The coaching industry is booming!
It’s a super exciting world to be a part of. But also super hard to navigate as a newbie because it almost feels like there are no rules.
Anyone can be a coach. There are little to no regulations as to who can use the title coach and because of this reality the scam artists are also booming.
But thank God you are not a scam artist! If you were you wouldn’t be here trying to learn how to be an actual coach.
10 Things Not to Do As a Coach
- Practice Illegally
The first thing every coach need to do is be legal. Being a coach is like any other business. This means you need to form an LLC, Corporation, or DBA. The good news for you is that this process is not as intimidating as it sounds. I would strongly suggest hiring a lawyer if you are not familiar with what these entities entail or taking a course like Life Coach Business Build where you can learn the differences and choose which is right for your coaching goals.
2. NEVER Skip Contracts
Skipping contracts is a huge no, no for coaches. It’s not only unethical, it’s also a liability which may get you into legal trouble. The kinds of contracts you need vary depending on which kind of coach you are. Contracts cover a multitude of legalities from pricing, late and cancellation fees, confidentiality, rights and obligations, intellectual property rights, and disclaimers, and more. This can be a lengthy process, but it is necessary. It keeps everyone involved safe. You can see examples in Life Coach Business Build or hire a contract lawyer. The reality is having something is better than nothing.
3. Know What You are Selling
You cannot sell nothing and you cannot sell everything. What do I mean by this? Check out this post here. It’s as simple as coming up with a pitch. A pitch is a 1-3 sentence that explains what you sell in an easily digestible way. Here’s an easy template for you to use as a coach.
“I am a ______ coach and I offer _________ which helps you ___________.”
A filled in example would look something like this:
“I am a wellness coach and I offer whole body wellness coaching which helps you meet your fitness and nutrition goals. “
4. Sell Products and Services You Don’t Know Work
Promising a client results that you aren’t sure of is wrong on so many levels. There is only one way to get past this. The answer to this problem is testing your products and services before promising that they work. The good news for you is that you can and should make money while you test your products and services. My recommendation would be to offer an Alpha, Beta, and Gamma test before selling it at full price. This gives you the grace to work out flaws while getting to know your customers’ needs. Don’t forget to let your testers find errors and give you feedback. Listen to your testers. This gives you full confidence in your products and services. Test for quality assurance, defects, system aptitude, and to make sure your clients are left with proper results.
5. Just Wing It
Every good coach has a system. It provides you with a consistency and sustainability in a market where many people don’t make it for this one reason. What is a system? It’s the roadmap that you take every customer through. Know that you can use a system to personalize an experience, in fact systems lead to higher customer retention and satisfaction because you show up the same way each time even when you don’t feel like it. A business lead by emotions instead of systems is a business being lead to burnout.
6. Treat People Like Numbers
Sending disconnected salesly messages to strangers on repeat is the absolute worst sales and marketing plan out there. Don’t fall into the trap. This is a major turn off.
The fastest way to make a sale is to be a human first. Connect with people! Have genuine conversations. Make sure they actually need your services and be willing to send them elsewhere if they are not a good fit for what you offer. Talk to the person multiple times before sharing your offer. Build trust and likability by showing up consistently and standing in your authority.
7. Working With Whoever Will Take You
Headache money is painful. It’s as simple as that.
One, the person has to need what you offer.
Two, they have to be a coachable client.
Three, they have to connect and respect you in some sort of fashion. If you are working with clients who are not these things, you are setting yourself up for reoccurring migraines. Plus it steals time away from clients who actually need and want to work with you.
8. Working for Free
You have a gift and you deserve to get paid for it. Stop taking a million calls for free. Instead set up a 30 minute chat for a low cost to make sure the client is a good fit for you. See examples here. This way you get paid and you know the client is committed. Don’t waste your time because when you get big you won’t be able to do free because you won’t have the space in your life to handle it. Heck you may not even have the time or energy now.
9. Not Getting Paid Upfront
Just no. Your time is valuable. Act like a business to get paid like a business. Having a system in place to get paid right away, saves you money, time, and migraines. Getting paid upon booking sets you up for freedom and shows your customers you are serious about your time and your work. I personally love using Square Calendar.
10. Set Yourself Up to Fail
All it takes is for one video or post to go viral and you have 500 leads in your inbox waiting to be served. If you set yourself up to be small, you won’t be able to handle it when you get big. So set yourself up to win from the beginning. Set yourself up like a business, not a one man show.
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