Success Clinic, part II: Presence • Program • Propellant

Strengthen these three key elements every day to cultivate your thriving coaching practice!

In Success Clinic part I, we explored the key element of presence as the first step in cultivating your thriving coaching practice. Have you made a commitment to growing your presence on a consistent basis? In part II, the next key element – program – calls you to build on your passions and apply that passion to developing your coaching program.

Program
“I can coach anybody to achieve anything,” does not fill a coaching practice. There are three problems with that idea. First, most people still don’t understand “coaching.” Second, no one likes to think of themselves as “anybody.” Third, “achieving anything” means nothing to real people with specific concerns and aspirations.

The best way to quickly fill a coaching practice involves creating a program that supports a very specific group of people who share similar concerns and aspirations. This works for three reasons. First, people understand “programs” better than coaching. And, of course, your program will involve or include coaching, but you don’t necessarily introduce yourself with coaching.

Second, when you “support a specific group of people,” those people naturally gravitate to you. And, so do the referrals from others not in the group because they can easily identify which of their friends and colleagues might benefit from your program. These referrals will happen automatically when you get specific enough.

One of my clients supports women who have lost a spouse to chart a new course. As she speaks, I automatically scan my mental rolodex because I would love to offer her as a resource to any woman I know in that position. I don’t know any at the moment, but should I meet a woman in that position next week, I will remember to refer her to my client’s program. Another of my clients just tightened her target market to spiritually-searching mothers with young children who balance family, a part-time career and themselves. As my client became clear and told me for the first time about this target market, my sister automatically popped into my mind. My client had just described her perfectly. And, I want my sister to have that kind of wonderful support!

Third, when you support a group of people who “share similar concerns and aspirations,” not only can you support those people, but they can also exponentially increase the power of the support by supporting each other. Also, people more readily gravitate to a program that has proven helpful to others in a similar situation.

To develop your program
- Choose a target market about whom you feel passionate (a specific group of people).

- Interview 10 or 12 people from your target market about their most pressing concerns and greatest aspirations to clearly define your specialty (what you help your target market with). Once you have established a target market and a specialty, together they make up your niche.
(Target market + Specialty = Niche.)

- Invite people in your target market to participate for free in a high-value opportunity that begins to address those concerns and aspirations (Ideally a weekly or monthly tele-gathering or in-person gathering supported with weekly invitations or ezines which include a supportive article).

- Create two to five products and/or services with price tags from $10 to thousands of dollars that further address those concerns and aspirations.

Tips for developing your program
1. If you are having trouble choosing a target market, think about the companies and organizations that appeal to you. If you don’t have experience or knowledge about a particular profession, don’t let that prevent you from placing it on the list. If you have an interest in that profession, it may be a great niche for your coaching practice.

2. It may feel intimidating to create products and services, but chances are, you already have some products in your files! Look at articles you have written, think about opportunities when you were a guest speaker and developed a handout, review research you have conducted about other products and services and offer that information as a special report. Allow the possibilities to flow!

Copyright 2007, Ann Strong. All rights reserved.