I’ve been having some intimate conversations with a few colleagues lately and there is something going on the coaching industry.
This may make you upset. Or it may make you relieved because you’ve had this thought too.
Either way it’s important to know which side you are on so you know how to make your business thrive in the next year.
Here is my prediction: The coaching industry is in a similar split that happened in 2008 with the housing market.
Folks who are in the coaching industry for authentic reasons will be positioned to reap the rewards.
Folks who are in it because it looks like an avenue to make a quick buck off of “desperate” people will piss a bunch of people off and then go away to the next fad.
Greed never wins in the long run.
WE want real. We want something tangible. And we can smell hype a mile away.
YOU are a part of this movement of authentic transformation and wealth.
Last year when I started seeing this I had a meltdown that sounded something like this:
<tears> <snot> <more tears> “Oh my God, is this coaching industry really changing lives or is it something that we all just sell stuff to each other but we don’t really make a difference?”
(GASP) – How could I even say such a thing right?
I really questioned the industry. I questioned my value as a service provider. I questioned the support I was paying for. I questioned the “industry standards” as to what “success” really was. I questioned it all.
I saw the ugly side of the industry and because I know that everything I experience I attract on some level, it was the linchpin to build a business even more authentically. It showed me who I’m NOT so I could determine the right path.
This was all necessary for me to have a deeper conviction of what I can contribute to personally and what WE can do as the authentic side of the industry.
This was also necessary for me to bring forth my best work yet with my clients. It stretched me into following my intuition and my bliss.
I get that you are on the right side of this industry split.
Here are my top tips to align your business authentically so you make more money, experience more joy and fulfill your purpose.
1. Only ask people to do what you are willing to do yourself. If you are going to charge a certain amount for your programs, you need to have paid that price. This will help you feel authentic about the value of your services and that authenticity carries through energetically in all of your marketing and sales conversations.
2. You’ve gotta let go of the self-created drama around numbers and sales. To truly serve people, make the decision to let go of any drama around the sales conversation. Notice I said it’s a decision, it’s not a big process or years of mastering the skill. Sales is mindset and skill set and it starts with a decision.
3. You can’t build your business only with positive thinking. You’ve got to “move your feet” and take action in addition to working with your mindset.
4. It’s not you, it’s how you attempt to save people from themselves. If you are concerned about what you charge or the results your clients can get, you are likely stuck in taking over-responsibility for your clients and it’s not that you don’t have something of value to offer.
You aren’t responsible for the results your clients create. You give them what you promised and they need to do the work for their results. (Thanks to Elizabeth Pervis for that reminder.)
5. Investing in your business doesn’t start with money, it starts with a decision. Investing in mentoring, attending events and hiring a team starts with a decision and then the resources follow. If your mindset is “When I have the money then I’ll hire a mentor,” then nothing will change.
6. Comparison is the root of all pain. If you want to have a unique business model, it’s important to stop comparing yourself to others in your market. Be willing to stand out and be unique in your offerings and your message.
To Your Success,
Angella
