Are you a new(er) coach?
That’s awesome!
We are excited that you are here.
People NEED your help.
But it can kind of feel … overwhelming, no?
SEO, Websites, Webinars, Podcasts, What to charge, How to charge…
And that’s only the tip of the iceburg!
But please don’t worry, that’s why Coach Pony is here, to worry about this stuff for you.
So grab a cup of coffee, kick-back, and let’s talk about what you can go ahead and ignore.
Ready? Yay!
Ignore Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Yes. Seriously.
Look, if you are a new coach with very little on your website, then frankly, you aren’t going to get much love from the google search engine no matter how much you stress about it.
Google loves websites with lots and lots of specific and deep content.
It doesn’t love websites with three pages of vague platitudes about blocks and being authentic.
Also, SEO is a long-tail investment, which means that it will take a lot of time for it to pay off.
I’m guess if you are new to the business, you want to get paid now. 🙂
So, worry about SEO when you’ve decided that you love blogging and you’ve already built up content.
For now, worry about the more immediate, like how you are going to get clients.
Ignore Most Facebook Ads
Look, there are a TON of people out there who want to sell you on the latest method for getting clients. Be it Facebook ads, webinars, podcasts, their “special email marketing system” or a variety of other things I know you’ve been checking out :).
And most of them are in your Facebook feed.
Listen, if you are brand new, you have other fish to fry.
You don’t need to learn the neatest, latest, greatest marketing system or tool if you don’t know who your clients are, or how you are serving them, or even what you are charging.
So don’t throw money at the problem – throw yourself into the fundamentals!
Figure out who you serve, your packages, your “why” of coaching, your pricing, how to have sales conversations, and then somewhere people can find you (a LinkedIn profile or a website).
But don’t go after shy objects like learning how to host workshops until you have something to sell, okay?
Ignore Facebook…and Twitter…and Pinterest…
Okay, someone has probably told you that you need a Facebook Fan Page, a Twitter account, a LinkedIn profile, an Instagram profile, a Youtube page, and all of the other random stuff out there (snapchat anyone?).
No.
Here’s the thing – you are a new coach. You don’t have visibility or credibility yet.
And it’s going to take time and effort to get both.
So please DO NOT get on all the platforms, post sporadically with random stuff, waste time, feel overwhelmed, and then be saddened when you feel like you are talking to crickets… so you wind up feeling like a giant failure all the time.
NO.
Instead, pick ONE area in which to market. If Facebook is your thing and you think your clients are on it (and if you haven’t figured out the reason why you need to be specific in your coaching, for the love of god watch this immediately), then just do that.
If giving speeches is your thing then ignore social media for now, and just do that.
If Pinterest is your thing and your clients are there, then just do that.
But for the love of all that is holy, DO NOT DO IT ALL.
It’s a recipe for disaster.
Instead start small, but dominate one thing well.
Own the Youtube.
Or…
Own the local networking.
Or…
Own building referral partners.
Whatever makes sense for you!
Own it!
But choose.
Ignore Other Coaches *Sort of*
It’s easy to look at other coaches and start comparing your progress with theirs.
Sure, there are important milestones that you should hit as a coach (here’s a blog detailing them, and how long you should allow to hit them to give you a gauge).
But you are your own special flower, with your own circumstances.
And if you start playing the “compare and judge” game with other coaches, then you lose.
You feel bad if you are behind, and that’s a hard hole to from which to dig out.
Each of us is on our own path, and there are no overnight successes.
So compare you to…you!
If it takes 1 month to get your first client, then you should try and get your second client in less than a month, and so on and so forth.
Now, while I told you to ignore other coaches for comparison, I *do* think it’s a great thing to find other coaches with whom who you can learn and grow.
So do make time to set up a small mastermind, or even just a buddy that you chat with regularly to share information, ideas, and honest conversations about how you are doing.
It can be life-changing!
Ignore the Tech Stuff
What?
Yes.
The first thing most of us do is rush off to get a logo and then either register our shiny businesses, or we race to put up a website.
I am 100% against this.
Here’s why: Your coaching business will change FAST.
The only way to figure out what works for you is to do it.
But, what you may find is that you don’t like being an entrepreneur.
Or that you want to coach someone different than you initially thought.
I see it all the time – people completely change their niche from the ground up 6 months in.
So if you’ve spent hours or tons of money building a website – but then it’s for the wrong market…well, GAHHH.
That’s no fun.
So instead of focusing on getting your logo, or even getting your business license, focus instead on building your foundations. Who are you coaching? Why are you coaching them? How do you enroll them into coaching? Do you actually enjoy it?
Once you get clear on that, THEN you can class up the joint with a website and think about what kind of business you want to be (LLC, S-Corp, etc).
Until then, you can operate as a self-employed person and get taxed normally (so don’t panic), and only make changes when you are sure of your next step.
Finally, Ignore Your Doubts About Yourself
Look, if you are thinking “who am I to be a coach” or “who am I to charge for this” or “what do I EVEN KNOW I AM SO SCARED” then please know that is 100% normal.
We ALL feel it, especially in the beginning.
You are a coach, you know your doubts are there to keep you safe, and that becoming an entrepreneur is the opposite of that.
So, you’ll experience fear and doubt and sometimes it’ll be crippling.
It happens.
It’s awful, but we’ve all been in the fetal position on our couches before.
It’ll pass. I promise!
BUT – you have to keep making progress.
So – rely on your coaching skills, those other coaches I’ve told you to meet, and your own grit, and just do it. Take one small step forward, and soon enough – you’ll have an empire.
Why?
Because as I said, the world needs YOU.
Need more help?
We have a free training that will rock your world. It’s a step-by-step way to help you find paying clients.
The humor and fun is extra. Find it here!
