Blog

What is the difference between a coaching program and a series of coaching sessions that aren’t part of a program? A fellow coach recently asked me this, and I thought it was a very good question. To my knowledge, there is no official consensus regarding what differentiates a program from any other type of coaching, and there are different ways to structure a program. But there are some criteria that I find useful for making the distinction. In this article, I'll explain what those criteria are, and how they can make coaching... Read More

Have you ever read a bio or "about me" page that made you think "Ugh... I feel like I'm reading an encyclopedia. You were founded in that town, you've been in business for that many years, wheeee..." Or maybe you found yourself wondering, "What do the three other jobs you've worked in, your fishing hobby, and your cats have to do with everything else on this website? I mean, I guess they give us a thing or two in common, but they don't really tell me why you're qualified to do what you're doing now." And have you ever wondered... o ... Read More

A coach recently asked me, "How do you nail down the transformation you create in your group coaching program?" This is an excellent question, and it's very important for you to know the answer before you start designing your program. It's also essential for attracting clients, because people aren't looking for videos, coaching calls or PDFs; they're looking for a way to change a specific part of their lives! When you know exactly what kind of transformation you create for your clients, you can laser-focus your program on the exact... Read More

When you make promises in your marketing, or talk about the problems you solve for your clients, it's important to be both clear and compelling. If your promises or "problem I solve" statements are too vague, your potential clients will be left thinking things like... "That kind of sounds good in theory, but I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to get out of this, and I don't feel like taking a lot of time to find out." "I don't think I have the problem she's talking about. Or maybe I do a little, but I don't think it's causing... Read More

Happy New Year! As we start 2020, one way to set yourself up for success is to make sure you're marketing to the right people - and that you aren't marketing to people who will be justifiably angry with you if you sell them your product or services. When I talk about marketing to the right people, I don't just mean picking a niche by age, gender, marital status, and whether or not they have kids. In this blog post, I'm going to share an example of how bad audience selection left me ticked off at a coach who'd enrolled me into his program,... Read More

If you've been in business for any length of time, you've probably had this happen to you at least once: You were talking to a client who sounded like a great fit, and you both realized that this person needed your product. You directed them to your sales page, invited them to book a call, or otherwise encouraged them to take the next step... only for them to respond with the words some businesspeople have come to dread: "I'll think about it." If you've heard this more than a couple times, it probably makes your heart sink, because... Read More

Sometimes when I watch other business owners describe their product or service, the descriptionleaves me thinking, "Wow... not only does that NOT make me want your product, but it actually makes me feel LESS inclined to explore your offer." Other times, I can see how it might be useful, or why the product is of high quality, but I'm not really convinced that I need it. Why? Often, it's because their marketing failed a simple yet powerful litmus test that determines whether they're speaking about the right things to get their potential... Read More

How many hours have you spent attending networking events, giving elevator speeches, and following up with people, only to get few or no clients as a result? And how many clients have you referred to other business owners, only to get no payment or reciprocal referrals in return - or, even worse, to lose the client entirely? The old ways of networking just aren't as effective anymore. If you want to get more referrals, and get paid for the referrals you make when the rules of your industry allow, you need to use a different strategy. In... Read More

I was planning to write this on Tuesday, but I decided to share it a bit early, becauseI'm celebrating a new accomplishment: I just published a class on SkillShare, called Low-Cost Marketing for Small Businesses and Freelancers ... and for a limited time, you can get it for FREE. In this 68-minute class, you'll discover how small businesses and freelancers can attract leads while spending little or no money on advertising, and convert them into clients without feeling guilty, pushy or salesy. You can access this class, and thousands of... Read More

If your clients are primarily businesspeople, you might have trouble getting satisfied customers to send you referrals, because they don't want their competitors to have the same success you helped them create. This is an understandable concern on their part, but it can be frustrating when it hampers your ability to get clients! The good news is, it IS possible to persuade people to send you referrals, if you can help them understand why it benefits them as well. Here are 3 ways giving you referrals can benefit your clients: ... Read More