© 2024 Melanie White
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Are you a coach who is setting themselves up for your first clients and feeling overwhelmed about all the things you have to do, manage and create? Let’s take a step back and slow down and get clear on some simple things you can do to start meeting and creating more clients.
In our fast-paced, always-on world we have so much stuff and so many things going on in our minds and lives.
Did you know that at any one time, your brain contains around 60,000 thoughts?
When we are always on, going fast and being ‘busy’, we tend to act without thinking, accumulate things that we don’t really need, and get talked into things that we don’t really want.
We can become overworked and reactive, and then we lie awake at night with our huge to-do lists.
The unwanted emotions kick in at 3 o’clock in the morning and we create mountains out of molehills.
It’s hard to run a business effectively if you are caught up in the drama of all the things.
The principle of simplicity can help you stay afloat and to thrive.
Here’s how to achieve simplicity in business so that you can be freed up to build relationships – which is really the heart of what you’re doing.
One of the easiest ways to be simple is to define what you need RIGHT NOW and the easiest way to meet those needs.
In life, your needs include basics like water, exercise, good food, rest and time to reflect.
If you think about your business in the same way, it boils down to five simple things:
As a coach, you know all about that first list of things. Now let’s talk about the second list – those five simple points – that can help you run a business with simplicity.
What does maintaining relationships involve?
This is the essence of marketing. I think it’s about deciding who you will meet, and how often you need to meet them.
For example, maintaining relationships could be as simple as meeting 5 people in your network each week, showing up to a Facebook group you run each day, or making 5 phone calls per week.
That’s it.
SIMPLE!
That’s all it takes to introduce yourself, build relationships and keep them warm. And when the time is right, these are the people that might buy from you or help you spread the word.
What does scheduling involve?
There are two parts to this. Firstly, there is how you organise your time.
You already know that you need to maintain relationships, so that would go into your schedule each week as a regular, set activity.
You also need a way for clients to schedule enquiries or coaching sessions with you.
How do you do that?
Well, at a basic level, they can phone or email you.
At a more sophisticated and automated level, they can access you via an online booking platform like AcuityScheduling or Calendly.
The beauty of these platforms is that they include reminders and even payment gateways so it’s easy to do two or three things at once.
What does delivering services involve?
As a coach, you either need a room, a phone or an online meeting service.
Simple!
A room could be a by-the-hour hired space in your local area, for example, a room you hire ad-hoc in a well-being clinic.
The phone is easy – you can definitely coach by phone if you want to.
Alternatively, you can use an online system like Google Meet (free), Zoom (low cost and better quality) or Microsoft Teams (higher end). These are all simple and easy to set up.
What does storing information involve?
Well, you have client notes, procedures, policies, tools and resources that you might want to store.
The old-fashioned way is a filing cabinet with printed documents. This is totally fine!
Otherwise, you might want to have a folder structure set up on your computer where you store different types of documents.
For example, you have one folder for client files (one folder within that for each client).
You might have one folder for policies and procedures.
You might have one folder with resources in it – a vault of information – that you can share with clients, via a link.
That’s it. Simple.
What does invoicing involve?
The in-person way involves a Word document template and a receipt book.
If you want to get a bit fancier, Wave App is a free software that gives you basic invoicing functionality.
Fancier than that is Xero or Quickbooks on a monthly subscription, with more bookkeeping features.
Simple. You really don’t need much more than that.
I know, I know, you are thinking now – don’t I need a website or a Facebook page?
NOPE.
For free, you can set up a LinkedIn profile (professional) and you can also set up Google My Business for free.
Both of these are great ways to build an online presence and get testimonials. Why get a website when you can do this?
It’s the reviews that really count in the beginning.
Today, I discussed the concept of simplicity and how it can help you run a business free of overwhelm, and full of time, calmness and clarity on what you are doing each day.
Your business is all about relationships, and the key things you need to focus on are
People are going to tell you that you need fancy systems and software. I’m here to say, No You Don’t.
Keep your business simple and it will be WAY more enjoyable.
If you need help to prepare for market research interviews and analyse your results, book a good fit call to see if I can help you. My books are closed to personal clients until July, but I have space in my June Passion to Profit program if you need help building the foundations of your business.
Understanding who you are and what you need will allow your business to thrive! If you’re truly ready to break old habits and get out of the rut I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.
Learn more here:
© 2024 Melanie White