I already had conversations with two different people about this very topic today. Essentially, the biggest challenge many coaches are facing right now is they simply aren’t getting enough new clients. Well, there are a lot of ways to gain new clients. We could discuss marketing, or we could talk about selling. But today we’re going to focus on the latter. Specifically, we’ll be looking at Clarity, Tracking and Execution, which are the three sales-related keys to get better at.
1. Clarity
There needs to be clarity on the right activity to get the results you want. For example, if you want to gain 10 new clients this month, what is the activity that needs to happen for you to get there? Is it to make 10 phone calls a week to referral sources? Is it to send out 100 emails a week to prospects that you need to touch base with? What are the bite-sized steps you need to do to get into a position of hitting your 10-client goal?
I was recently working with a coach on this very topic, and working through his goals together allowed him to estimate what actions were needed to get the best results. So be sure to gain clarity before you move on to taking action.
2. Tracking
Many coaches do not track appropriately. Do you use a CRM (Customer relationship management)? I just did a talk with a group of people and someone recommended Pipedrive CRM. I personally use HubSpot and ActiveCampaign, but I’ve also used HighRise and Salesforce in the past. What technology are you leveraging to track your activity?
If a web-based CRM just isn’t your thing, here at Entre Results we also have this advanced spreadsheet that our coaches can use to track activity. Any method you prefer is fine as long as you commit to tracking in some way.
3. Execution
Once you gain clarity and have the right tracking mechanism in place, the next challenge for many is executing the right activity. Oftentimes, they simply do not do what they set out to do. That’s why you’ve got to have accountability or encouragement. You need something that’s going to help you take action and get new clients.
Believe it or not, coaches benefit tremendously by hiring a coach themselves. It’s the best option for giving you the accountability you need. Or you can get a really good friend to help. Just keep in mind that friends are sometimes the worst people you can ask to hold you accountable, so make sure you’re asking a motivated friend who isn’t afraid to push you.
In my first book Entre Balance, I talked about the three levels of accountability. The first one is internal accountability—we have to hold ourselves accountable. The next level is personal (one-on-one) accountability. To advance in business, sales, and life in general, it’s crucial to have someone else help guide and challenge you. And third is group accountability. It’s beneficial to have encouragement from an entire group of people who are rooting for you to succeed.
Let me demonstrate how these three levels of accountability work. As a coach, you have to maintain a schedule or daily to-do list to run your coaching business—that’s internal accountability. You also need someone else to check in from time to time and make sure you’re on the right track—that’s personal accountability. Finally, you take part in mastermind groups and everyone there drives you forward—that’s group accountability.
When utilized in combination, these three elements are what’ll help get you to the next level. So go out, take action, gain new clients, and make it a better than amazing day.
Feel free to send us an email with your thoughts, or comment below!
