The following is taken from David’s interview with Rachel Pryor in 10 Super Coaches.
What was most disheartening for you while building your practice?
When I first realized that I was going to be a coach, I was afraid that my friends would tease me, so I assumed a pen name (I knew I would be quite public). For 3 years I worked as a corporate training, counselor and healer, all the time coaching, though calling it something else. Though I contacted many media outlets, none of them were interested in my business.
Then I decided to use my real name – and gained instant success. But boy, those first 3 years were dreadful – I was unable to be my best, and was uncomfortable with many of the ways that I was forced to train my clients.
The following is taken from David’s interview with Robert Cornish in 10 Super Coaches.
What was most disheartening for you while building your practice?
I spent a lot of money learning that print advertising is ineffective to market coaching services, and that THE way was personal contact with people in a way that they can experience what you are like.
Public speaking is a good way to do this, and so my block was overcoming for good my fear of public speaking. Having been one who used to stutter this was a big deal. I joined Toastmasters and actively sought and did as many talks about coaching as I could – to service clubs, business networking groups, my church, and any group of people I could speak in front of.
The following is taken from David’s interview with Judy Feld in 10 Super Coaches.
What did you spend money on in the first 6-12 months? Could it be done for less?
Had the computer. Developed the website myself. Increased phone bill – that’s about it. Office supplies. Also… business cards and stationary. I don’t think it could have been done for less. My time and attention were the valuable commodities.
What did you charge your initial clients?
I think I began at $250 USD per month (in 1995) for three 30-minute telephone sessions. I always have offered a menu of options.
When did you first increase your fee, to what did you increase it, and why?
I have increased my fees about once a year. Supply and demand and expertise.
What advice would you give coaches about charging clients?
Offer a menu of options. People usually opt for the choice in the middle. Be consistent in your pricing. Don’t raise your fees on existing clients. Loyalty and longevity counts. I have clients I have been working with since 1996. We are partners.
The following is taken from David’s interview with Leza Danly in 10 Super Coaches.
What method did you find most effective in getting your initial clients?
First, do your personal inner work. Know what you want to create (the kind of coaching practice, the size, etc.) and more importantly WHY you want to create it. Invest the time to explore your motivation deeply. Because if your motivation is to prove you are good enough, or to run away from failure, or to get people to love and approve of you, or to exploit people, or any of many negative motivations, it won’t work. Often these motivations are deeply buried and we don’t realize they are at play. When you find the joy of service and align yourself with a motivation to contribute, things will turn around.
Once you feel confident that your motivation is clean, you need to confront your willingness to give yourself this dream career. This may sound like a no-brainer, but for most people it’s the biggest challenge. They limp along at a handful of clients, because they honestly feel deep down that to be paid really well for inspiring conversations and having lots of free time is too good to be true. They aren’t willing to receive it.
Second, once you’ve done the introspection, give lots and lots of sample sessions. You never enroll clients from talking about coaching, only from boldly giving yourself to the client in a sample session. Let yourself love. Let yourself care. They will either want it or they won’t. Don’t obsess on the ones who don’t. Just keep giving.
The following is taken from David’s interview with Michael O. Cooper in 10 Super Coaches.
What training, experience and qualifications did you have when you started coaching?
None! My first client told me they wanted to hire me before I even knew what coaching was. She gave me an article about coaching, told me I would be perfect for it, and wanted to hire me on the spot. I spent about four weeks reading all I could, enrolling in Coach U and hiring my own coach before our first session.
I subsequently discovered that I had been using a coach approach in managing teams, working with clients and developing strategy in my role as a management consultant.
What were the biggest doubts you had in your early months?
The need to be an expert! My own coach helped me see that I was rarely an expert in my role as a management consultant, but that I had a methodology, framework and best practices to help clients improve their businesses and systems – it was an easy shift to apply this same approach to my coaching business.
The following is taken from David’s interview with Bob Davies in 10 Super Coaches.
What top three methods, in order, did you use to get your clients in the first 2 years?
My belief is that it is vital that coaches become public speakers. Find your passion in the field and book yourself to speak as the “expert” in the field. Coaching clients will seek you out.
You could also align yourself with other speakers, like myself, who are not looking for more coaching clients, but want the speaking engagement. Leverage your client relationships to bring in “speakers” who will create “buy-in” for coaching and position you as the ongoing follow up live coach.
Did you coach your friends and colleagues?
My fees are too high to coach my friends, plus my friends would not listen to me as their coach. Many clients have become friends as well although I do maintain the professional relationship first. I won’t sacrifice my impact with the client in the name of friendship.
