How To Close Prospects on a Free Coaching Strategy Session?

1 year ago

Best to ask this question in the Offline subforum, where real sales professionials hang out.

Your marketing up front can do quite a bit of the qualifying, or filtering for the right people. However, the more complicated or lengthy you make the process the less likely individuals are to complete it. Basically, if I know my house is on fire and I want to save it from burning, my willingness to give the fire department complete info about me goes way up. The less I care, the less involved I'll get. You can use this as a qualifier, too.

You need a consistent sales process. In a strategy session you must legitimately give them a strategy they could work on by themselves; otherwise, it's a scam. But if they want help implementing it...you could save them a ton of time...keep them on track...minimize their errors...and/or other benefits...then here you are with a program.

The usual way is to have a couple different levels of support. One at a lower investment and with less personal or 1:1 coaching, the second being more expensive and giving a higher level of intensive, personalized help. Offer the higher one first then downsell if they can't afford it.

Selling is a skill and it takes a long time and a lot of practice to learn. You have to uncover reasons why this individual would buy, not just list the features and benefits of your offer. (You could do this, and find accidental match-ups between the two, but you'll leave a lot of money on the table and not help people who should be helped by your paid programs). If you know how to sell from your agency experience, then you can apply what you learned here.

Make sure people understand why they're getting on the call. They should receive real help, and they should not feel ambushed with a paid program offer at the end. They should not need your help to move forward.

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GordonJ

1 year ago

Jason was right about finding pros in the off line section of forum. But before you ask their opinion, can you clarify who it is you want to coach?

Can you help me understand what a "general business coaching prospect" is??

Are you looking for those with no business experience and think they want to start a business? If so, what kind of a business, any? I'm just having trouble understanding what you will be offering and to whom...any help with this would be appreciated.

GordonJ

Originally Posted by JeffDC89

How to close prospects on a free coaching strategy session?

I'm eagerly wanting to launch my coaching business. After taking coaching business niche quizzes revealing I fit well as a business coach/visionary mentor. Im leaning more towards the startup coach/marketing coach.

So my plan is to post in revelant FB groups, I'm giving a free strategy session to offer business/coaching advice to assist individuals who are looking to get clarity to reach a specific result. Find out what people really need help with?

I'm curious how should I start it off? But more importantly, how should i close clients at the end of the strategy session, I was thinking of having one 3 month package.

My ultimate end goal is to do enough 1 on 1s to really learn my niche then graduate to a group coach structure with a private fb group building my tribe.

I've read over 300 books, had two life coaches2020-2021 and a real estate coach going on 11 months now. My background, i've had a freelance agency since 2017, a real estate company 2019 first solo now with a virtual staff(got plans on creating a course for that later on then doing jv with students)
skills: building a team, outsourcing, delegation, goal setting, leadership, and a few IM skills. Also mentored a handful of people friends and family, people hit me up for marketing advice from time to time too.

What have you seen that worked for general business coaching prospects to closing for beginners?

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JeffDC89

1 year ago

Originally Posted by GordonJ

Jason was right about finding pros in the off line section of forum. But before you ask their opinion, can you clarify who it is you want to coach?

Can you help me understand what a "general business coaching prospect" is??

Are you looking for those with no business experience and think they want to start a business? If so, what kind of a business, any? I'm just having trouble understanding what you will be offering and to whom...any help with this would be appreciated.

GordonJ

My idea was to cast a wide net and see what sticks first for example people who have a business already but hit a plateau maybe need a better marketing strategy, people who need help hiring the right team members for different roles. And people with cash that can't get started with their business idea and maybe need motivation and accountability

Business sub-niches I've had experience helping people with
Get More Clients or Customers niche:
Teaching them various marketing techniques online and offline that got them results. I helped a personal trainer get more clients, a realtor, a new real estate investor, a YouTuber with finding the right freelancers

Scale Your Business niche:
I helped a moving company scale up

Start and build a business niche:
And helped quite a few people go from employee to starting and building a business so they could quit their job

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Monetize

1 year ago

Originally Posted by JeffDC89

How to close prospects on a free coaching strategy session?

I'm eagerly wanting to launch my coaching business. After taking coaching business niche quizzes revealing I fit well as a business coach/visionary mentor. Im leaning more towards the startup coach/marketing coach.

So my plan is to post in revelant FB groups, I'm giving a free strategy session to offer business/coaching advice to assist individuals who are looking to get clarity to reach a specific result. Find out what people really need help with?

I'm curious how should I start it off? But more importantly, how should i close clients at the end of the strategy session, I was thinking of having one 3 month package.

My ultimate end goal is to do enough 1 on 1s to really learn my niche then graduate to a group coach structure with a private fb group building my tribe.

I've read over 300 books, had two life coaches2020-2021 and a real estate coach going on 11 months now. My background, i've had a freelance agency since 2017, a real estate company 2019 first solo now with a virtual staff(got plans on creating a course for that later on then doing jv with students)
skills: building a team, outsourcing, delegation, goal setting, leadership, and a few IM skills. Also mentored a handful of people friends and family, people hit me up for marketing advice from time to time too.

What have you seen that worked for general business coaching prospects to closing for beginners?

Based on this post and a couple of your previous ones,
you seem to be all over the place.

That is fine but at some point you need to decide on
something to focus your attention.

You say that you have read 300 books but you don't
know how to close the sale?

There are several ways to close a sale depending on
the situation. Find the method that applies to yours.

I would avoid any type of free coaching sessions.

Charge people a fee, even if it's just $24.99 because
it is easier to close a bigger sale with someone who
has already paid you.

Freebie and curiosity seekers could just be wasting
everybody's time and they are not even worth being
bothered with.

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JeffDC89

1 year ago

Originally Posted by Monetize

Based on this post and a couple of your previous ones,
you seem to be all over the place.

That is fine but at some point you need to decide on
something to focus your attention.

You say that you have read 300 books but you don't
know how to close the sale?

There are several ways to close a sale depending on
the situation. Find the method that applies to yours.

I would avoid any type of free coaching sessions.

Charge people a fee, even if it's just $24.99 because
it is easier to close a bigger sale with someone who
has already paid you.

Freebie and curiosity seekers could just be wasting
everybody's time and they are not even worth being
bothered with.

Thanks for pointing that out I've been all over the place past couple posts that's true, I guess I grew bored of my freelance agency I closed every client I've gotten but most are usually referral based so it's not really much closing needed but looking back I do have an consistent sales process I take them through for each client that comes through the door.

I decided after much pondering to focus my attention on coaching but I guess I wasn't honed in on my exact coaching niche since I never really sold coaching before as a service and I heard on a webinar free strategy sessions was a quick way to get your feet wet when starting out if you don't have much content marketing out there yet

But the idea of freebie seekers doesn't sound fun at all. My homework for today is to study a consistent sales process for my coaching service.

Thanks everyone for your feedback, I really appreciate it

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Monetize

1 year ago

Originally Posted by JeffDC89

Thanks for pointing that out I've been all over the place past couple posts that's true, I guess I grew bored of my freelance agency I closed every client I've gotten but most are usually referral based so it's not really much closing needed but looking back I do have an consistent sales process I take them through for each client that comes through the door.

I decided after much pondering to focus my attention on coaching but I guess I wasn't honed in on my exact coaching niche since I never really sold coaching before as a service and I heard on a webinar free strategy sessions was a quick way to get your feet wet when starting out if you don't have much content marketing out there yet

But the idea of freebie seekers doesn't sound fun at all. My homework for today is to study a consistent sales process for my coaching service.

Thanks everyone for your feedback, I really appreciate it

Are you using ChatGPT, or another A.I., yet?

It has helped me so much with things like writing product
descriptions as well as developing long-form content.

It can create plans and instructions for EVERYTHING.

It will help you develop your sales process.

I highly recommend it.

Thanks
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JeffDC89

1 year ago

Originally Posted by Monetize

Are you using ChatGPT, or another A.I., yet?

It has helped me so much with things like writing product
descriptions as well as developing long-form content.

It can create plans and instructions for EVERYTHING.

It will help you develop your sales process.

I highly recommend it.

Funny you mentioned chatgpt, while studying the sales process today I took notes on 4 of Jason's sales process videos. It dawned on me that I could load chatgpt up with some sales prompts and sorts that I have in a few prompt packs I bought awhile back. Will definitely use to develop my sales process

Yes I used chatgpt a lot over the past 6mths even as my life coach, business plans, templates and chrome extension layouts. Thanks for reminding me

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GordonJ

1 year ago

Originally Posted by JeffDC89

How to close prospects on a free coaching strategy session?

... had two life coaches2020-2021 and a real estate coach going on 11 months now.

Originally Posted by JeffDC89

Thanks for pointing that out I've been all over the place past couple posts that's true,
My homework for today is to study a consistent sales process for my coaching service.
Thanks everyone for your feedback, I really appreciate it

So, you want to be a coach and you want to close prospects...how did your coaches close you?

You've had 3 coaches, where did you intersect with them? What made you choose them? It seems you have used the "template" you are seeking? Why not just do what your coaches did to hook you in?

It feels like you need to give this whole idea some more thought and get a better focus, does it not? Good luck.

GordonJ

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Claude Whitacre

1 year ago

Maybe free strategy sessions isn't the way to go.

Tom Poland has a system he uses to sell his service that starts with a webinar, and you are then directed to a page where you can sign in for a short session with Tom.

The difference is, it's a session to determine if he is the right Guru, not to render advice for free.

You can check it out here;

https://www.leadsology.guru/book-a-chat-with-tom/

Nearly everyone that books a chat buys.

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aduttonater

1 year ago

In terms of who to coach. I usually coach those who can afford my rates. Secondly I want them to apply what I show them. Usually coaching can be recurring if the mentee needs more guidance and can invest the time.

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