Coaching/Consulting/Training

10 replies
Is anyone here doing only (or primarily) coaching/consulting/training where the business owner does the work and you provide the guidance?

It's interesting that a couple of the big coaching systems advocate this approach. Even though a small minority of their coaches may actually do some services most don't. The ones I know about are Action Coach, the Duct Tape Marketing Coaching System, and Book Yourself Solid.

Mark
  • Profile picture of the author isaacsmithjones
    Originally Posted by Mark Singletary View Post

    Is anyone here doing only (or primarily) coaching/consulting/training where the business owner does the work and you provide the guidance?

    It's interesting that a couple of the big coaching systems advocate this approach. Even though a small minority of their coaches may actually do some services most don't. The ones I know about are Action Coach, the Duct Tape Marketing Coaching System, and Book Yourself Solid.

    Mark
    Depends what you mean by "work", and "guidance". Because I think that I MIGHT primarily do the guidance these days. Depends on the client. I mean, I'll usually make changes to people's websites, but then once the main part of that is done, I outsource it to someone else.

    After that, I generally help them to come up with campaigns, and set up JVs. A lot of what I do is "hands off"... But I think that I may get too involved in thinks like copywriting, and campaign arrangements, in order to be described as "primarily" guidance.

    But yeah, it'll be interesting to see what other people say.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rus Sells
    I have and do some consulting which is really what I think you're asking about if it's in regards to local businesses.

    Here's the rub with consulting but it's not really a rub on me. Most of the time when I've consulted a business on things they can or should change they pay me for my time but a lot of times they just don't implement.

    This is mainly due to their inability to make the proper time or don't even know who is qualified when it comes to hiring some one outside their business to perform.

    What usually happens next is I get the call or email asking if I can do it. That's their rub but my gain in many cases. = )
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    • Profile picture of the author isaacsmithjones
      Originally Posted by Rus Sells View Post

      I have and do some consulting which is really what I think you're asking about if it's in regards to local businesses.

      Here's the rub with consulting but it's not really a rub on me. Most of the time when I've consulted a business on things they can or should change they pay me for my time but a lot of times they just don't implement.

      This is mainly due to their inability to make the proper time or don't even know who is qualified when it comes to hiring some one outside their business to perform.

      What usually happens next is I get the call or email asking if I can do it. That's their rub but my gain in many cases. = )
      Lol, I can only agree... What a common story. Too many consultants are scared of sharing their ideas, because people are gonna "steal" them. What they fail to realise is that 99% of the people who listen to their ideas, no matter how good they are - These lack the time/drive/contacts/knowledge to actually implement those ideas effectively.

      This means that if you share your information, what you're really doing is positioning yourself. So that when someone sees the value in what you've said, and realises that they can't do it themselves, you're the first person they call.

      Back when I was just doing simple web design as a teenager, I would unwittingly consult with my clients about changes that they'd need to make in their business. One client ended up paying a consultant god knows how much, to tell him EXACTLY what I'd told him the year before. So he called me back up to make some changes to his website, to match the new changes that he'd made in his business.

      If I'd put in more work to position myself as a consultant at the time, I could have earned tons more from that client. But you live and you learn...
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by Rus Sells View Post

      I have and do some consulting which is really what I think you're asking about if it's in regards to local businesses.

      Here's the rub with consulting but it's not really a rub on me. Most of the time when I've consulted a business on things they can or should change they pay me for my time but a lot of times they just don't implement.

      This is mainly due to their inability to make the proper time or don't even know who is qualified when it comes to hiring some one outside their business to perform.

      What usually happens next is I get the call or email asking if I can do it. That's their rub but my gain in many cases. = )
      That's literally my marketing approach. They attend a "Tell all" 3 hour event...and I spill the beans, answer all questions, hold nothing back.

      After 3 hours, the smart ones see the value, and realize that they won't implement...and I'm cheaper than training someone else to do it. So they just hire me.


      Very occasionally, I'll sell an hour on the phone. But it's really the same process. At the end, they just want me to do it.

      I'm getting out of that model. I don't mind the selling, but I don't really enjoy the work itself.

      It's just because I'm getting old and lazy, and I'm not interested in relationships with clients after a few hours.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    Originally Posted by Mark Singletary View Post

    Is anyone here doing only (or primarily) coaching/consulting/training where the business owner does the work and you provide the guidance?

    It's interesting that a couple of the big coaching systems advocate this approach. Even though a small minority of their coaches may actually do some services most don't. The ones I know about are Action Coach, the Duct Tape Marketing Coaching System, and Book Yourself Solid.

    Mark
    What specifically do you want to know more about?
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    • Profile picture of the author Mark Singletary
      Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan View Post

      What specifically do you want to know more about?
      Well it seems there are a couple approaches to "offline/local" marketing:

      1. Do all the services yourself and/or outsource and/or have your employees do it. That's what it seems most of the people here do.

      2. Give advice, train, consult, coach with no implementation on your part of any kind and none by your team. Ewen pointed out in a post that true consulting was just this in his definition.

      Some of those franchises I mentioned charge big bucks for this knowledge - thousands a month - and do none of the actual work. They work but they nor their team write one thing on a website or post one piece of content.

      3. A hybrid approach.

      Was just wondering why it seemed more people didn't do #2 when others say that works great.

      A big name example would be somebody like Franklin Covey which does training/coaching in sales, business success, etc. but they don't actually go out and do the selling nor do they fix a website nor do they get you better rankings. Action Coach seems to do pretty well for themselves and it is all knowledge and not implementation.

      For example, if Doctor John already has a website or a FB page then they can get the work done. Maybe it looks bad or maybe it won't succeed but they can get the work done without us. Their main need may be in knowing how to improve or how to get better conversions. That could be accomplished by the #2 group and they wouldn't have to do any of the hands on work.

      Mark
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      • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
        Originally Posted by Mark Singletary View Post

        Action Coach seems to do pretty well for themselves and it is all knowledge and not implementation.
        The individual Action Coach I know, No.2 out of over a 1,000
        of them, attracts well motivated clients, has a stack of proven ads
        that they can use, has phone scripts to convert higher number
        of callers into customers.

        This means it's like handing over completed work for the client to go implement.

        That's part of a 5 part process he helps set up as a system which
        the owner can monitor so he works more on the business than in it.

        He himself has done it.

        He has 2 traditional businesses with managers in place running them,
        all out of his coaching office.

        Best,
        Ewen
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  • Profile picture of the author DamianGil
    This has been a hard one for me. To become an advisor demands confidence and usually it's built upon a relationship. However, many other programs, including Dan Kennedy and myself can assure you that providing some kind of value (work that takes the client towards a result), it is always more profitable.
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  • Profile picture of the author internetmarketer1
    I have never been an advisor or a professional consultant. I would rather help the business through offering them the services, and then simply offer them consultation along the way. Consultation in my mind is tough to sell, but I think it is a good service to sell depending on your experience. While I do believe consulting can be a good business, I would rather provide the service and just help guide them along the way.
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  • Profile picture of the author sdentrepreneur
    Yes, 50% of my business is meeting with companies marketing departments and coaching/training/mentoring their staff. It's funny when I first meet their employees, they are either scared I will replace them or can't believe that I know more about Internet/Search/Social Media Marketing than them. Once we establish I don't want their J.O.B. and they I do have more knowledge than them, it turns into a great relationship. Most contracts are 3-6 months but some stay on longer with a reduced retainer.
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