The Inept Coach Marketing Strategy

Did you know that there is a typical approach that coaches use when they decide that they want to market their coaching practice and begin to attract clients? It's so common that it no longer surprises me when a coach lets me know of their future plans to attract the clients they desire.

Unfortunately, this approach is pretty inept and leads to little in the way of results apart from giving the aforementioned coach a lot of frustration. So what is it? Well - it goes something like this and I usually receive an e-mail enquiry along the following lines:

Hi Shaun,

I've just launched my life coaching practice and have produced a leaflet describing my life coaching services. I've been placing my leaflets in Doctor's surgeries and the local library and I've put a poster up in the local gym too. However, I've not received a single enquiry yet. What can I do?

Best wishes,

Josephine Bloggs (a.k.a. a frustrated client-less Life Coach)

Please don't blush if the above approach describes your current or past client-attracting strategy - it is pretty typical. I'll even admit to using it myself when I started my coaching practice in August 2000 (note the use of time to distance myself from the crime ;-)). It is also unlikely to build the successful coaching practice you deserve.

The above approach has many weaknesses - namely:

1. It's passive - After you've dropped the leaflets on the table or put the poster up on the discussion board you think that you're almost done. Also the control of the process is now out of your hands. So you sit waiting for a response.

2. It's unfocused - With this approach you're trying to contact a very wide audience and hope to attract anybody and everybody. Unfortunately, the opposite occurs as you often attract nobody. This is the 'spray and pray' method of attracting clients which doesn't work too well.

3. It's in reverse - The order of the process is mixed up. Instead of finding a market and discovering what they want, you're trying to take a pre-conceived idea to a market you're most likely unclear upon what they want in the first place. Do you know who you're targeting and what they want?

4. It's too much, too soon - Here the emphasis is on moving into activity before having a well thought-out strategy for attracting clients. Activity without strategy is often ineffective.

5. It's pervasive - A lot of other coaches are using this well worn approach. Why would someone choose your leaflet or respond to your poster in particular?

6. It's ineffective - The above approach typically yields little in the way of results if any at all.

So what can you do?

Well, it's really a case of taking the points above and doing the exact opposite. So:

1. Get active - Choose methods that leave you in control and keep you actively in the game of being in contact with potential clients.

2. Get focused - Focus your efforts on a specific target market and deliver a relevant message that speaks to them.

3. Get in order - Do some research and find a market with an existing need first and then sculpt your coaching service to meet a pre-existing need.

4. Get a strategy - Take the time to develop an effective plan for attracting clients into your coaching practice and then get into the activity phase.

I hope that this edition has been useful for you and that you have learnt something from reading this article. If you would like to attract clients in a more strategic and easier way, then just contact me to request a consultation.

So, do you have an inept coach marketing strategy?

With very best wishes,

Shaun

Authentic Practice
helping coaches to get more clients
45 Capitol Court
Old Coach Road
Wollaton
Nottingham
NG8 1GX

Website: http://www.authenticpractice.com

Tel.: (0115) 928 3070 or (0845) 123 5105
Mobile: (07811) 262 111

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I work with coaches who have a strong desire to help others but are currently struggling to get clients. I help them to attract more clients and create a stable coaching practice to make a difference in the world.

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