Simple 10 Step Plan for Growing Your Business
When it comes to building your business, do any of these sound familiar - (maybe they all do)?
“I’ve got to join as many Facebook groups related to my niche as I can.”
“But wait, is my niche narrow enough? Maybe it’s too narrow. Or maybe it’s too broad? I don’t know!”
“Ugh, I hate marketing. I just want to coach. But I know I have to, so I’ll hop on this Facebook Group, offer advice and see what happens.”
“Shoot. That’s not working. Maybe I’ll post some things on Instagram. I’ve got this great inspirational quote I can use.”
“Should I go on LinkedIn? Or maybe I should run some Facebook Ads. But those are so expensive and I have no idea what I’m doing.”
“I just want to help people and not have to do all this other stuff.”
The result of all of these thoughts?
Overwhelm. Confusion. Frustration. The powerful urge to clean out and organize your closet instead!
I’m guessing that if you’ve had at least a few of these thoughts, you’re ready for a new approach.
My friend, you can have a successful coaching business that supports you and everything you want in life.
Why did you start your coaching business?
Here are some of the things I’ve heard from coaches about why they want to build their coaching business. Perhaps some of these resonate with you...
“I would love to help out my husband financially. Right now he’s supporting us. My dream is to retire him so that he can fulfill his dreams and purpose.”
“I want to set my own schedule so I can be there for my kids whenever they need me.”
“I want to be able to provide that extra income so that things aren’t so tight -- more savings, activities for my kids, more fun vacations -- we can’t do that right now.”
“I really feel I’m meant to be a coach. I think I’ve been a coach my entire life. I just haven’t gotten paid for it yet. I’ve coached friends and family and so many of them have gotten results from my coaching. I know I can do this.”
If any of these resonate with you, know this…
You can make these a reality. You can have a successful coaching business that supports you in all of these ways, and then some.
But you can’t get there by throwing spaghetti at the wall. Trying this and that and seeing what sticks.
You CAN get there by building your business one step at a time doing the right things in the right order.
So let me lay out the 10 steps that will help you grow your business. These steps are divided into 2 sections ….
Power of ONE Foundation
Marketing Money Motor
POWER OF ONE
1 ) Choose your ONE ideal client
Who is your ideal client? The one ideal dream client who wants and needs the exact program/service you’re creating?
I know you want to help everyone. But it’s too hard to build a business trying to talk to everyone. You have to decide who you want to help the most.
You may have heard the saying...
“When you try to help everyone, you help no one.”
This is so true!
But you’ll really feel it when you start creating content and can’t get your message dialed in because you’re trying to work with everyone.
2 ) Select your ONE result/transformation you know you can get for your clients
What transformation or result are you promising to get for your client?
Trying to build a business without a dialed in niche is just asking for pain and frustration.
You have to choose the one problem you solve for your clients. One result you’re going to help people with.
Once you have your niche dialed in (your ONE ideal client)+ your ONE result you’ll help them get, you then need to…
3 ) Design your ONE custom coaching method
Once you know who you work with and which result you help them make, you’ll need to develop your process of how you work with your clients.
Having your own custom coaching method does three things for you…
1. Helps you become a master level coach because you have a process you know gets results
2. Helps you feel much more confident in your coaching
3. Allows you to have an authentic enrollment conversation that’s about letting your coaching method shine rather than having to sell them on YOU as a coach
Once you have your custom coach method in place, you have a better understanding of how long it will actually take to help your clients get results you promise. Then you’re ready to…
4 ) Package, price and map out your ONE signature offer
I’ve seen a lot of coaches put together 3 & 6 month (or more) coaching packages without having a clear plan to help their clients get results.
That’s why, once you have your coaching method in place, you can figure out the ideal length for your coaching package, the ideal price to charge and map everything out.
Next you’ll …
5) Pick your ONE marketing approach
Before you can go out and attract your potential clients to you, you have to have a plan in place for how you’re going to nurture them and provide value.
Will it be a Podcast - Video or Blog
Pick ONE marketing approach that feels good to you and one that you feel you could create content on every week for at least 90 days.
This is all about you choosing a platform you love -- your strengths, personality, and genius zone.
Consistency is key in marketing. And we all know that we won’t do the things that we don’t love to do. Human nature. Hard to escape it. ;-)
Pick One.
The first 5 steps are what I consider to be the foundational pieces of a coaching business.
When you build a solid foundation the rest of the steps become easier because you can focus your marketing and sales efforts around your niche and your custom coaching method.
The next section is your …
MARKETING MONEY MOTOR
No matter what you choose to be your one marketing approach, you have to have an email list. There’s no getting around that. Sorry.
It’s the #1 asset in your business, so why would you skip it?
I’ve seen a lot of coaches create a website with their coaching packages displayed and expect people to hire them.
But that’s not how it works.
You have to build relationships.
First, your potential clients need to get to know you. Trust you. Like you.
Second, they may not be ready for coaching right now.
But, you want to stay top of mind so that when they are ready, they come to you and not another coach.
Only way to do that is to have an email list that you create content for and provide value to them.
I’ve had coaches come to me for coaching after being on my list for a year or more. You just never know when someone will be ready to work with you.
Each week you are creating original content based on your ONE marketing approach - blog, video, podcast.
You’ll then email your list every week directing them to your content on that blog, video or podcast.
So, again, you must have an email list. If you don’t have one - start now.
Here’s what the money motor looks like:
Step 6: Create an irresistible freebie
People don’t opt-in for newsletters anymore. You have to provide something of huge value that 95% of your potential clients want and needs. Something they’d happily trade their email address to get.
This is your chance to start building that know, like and trust factor. If you are sharing a value packed freebie that is speaking directly to them, they will want to consume more of your content.
Your freebie is extremely important to building your email list.
Your freebie could be a value packed pdf guide, small video clips, quiz, or many other things. Don’t let that part hold you back. Get your lead magnet created and out to the world.
Step 7: Build a high converting landing page & email sequence
You’ll need a way to collect their email addresses. Typically this is with a dedicated landing page on your website with an opt-in form or a pop up on your website (or both). And you want to create it in a way that entices them to want to opt-in.
Once your potential client opts in, you’ll want an email to go to them delivering the freebie you promised. This is typically followed by a 3-5 email sequence to nurture them and continue to build your relationship.
Once you’ve got steps 6& 7 in place, you’re ready for the next step...
Step 8: Create a plan to grow your community
Besides your weekly content through emails and blogs, videos, or podcasts, you’ll want to continue to make yourself visible by networking, getting referrals, hosting workshops, conducting webinars, etc. All of these things will help build your relationships, build your email lists and build the know, like and trust factors you need for clients to want to work with you.
This is where the rubber meets the road. You need to create a plan around you -- your personality, strengths, and zone of genius.
A plan that supports how you work, what you like to do, and one that feels easy and fun.
It just won’t happen if it’s not fun.
Once you’ve got a solid power of one foundation and your marketing money motor built, it makes the rest so much easier.
Step 9: Have authentic enrollment conversations
Imagine having an enrollment conversation with a potential client where they already are familiar with you. They’ve been on your list for a while. You’ve provided tremendous value and shown your expertise. They already know, like, and trust you.
How much easier do you think that would be than to meet with someone who didn’t know you at all?
The authentic enrollment conversation becomes more about the client knowing you are the one that can get them the transformation they're looking for because all of the other stuff is out of the way.
However, even with all the other stuff out of the way, not everyone will be willing and/or able to hire you on the spot. That’s why you still need the next step.
Step 10: Helping them through their hesitations
Knowing how to overcome someone’s hesitations in an easy and non-salesy way can be incredibly valuable.
It becomes a chance to coach. And never a “you vs. them” scenario.
Instead, it’s a chance for both of you to sit on the same side of the table and come up with solutions together.
Doesn’t that feel much better?
So to quickly recap … Simple 10 step plan for growing your business
POWER OF ONE
1 ) Choose your ONE ideal client
2 ) Select your ONE result/transformation you know you can get for your clients
3 ) Design your ONE custom coaching method
4 ) Package, price and map out your ONE signature offer
5) Pick your ONE marketing approach
MARKETING MONEY MOTOR
Step 6: Create an irresistible freebie
Step 7: Build a high converting landing page & email sequence
Step 8: Create a plan to grow your community
Step 9: Have authentic enrollment conversations
Step 10: Helping them through their hesitations
If you need specific help on any of these steps, let’s have a Focused Coaching session and iron it all out.
You can snag a 1:1 Focused Coaching session here FOCUSED COACHING
