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Part 2 of a four part series by Michele Schubnel
The Four Biggest Mistakes Coaches Make . . . and how to avoid them!
PART TWO - Haphazard Marketing Business Mistake #2: Haphazard Marketing To build a successful coaching business you need to be a good coach and a good marketer. Is your marketing consistent and focused or is it random and haphazard? If you are struggling to grow your business, I am guessing that it is not because you aren't taking action. Instead, I bet that you are not consistently taking the right action. Coaches who are challenged by marketing often take a shot gun approach. They implement a random and haphazard array of marketing strategies that may or may not work. Instead, the best way to be successful at marketing is by creating and consistently implementing an effective marketing system. You can't just do marketing when you feel like it or when you need clients. Marketing must be an integral, ongoing, automatic part of your business. Although it takes an upfront investment to develop a marketing system, in the long run you will spend far less time, money and energy when you have a system in place. In addition, having a system makes marketing a lot easier and less stressful. The foundation of an effective marketing system is knowing who you want to reach (your target market) and the benefits and results that your coaching provides (what you coach on). If you are making the first business mistake discussed in Part 1 of this series and you are unclear about these two things, it is impossible to engage in effective marketing. Assuming you have a solid foundation, there are three main components of an effective marketing system: active marketing, compelling materials and a keep-in-touch strategy. Active marketing is what you do to reach out and connect with potential clients, for example: speaking, direct outreach, forming strategic alliances, in-person networking, online networking and internet marketing. An effective marketing system needs at least one main active marketing strategy. You will get the best results if you focus on implementing one primary marketing strategy and doing it well. Think about that. You have a limited amount of resources to devote towards marketing. If you spread yourself too thin and attempt to engage in several different strategies at one time your efforts get diluted and your results will be sub-par. The second component of an effective marketing system is having compelling materials, for example: business cards, a website, a brochure and a free report or other information product. These things are very useful. Your business card enables someone to contact you. Your website or brochure provides more information about your services. A free report or information product provides value and establishes your credibility. However, these things do not bring you business in and of themselves. It's what you do to give out your business card or brochure, it's the activities that drive people to your website or to download your free report, and then the follow-up you do afterwards that fill your pipeline and ultimately bring you business. If you are focused on growing your business, don't spend all of your time and money on developing materials. Instead dedicate your energy towards implementing your main active marketing strategy. Active marketing builds demand and enables you to see what is working and what isn't. Plus, when you are out actively marketing your coaching you will gain a much greater understanding of your target market and niche, so when the time is right, the report you write or the website you develop will be far more effective. The final part of an effective marketing system is having a keep-in-touch strategy, such as a newsletter, blog or mailing list. This is critical because many of the people you reach with your active marketing will not be ready to hire you right away. With an effective keep-in-touch strategy you can provide value and build a relationship over time. Action Items::
About our expert: Michelle Schubnel is a veteran coach, dynamic speaker and sales and marketing expert. A leader in the coaching field, Michelle regularly speaks at industry events and conferences in the U.S. and abroad. She is the President and owner of Coach & Grow R.I.C.H., a premier sales and marketing training company for professional coaches who want to develop a thriving, rewarding and profitable business. Since the year 2001, Michelle and the Coach & Grow R.I.C.H. team have helped thousands of coaches worldwide achieve greater business success. For more guidance on clarifying who you coach and what you coach on, download a free recording of Michelle's popular teleclass "Speak Confidently About Your Coaching and Attract More Clients" at www.coachandgrowrich.com/free/teleclasses. Contact: michelle@coachandgrowrich.com Feedback is welcome at ExpertSeries@choice-online.com Visit choice, the magazine of professional coaching Website
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