Coaching can be a cut-throat industry. The operative word is can – it’s not a given. Here’s how being part of the right community can help you grow as a coach.
The coaching industry has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry, however, it is a saturated market with over 93,000 coach practitioners worldwide1. In today’s day and age, despite many marketing tasks that can be automated to capture leads, very few strategies or tactics remain as effective as word-of-mouth advertising.
It’s every entrepreneur’s dream to build the Dream 100: your source for the ideal clients that stay, pay, and refer. But the thing is, they don’t magically land on the doorstep of your coaching business – someone has to guide them there.
With 92% of consumers2 trusting the referral or recommendations of people they know personally, having a community that comes together to do that for the businesses in your circle might just be the biggest asset you can have in building a strong foundation for your customer base. This comes in the form of your coaching network (a.k.a. Your business connections) that come together as a community – and also why we prefer the Real 50 to the Dream 100.
Forging real relationships with members of your community makes for stronger connections and inclinations to help each other out, which plays an essential role in laying the foundations for an authentic and sustainable business.
But where exactly can you find this community in the coaching industry? Follow these three tips to connect with like-minded people and find out!
Practice reflection
Who should be in your Real 50? To know who these people are, you must first know yourself. Reflect on your values, interests, and goals, including what you want and need from your coaching community. There, you will gain insights into what types of people you want and need to connect with.
With similar values and interests, like minds naturally gravitate toward each other…and, more often than not, just click. Leveraging that personal connection with your business savvy can help you grow as a coach, as well as grow your wellness coaching practice – without seeming too needy.
Do your research
Now that you’ve identified the who, it’s time to figure out the how. Find an in to begin connecting with them. Find out where they hang out and join the conversation. One way to do this is by joining relevant networking groups. Another great way is to join an online community that you know your people are active in, and start getting to know them.
If engaging with them online in a group setting still seems too impersonal, consider scheduling one-on-one meetings or even in-person coffee chats if this makes sense for you geographically.
Researching opportunities for partnerships and collaborations in your area will also help you build real relationships with the people in your local community. See what’s currently out there, check your chamber of commerce, and just ask around. If you’re seeing little to no activity, look into starting your own meetup!
Don’t shy away from engaging
While your newfound connections may add value to your network, business networking is a two-way street. It may seem counterintuitive, but one of the best ways to help your business is to focus on helping others. It allows you to build relationships quicker, and others will begin to want to help you in return as well.
Another way to practice engagement is by asking open-ended questions. It’s a great way to start a conversation – both virtually and IRL. Exploring mutual topics of interest in this way provides multiple perspectives and opens the lines of future genuine connections, that will continue to flourish further from there.
Engagement sparks interest. Interest ignites more conversations. Conversations forge real connections and community.
So, before you begin building that Dream 100 list, lay down the foundation with your Real 50 – your business connections with other coaches and wellness professionals in community settings. Putting together your referral network can seem daunting at the outset. As an entrepreneur, however, this is an important step in building that authentic and sustainable business you’ve heard so much about – and eventually, locking in those dream clients.
Are you ready to take your coaching business to the next level? Join us for a hybrid mastermind experience this spring and start meeting your Real 50…because Kaleidoscope Co. is what happens when a group of like-minded solopreneurs gets together for the good of business and community-building.
Credit:
Louis Zhou
Finances Online
