Executive Coach

Like most people, I do not jump up-an-down with joy at the prospect of calling strangers and risking rejection, especially since to be effective, cold calls must be made ‘en-mass’, meaning that you not only risk rejection, you are potentially setting yourself up to be rejected 30-40 times per hour or more.

But the fact that something is hard to do is often a sign that it should be done. Generally speaking, cold calls work. It is clear that, when done properly, it brings a good return on investment, or else we would not see so much corporate telemarketing. But this does not mean that a coach should emulate the mass telemarketing techniques and expect to be successful.

Mass telemarketing works because the solutions that are being offered through it are relevant to a great percentage of the population. The marketer can call ‘everyone’ and be certain that some significant percentage of the people being called are potential buyers (and you can bet your last coaching fee that they know very well what this percentage is before they commit the resources).

There are several aspects to be considered when planning a cold-calls campaign. Some of them are:
1. The list (who will you call, how targeted is it, how suited to the offer)
2. Your goal (a sale, a meeting, a permission to send more materials etc.)
3. The presentation (What you say and how you say it)

Clearly, you can not open the phone directory, work your way from A through Z and expect to get many coaching clients. Your list must be somehow targeted to your niche. The more targeted, the greater the chances are.

It is usually not worthwhile trying to sell anything during a cold call. The goal of most calls is to set up a meeting where you can learn more about the prospect and tailor your offer accordingly. However, with today’s abundance of marketing, a better idea may be just to obtain the prospect’s permission to continue and send him additional information. This would help qualify a prospect and ‘warm’ up the next call a little.

And last, the presentation itself should be focused on the offer and the prospect, and not on the fears and hesitation of the caller. The call must be well planned, but there is a difference between having a planned, rehearsed script and being a robot. Don’t we all hate those people who call us at home, reciting mechanically some sale script? I know that I do. Many coaches project this feeling unto their prospects; so naturally, they are then hesitant to make a call. But you don’t have to be like that. In fact, you must not be like that if you wish to succeed. Your cold call should be nothing like a corporate telemarketing call. In fact, they should be nothing like the prospect ever heard before. Your call should stand out, especially if your prospect gets many such calls (i.e. an HR manager).

I think that for a coach, a successful cold-calls campaign must be founded on the following:
1. Aim for permission to continue the communications.
2. Obtain or develop a relevant list. Always try to know something about the people you call. Use any possibility to make the call less of a cold one.
3. Have a good script. Practice it to perfection (and do not practice it on your best prospects, please… begin with your worst ones, and work your way up).
4. Be persistent.

I saw some statistics that even good telemarketing doesn’t land more than 3% success. Most do far worse. It may sound very little. But if you could call, say 100 people during a 2-3 hours session, and land one client out of it, wouldn’t you say it is a sound investment? I think it is.

So to answer my own question, cold calls can be effective for coaches, but they must be well tailored and well executed to work.

Managers of all levels all need to manage their teams. The classic solution to this challenge is based upon the idea that there is one best way to do the job, and therefore it is the manager’s role to identify it, formalize it in a procedure or instruction, train his team on it and enforce it. This approach is sometimes known as Managing by Processes, and it is the holy grail of CFOs and Quality Assurance managers.

However, such an approach, while effective for low-level routine tasks in a stable environment, is not so effective when being applied in the chaotic, unpredictable business environment of today, and especially when applied to workers of higher authority and independence. In such an environment, it is often better to manage by results.

Managing by results means that the manager focuses her effort on defining the results that her team should achieve, communicate these results to the team, and monitor the advance toward the results.

An executive coach can help a client do this by several subsequent steps:

One: Help the client identify the strategic objectives that she and her team are supporting. This objective is often part of the overall organizational objectives, and my even be a part of a corporate vision, depending on the rank of the client in the organization.

Two: Help the client identify her own goal within this higher objective. This goal is a distinct, concrete and measurable result that can be achieved within a specific time frame.

Three: Help the client identify and formulate the goals for each of her team members and help here negotiate and delegate the goals to the team in a way that assure their ‘buy-in” into the process.

Four: Help the client identify the key metrics for each goal, including her own. And establish a proper reporting and analysis method that will assure effective control over the obtained results. Such metrics should measure the desired result, and not the execution of plans.

And last – help the client create in her team the distinct responsibility of each team member to devise the best plan for him to achieve his goal, and to improve his plans whenever the metrics indicates that this is needed.

This approach empowers the manager and her team to be creative, innovative, and to respond quickly to changing circumstances. In our fast-track world, this could well be the traits needed to survive and prosper.

Executives and managers like to be able to measure their results and assess the validity of their investments. This is why it is always good for an executive coach to demonstrate his added value by quantifiable measurements. Actually, this is true for any type of coaching, though maybe not all clients are aware enough to ask for numbers.
So, what should a coach measure?

Coaching is about making a difference, creating change. A coach is usually hired to help bring on a desired change. Therefore, the best measurement for coaching success is: did the desired change occur, and is the change as big as was desired?

In business organizations, the desired changes are often measured in units or $ value of Production volume, Sales, Rate of processing (i.e. – number of helpdesk tickets processed) etc. Therefore, a measure of the benefit of the coaching service could be the percentage of increase of production volume over a given period.

An executive coach should also try to express the expected change in terms of Return on Investment (ROI%). To calculate the ROI%, one simply divide the (Benefit – Cost) by the Cost, and multiply by 100. The benefit calculation is tricky, but if base it on one year it will generally be accepted well by any client. Remember to point out the calculation period when you present the results. For example, if the cost of coaching was 4000$, resulting in 1000$ per month increase in gross profit, then the ROI%(1 year) is (1000X12-4000)*100/4000=200%, which, as ROIs go, is quite good.

Another measurement that managers like to see is the Break-even point. This tells you how long it takes for the investor to regain his investment (no profit). To calculate the Break-even point, you need to divide the Cost by the Benefit (per period). In the example above, the break even point would be 4000/1000=4 months.

Such numbers of ROI and BEP are very good numbers for any kind of investment. If you coach, be sure to use them to impress your clients.

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Today I attended the opening of an exhibition of a past client of mine, a painter.

Roni Ruth Palmer didn’t paint anything for several years and was working as an administrator when we met. Lask week she held her goodby party at the office and embarked on a new life as a full-time creative artist.

Live your dream. There is nothing better to do in this life.

You know and I knows that in the coaching business, a satisfied past client is the best way to get more coaching clients. Yet many coaches are not actively using past clients referrals. They are leaving easy money behind as they go looking for new clients the hard way, by cold calls etc.   

Your past clients already know you. Hopefully, they think well of your coaching skills. They might refer you to others without you asking for it, but than again, they might not. Why rely on chance? 

So call them up, each and every one of them. After the small talk come out and tell your past client that you wish to ask for advice about people who may be interested in your coaching services. However, don’t just wait for the past-client ideas. Be ready with this sequence of questions: 

First ask: “Can you think of anyone that you know and could be interested in being coached by me?” Don’t interfere, let the past client go through whatever comes up, and take notes. Do not stop the flow with requests for phone numbers and addresses. Get back to it later.

 Then ask another question. “Is there anybody that you know who has a problem like ‘such and such’?” Replace the ‘such and such’ with the type of problems that your coaching aims to solve. Again – let the client talk, and ask for details in the end.

And last, ask: “Is there anybody that you know that could benefit from having better results in (whatever you coach for)?

The first question can bring up original ideas that your past client may have and you would not think of. This is why you should not interfere, and not ask specific questions first. The other two are meant to help her remember specific types of people; the type that you are looking for. 

Then go with her over the list you made. Ask for communication details for each name. Ask her permission to mention her name in your call. Also, ask her permission to refer people to her for recommendations. Always thank your past client for her time and efforts. Send a ‘Thank you’ note or even a small gift after the call. Do this regardless of the results of the call. Stay on best terms with your clients. 

Follow each of the leads that you got, even the most remote ones. Sadly, most will turn you down. Never mind that. Thank them for taking your call, and ask them if they happen to know anyone that fits the profile you are looking for. In this case – be specific – they were not coached and will not know what you are looking for like your past client did. Follow up on each call with a personalized snail-mail ‘Thank you’ card.  Add your phone number or business card with a suggestion that they could use it if they had any ideas after your conversation.

 Follow these ideas and you may be surprised at how many good leads you can get. And if you need more ideas, take a look at my “Get More Coaching Clients” video course

Have you found yourself strugling to find enough coaching clients? If so, you are in good company. Over 80% of coaches have the same problem. But now, my new “Get more coaching clients” Video course is here to fix it! This is marketing for life coaches made easy.

Overall, coaches are not good salespeople, nor are they good marketers (and please forgive me if you happen to be one of the rare breed – a coach that is comfortable promoting himself). The result, as was clearly observed through several surveys I made, is that coaches find it difficult to find coaching clients, and to close a deal.  

No more! Since I found out about this problem I have been trying to figure out a solution, and I finally got it. Now you can benefit from the simplest, yet effective step-by-step approach that I outline in my Videos to quickly create and put into action a marketing plan. In my beta testing, one of my students got 21 new coaching clients in only 43 days! You should be able to do just as good, or better!

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• No more self doubt and wondering if it was worth the effort to learn coaching.
• No more second guessing yourself, feeling that the other coaches who made it are better than you.
• Lead the professional life you want, and be successful!
• Make enough money to become a full-time life coach.
• Realize your dream! Don’t just help others fulfill their ambitions while yours is thwarted. Do what you tell your clients to do. Walk the talk – be proactive.Go and get more clients – right now. 

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Get More Coaching Clients – come and get it.

I recently joined an online chat about the way a coach should deal with the known phenomena of seeing one-self in the client. Most of the participants agreed that this should not be reflected in any way during the session. The session is about the client, not about us. But how much should we focus on that after the session?

Some of the more “spritual” participants argued that nothing happens for no reason, and that the client was “sent” to us to teach us some lesson. I find this way of thinking very egocentric. On the other hand, if you do see similarities between yourself and the client shouldn’t you give it a thought?

I have my answer, but I really liked best one specific responses given to that. One lady stated that if ever she find too much similarity between herself and the coaching client, she will remind herself that you really aren’t supposed to be coaching your identical twin!

Don’t take yourself too seriousely. Coaches are people.

Today I had a small victory. However, it was a hollow one, because I didn’t even meant it, and I didn’t even plan for it, and so it wasn’t really much good. I actually didn’t even know I won it. I found out by mistake.

You see, today I found out that I rank very well in Google for “Executive Coaching Tips”. Ranking well in Google could be good for business, and it usually not easy to do.

However, as I said, I didn’t plan for it. It actually happened as a totally random result of something else that I was doing, and doing wrong, apparently. So now I rank # 1 in Google for a keyword that get searched for (hold tight…)

35 times a month…

Not really the thing that is going to get me rich, is it? A whole 35 potential tips-seekers every month. I mean, wow! hehehehehe

However, there is a lesson here, and I took it.  And so should you.

By the virtue of this mistake, I now know exactly what to do if I want to rank well in Google for keywords that ARE being searched for. And this knowledge is something that I can , and will, use to my business advantage. Huston, we found something very interesting here. Detailed report when we get back to the landing capsule

The only reason I learned this, is because I was trying. I wasn’t just thinking about it, I was doing. So yes, I made a mistake. I didn’t get what I wanted, but I got something vary valuable instead. And I am way much better off that if I hadn’t tried at all.

So go, be proactive. It gets you things.

It is not immediately apparent that executive coaching is partially a seasonal business, but the fact is that the executives and managers we coach go on vacations, as sometimes do their entire organizations.

The Holiday seasons, and especially the summer vacation, are the two major seasonal impacts on the coaching business. and epecially the executive coaching business. Add to that the fact that some of the industries where we do our business are seasonal themselves, and you get the idea. 

This seasonal effect could lead to unhealthy fluctuations in the cash flow. Everyone aims at a predictable cash flow, preferably a steady one, even more desired – one that is steadily rising. So, what can you do to season-proof your coaching business? 

There isn’t any one solution, but there are several things that you should be doing during the year that would all help. 

A. Do not become reliant on a single industry. For example, if your main focus is the education system, you are probably influenced very much by the seasonal availability of your clients. You should diversify a little, and add at least one other source of clients that does not follow the same patterns. 

B. Try to predict the lows in your calendar, and plan some productive work there. These can be good times to write books and articles, or to catch up on your customer communications and cultivating your mailing list. 

C. Not all your clients are unavailable during the summer vacation. Some stay at home without doing much of anything. You can offer them a special vacation session that will boost their advance. 

D. There are many conventions and trade shows that combine business with vacation resorts and family attractions. Many businessmen and executives combine their vacations with such events, and as I said in another article, an executive coach should go where his clients are. Try to get invited to lecture in such events. You could even try to offer some type of workshop specially designed for this event. It will not just generate immediate income, it will also increase you authority and visibility and boost your marketing efforts. Just remember that such events are planed almost a year in advance, so start working on it right now for next year. 

There are plenty of other ideas out there. So be creative, and most important, do not accept the seasonal trend as something that you have no control over. Assume that there is a solution, and go find it.

One of the more important things that a coach can do for a client is to cause him to see things in a new, more useful perspective. A good way to do this is by asking your client a Power Question. 

As the name suggest, a power questions is a question that carries a lot of power to create a change. It is a question that you ask not to get an answer, but to cause your client to rethink his automatic thoughts or reactions on something, or to cause him to consider something that he never really though about. 

Power questions vary according to subject. There is no uniform way to ask them. However, they are always directed at the assumption, sometimes the hidden assumptions, that govern the coachee’s response in a situation. Here are some examples: 

“What could realistically happen if you choose not to submit to this colleague’s wishes?”

“Can you present a fact, something that happened in reality that supports your assumption that doing this will get you fired?”

“You just described six incidents where you succeeded in completing your tasks. How do you correlate this fact with your self label as a failure?”

“What is holding you back?”

“You did not seek another job because you were afraid it will be found out and you will be fired?” 

In all cases, the question is meant for the coachee to answer to himself. I often tell my coachee that I do not need the answer. This tends to reinforce the idea that there is a lesson them to learn here, rather than information for me to uncover. 

Not being a psychologist, I tend to avoid going into my client’s psychology. However, at times there are things so apparent, that it feels like a wasted opportunity not to touch them. Asking a power questions is an effective way for me to point out things in the client’s thought process, without actually suggesting anything that I am not qualified to suggest. In such cases I am extra careful to point out that this is entirely for the client to consider, and I do not want to be told the answer. Put in such an oblique way, it is still enough to get the client thinking if I am unto something, but allows him to easily reject and ignore it if I am wrong. 

An example of that: I once had a client who was constantly putting on acts to everybody around her, especially to authority figures. This was wasting a lot of her energy and putting her under a lot of pressure. In our conversations, she described several instances where her mother would not reveal her true feelings and put on an act. Not being qualified to delve into this, all I did was to tell my client that before our next meeting, I want her to think about a question that was just for her: “Are there any similarities between your behavior toward your boss and your mother’s behavior with your dad?”  

In this specific case, this question happened to be the key to an entire change process that my client went through once she understood that her behavior was “pre-programmed” instead of being based upon her current reality.

If you want to read a litle more about question in coaching (in this case – inquisitive questions), please go my Executive Coaching Articles page