Posts by David Wood

1. Announcements/Offers

Valuable Bonuses with the CoachStart™ Manual
Did you know the CoachStart™ Manual now comes with hundreds of do’llars in bonuses?

After years of hands-on research, including personally mentoring over one hundred coaches, I’ve compiled everything I know about starting a successful coaching practice in one easy-to-follow manual.

Learn how to set up your businessand get clients.
http://www.profcs.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=64300

And I’m so excited to hear such great feedback:
“Found this to be an amazingly organized tool. Thank you for your clarity.”
Christy Czekaj United States

“The Manual itself – read and re-read. Great material. Notes all over the place. You’ve done a great service for all of us.”
John E BehnUnited States

Visit the CoachStart Manual

Independent Report on Coach Training and Certification
This report by David Wood and Daniel Midson-Short reveals the real story behind coach training and certification. Available now as a fr.ee download in pdf format at:

http://www.BecomeaCoach.com/freedownload.htm

(Comes as part of the f.ree Coach Training Mini e-Course)

2. FEATURE: How to Create a Powerful Website & Brand – Part II

Coach Joelle launched her web site (coachjoelle.com) this spring with incredible results. (See Part 1 of this feature.)In this article we quiz Joelle further on what it took to create such a wonderful website and brand.

What’s one great result from all this?

Joelle points out that using the internet creates a huge economy of time once everything is set up. “My experience is that once people get to know me, they want to work with me,” she says. “By using the internet, my newsletter and the coachjoelle.com site I can have people getting to know me, the business and what we stand for – while I am sleeping, or out speaking or coaching or on vacation. I love it!”

Keep people coming back

To keep people coming back to her site, Joelle makes sure to do at least one blog posting a week and continues to add new pages as her business evolves. To bring even more value to her online community, she will post articles written by different practitioners about yoga, aromatherapy and spiritual practices. In the future she plans to create a powerful forum where the “Coach Joelle” community can share, learn and grow with each other.

Finding your brand image

Joelle found images that ‘spoke’ to her by searching online. She purchased the rights to use an image of the Gerber Daisy from an online service. That daisy is now an eye-catching part of her business cards and website.

You can also get a graphic designer to create a logo or brand image quite easily at Elance.com
But it’s a great practice to first collect websites and graphics that inspire you, and speak to the brand you wish to create. Shape, color and layout ideas, as well as ideas for text/copywriting.

Narrowing down your niche

Joelle says she has been narrowing down her niche over the last 5 years! Each time she would take on a client that was not quite the right fit or she would have a client where the coaching was pure joy, those were her clues.

“With the launch of Coach Joelle, Inc. this spring, I made a commitment to really show up as all of me and to work with clients who really resonated with my message, my unique energy and distinctly un-corporate flair!”

“I’m taking the CoachStart Mentoring Program with David”, says Joelle. He helped me to keep sifting down to who I truly am, and who I wish to serve.” “And I’ll tell you – it’s done wonders for my confidence too. The real me is now shining through very brightly!”

Using a good web designer

Joelle says a critical step she took with David was to work out the direction to give her designer.

She was able to use a close friend with good web design skills, but you can get great designers for a fair price at Elance.com

Many coaches have also used BestCommerceTools with good results.

Be honest with who you are

Joelle is using her site as an extension of her personality. She decided to celebrate even her attributes that in the past she thought some people maybe didn’t ‘get’ or didn’t like: “The me that uses exclamation points all the time! And who has pink all over her site and who talks about her cats and the joy of fuzzy socks!” she explains. “Now I’m just being me, and I know I’ll attract the people who appreciate that.”

Tip: Are you tired of being careful, and watching how you present yourself?

The web lets you reach a broad cross-section of people: those who are attracted to your skills and personality, and those who have no interest in what you have to offer. It’s okay if people self-select themselves out of your potential client pool, as long as you are being honest about who you are. If you try to act corporate when you are really daisies and pink, it will just frustrate everyone involved.

Tip: Speak your truth and be yourself.

“A well-done site creates a huge community of people who are ready for the message – and I get to bring all of myself to every engagement,” Joelle says. “This will ultimately be the difference between having an OK business, and being a powerful force in the world of personal development and success.”

***

Action: Expressing Yourself

1. What images resonate with you that could become a brand image? Surf the net (entering words that describe your brand into the search engines) to find images and web sites that inspire you, and note the locations of each.

2. If you already have a logo, examine it with new eyes to see if it truly reflects who you are.

3. Make a list of aspects of yourself you could be expressing. What are your quirks, strengths, interests? How can you add them to your marketing (i.e. web site, brochure, ads, etc.)

4. Post your thoughts and comments at the blog!

Enjoy!

P.S. Got a comment on this article? Add it to the BLOG

P.P.S. Any Questions? http://www.SolutionBox.com/support.htm

1. Announcements/Offers

How Did These Coaches Set Up Their Businesses So Quickly?

You can now save yourself the hundreds or thousands of dollars you may have paid a mentor coach or training school. After personally mentoring sixty coaches and founding a coach training school, I’ve compiled everything I know about starting a successful coaching practice in one easy-to-follow Manual.

And it’s wonderful to see such huge results like this:

“I have just broken through the 50th client barrier! When I first read the Coachstart eManual, I had coached just 14 people, and thought ’50 clients…no way!’. But just five months later, it’s a reality! Thanks for all your help setting me up as a coach, I will always be grateful.”
-Daniel Midson-Short, Australia
-www.lifestylerevolution.com.au

“I wish I had known about the CoachStart Manual before I signed up with my training school. I could have saved myself almost £600!”
-Clare Evans, UK

“I ‘inhaled’ the manual and loved it. You give very practical advice and I particularly liked the ‘sample’ dialogues that a coach might have with a prospect (warm and hot invitations) and the sample script. I practice it every chance I get. Thanks for such a great and inspiring Manual!”
-Midgie Thompson, UK
-www.brightfuturescoaching.com

So, let’s get started! Get your CoachStart Manual in the next 5 minutes at www.CoachStart.com, and start building!

How long will you keep them waiting?

No matter how many 1-1 clients you coach, spending life on the phone with appointment after appointment is no way to build a lasting legacy, not to mention your life as a coach!

So stop trading your time for money and starting creating Multiple Streams of Coaching Income instead.

“I really don’t read many books on this subject – but Andrea J. Lee’s print book: “Multiple Streams of Coaching Income” is truly valuable, and I read it from cover to cover. Definitely get it – it’s way under-priced” – David Wood

Click here for your copy!

2. FEATURE: How to Create a Powerful Website & Brand (Part I)

Coach Joelle launched her web site (coachjoelle.com) this spring with incredible results – and we interviewed her to find out how she did it, so we can share her experiences with you.

She’s created a brand that truly expresses who she is, and a web site that is already converting visitors into subscribers, and subscribers into clients.

Whom do you serve?

“I’ve been doing the CoachStart™ Program with David”, says Joelle.

“In our very first session he started quizzing me on who I wanted to help, and what I wanted to help them with. It took 2-3 sessions, but after that I not only knew who I would help, but I had the words to describe it in a way that excited them, and me!

After that, I was excited to start on the web site, and create something that spoke to my target market.”

Web site brings credibility!

“With the site being so young I can say that the main thing that (it) has impacted is credibility,” Joelle says. “It serves as brochure and testimonial in one and really gives the impression of a robust business that can be trusted.”

“In the idea stage, David suggested I mock up a first draft of the site’s home page that would speak to my core market, and we took it from there. He asked me to include:

• a headshot that truly represented me
• the powerful tag line that we had workshopped together
• a compelling newsletter/free download offer
• questions to engage my target market.”

Tip: Find a mentor and do a mock up first.

Newsletter a key tool

Joelle added early on an option to sign up for her LivLoud! newsletter, which she notes is a “fabulous tool for keeping in contact with my community which will lead to business down the road.” In a very short time she signed up 100 subscribers, mainly from her existing community.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Although Joelle admits she was nearly web illiterate when she began putting together her site, she found a web hosting company which walked her through the process of setting up her email account, creating a basic site with a sign-up page for her newsletter, sending broadcast emails to subscribers and starting her own blog!

One challenge, according to Joelle, was “dealing with my ridiculously elevated expectations!”

“Let’s face it, I had been exposed to the idea of creating a website for less than three weeks and I figured I should be able to just pick up a computer, snap in some programs and build my dream site with all the bells and whistles without a hitch! Wrong!” Some tools she used were not intuitive; others worked well enough at first but did not have advanced features when she needed them.

Eventually, she hired a web development firm to take over where her abilities left off.

Tip: Have a hired gun to take your site to the next level. They’ll do it better than you will, and save you time – the time you could be spending calling potential clients.

Branding

Joelle worked with different colors and images to create a look and feel for her site, writing down what different colors meant to her and what moods they evoked. While she is now working with a branding firm, the firm has acknowledged that her brand is already there and literally ‘shouts’ from her site.

Know what you like

“If you really listen to yourself, to your gut, you will know what you like and what you do not,” she explains. “You will know if something has too much energy or is too blah, if the color makes you uneasy or if the picture speaks to your soul. Be willing to trust yourself and do not let anyone try to push an image on you that does not fit.”

Tip: Play with your site colors and layout. How does the result make you feel?

Not only has Joelle found her site to be a great credibility tool, it has enabled her to have a truly international business. “By communicating through online resources and sharing opportunities with my email list it allows me to get the word out to a global audience without ever leaving my patio,” she points out. She is currently is offering free one-hour exploratory sessions to 50 people through an opt-in form on her site. More than half of the sessions have been booked, and she has gained four new clients in the last three weeks.

Tip: Use the web for a global clientele.

***

I trust you enjoyed this interview (Part I) with Coach Joelle.

If you would like some ideas on how to get your initial coaching sessions going, with your first clients, check out: The CoachStart™ Manual

And watch for Part 2 of this feature in the next Mentor Monthly!

Action: Refine your online image

1. Start collecting samples of colors and images that resonate with you, and sketch an idea of how you’d like your site to look.
2. Update your web copy:
   If you don’t have a site, write a description of whom you help, and how. Or whom you would LIKE to help, and how.
   If you have an existing site, tweak the copy so it really reflects who you are and how you help people.

Post your results for accountability.

Enjoy!
David

P.S. Got a question or comment about this article? Add it to here.

P.P.S. Any other questions? http://www.SolutionBox.com/support.htm

1. Announcements/Offers

‘First Fifty Clients’ – Shouldn’t you get started now?
“I have applied the information, with terrific results. I started last Monday, making a deal with myself to have a new client each day. So far, that has occurred – and I have ten new clients!”
-Julie Gleeson, US

“I’ve been “writing” mental notes of gratitude for days – and I wanted to finally email a big “thank you”. I laughed, felt supported, and learned so much I could use the next day. I realize now we actually do people a dis-service if we do not reach out to let them know what we are capable of as coaches.” – Vikki Spencer, M. Ed. US

“Although very competent in coaching skills, I really needed a clear path from ‘hello’ to ‘getting a client’… The speech broke it down so clearly, and gave me a structure to use. It is making a big difference in helping me build my practice. And – the free bonus recording of you explaining a trial session in detail was also excellent. After listening, I sat down and called twenty people on the telephone! Thanks David.” – Beverly McGuire, UK

—> Visit First Fifty Clients

Help us expand?
We’ve set a goal of 100,000 subscribers by November 2006.

Are you getting value from our newsletters? If so, would you let your friends and colleagues know?

I’d appreciate you forwarding this article to 5-100 people (hey why not!) who might get value from this newsletter, and invite them to subscribe. (Hint: who do you know who would make a great coach? Or who is building their practice? Or who would love to add coaching to their skill set?)

Thanks guys.

David

2. FEATURE: 16 corporate clients in 24 hours

Flaven Clayton from Hawaii is a new life coach. And when she said she booked 16 sessions at once, all paid for by a corporation, I had to ask how she did it. So I interviewed Flaven to get the scoop; let’s find out how she did it!

Booking 16 sessions at once

“I’ve been putting myself out there!” says Flaven. She let’s people know what she is up to and invites others to join her.

In this particular instance she had been talking with a friend who is a real estate agent and invited her for a coaching session.

Tip: Coach as many people as possible. They become referral engines for you.

Her friend was so thrilled with the session that she asked her to do a demonstration at a real estate meeting that was coming up.

Tip: Ask your friends and colleagues if they are interested in introducing coaching at work. Offer to do a free demo for their boss.

The owner of the real estate company was so impressed he signed up the agents and paid for the sessions – all 16 of them!

16 sessions just because she chatted with a friend and invited her to a session. Is your brain ticking?

Start with people

Flaven has been a coach for just a few months. She doesn’t even have a web site up yet! But, she has paying clients.

Too often new coaches spend months developing web sites and brochures, instead of actively reaching out for clients.

Flaven says she gets most of her clients by word of mouth. She gets out into the community and lets people know what she is doing.

Tip: Offer people a session, and let them know it will be inspiring, and fun.

Get emotions out of the way

It’s not always so simple though, is it? Flaven offers this message to other coaches trying to expand their practice – get your emotions out of the way. It’s OK to have them, just get them out of the way. Focus on following the next step. Then the next step. Then the next step.

Don’t let the big picture loom over you and halt your progress. Paint the big picture, then set it aside and do the next step.

What’s your next step?

***
If you are unsure about how to invite friends or acquaintances to sessions, check out: First Fifty Clients

Action: Put Yourself Out There

1. Ask yourself if you have been actively inviting potential clients to sessions or if you have been relying on passive measures.

2. How are you going to put yourself out there? What’s your next step. Post at the blog for accountability.

Enjoy!

David

P.S. Got a comment on this article? Add it to here.

P.P.S. Any Questions? http://www.SolutionBox.com/support.htm