BE the Coach! This is how to succeed in marketing and networking. For 28 years as a coach and 23 years of those a coach trainer and mentor, I can honestly say what I do works because I consistently maintain a steady stream of clients, students and mentees. I accepted this CHOICE challenge to examine why and how so others can increase comfort with business development and become, or be more, successful.
My strategy is to offer a free 60-90 minutes experience to prospective clients. Fourteen reasons and six coaching principles guide my presence, expression and interaction. People will say yes to your services because they want to spend more time with you. This suggests that when you are congruent in your thoughts, beliefs and expression in alignment with being a coach, you are much more likely to succeed. I believe that applying the ICF coaching competencies informs my success and I note them as appropriate.
Allow me to blurt out a pet peeve. I do not use the word ‘marketing’. I prefer ‘sharing’ and you will understand why as you read the 6 coaching principles that guide my presence, expression and interaction and 14 reasons for offering a free experience.
‘BE the Coach’ Principles: invitation to a free experience
1. Encompass all answers because you believe, as coaches do, that clients have wisdom and your role is to bring forth and expand that wisdom (Establishing Trust and Intimacy). For example: when your prospect learns you are a Coach and says, “Oh, that is like a therapist.” Flow with the information you just received, acknowledge you heard it (Active Listening) and reply, “I hear you are familiar with therapy. Then you know that therapy takes bad things and makes them smaller. My profession, coaching, takes big things and makes them bigger.”
I do not say, “No, it is not like therapy.” What I am not saying with that reply is, “You big dummy you are wrong and let me tell you why you are wrong.” Of course we would never say that. That is still the message and how it is received when we say “No”. What we are not saying is just as important as what we are saying. As coaches we are trained to listen for what clients say and what clients do not say. Be the coach!
2. Empower prospects to be in charge of the conversation. Masterful coaches allow clients to teach us ways to move that serve their interest and desired outcome. (Coaching Presence). We do not drive the process. When prospects ask a question they are in charge of the direction of the conversation. They want to spend more time with you because you create a space in which they are in charge and feel empowered.
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