We're often guilty of using words that don't work well when explaining to people what we do as coaches, words that don't persuade them to work with us. Learn how to change your language to reach people where they are, so they understand how you can help them achieve what they want.
People buy solutions,
not services and not a process. People are running a race because they want to make it to the finish line. They do the same thing in the marketplace for coaching. People seek solutions to their problems. That's the finish line for them. They seek answers to their dilemmas. If you package and offer solutions, you can relay a message that people understand and want.
This fact that people buy solutions not services and a process also really ties into your target market. I know for me when I shifted my message to what solutions I have for people's problems, it totally shifted my business.
It's easier to attract clients - and I'll tell you this, it's a heck of a lot more fun - because instead of being caught in your own process and trying to explain what coaching is and what you do in a coaching call, you're focused on the benefits and on the finish line. That really motivates people when you're speaking to them and it's really important.
Some people in the marketing world call it your unique selling proposition - your USP is another way of saying that.
You need to establish who needs you most. They're a group who can afford you, they're accessible, they're already grouping together, you're clear about what their problem is, and you're clear about what solutions they are looking for. You can speak to them about what benefits and solutions you have to offer.
When I first started coaching I would tell people who asked about what I did that, "Coaching is a process in which you ask engaging questions and powerful questions to get somebody to come to their own answers about the problems."
People's eyes were glazing over. They were like, "What?"
I did this a couple of times and I kept thinking, "Nobody gets it. Nobody's excited. Nobody's going, ‘Tell me more. Can I have a complementary session?'" Then it just hit me that I was talking about the process and nobody really cares about the process.
So I went back and created a stress test. I decided to ask people if they want to take a stress test to see where some of the stressors are in their life. Then I was going to talk about the benefits of coaching and not what coaching is.
I had people take the test, and then they would ask, "Well, tell me what coaching is."
I would say, "Do you see where you scored low on your job and you're not really satisfied in your job? Coaching would take you from a place of dissatisfaction in your job to finding out what your real passion is and help you get excited about going to work every day. It would be creating a strategic plan to move from where you are now, unhappy in your job, to bliss in a new career."
What do you think people did? Their faces lit up and they were like, "Tell me more and where do I get this bliss? Where do I get this new excitement in my new job?" So it's really important that we talk about the benefits.
When you go into a networking event, try using end result benefits in describing what you do. For instance, if you work with ADHD and families you could say something like --
"You know how there are some families who have children with ADHD and the entire family always seem overwhelmed and stressed out? They're not able to focus and really enjoy all the things in their life because all of this is so consuming?
What I do is I step in and work with those families, and I take them from chaos to calm. I show them strategies, techniques, and tips so that they can all work together through the children and maybe their own ADHD. We systematize their entire lives and family process so they can really enjoy each other and they can all be successful."
It's all about what you can help achieve for someone in pain, and not about the process or about you. Keep this in mind for much more powerful results when talking to people who need what you offer.
