When I first began my coaching business I was overwhelmed with all of the things I thought I should be doing.
Here is one very simple thing that I would tell myself at the very beginning of building my coaching business. In fact, I believe this is one of the MOST important things.
GET INTO INTERESTED CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE EVERYDAY. In fact, fill your day with interested conversations. Focus on that. Get laser focused.
Why? Well, the math is very simple. The more conversations you have, the more you will coach people, the greater likelihood that your business will grow.
Steve Chandler says in The Prosperous Coach: ‘All sales happens INSIDE of a conversation.’
BINGO!
I have spoken to tonnes of coaches that avoid getting into conversations. I used to do everything but get into conversations.
Instead, I occupied my time with building a website, creating a niche, designing my ideal client avatar, doing branding & marketing courses so I could figure out how to reach people, reading endlessly looking for the perfect strategy. The list goes on.
All of these things appeared as though they would help me grow my business but the results showed me the opposite. And data doesn’t lie.
The only thing my DM’s and diary were full of, was tumbleweed.
As a coach, I want to serve people. Helping people is my lifeblood so I want my calendar to be full of helpful coaching conversations.
I have come to realise that the way to EFFECTIVELY fill my calendar with coaching calls is to go into the world and start conversations.
HOW DO I START CONVERSATIONS?
I used to believe that if I start a conversation, that the person on the receiving end, will think I am only after their money.
Here’s an important distinction – interesting vs interested.
When I am trying to be interesting in a conversation, all of my focus is on ME and not them. I am focused on how I am coming across and my agenda for calling them. The other person will probably feel this from me, and close off.
On the other hand, when I am genuinely INTERESTED in the person I am beginning a conversation with, then I forget about having an agenda and trying to get them on a coaching call. Instead, I show up curious about what they’re up to in the world and what they are creating. I look for ways in which I could possibly serve them. Not because I NEED a client, but because what if I could help them?!
Being interested means dropping my agenda and genuinely going out into the world to help people.
Starting conversations is critical to the success of building a coaching business. I used to find it really uncomfortable, just like I used to find deadlifting 35kg uncomfortable.
The more reps I put in at the gym, the more proficient I am at lifting weights.
Creating service-based conversations is the same. The more you exercise the muscle, the easier it becomes.
If you want to delve deeper into this and / or would like to know what else I wish I knew when I first started my coaching business (things that would’ve saved me incredible amounts of time), I’d be delighted to share them with you. Send me an emailš
Love Rajni š
