Today’s interview with Bridget Healy is a great example of how you can create a global brand using a client centric approach to business.
Visit Bridget and buy quality, values-led products online!
Everything is possible with the right tools. If you’re truly ready to break old habits and get out of the rut I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.
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In today’s episode, I want to explain how to add massive value to your coaching programs so that you can sell more programs at a higher price, and secure raving fans.
You might be wondering what’s this all about? It sounds too good to be true?
I’m going to explain it all in this episode and it’s so ridiculously simple that you will wonder why you didn’t think of it before.
Today I want to talk about why data is important to YOUR clients, and how you can use it to benefit your business, and what sort of data to collect.
Let’s start with a concept of why clients buy from you in the first place.
This is marketing 101 and there are some key elements that drive a purchase, especially something worth over $600 like a coaching program. People will:
Let’s look at that first point. In marketing language, a viable niche is a group of people that are spending big money for paid support.
The second point – buying from YOU – requires you to put yourself out there professionally, with your best foot forward, and being relatable, listening and building relationships.
I find that for most of my business coaching clients, especially those just starting out, the challenging parts are proving the results, and offering something tangible that makes sense to them.
Now I’m going to explain an easy way to do this, right away, even if you have limited runs on the board.
As a scientist by training, I’m a strong believer in high quality data to position yourself as professional, evidence-based and offering repeatable results.
Part of the reason I was able to help build a multi-million dollar business was that we had 10 years worth of data that none of our competitors had.
We used this data to shift legislation, to position as experts, to develop specialty skills and expertise, and to be the go-to company for two specific types of service.
Further to that, the weight of data that we had was compelling evidence that our management services were effective and could get results.
What would it be like to achieve those things in your business?
In my last episode, I talked about how you can use the data from client strengths surveys to understand your ideal client and rocket fuel your marketing.
Let’s talk about why data is important to YOUR clients, and how it benefits your business.
Part of the reason that it’s hard to make change is that we don’t believe what we’re capable of, or that we can change, until we have proof.
That’s because the human brain is wired to want proof that any new behavior is safe, and a good idea.
Quite simply, good quality data provides that proof.
Data provides tangible evidence.
A coaching program without any monitoring data is lacking a critical piece of the puzzle because that data gives your clients the evidence they need that what they are doing is worth it, and getting results.
Now, think about all the opportunities you have to introduce data into a coaching program.
The two aims of a coaching program are to raise self-awareness, and to help people move through the stages of change.
Data gives your clients the evidence they need that what they are doing is worth it, and getting results.
If you ask your clients to capture data at the beginning of a program and the end, they can see quite tangibly how far they’ve come, what’s changed, and by how much.
If they monitor data throughout their program as they are experimenting with change, they will more quickly learn what is working, and more specifically, what is working best.
This will help them to tweak their goals and set better quality goals, so they get even better outcomes by the end of a program.
In my last episode, I talked about how you can use the data from client strengths surveys to understand your ideal client and rocket fuel your marketing.
Let’s talk about why data is important to YOUR clients, and how it benefits your business.
Part of the reason that it’s hard to make change is that we don’t believe what we’re capable of, or that we can change, until we have proof.
That’s because the human brain is wired to want proof that any new behavior is safe, and a good idea.
Quite simply, good quality data provides that proof.
Data provides tangible evidence
A coaching program without any monitoring data is lacking a critical piece of the puzzle because that data gives your clients the evidence they need that what they are doing is worth it, and getting results.
Now, think about all the opportunities you have to introduce data into a coaching program.
The two aims of a coaching program are to raise self-awareness, and to help people move through the stages of change.
If you ask your clients to capture data at the beginning of a program and the end, they can see quite tangibly how far they’ve come, what’s changed, and by how much.
If they monitor data throughout their program as they are experimenting with change, they will more quickly learn what is working, and more specifically, what is working best.
This will help them to tweak their goals and set better quality goals, so they get even better outcomes by the end of a program.
Today I talked about a simple way to increase coaching value and sales, reputation and clients.
Clients buy to solve a problem and because they trust you – but beyond that, they need proof and tangible results that are meaningful to them, in order to truly value and be an advocate for what you do.
The simplest way to do this is with high quality data that your clients will collect before, during and after their program.
Since it’s such a juicy topic, I am going to deep dive into specifics in my next episode, next week. Stay tuned!
There are tools that can make it easy when your know how! If you’re ready to break old habits and make your life easier I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.
Learn more here:
In today’s episode, I want to show you a great way to capture important information about your clients so that you can learn more about who your ideal client is, who you naturally attract, and how to become more of a client magnet.
There are really two parts to working with clients in a coaching relationship.
The first part is to help our clients become more self aware so that they know what thinking and doing habits need to change.
When our clients are more self-aware it facilitates the second main part of coaching clients, which is helping them to experiment with new lifestyle habits and make those changes in a way that suits them, their needs and their personalities.
Coaches use a variety of quizzes and questionnaires to help clients become self-aware. I call this ‘grow’ content because every time a client learns something about themselves it helps them to grow a little.
And one of the main tools that coaches use is the VIA strength test.
In this episode I want to walk you through a step-by-step process of enhancing the professionalism of your practice, and using the VIA strengths test information to enhance your marketing.
The VIA Institute on character is an organisation that combines the science of strength with the practice of well-being.
According to their website:
The VIA Institute on Character helps people change their lives by tapping into the power of their own greatest strengths. Established as non-profit organization in 2001, we set out – and continue to – advance both the science and practice of character, and empower those on their strengths-building journey. That’s why we make our research accessible to everyone and offer the VIA Survey free of charge, worldwide.
Every time a client learns something about themselves it helps them to grow a little.
They say that “your character strengths are the qualities that come most naturally to you. They say that every individual possesses all the 24 character strengths in different degrees, giving each person a unique character strengths profile. And when you know your strengths you can improve your life and thrive. The research reveals that people who use their strength a lot are 18 times more likely to be flourishing than those who do not use their strengths.”
The VIA character strengths test is a core piece of strengths-based coaching and it sets the scene for introducing positive psychology into your coaching sessions, and helping your clients create an upward spiral with their health and wellbeing habits.
As a scientist by training, I’m a strong believer that every time you do something in your business it makes sense to do it in the most professional, replicable, efficient and streamlined way possible.
And the first tip that I want to share with you today is something that is going to help you build your professional, credible reputation.
You can actually create your own professional account on the VIA website and you can store basic client results in that website.
Firstly, what that means is that you can give your client a personalized link to the VIA website that has your practice name or business name in the URL.
Here’s how you set that up.
Firstly visit www.viacharacter.org.
Click on the ‘Professionals’ menu link in the top right of the screen.
Choose ‘Pro Sites’ from the dropdown menu.
Read the information on that page, scroll down and go to the Create Your Pro Site Now button, and follow the prompts.
Now, you can send your clients a unique URL with your business name in it, taking them to the VIA test.
My link is http://melaniejwhite.pro.viasurvey.org
Now, when your clients take this survey you will be sent an email letting you know that they have completed it and you will be able to log into this website and see a list of clients who taken the strengths survey, the date that they took the survey, and you’ll be able to click through to see their results.
This is all free.
There are other things that you can get with a paid account but you probably don’t need those things yet.
Here is the really interesting thing about the data that you collect over time.
I have a couple of coaches that work in my business as licensees for an 8-week weight loss program that I developed.
Recently, I downloaded The VIA survey data for all of our clients from that program.
Then, I made a spreadsheet that lists the top 5 strengths of the clients who have recently taken the test. And then I sorted them by coach.
My theory is that we tend to attract people who are 80% like us and I wanted to see if this strengths data reflected that different coaches are actually attracting different kinds of clients.
And the results are pretty amazing.
For the clients that I have coached recently around weight loss, their top 3 strengths fairness, gratitude and honesty. All of my clients have had at least two of these in their top 3 strengths.
For another coach in my business, all of her clients top 3 – 4 strengths were honesty, kindness, love and humour.
So very clearly the two of us are attracting slightly different kinds of people. Honesty is something that all of our clients have as a very high ranking strength.
But hers are slightly different to mine.
I also see that my clients are much more consistent in the top 3 strengths than the other coach, and perhaps that means that she works with a slightly broader range of clients or that her niche is less defined than mine.
What does this all mean, and how can we use this to improve our marketing?
Well looking at my client list, and knowing that I seem to attract people whose top strengths are gratitude, fairness and honesty, I know more about my ideal client AND I can more likely attract them with sales copy that creates those sorts of emotions.
I can present my offer in a way that seems fair.
I can be open and frank about who it is and isn’t for, and what is or isn’t included.
I can share my gratitude for being able to help others around through the power of their transformation.
This is just a bit of an idea of how you could use this information but it’s really amazing to see these trends and to understand the power of this information.
Regularly checking in with strengths survey results and collating the data in this way might make a big difference to your ability to attract and engage potential clients.
To wrap up today’s episode as coaches we like to help clients become self-aware and to use their strengths to experiment with and form new habits.
We use a variety of quizzes and questionnaires to create aha moments and raise self-awareness.
The VIA character strengths questionnaire is a recognised tool that many Health and wellness coaches use.
You can go to the VIA website and create your own professional account, as part of your professional positioning.
Being more self-aware helps our clients to experiment with new lifestyle habits and make those changes in a way that suits them.
In addition to that, you can collate client data in a spreadsheet and identify trends that tell you important things, like how clearly defined your niche is, the common ground between you and your ideal client, and the types of strengths and emotions that might resonate with them in your marketing copy.
I’ve included links in the transcript of this episode to help you get started on getting to know your clients better.
Quizzes are just one of many tools that can make your coaching business easier and more effectictive. If you’re truly ready to break old habits and make your life easier I encourage you to check out the Habitology membership.
Learn more here:
If you are finding solo business hard, and want to feel more connected and create clients through networking, this episode is for you. We explore five ways to start building professional and personal networks to achieve these aims.
When you work in an office as part of a team, you get a sense of connection each day as you interact with others and share ideas, jokes or brainstorm work problems.
But when you start your own business, things can be a little bit different.
Some people run their business from within another business such as a wellness clinic or studio, and so they experience that much-needed peer interaction.
But what happens when you are flying solo, and operating from home?
We need a way to feel connected and supported in business so that we can find the motivation, energy, confidence and enthusiasm to persist.
On top of that, building professional and personal networks is a wonderful way to meet potential clients and referral partners who can send qualified referrals your way.
Let’s look at the various ways that solo business owners can build networks.
Allied Health professionals often have either formal or informal meetings, social events and/or online groups for the purpose of networking, referring and collaborating.
Their meetings are typically monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly.
By reaching out to the Allied Health professionals in your area and catching up for a cup of coffee or brief Zoom introduction, you can quickly find out which ones are ‘your kind of person’ and find out where and how these professionals network in your local area.
If you are a member of the Coaching Success Accelerator, you can find a downloadable, step-by-step process for reaching out to Allied Health Professionals.
You might also like to listen to episode 74 where I do a deep dive into how to build a referral network with Allied Health Professionals.
Also, check out episode 65 which is about communicating your value.
Allied Health professionals often have either formal or informal meetings, social events and/or online groups for the purpose of networking, referring and collaborating.
Their meetings are typically monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly.
By reaching out to the Allied Health professionals in your area and catching up for a cup of coffee or brief Zoom introduction, you can quickly find out which ones are ‘your kind of person’ and find out where and how these professionals network in your local area.
If you are a member of the Coaching Success Accelerator, you can find a downloadable, step-by-step process for reaching out to Allied Health Professionals.
You might also like to listen to episode 74 where I do a deep dive into how to build a referral network with Allied Health Professionals.
Also, check out episode 65 which is about communicating your value.
Every reputable profession has an industry association that acts as a voice for its members.
Their meetings are typically monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly.
Being a member of a professional association can provide opportunities to vote on important issues, but also, it lets your clients know that you work in a serious, credible profession that has a formal self-regulation process and quality standards.
Being featured on the home page of an industry association is another way for people to find you online, positioned in a professional environment.
In Australia and New Zealand, the premiere industry body is Health Coaches of Australia and New Zealand Association.
LinkedIn is a globally-recognised platform for networking with other businesses and potential clients.
It has an advantage of being “more professional” than other social media channels, so may lend credibility and good business positioning.
You may make valuable connections for referral, collaboration or potential clients here.
There are industry-specific groups where you can network with peers in specific areas of health and wellbeing.
This is a great place to go if your niche group is a professional, entrepreneur and/or manager.
Facebook also offers support in the form of industry-specific groups, like the Students of Wellness Coaching Australia group.
Your local Chamber of Commerce is an active business hub where you can meet and rub shoulders with decision makers in your community.
Their meetings are typically monthly.
Depending on where you live, your local Chamber may be quite active or not so much.
In any case, it’s worth exploring the network to see who is involved, and to ask to attend a first meeting as a guest to see if it could be mutually beneficial.
Often, Chambers of Commerce have an active role in community projects, Council grants or industry-level initiatives that may be relevant to you (e.g. health related).
An easy way to build professional alliances is to start your own group.
This is a good tactic for you if you are outgoing, love people and enjoy networking (otherwise it may feel like too much work – and you’re better off joining someone else’s network/group).
In a professional sense, this could be a mastermind, a specific collaboration project, or simply a peer support group.
Or even better – you can start your own Facebook or LinkedIn group to attract potential clients. This is a bigger job than the others, but if you are ready to build a tribe of like minded people and have the energy to show up every day, this is a good option.
There are a variety of training courses that can help you do it right.
It’s easy to feel isolated when you transition from a workplace to your own solo business.
However, I’ve listed FIVE options that you could start exploring to build professional and client networks for the purpose of feeling supported, brainstorming ideas and creating clients.
We need a way to feel connected and supported in business so that we can find the motivation, energy, confidence and enthusiasm to persist.
To get started, choose the one that feels like the best fit and make plans to join and explore what it’s like to be a member.
If that works well, schedule in the number of meetings or days you would like to attend (keep it small and simple!) and start getting into the hang of participating, contributing and collaborating.
When that’s working well, you may like to explore another option.
Now, it’s over to you.
What is your easiest and most obvious starting point?
It becomes a whole lot easier when you know how. 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:
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