I've spent much of the last 2 months immersed in the self help, personal development, lifestyle design and coaching community.
It's been a very enlightening, very inspiring and very illuminating experience.
Why? The coaching profession is full of some of the most positive people I've ever seen.
Happy, enthusiastic, spiritual, motivated and mostly broke! As a writer and marketer FIRST (myself) I find it crazy how many coaches, consultants, teacher, trainers and enlightened entrepreneurs focus on the ENTIRELY wrong things as they try to build their coaching businesses.
There is such a group think problem...
where the folks leading the seminars and get togethers are giving SUCH bad advice...
that from a marketing standpoint, it's no surprise that only 5% of coaching professional earn enough to make a good living.
The big problem is, a focus on the wrong things.
For example - certification looks good on your wall, but it won't get you clients.
And if there is 500 people who have been certified from the same school in the last 6 months, the truth is, there are NOT enough clients out there for each of you to build a bodacious business around, especially if you are doing the same things that everyone else is.
As a matter of fact...
the one word that differentiates coaches who are earning 6 or even 7 figures or more is simple.
It's not how good they are at helping, or how much they care, or even how good their clients results are.
Instead, in a word, it's: MARKETING! (and that's pretty much true in all professional service fields, for better or for worse, as well) I want to share with you 7 key components to building a 6 figure business as a coach or consultant.
The 7 bedrock things that you need.
They're all very low cost, and will have a dramatically positive ROI for your business, and your brand.
1 - You NEED a commercial grade email auto responder.
There is no question, the ability to follow up via email, on an automated, sequential basis is the KEY component to successful relationship marketing.
You can get one for 20 bucks or less per month to start.
2 - You need to specialize.
Niche down whatever you do to a very specific subset of the larger community to start.
This WILL make an incredible difference in your business, and the clarity you bring to your content, and your community.
3 - You need to publish something that has your name on it.
It's so easy to self publish today - and if you are a true thought leader in your niche, NOT having an eBook on Amazon is not going to be an option much longer.
It's so silly simple to do...
and you can literally collect questions from your community and codify them into a 50 page digital download on Kindle...
and BOOM.
You're a published author and coach.
4 - You need a Tumblr blog.
It's incredible what's happening in the personal development and spirituality space on Tumblr.
Huge numbers of people who crave information and inspiration and YOU need to be in front of them.
(it's free...
and addictively fun to boot) 5 - You NEED a curriculum, or high value offer that not only honors and values your expertise, but that empowers you to be paid for what you're truly worth.
Want to make 100K this year as a coach? You need to attract 100K clients.
Period.
(it sounds cold...
but it's about being compassionate to YOURSELF and you can't contribute freely to others if you are suffering and struggling to succeed yourself) For example, if you want to earn 10K a month, it's much easier to get 10 people who are paying you $200 a week, than it is to find 100 people who are paying you $20.
(and MUCH easier to service and upkeep as well) Believing you are worth the $200 is the BIG first step.
(and the one that most coaches never overcome) Communicating that value to your clients is infinitely easier, and you'll find they'll often refer you all the new business you can handle, once that ball begins to roll.
Lastly -believe in something big.
Your ability to serve.
And the power of PASSION and purpose in your business.
If you buy into that idea - It will transform you, and your clients...
I promise.