The reading level for this article is All Levels
As an entrepreneur who specializes in a done-for-you service (it doesn’t get any more done-for-you then handing clients a piece of copy plus the exact strategy for how to use it to get the best results in their business) you would think I would be the last person who would need to coach someone around mindset shifts or through their blocks.
Alas that is not the case.
You would be surprised at how many times I’ve been hired (and fully paid) for copy the clients have loved but never used.
Why? Well, there are as many reasons as entrepreneurs out there but a good chunk of the time it has to do with some sort of block.
So how do I respond? As much as I can, I try and step in and work them through whatever has got them stuck (although I really am not a coach). Which means having a few coaching skills in my back pocket has proven to be amazingly helpful.
This is why I firmly believe all entrepreneurs could use a little training in the coaching skills department, even if they never call themselves a coach or sell coaching services or packages.
Here are 3 reasons why every entrepreneur could benefit from some coaching skills:
1. You’re more likely to have your clients actually use (and get results from) your products, programs or services. Even if you offer a pure done-for-you service, if your clients aren’t ready to embrace the next level of their business, they won’t get the results you know you can deliver.
Have you ever watched those reality television shows like “Restaurant Impossible” or “Hotel Impossible?” The host walks into a failing restaurant or hotel and along with giving them some practical, basic business advice, they also end up doing a heck of a lot of coaching around whatever it is that got the business owner to this place of near bankruptcy. And because the hosts do that coaching (along with it making good television because who doesn’t like to watch people crying and hugging on camera) the business owners are much more likely to follow through with their changes when they aren’t there.
That’s why coaching skills can be invaluable.
2. You reduce your refunds/unhappiness rate. Again, because your clients actually implement your suggestions/consulting/done-for-you services, they’re more likely to see results, which makes them happier and better clients.
You’re also more likely to end up with some killer testimonials from them not to mention lots of good word of mouth advertising.
3. You’re more likely to actually make a difference in the world. Look, if part of why you’re passionate about your business is because you want to get your message out there and see some change, that’s only going to happen if your clients actually implement what you’re teaching or offering. There’s no better to way to increase the odds of that happening then to be able to coach them when things come up.
Remember, your clients hired you or invested in your products because they had a problem they wanted solved. And the best thing you can do for them is to help make sure they actually get their money’s worth. And that’s where coaching skills can be worth their weight in gold.
