I have worked as a professional sales rep and I can tell you that selling my own coaching services has been the hardest thing I have ever had to sell.
This is for two main reasons:
1. Not everyone needs coaching, so you need to meet just the right people at just the right moment in their lives. Just at that moment when they are looking for different answers and open to the idea of help from someone else.
2. Coaching is an extremely personal service. For it to work then the two of you need to like each other and trust each other. They also need to know and trust that you know what you are talking about, that you have helped others in a similar situation and believe that you are the one person that can help them.
Wow! That’s quite a tall order isn’t it. No wonder it is so difficult to get a steady stream of customers through your door. No wonder you always feel that you are selling…. You are actually trying to find a needle in a haystack. The right person at precisely the right time.
Let me share with you my personal “best” method for getting new clients. Even better, you don’t have to spend hour upon hour meeting potential clients face to face and selling. They come to you!
So what is the technique that I use to build my coaching practice? Public Speaking!
Now, before you decide “I can’t do that”, let me tell you WHY it works so well.
1. Everyone in the room has come because they are interested in the title of your talk and the information that you are going to share. You have a whole room full of possible, potential clients.
2. If you do your job as a speaker well and deliver a knowledgeable, valuable talk then you have just demonstrated both your expert knowledge on the subject and your expertise to everyone in the room.
3. Because you are on the stage, you are elevated in their mind to be an “expert”, after all you have been asked to speak.
What that all means is that anyone who has been considering looking for some help and guidance in their lives, relationships or business, now considers you to the be “best”, the “go-to” person in this industry, simply because you delivered a speech. So …… who are they likely to hire?
After your talk there will generally be a couple of people who approach you and ask if it would be possible to work together. All you have to do is agree on a fee, date and time. Isn’t that so much easier than trying to convince them to be a client?
If you have never considered using public speaking as a tool to get business, perhaps it is time to re-consider. If you don’t know where to start or what to say then check out some of the other articles on www.internationalspeakingprofessionals.com. They not only give your free advice and training but also help you market yourself as a speaker to people looking for topic experts. Get started speaking and grow your coaching business the easy way.
Adele Howell-Pryce is the C.E.O. of the I.S.P.A. (International Speaking Professionals Association)www.internationalspeakingprofessionals.com. The I.S.P.A specialises in helping aspiring speakers and business people get opportunities to speak in the free and low paid speaker market.
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