When Yes Becomes No

I don't know if you've experienced this before but it can be very disheartening. What?

You have a complimentary call with a prospective client. They decide to become a client- yipee! You schedule your first call together and send out the intake forms. You get off the phone, do a celebratory dance and begin allocating the forthcoming loot. Hey - not so fast...

They come back later (usually via the cowardice route of e-mail) and say no - they've changed their mind. The dog ate their dinner or some other apparently lame excuse. Bummer - no other word for it I'm afraid. What happened?

There's a phenomenon known as buyer's remorse and it's something you need to be aware of to minimise the likelihood of the sad scenario occurring too often in your coaching practice. So, what's happening here?

Whenever someone makes a major purchase, they begin to have doubts about it immediately afterwards. Has this ever happened to you too? You make a big purchase and begin to wonder if you've made the right decision. You ask yourself if you really needed the thing anyway. You also may need to explain your decision to others.

So what can you do as a coach to minimise the chances of the yes-no switch occurring?

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Off to Chicago...

Just to let you know that I'm off to Chicago 4th-10th May - part holiday, part seminar. I'm attending a seminar on how to use the Internet to attract clients and will share any pearls of wisdom on my return. You will still receive the newsletter next week as usual and please note that I may be a little slower responding to e-mails.

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> Steps to minimise buyer's remorse

Here are some steps you can take to minimise the likelihood that you'll experience the yes-no switch detailed above:

1. Soft sell - Firstly, prevention is better than cure. Go for the soft sell during your complimentary consultation and don't try to bully or cajole the prospective client into utilising your coaching services.

Remember - A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.

2. Recap - Near the end of the call, recap on what you will do for the client and what they in turn will do for you. Do they sound committed or are they just trying to get you off the phone?

3. Fast follow-up - Follow-up with the prospective client via e-mail immediately after the complementary consultation. Congratulate them on making a wise decision.

4. Make it personal and relevant - Recap on your understanding of their situation, what they want to achieve and how specifically you can help them.

Here's an example from my practice:

Hi Josephine (Bloggs!),

Congratulations on making the decision to market your coaching practice more effectively so that you have a firm foundation to begin to attract your first paying clients.

Thank you also for calling on time today and I hope that you are now clearer on what you will get from the Practice Starter Program.

I am sure that I can help you to:

- Find a suitable name for your coaching practice

- Develop client-attracting copy for your website

- Produce an effective marketing strategy for your practice

- Begin to develop your confidence to attract your first paying clients.

- and much more

I think that you have identified a strong niche that could provide a client base for you with the right marketing approach.

As promised, please find the intake forms attached to this message. The more detail you place on these forms the better so that we can make the most progress in the very first session next Tuesday at 10am.

I have also attached the invoice for the Practice Starter Programme and would ask that you return the cheque before our first session.

I am really looking forward to helping you to greatly improve the marketing of your coaching practice Josephine so that you have as strong marketing message for your target market.

So, what do you do when yes becomes no?

With very best wishes,

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

Website: http://www.authenticpractice.com

Tel.: (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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