The economy has taken a hit. What’s a life coach or business coach to do? You want to keep profits rolling in, and of course you want to help people. If you REALLY want to make that connection, then make your readers see herself in your words. Hold up that mirror.
Every time you’re generic in what you say, you’re apt to lose the attention of another waffler. The way to be utterly magnetic and to get those courses booked out is by daring to be specific in how you help clients solve problems. Yes – SPECIFIC is the key.
Coaches help people for a living. They work with all kinds of clients who have all kinds of problems. Some coaching clients might be struggling to get over a painful relationship. Some are looking to break out of their dead-end job. Some find themselves drowning in the responsibilities that come with having a home based business and no life. And even though all of them have a few things in common – they want a better life for themselves, and they need help setting and achieving their goals. THEIR goals – it’s specific. Their needs are VERY specific.
People who face serious problems search for specific solutions for those problems, right at the Google search box.
No, they are not looking for “stress relief,” they want a remedy for the actual source of their stress, whatever it may be at the time. Maybe today they’re stressed over their toddler’s acting-out behavior. Or maybe they want to know how to cure their crippling insomnia without drugs. Perhaps your search-engine-seeking future client is placing bets that her husband is a narcissist. Yes – get those terms in there!
Your future coaching client might be hunting Google for answers as to “why I am fat” (see search results in the 8,000 per month range). He wants to know how to bring the spark back to his sex life, she needs guidance on how to quit her job, how she will ever deal with being a full time working mom, etc. etc. – you get the idea!
Your future clients and customers are searching for other people who as driven insane by their family members around the holidays as they are. They’re seeking out other women who are grieving the early death of their spouse. Maybe they’re having trouble adjusting from city to small-town life, and are hunting for commisseration on that topic.
Your future client is far less likely to be searching for “how to set a good goal” or “ways to quiet the negative self talk”. (Although it’s possible, depending on how “into” coach-speak they are.)
The reason he or she isn’t too likely looking for this is because average people with real problems generally don’t even know what “negative self talk” is. But they might be looking for relief from “negative thoughts” or ” symptoms of depression.” The point I’m making here, again, is that your hot prospects (the ones ready to buy) want SPECIFIC answers to SPECIFIC problems. In fact – they’re pretty much at their wit’s end right now.
If you fill all of your articles with generic information, you’re passing up a ready audience with very real issues who are willing to pay to have you help solve them. Not only that, but your future clients want real stories they can relate to; practical advice (not fluffy, New Age woo-woo talk). They want tales of hope, and inspiring and encouraging words.
Again, coaches must understand how critically important it is to be highly TARGETED in your marketing to people with problems.
You may ask, “But if I only market to women who are getting a divorce, won’t I be passing up all the single clients who may also require the guidance of a coach?” No, you won’t… because for one month (or two, or three, or for however long you want to run it)… you will be focusing your marketing ONLY on newly divorced or about-to-be-divorced women. You will write articles, publish tips, run programs, and sell advice, on how to survive a divorce.
Then, later on, after attracting SPECIFIC clients who have this IMMEDIATE problem (in this case, the pain of divorce) that begs to be solved, you will shift to a different audience and a different problem. Then, once again, you will hammer the web heavy and hard with content and materials that cover this new segment of readers.
During the months that you market ONLY to people who, say, feel self conscious about their weight, you’re going to have to ignore the rest of the world, who might be skinny but have other problems like they can’t make their minds up about what they want to be when they grow up, or they can’t manage their finances alone, or what-have-you. Don’t worry – just because you’re not talking to them now, doesn’t mean you can’t START talking to them later and drive them in to seek your help in herds, because you can.
Here’s a good rule of thumb for coaches who write and publish articles. Ask yourself, “Who am I talking to today? What problem am I trying to solve?” If the answer is something vague like “people with low motivation” then you can bet the article isn’t going to do much to entice a new client or re-interest an old one.
You must understand that generic marketing that talks to everyone will actually appeal to no one. If you’re a coach who feels anxious about attracting and retaining business in the coming years, then heed my words. Get SPECIFIC with your marketing approach, if you’re ready to leap into the next realm of profit!