OK, so you are interested in becoming a coach and helping others to succeed; that’s great but how do you go about getting started in the first place?
Before you start, let’s take a quick look at the pro’s and cons of running your own coaching business so you can decide whether this is an avenue you really want to pursue.
This could be quite a lengthy list as coaching is a business that anyone can embark upon, but here are five of the top benefits to becoming a coach:
Now, before you even think about starting up a coaching business you need a thorough understanding and acceptance of who you are. Don’t forget that the most valuable resource you have in your business is you. It’s the one thing your business cannot do without. Take time to really understand what makes you tick, how you ended up where you are and who you want to be for the rest of your life. Yes, your business will provide an income (hopefully), but it’s also an opportunity for fun and fulfilment.
All great creations start with a dream. You have permission to dream about what you want, where you want to go, who you want to work with. Make this dream as real as possible, use all your senses. Yes, create a vision board and mind map. Test drive that dream car. Record your dream in a way that you can revisit it as often as you need for inspiration. Then check how comfortably your business fits in to your dream. And this is important, if it does not fit, then you need adjust your business, not your dream.
Still here, good! Now let’s take a look at a few personal qualities that you will need to succeed as a coach:
To succeed as a coach, you must not be afraid to invest in yourself consistently. Take a look around and you will see that this is a trait shared by the best coaches. Think about it; if you aren’t willing to invest in yourself, why should a client invest in you? You can’t help others see their blind spots if you can’t see your own. The best coaches are constantly getting support from other coaches.
Too many coaches only want to coach. That motivation and passion is critical, but as a coach, you’re also a solopreneur. For better or worse, the stamina you have for coaching has to transfer over into maintaining the bottom line, and no matter what, running a business is serious work. This means personal branding, social media strategy, writing articles, speaking to audiences – and that isn’t even delving into the financial management and bookkeeping elements of running a business. It’s not about whether you can do it, it’s about whether you can enjoy it enough to do it. The major reason that many coaches fail is not because they can’t coach enough clients, but rather because they lack a strategic business plan. Seeing clients is a small slice of it… a good coach gets and enjoys all aspects of the business, especially the marketing.
Studies show that listening skills can actually boost economic success, yet coaches often fail to apply this in their own practice. The worst coaches are focused only on feeding you information whereas a great coach has the skills to facilitate a shift in your mindset and perspective, which is only possible by really listening to you and understanding you at a deep level. Once that inner shift occurs, it is reflected back with massive powerful results which will ultimately benefit both coach and client.
Ok, so you have got this far and you are definitely invested into becoming a coach. Here are 7 quick steps you can use to get going.
You are probably aware that life and business coaching are extremely popular, but they aren’t the only types of coaching you can do. If you are in the fitness niche you can become a weight loss, fitness or health coach. What about a sports coach? You can also become a parenting or relationship coach, organizational or productivity coach, technical coach, sales coach or a career coach. Where is your area of expertise and work from there?
Decide your business structure, create a business name and get a business license if required. Write a coaching contract that outlines your services and expectations.
If you’re going to be doing video conferencing, download the needed software and purchase a quality headset and webcam. Some coaches record calls and give them to their clients so they can review the session. If you want to do that, you’ll need to get a recorder that will record your video/audio calls. You can use Skype which is free to hold these types of calls. If you want to run group sessions, you could run weekly webinars etc. so you will need to invest in webinar software. Whatever you do, it is important that people can hear you clearly so invest in a quality microphone such as the Blue Yeti.
Potential clients need a place to learn about your coaching business and there’s no better place to sell your coaching and related materials than on a website.
You will need to purchase hosting and a domain name (preferably the name of your coaching company). Using WordPress, you can quickly get a website live online and customise the look and feel through various plugins and themes. If you aren’t very techy, you can outsource this to freelance sites such as Fiverr.com or Upwork.com and get someone to install and set this up for you (remember that this is an investment in your business and not a cost).
Write content that is client-focused on how you can help them improve their lives. Once you have testimonials, post them on your website as social proof is very powerful.
Do thorough market research to figure out your ideal client and where you can find them and then develop specific marketing strategies to lure them to your business. For example, if you’re a business oriented coach, you should develop a LinkedIn profile. If you’re a personal training coach, you might want to have videos on YouTube that offer fitness tips or teach specific exercises etc. Really delve into your market and understand what makes them tick, their hopes and fears, and determine how you can position yourself as the answer to those hopes and fears.
In all honesty getting your first client will likely be the hardest. Use your personal and professional network to help. Like I have already stated in this article, consider offering a heavily discounted, or even better, a free 15 or 30-minute coaching session to entice people to try you out. Deliver as much value as you possibly can during these sessions as your business could depend on it. Just because they are free, doesn’t mean you should hold back. Help them as much as you can, and once they see the benefit and that you are genuinely interested in helping them, hopefully the decision to invest in you becomes a no-brainer.
This may seem to be obvious but it needs to be stated. Coaching isn’t a business to take lightly. People are entrusting their emotional and possibility their physical well-being to you. You also owe it to them to stay on top of current trends in your industry, as well as best practices for coaches.
Remember that ultimately you will be judged on the results you achieve for your clients, so give them 100% and as they see the results, you will probably get referrals and your coaching business will soar. You could become the go-to coach in your niche with all the recognition and kudos that brings, and you know that you are affecting many people’s lives for the better and there is no greater feeling that that!
I hope this post has given you some insight into the benefits that starting your own coaching business can give to you. If you want to learn more about starting your own coaching business, I have also recorded some video training that you can see here: warr.us/atgmen1
Anyone can find success in affiliate marketing but not every person who joins such a program succeeds. It’s all about using the available resources to achieve the best possible results. These are some of the tips that can help beginners become successful affiliates andmake some good income from such ventures.
1. Carve out a niche
This is a very critical factor in affiliate marketing. It is important that you identify a specificmarket or segment that you want to work in and then focus on that. Carving out a niche foryourself means choosing what works best for you.
2. Carefully select your merchants
It is important to carry out thorough research before agreeing to work with a specific merchant. This is because those who sell consumers inferior products risk losing future business opportunities. Even if you played no part in manufacturing the product, as a publisher, customers will still hold you responsible as the person who introduced the product to them. Work with a brand that holds up its end of the deal without additional pressure.
3. Use captivating content
When promoting products on your website, customers first get to interact with other content before being directed to a link and ultimately the merchant’s website. That means that the content that you create for visitors to your site should be relevant and captivating so that they feel convinced enough to click on the link and eventually buy the product. First impressions count.
4. Keep track of results
Do not just push for sales without analyzing your performance. Tracking your results includes monitoring feedback from consumers and checking the amount of sales made on a monthly basis. This will help you make a decision on whether you need a new marketing strategy or if it’s time to find another merchant. You can’t keep on selling a product that people just don’t want to buy.
5. Dedication
Affiliate programs are great avenues for making money but success does not come easy for a publisher. You must be dedicated and stay focused on building lasting networks and increasing your customer base. Once that is done, the money will start rolling in and realizing success will actually be possible. The problem with most beginners is that they want to make quick money but are not willing to put in work.
6. Sell products that you believe in
It is very easy to sell a product that you’ve actually used yourself or believe in. You will be making a sales pitch from an informed point of view and that always resonates well with customers.
7. Update your site
To increase the visibility of your site by getting high rankings on search engines, you must constantly update the contents using target key words and relevant information. That will then help drive traffic to it.
Have you ever noticed that charismatic people are usually quite popular and it’s probably safe to assume that many of us envy those who have charisma. But could it also be a double-edged sword? Charisma is a learned skill so anyone has the capability to learn how to gain, and use it. But when you get it, will you be ready for it?
One thing you will notice about people who are charismatic is that they tenmd to be the constant focus of attention. That is the nature of charisma as people are naturally drawn to it. And many will enjoy the attention. But think about it for a second; if people are always coming to you at work, for instance, how are you ever going to have the time to get your own work done? Some may think that this is a good problem to have, but it can become rather frustrating and a darn nuisance if it happens too much.
People will also tend to speak to others about charismatic people. They will tell their friends and colleagues what great people they are and that they are proud to call them a friend. Of course, this could lead to those friends and colleagues seeking him or her out and this unfortunate charimatic person will have even more attention to deal with. These new people will also end up telling their friend and colleagues as well and exacerbate this even more!
If you are charismatic and people are drawn to you then they are also going to come to you for advice. They will rely on any advice you give. That may be okay if you are an expert in the subject that they asked about. But what if you are not and you give them the wrong advice and they take it.This could be potentially embarrasing for them and they could be getting into a situation that may not be good for them. While people are responsible for their own actions, it doesn’t help when someone with charisma gives advice as that advice is likely going to be acted upon. The charismatic person sometimes revels in the title of advice giver, even if the advice is not useful. This may not be intentionaly malicious, more misguided.
Your home life could also be affected by your increased charisma. You may find that more people are calling on you to join them in various activities, like joining the softball league or coaching kids soccer games. These may all be activities you wanted to get involved with but they will be ever increasing opportunities. Those days of relaxing on Sundays are suddenly a thing of the past!
For the most part, being charismatic is a good quality to have and one that most people would love to incorporate into their life. It may even put you into a leadership role along with a promotion. But be ready for the changes that happen and try to keep grounded in what it’s going to mean for others as well as the impact it may have on you and your family.
