and in the opinion of some of the most popular bloggers on the Internet – Wordpress is by far the most developed plateform for blogging for business.

Wordpress – Wordpress is  software that can be operated for a community hosted site at Wordpresss.com, or you can self-host on your own domain with hosting account at sites like My Small Business Website.

Here’s the biggest differences between the community / Wordpress hosted blog software. At Wordpress.com there is no software to install – just pick a free theme and start writing posts.

• does not allow ads – such as Google Adsense for the blogger’s account
• does not allow programming for lead capture forms
• adds links to other peoples blogs at the end of your posts instead of other relevant posts within your blog
• limited customization available – many free themes but no truly custom premium themes can be used.

IMHO – Self-hosted WordPress Blogs are the ONLY way to go if your blog is a serious part of your overall marketing plan. At sites like My Small Business Website the blog installation is done for you, however you do need to customize it…but more on that in another post.

• the blogger has full control over customization of blog – much of it is simple for the average user to control with minimal explanation
• hundreds or possibly thousands of widgets and plug-ins have been and are being developed that are completely free to add to your blog
• tools are available for attracting traffic to the blog, capturing leads and engage in with visitors to your blog.
• the blogger can place ads on the blog with out worry of being shut down like other community hosted blog software.

In a future post we’ll discuss widgets & plugins – what are they, what to use and why.

Do you have a question about blogging, blogging software. Leave me a comment and I’ll add it the the questions I’m answering this week about all things blogging this next week.

Come join me over at Coaches Community. More informatin by click on the link in the tab above.

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“What do you do?” Impact in 30 seconds or less

Recently I was invited to join a great coaching network on Yahoo called New Coach Connection. This morning I received an email from the group conversation that went as follows…at the bottom is my 2 cents to a great nugget of marketing instruction:

Re: Full Practice Wednesday: What Do You Do?

— In newcoachconnection@yahoogroups.com, Biana Babinsky wrote:
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> How do you answer this (sometimes) dreaded
> question, “What do you do?”

It’s actually pretty interesting.

4 examples from 4 different people to your great question, and EVERY ONE said the same thing.

Yes, there was some indignation and chiding, but for every commenter that gave an example, (regardless of what fancy name they give it) what we all do is consistent:

You need a short (definitely less than 30 seconds – shorter is much better) statement which consists of the following parts:

• I
• (do what)
• (for whom)
• (in order to)
• (which results in) (also known as WIIFM- What’s in it for me)

The four examples (exact quotes with the above 5 points inserted):

I (do what) guide (for whom) people (in order to) to transform their negative states of perception,thinking, decision-making, behavior, and emotion into positive equivalents. (which results in) This raises their consciousness and vibrational frequency,
and thus their brain output and likelihood of success in all ways. With
this skill, they facilitate a renewal.

I (do what) help (for whom) successful executives (in order to) improve their performance and wellness. (which results in) This can result in:

Improved Corporate Performance

Improved Corporate Risk Management, and

Better Executive LivesI (do what) help (for whom) solopreneurs (in order to) attract more clients (which results in) and make more money.I (do what) love to help (for whom) holistic entrepreneurs and helping professionals (in order to) move
their small business to an exponential level. I help them (which results in) realize their goals and bring their life joy!

Have fun with your own statement!!

Best Regards,
Chuck Schroeder
All Things Coaching

I would add only one more thing to this

If you can put numbers or something specifically definitive of the result:

…30 days to your first client
…lose 10 lbs in the first 10 days
…increase net worth 300% in the first year

Often these specific results come out of the mouths of the people we have coached already. One new client recently told me that in just one hour of coaching I gave her 30 ways to monetize a live speaking event – many that she could easily implement immediately in her practice.

For my 30 second answer I would want to dissect this testimonial – maybe even more than one testimonial – so that I can use different compelling self introductions in different circumstances & to test to see which one provokes the most conversation after I’ve said what I do.

In September of last year I did an Internet radio show with Ann Convery who spoke with me about this very thing – It’s free to listen…

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Coaching Formula for Giving Yourself a Raise – Pain, Solution, Process, Mentor, & Action

I was in some serious pain. I lost all of my clients in one day. I received a  letter that told me the person who had given me access to the franchise owners of a large promotional products company was no longer employed in the corporate office. He had become a franchise owner himself. He was replaced by someone who wanted to take a different direction – and that included the decision not to use my services.

Identify the Pain

What was my pain?

Here I was a single mom with three kids, a mortgage to pay and I had just lost my source of income!

The real problem was that I had no idea how to get clients out side of the relationships that I had built in my former business as a promotional products distributor.

I had no income, and no idea how to get clients for my coaching busness – And it was just the beginning of the current “recession” that we’re in. All I could see was that NOBODY was spending money.

Identify the Solution

I realized that I needed to find customers that were already looking for a coach rather than trying to convince someone they should hire me when maybe they didn’t realize they needed a coach yet.

Before I could find the customers that were already looking for me (or at least already looking for life success solutions) & possibly a life success coach, I needed to define how to actually go about doing that on a bigger scale than in just my circle of influence – the people that I perceived as “not spending money”. What I needed is to have someone create a roadmap or a set of instructions for me to follow so that I could be found by my ideal prospect.

Identify the Block

The day that I sat there with the letter from corporate office in hand I was seized with fear. What if I couldn’t find any new clients? What if I couldn’t find the right instructions to help me understand what to do and how to reach the people that were already looking…someone – anyone…that was looking for life success training?

After I sold my promotional products business and took on clients from within that industry, I had never really left for uncharted territory, until the day that I received that letter, when I was forced to figure out what to do next.

Identify the Process

Here’s what I knew so far as I contemplated “What next?”:

• I needed to create an income for myself and my children, and fast!
• I needed to find prospects & clients with money to invest, that were looking for what I offered as a coach from a larger sphere of influence.
• I needed to overcome this fear of the unknown territory of how to find clients outside of the field in which I had just spent 16 years of my adult life.
• I needed a plan of action and a process I could follow from someone who successfully had found clients using the same plan.

In Discover of The Process

I had learned and implemented practices from several people on the Internet when building my promotional products business, so I had a really good place to start from. I went back to look up many of the individuals I had learned from who’s material had worked already for me.

I soon discovered that much had changed in online marketing in just a year or so. I needed to educate myself on many more tools that I had not used for my promotional products business. Things like blogs, social bookmarking, social networking, article marketing were all new to me. On my own I dabbled at each of them and wasn’t terribly impressed with the results.

I would post in my blog and watch my stats – but I wasn’t getting any visitors. I used the social bookmarking for my own personal benefit of finding and remembering the sites that were valuable to me. I didn’t understand the how and why of sharing links.

The one thing I did do that provided me with interesting results was start my own Internet Radio Show. I got brave enough to begin inviting guests from the group of people who’s material – email, telecourses, and blogs – that I learned from to join me as guests on my show. In fact, I started two shows – both of which started developing a following. In the beginning I didn’t realize that I could read the stats on TalkShoe.com to see how many people downloaded my show from the archives.  Sometimes I would record the show and no one but the guest and I would be on the call – but after the show was recorded, hundreds of people downloaded the show every week!

Even though I had discovered something that was finally getting attention and I even attracted clients from my radio show – it was hit or miss at best.

I needed a more cohesive process that would consistently work – and work whether or not I was working – 24/7 every day!

As a coach myself I knew the best use of my time would be to find a mentor, a coach, who had found a way to bring clients to them with a process that I could learn and duplicate.

Then one day I was invited to participate in a program that would change my life. It was a 60 day commitment that amounted to about two hours a day. I almost didn’t do it. I almost said I didn’t have the time because I was too busy trying to build my coaching business.

This program gave me the opportunity to look under the hood so to speak, to see the engine of thriving online marketing in practice and step by step put the practice to work for myself. This changed everything for me. Everything. I will always be grateful to the person that launched that program.

From Process to Action

What I see a lot of coaches doing is what I started out doing until I figured out what the step by step process is for running my business so that it attracts my ideal client – and that is dabbling in all the steps, never really understanding how they all work together.

Worse than that, I know many coaches, who know they should be doing certain things – but aren’t even doing what they know with any consistency. If every my business drops off I know it’s because I haven’t been consistently doing for myself what I know and teach my clients.

You must get started implementing what you know and discovering what you don’t know – and all the easier with a coach or mentor to guide on a path they have traveled.

This story describes a practice that can be used for many different situations to create successful outcome in the midst of change. These simple steps may help you in moving your coaching practice forward:

• Identify the pain
• Identify the solution
• Identify the block
• Identify the process
• Find a mentor to instruct you in the process
• Act on the process

This story is how these steps worked for me. Let me invite you download a report on “The Five Secrets to Making Change – Time Proven Questions to Ask Yourself Anytime You’re Starting a New Business Ventuere” from one of the most trusted names in online marketing (he has worked with T Harv Eker, Bob Proctor, Brian Tracy, Julie Andrews and many others) – Alex Mandossian.

Where are you at in this process? Are you dabbling at article marketing, random in your posting to your blog? Or does your audience here a clear strong consistent message and know where to find it?

Please share with me your questions, comments or thoughts on this. I love hearing from you.

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What do Martha Beck, Michael Niell and James Ray all have in Common that Sealed their Success as a Coach?

…a Book!

Watch this video – there will be a different video daily and discover how a book and what you do with it will change your coaching career forever.

Alex Mandossian is the creme de la creme of Internet Marketing, no make that Electronic Marketing Strategists. (includes, iPods, Voice Messaging, Fax, any electronic communication tool that can be used to market). You may know of him, but did you know he is responsible for the success of many of big name authors success? including self published authors. There will be a total of 8 videos. I highly recommend that you come back and view them all.

If you are unfamiliar with Alex and his marketing genius – let me tell you that you have never, ever heard anything like this before. He’s not your average “Internet Marketer”. My words here would seriously be inadequate to convince you how important I believe this information could be to you. I hope I’ve earned your trust enough to say – “this is worth your time to watch.”

To Open Page with Video Player Click here

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Sometimes the Fastest Way to Increase Your Income is to Make a Change

There are a LOT of uncomfortable coaches.
(Select the Play Button to hear me read this post)

By uncomfortable I’m referring to a coach who is not generating the amount of income he or she desires, not only that I hear or read coaches saying that they are not even making enough to remain full time in the pursuit of their dream of a coaching career.

I’m not trying to make you feel uncomfortable, so please don’t be offended. I’m just saying what I’ve been “hearing” in social networking circles. There is an internationally published economic challenge taking place – what some are calling the worst global recession in a very long time.

If you read my post earlier today – the book review of Upbeat: Cultivating The Right Attitude to Thrive in Tough Times, Rajesh Setty, the author, talks about being in a time where there are people in need all around us. Most of us would agree that one of the basics of business is to “find a need and fill it”.

So, why is  it that when there are so many people with a need for a coach, and there are plenty of coaches to be found – yet the match of coach and client is not being made. There are still coaches with few to no clients.

I have some thoughts I would like to share with you on this based on my own personal experience. You may have heard or read my story where after selling my promotional products company I became a LifeSuccess Coach and quickly built 8 groups of 10 people, only to have a change in the organization whose people I was coaching with and lost all the clients overnight. I didn’t have a “plan b”.

Was I scared?

You betcha.

I was in some serious mental and emotional pain! Out of this pain came change; from the change came many amazing results that still keep coming.

Since then I have had most amazing turn around. Most recently results have begun to seemingly rush at me like I am being “over-taken by blessing…no, make that extreme blessing.”

I’ve been pondering what I think has happened. I like to analyze things that happen right because I want to know how to make more right things happen. I came across something that someone else used as a formula for success in a similar situation. when I read it I thought, “That’s it! That is what I did, and I didn’t even realize what I had done!”

I will share more with you about this in another post, but what I’d really like -  is to hear from you, about where you’re at – whereever that is, in this whole process of building your coaching business. Leave me a comment. Share, invite other coaches.

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Upbeat: Cultivating the Right Attitude to Thrive in Tough Times – by Rajesh Setty

One of my favorite lines from this book is in the beginning:

“…if you want to grow at breathtaking speed, and become someone you will be proud of, the market place and the world has provided you an opportunity again. Get off the wall and jump in!”

This book is a quick read only 96 compelling pages that will get you pumped! It’s worth a second (and third) read.

• Dump the negative talk- stop wasting time talking about the NEWS!
• Remain positive & productive – Identify positive practices and commit to yourself that you’re “in this for the long haul”
• Be Accountable to Yourself
• RAISE THE BAR! There is no standard for mediocre, until you’ve set the standard for excellence!

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Ashoka Books (May 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1935073036
• ISBN-13: 978-1935073031
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.7 x 0.3 inches

Upbeat by Rajesh Setty is about cultivating the right attitude to thrive in tough times. He will tell you he originally thought to publish this book after he went through a recession with a new business, however, he waited. Until now. And it fits within the current times very well.

Take the journey of Rajesh’s virtual book tour and learn more about the book and the author through interviews and reader reviews. Here are the stops on the tour:

June 22nd – Started with Key Business Partners with a book review.

June 23rd – I of course did a video review The Small Business Guru,

June 24th – Karen Pierce Gonzalez at Karen Pierce Gonzalez Public Relations will display a book review.

June 25th – Murali Mullani at Inspions will share a interview with Rajesh.

June 26th – Jeff Hurt at Jeff Hurt Blog will continue the tour with his interview with Rajesh to discuss the book and why it is relevant now.

June 29th – Tim Bursh at Tim Bursch Blog conducts an interview with Rajesh.

June 30th- Mohanraj CP at Mohanraj’s blog will share an announcement about the book.

July 1st – Ramesh Sambasivan at iTradeFair.com will do an interview about the book, Upbeat.

July 2nd – Phil Gerbyshak at Make It Great shares a conversation with Rajesh about business, life and his book, Upbeat.

July 3rd – George Angus at Tumblemoose will display a book review of Upbeat

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So What?! Survey at Terry Dean dot org

So, what does this information have to do with me? This is where I read other IM & SM Guru’s on the Internet and post about what is relevant to building your coaching business.

I decided to start a category where I post about the different blogs or emails that I read that are of value to me as it relates to building a coaching business.

For my first “So What?!” take a look at one of my favorite Internet Marketing practionioners and educators. I learned so much from this guy – in fact, I can say it was with reading and implementing his material that I finally understood how to connect all the dots with the tools available on the Internet to create a cohesive business strategy.

On his blog, Terry Dean, ran a survey for his blog readers and posted the results here. The results were revealing, but I am probably less shocked than he says he was. And, while I agree each business should poll their audience for how they wish their information to be delivered I think there’s quite a lesson that can be learned from his results.

Most of us have been watching television our entire lives. We are conditioned to receive our information via some form of video. Most of us only listen to something when our visual attention must be on other things such as driving. Audio is the ultimate multi-tasking tool. Engage our eyes and you pretty much have all of us – whoa! Did I just say that? hmmm that’s an interesting observation. Makes me want to use video a LOT more.

It’s not a surprise that Terry is so successful at what he does as an Internet Marketing coach. He understands how to research within his market to give them more of what they want. Then it’s not a hard sell – after all they asked for it.

How are you understanding what you’re market is looking for?

Here’s another question – What do Terry’s results tell you about what the ideal information product might be, or what the ideal style of blogging could be if your market is similar?

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Website or Blog?

“I don’t get it, Melody, should I get a blog from Wordpress.com or Wordpress.org. What is the difference? And don’t I need a website first? How do I add my blog to my website?”

I heard this rush of questions come at me over the phone from a coach anxious to get rolling with her online business as a coach. I started rattling off answers about why she needed a “self-hosted WordPress blog” and she stopped me, “Whoa, Whoa, What the heck did you just say? Remember, I am a coach, not a geek!”

Okay, Okay, I know I talk “geek-ese”, but I promise I will try to make this easy to follow. And let me start by saying that you CAN do this and exercise some creative control over your Internet presence without turning into a geek!

Let’s start with

“Website or blog, do I need both? or which one is better to build my coaching business?”

From what I’ve read from other individuals that are thought leaders in the Web 2.0 world, the Internet is much more about engaging and communicating with the people who come to your “site”.  A traditional website of the ’90’s and early 2000 is more of an online brochure. It’s not very interactive though it does create a place for all the basic information about you to be found all in one place.

However, the same thing can be achieved with blog softare while offering you the ability to add fresh, changing content which is what the search engines love to match you with relevant search terms. A static (or unchanging) website gives the search engines very little information to use to match up with the terms that are being searched, especially when compared with any of the blogs in your niche. A blog will rank higher than a static webpage or website.

Your goal with your Internet presence is to share your expertise with your ideal prospect. Rajesh Setty of Life Beyond Quote, and The Fulcrum Effect
says that the more you share will cause a small percentage of your audience to pre-qualify themselves as your best clients setting above the “lowest price for hire” because they’re aligned with your message.

In what ways do you share your message so that you are able to establish yourself as an expert coach in your niche? Do you post in your blog frequently enough to engage your audience? How often should you post? What do you think?

In another post we’ll discuss the basic difference between blogging software and give you some information you can make a decision with.

Oh, and by the way, I covered this and 10 other questions about promoting your coaching business and establishing your Internet presence on a 60 minute teleclass. I host live events each week and cover the most frequently asked questions about how to Build Your Coaching Business Online. If you want to know more about the live teleclasses and the recordings, check out the page “Coaches Community“

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