Get Smart!

By popular demand, I’ve added this private email to my Smart coaches to this blog. One of my coaches thought it should go out to all coaches! So here it is….

“Hi guys,

I’ve had conversations with a few of you recently in which you express frustration at clients who seem to have a good first session or introductory chat and then go AWOL, never to be seen again.

Well, I just wanted to pick up on that and give you a few pointers.

Firstly, don’t take it personally: it’s a simple fact of life that many people are pretty poor about making choices and sticking to them – that includes coaching! It’s really not your job to change human nature or become a stalker! There’s also the dimension that you are selling and they are buying and that makes the buying person act pretty shoddily a lot of the time – let’s face it, they know that they’re wanted and you want them. It’s a dance – become a little elusive too.

That said, there are things you can do. None of these is a panacea but do them all and you’ll certainly reduce your frustrated sessions of going on goose chases! So here goes:

1 – Take control of the phone call situation at all times. This means not giving the client the luxury of calling you when they are ready or they finally remember. Make sure you have their number and tell them when you’ll call. Then call…

2 – Take control of the contact details: Make sure that if you’re networking you get THEIR business card – I still hear of coaches giving out cards and wonder why they don’t get called. Be the owner of the contact details.

3 – Make yourself scarce – explain to potential clients you only work with x amount of clients per month and that they would fit the profile perfectly – if you’re networking in the right places then this will be true. Make them feel valued and yourself a rare commodity.

4 – Follow up when you say you’re going to – too often we think it’s ok to call a day later than we suggested we might – after all it’s not urgent, right? The client’s still there. But what message does it give off.

5 – Be absolutely clear about the benefits of working with you. How do you do that? By figuring out what they want those benefits to be and letting them know you meet these needs regularly! Don’t forget “Seek first to understand before you’re understood”. This is a seriously underused axiom of business sales!

6 – Be 100% confident in what you do – don’t apologise for not giving advice. Advice is for wimps! Be proud of being a coach not a consultant. Believe in your ability to help the client deliver change for themselves. And communicate it.

7 – Be alluring! Anyone watched Life of Brian recently? Remember the scene where Brian begins to repeat the lines “Blessed are the poor for they shall inherit….shall inherit…..shall….inherit….” then trails off! He leaves the audience begging for more and at this point they decide he’s the Messiah. Now I don’t want any messianic mischief from my coaches, but take the client to a point that they want more. They’ll chase you! Not always – but it can happen.

8 – Finally, coaching like any other sales and service industry is a numbers game. People are people and they don’t owe you anything. Some will let you down sure as GROW is GROW! I’ve had people drop out of the Smart School for no reason that’s ascertainable even when they were enjoying it. I’ve had other clients swear they’re joining the school only to drop out days before it starts. That, my coaching friends, is life! Don’t let it get you down. See more people. Focus on what you want to get and keep your spirits up. If you talk to 2 people and 1 drops off you’ve got 1 person left – if you talk to 10 and 5 drop off you’ve got 5 left! What would you prefer – lose 1 person from 2 or 5 people from 10? As I say guys, there’s no cure for human apathy (you should try galvanising the London Coaches group – now there’s a mission!) but we can all do our bit to sell ourselves better, manage our clients better and do more prospecting.

I’d love to give you a magic formula but there isn’t one apart from the harder you practice the luckier you get!

Keep up the good work and be proud to be a coach.