Selling Coaching services
From: How I Got My First Client – Interview with Tripp Lanier — Matthew Kimberley
Tripp Lanier is a man’s coach and the host of the New Man Podcast.
Through my involvement in the global expatriate community I regularly come into contact with coaches; life coaches, career coaches, expat coaches…and the list goes on. From a lifestyle/portable business perspective, coaching is a great option. It can be fundamentally operated from just about anywhere, it’s somewhat portable depending of course on where the client base is located and how services are delivered, but all around it’s compatible with the expat mobile lifestyle.
A few observations have troubled me however about this line of business. The coaching business space seems to be incredibly crowded, I’m not sure if this is just in the expat environment or a broader trend. How do coaches use their branding or messages to differentiate themselves from competitors? I’m aware that there is some degree of coopetition, but I’m not convinced this is a successful model in consulting and service based businesses.
My final observation is that, with a couple of notable exceptions, very few coaches present a compelling business case for their services, particularly in the first instance. Given the chance to interact, others are able to present a better ‘pitch’ but the intangible nature of selling a service that doesn’t directly solve a problem, but instead helps you find a solution to the problem is a big sell, and my hat goes off to those who are successful at it.
I’m writing this small post at the early stages of establishing the Portable Career Network and the following interview caught my ear:
How I Got My First Client – Mathew Kimberly Interview with Tripp Lanier: Play in new window | Download (7.6MB)
Some coaches could certainly benefit from Mathew’s services. I look forward to writing more about this subject and hopefully speaking with some coaches and consultants like Mathew in upcoming podcasts.
