Pop quiz:
What do coaches or consultants actually SELL?
Here are some common responses I get. Ready?
- Significance!
- Success!
- Clarity!
- Meaning!
- Happiness!
- Value!
An aspiring coach left a comment on a recent video I posted. In the video, I asked two questions
- “What do you want me to pay you for?”
- “Which one of my friends would you like me to talk to about your business?”
I want you to pay me to help you create a personally fulfilling work-life balance that deeply honors your values. I want you to tell highly motivated, young to middle-aged professionals in your life, who either desire, or need balance.
I don’t share this quote to mock. This person meant well, and I share this to show you the kind of challenges we tackle in The Pivot Course. Consider:
- How do you sell “work-life balance that deeply honors your values”…?
- I cannot buy a bottle of work-life balance.
- I cannot touch “work-life balance.”
- Honestly, I don’t even know what the heck “work-life balance” even is.
- What does that even MEAN? How do I know I have IT?
This is why most coaches and consultants to not make money. They sell ethereal, woo-woo, subjective mist. They do not know what they’re selling. Thus, people do not buy.
I’m about to tell you what you REALLY sell, but first … in case you’re a smarty-pants:
No, You Don’t Sell “Solutions” Either.
Maybe you thought you got me this time.
“Mwhahaha! Mike, you dope … I got ya! I sell SOLUTIONS, bro!”
No. No, you do not. Walk up to someone and ask, “I’m a coach. Would you like to buy solutions?”
Unless they’re a chemist, they will look at you like you have three heads. (If they are a chemist, they may concoct a solution that will give you three heads.)
If you plan to be a successful coach or consultant, never tell people you sell solutions.
How To Actually Profit From Coaching or Consulting:
You must sell something that helps people gain more of one of three things:
- Time
- Money
- Skills
“You’re wrong, Mike! My coaching helps people tap into significance! My coaching provides solutions for people to be happy!”
If someone has actually purchased “significance” coaching from you, here’s what they really purchased: TIME, because they feel they no longer want to live a less-than-significant life and want to redeem the time they have left.
To sell as a coach or consultant, you must connect your services to time, money, or skills. That’s it.
If you do a poor job in marketing by failing to connect those things — you will grind in trying to land clients … and your business will ultimately fail.
This saddens me because there are a lot of kind, well-meaning consultants and coaches out there.
They have great messages…
…great hearts…
They’re just not good marketers.
…and they don’t know what they’re even selling.
I’m Dying To Show You More…
If you want to make more money as a coach or consultant; two ways I can help:
1. Join The Pivot Course. Helping people become profitable consultants and coaches (in just 3 hours a week!) is my specialty. We close next Tuesday, October 11th.
2. Join me for a free Live Master Class on Monday, October 10th or Tuesday, October 11th. Then join The Pivot Course … or you can keep trying to figure it all out on your own. But I know I can help you.
