The Amazing Power of Systems in Life Coaching (Part 2)
A good coaching business is built on systems. 5 systems, in fact.
Each of these five systems interlock and work together, to seamlessly pull clients into your coaching business, and then help them achieve real results.
1) Your marketing system
2) Your education system
3) Your conversion system
4) Your onboarding and client-care system
5) Your coaching system
So, when you build out these systems, you are building an entire fun business world.
Yes, fun!
Here’s a real-life example of what that can look like for a coach who works with private clients (though it can work for almost any type of coaching business)…
Imagine opening your email. Inside is a payment receipt from a brand new client!
Three days ago they found your website and set up 20 minutes to chat with you after reading everything you have written [EDUCATION SYSTEM]. You have two days a week devoted to new client calls, the rest are booked with clients and other business stuff already.
After a quick call, the decision was clear. They *had* to work with you, but you didn’t “sell” them on anything. You just shared your approach and focused on how your coaching process works in terms of helping them reach their goal, and they were so excited! [CONVERSION SYSTEM]
After checking your email you grab another cup of coffee and relax, because as soon as they hit “purchase” your website jumped into action and sent them a welcome email sharing how to work with you, so they know they are taken care of completely. [ON-BOARDING SYSTEM]
And tomorrow your assistant will leap into action and get the contract ready. So you are all set! All you have to do is show up as the amazing coach you are and walk them through your system, so they can find the answers they need. [COACHING SYSTEM]
As you sip your coffee and prepare to write a fancy new blog post (this client found you from one you had already written) [MARKETING SYSTEM], you cast your eye over a jam-packed day. It’s full of clients, and all you have to do to keep it like this indefinitely is manage a few things…
See how it all works together?
What this means is that instead of stressing out constantly about where and HOW you will find clients and get them to say yes, all you are doing is managing the systems in your business world, and the clients are coming to you.
This is what that looks like in a graphic, because FUN:
Here are all the important details, to make it easier :)…
A Marketing System: This is all about finding new potential clients. You figure out how you like to communicate best, and develop a system to reach out to prospective new clients. For example, your marketing system might involve speaking – you spend all of your specific marketing time doing podcast interviews and speaking to live groups. Listening intently are potential new clients who hear you, and then decide to come deeper into your world…
An Education System: …And you start to educate them! This is where your website comes into play. People can find you, read up on coaching and your particular brand of awesome, and learn about how YOU can help them reach their goals, and of course how to hire you as their coach. The best part? Much of this happens while you are asleep :).
A Conversion System: This is your fully optimized sales funnel! Don’t be scared, “fully optimized sales funnel” just means that this is a specific process you set up to help clients connect to you and fall in love with you, so that they say eventually say a delighted yes to coaching. AND, of course, hand over their credit card. It can consist of phone calls, emails, your website, and more – what’s important is that you have a strategic process that is designed to help move potential clients along…and that it works!
An Onboarding/Client Care System: This is “business speak” for how you welcome clients into your practice and take care of them. It involves automating contracts, welcome emails, and other pieces that create a level of trust and excitement in your clients right out of the gate (and also makes your life as a coach easier!). This is were a lot of your business day-to-day stuff can happen.
A Coaching System: This is how you choose to walk your clients to their big goal, or the reason why they hired you. “Dancing in the moment” is not enough when you are talking about hundreds or thousands of dollars – people want to know you have a process that gets real results. If you have a coaching system, whether it’s for private clients, groups, or an online program, it will set you apart as a coach, and also help you get better results. Everyone wins!
Getting people to pay you for coaching isn’t just about the quick wins, it’s about the long term, building a sustainable business full of smart systems (much like Henry Ford).
"Business and human endeavors are systems...we tend to focus on snapshots of isolated parts of the system. And wonder why our deepest problems never get solved." - Peter M. Senge
Will it take a coach who builds systems longer to get their first paying client?
Probably.
But do they then fill their business with a profitable client load that is sustainable for years?
Yes.
They understand the bigger picture which is this:
One or two paying clients does not make you a full-time coach.
A steady, repeatable, stream of happy paying clients does.
Remember, the wealth is in the systems.
“I get that” you might be saying right now. “But how do I do that?”
Let me give you a concrete example of how I did it, which you are most welcome to steal. Also, have you seen the trick yet? *grin*
Click CONTINUE to read about how to build a real business!
Key points to remember as you eat chocolate:
- Getting people to pay you for life coaching isn’t about building ONE system or getting ONE paying client, it’s about creating a whole business world that draws clients to you automatically.
- But don’t panic! To build your fun business world you only need to concentrate on 5 systems. These systems will work together to draw clients to you.
- If you set up your systems correctly, you’ll spend most of your time working on coaching, and tweaking the beginning of your fun business world (marketing!). Bottom line: Your life WILL be easier.