The following is taken from David’s interview with Marcia Reynolds in 10 Super Coaches.
What top three methods, in order, did you use to get your clients in the first 2 years?
Public speaking: I worked hard to develop my skills and this part of my business so I would be hired as a keynot speaker for big conferences. This helps me to attract many possible clients at once. I have worked with speaking coaches, attended acting workshops, joined the National Speakers Association (where I get to see great speakers and learn marketing techniques) and began speaking everywhere I could to practice. I now coach people in public speaking as I think it is vital to success in most businesses.
Writing: I write articles, audio programs and books. People read or hear my ideas and contact me. Some of my products are in bookstores. Others are self-published. I sell them on the Internet and at my seminars and speeches. I give books away to potential clients…this works better than a brochure. My book is only 60 pages…a quick read that teaches as well as tells people about my outlook on personal and professional development.
Publicity: I learned how to attract reporters through emails pitches and press releases. This is how I received my first client that was not a referral from a friend.
The following is taken from David’s interview with Philip Cohen in 10 Super Coaches.
How would you suggest coaches find their niche?
I usually suggest letting a niche find the coach, instead of looking for one. Open yourself up to coach anyone and then look for patterns. This has several advantages: you might find yourself in a niche you never anticipated; you can build your business more quickly; you have an opportunity to coach a more diverse group of clients, which will add to your skill base.
When I started my coaching practice, I got a call from a person with a network marketing business. Before long, I had 6 or 8 clients in the same business. If I had decided to pursue it, I could have created a niche from there.
However, if someone comes to coaching with strong conections to a niche, then I would suggest they pursue it. For example, I had a client who was a new coach. Her previous job was executive director of a professional organization. She was on first name basis with all the significant people in her industry. She didn’t have to go through a gatekeeper because she had everyone’s direct phone number. I firmly supported her intent to create a niche in the market immediately.
The following is taken from David’s interview with Anna Dargitz in 10 Super Coaches.
Approximately how long did it take you to generate US$30,000 pa in coaching revenue?
4.5 years…If I knew then what I know now, it would have taken half the time.
Over this period, on average how many days per week were dedicated to coaching?
Each year brought increasing responsibilities and opportunities. I worked on creating client programs when I wasn’t coaching and was available four days a week, three weeks a month.
But it wasn’t until I began teleclass teaching and working with SOC about 18 months ago, that I obtained high visibility and my practice really accelerated. Last month I cleared $5,000.00 US dollars and I worked 5-6 days a week. Passive revenue from client programs hasn’t kicked in yet and that’s what is needed to make more and work less.
The following is taken from David’s interview with Marcia Reynolds in 10 Super Coaches.
Would you advice coaches to pursue certification?
Absolutely!! Certification is what distinguishes you from anyone who just calls themselves a coach with no training or experience. We have to uphold certification to keep our profession strong. It is important to join the International Coach Federation and become certified to help keep the integrity of our profession strong in the eyes of our customers.
The International Coach Federation is the only non-profit professional association that is recognized world-wide as credible and sound. It is not aligned with one school, so it is also seen by regulating organizations as a credibile representative of all coaches, regardless of their schooling and background.
The following is taken from David’s interview with Andrea Molloy in 10 Super Coaches.
What were the biggest doubts you had in your early months?
My biggest fear was not getting enough clients to make a living – I focused on my business plan and kept positive! Sure, it was a process, I didn’t launch my practice and then immediately get inundated with clients on day one, it was a process of carefully building up public awareness and trust.
What was most disheartening for you while building your practice?
Often I met people who were cynical and disinterested in coaching, dismissing it as a new-age warm fuzzies fad. I had to consciously hold my head high and be confident abou the power of coaching and remind myself that these people were not my ideal clients, while not judging them in return.
What was the most interesting or exciting thing for you about building your practice?
The success stories! It’s an incredibly rewarding career (especially when you partner with a client on their road to success), and it also allows you a flexible, autonomous work environment. This has enabled me to write my first book, whereas if I had been in a regular full time ‘day job’ I doubt I would have progressed so quickly in my own creative goals.
The following is taken from David’s interview with Philip Cohen in 10 Super Coaches.
What was most disheartening for you while building your practice?
Going through the training and having a coach of my own let me see the power of coaching. I expected everyone would see what I saw and would immediately want to be coached.
I needed to learn two important lessons: some people will take longer to see the benefits of coaching and some people never will. Once I understood this, I learned to be more patient with prospects. I also learned to spend my time with qualified prospects instead of everyone I met.
What was the most interesting or exciting thing for you about building your practice?
As a CPA, I worked closely with clients. But there were certain parts of their lives that weren’t part of our conversations. As a coach, I began working more holistically with clients and the results were great to see.
