Most coaches are taught to offer free coaching sessions, and while it can work many times to get a new client, from the business perspective it’s a flawed concept. Here’s why.
The goal of a free coaching session is to get a client, so essentially it’s a sales tool. But selling something as intangible and new as coaching is not easy. First, you must explain to a prospect what coaching is, what it isn’t, how it’s different from therapy and consulting, and answer any questions they may ask about it.
- Then you must show them why they need coaching. Depending on how the prospects come to find you, they may resist the whole idea. There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to sell to someone who’s resisting that they could use your help.
- Finally, you need to prove that you are the right coach for them. This puts many coaches in an uncomfortable position of having to “toot their horn” and takes them into a very uncomfortable place of having to sell themselves.
Assuming you’re not a trained or natural-born sales person, the stress of free coaching sessions as the primary tool for closing clients may be completely destroying your dream of being a coach. Even if you do get some clients this way, it can become very time consuming, stressful, and inconsistent. You must prove that coaching is an investment and not an expense, and do it all in a matter of 45 minutes.
Most importantly, there are only so many hours in a week and you can quickly max out giving free sessions all the time.
Is there a better alternative? Absolutely!
Here’s the key to your success in getting new coaching clients: PRE-SELL!
In other words, make sure that by the time you answer the phone and talk to your prospects, they already know what coaching is, why they need it, and why YOU are the ONLY right choice of coach for them.
How do you do that?
- Have all this information on your web site, but not in a traditional boring way found on thousands of coaching web sites. Write it in your own voice through your own story in your own style. Set yourself apart.
- Include success stories, case studies, and use benefit-rich copy in your written materials. Writing is extremely powerful and can get the right prospect excited about working with you, even if you do nothing else!
- Create a coaching program, give it a benefit-oriented title, and describe its specific and tangible outcomes. Coaching is very intangible and the more you can make your prospects visualize their possible results, the more likely they are to hire you.
- Create educational products - books, CDs, and other information products are a powerful way to say that you’re an expert. Not only will you start earning passive non-coaching income, but clients love hiring experts – not just coaches!
- Post your articles, media clippings, videos, and audios on your web site. This allows your prospects to get third-party proof of your authority on the subject and see you in many different mediums.
If someone asks you for a free session, send them to your web site filled with useful materials and products. By the time they request a free coaching session with you, they’ll already know what you bring to the table. This means:
- Less coaching fees negotiations
- Complete trust and authority
- Ready-to-hire prospects
- Less selling on your part
…and much more.
So don’t sell – pre-sell!
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Brilliant advice as always Milana. I’ve followed your recommendations for years and I’ve always had paying clients!
And I haven’t had to give away free coaching sessions for years now.
Thanks
Shona
This article really states the goals clearly. I have recently moved back to offering the complementary session. I find that it keeps my coaching skills sharp and I can tell quickly if we are going to be a fit or not based on how the client and I engage. I find it builds trust and credibility and the relationship naturally starts to take form. Milana’s pre-sell tips are great and I use them to start the “engagement” process and invite fence sitters to go do some exploring, and work through some of their beliefs about using a coach (doesn’t apply to them/It’s a weakness), and invite them to start a communication about any item they read. This I find has opened opportunites to discuss their goals and the invite to schedule the free call.
Always great tips Milana!! Thanks for the support!
Thanks Milana.
Great tips.
So true & right.
I also don’t like to give free sessions because of the reasons you mentioned.
rina
Milana – great advice. Where are the business implementation coaches who can help coaches develop this pre-sell on their sites?
Excellent I never really believed in the consults other than a brief meeting where the client had already received pricing and how we work with them from an assistant and knows they will be asked if they are going to sign on or not. If I do any I require they do work upfront completing a profile so that all that is missing is the billing information to get started. In going on 7 years I’ve only referred one person to someone else and another decided not to move forward, coached hundreds of clients and try to do it without a consult. I also give away tons of value before most even approach me for coaching. Thanks for the tip about updating the website, have so many landing sites I often forget about the branding site!
Thanks Milana! Very useful!
Great tips as usual! We moved to a similar approach by having self assessments on our site. It has made a huge difference!
To your success!
Stephanie
Productive and Organized – We’ll help you find your way! Tm
Awesome advice, Milana! This is helping me to know that I am going in the right direction. I’m developing these materials right now so I can launch next year with all sorts of tools to help my clients! Keep up the good work!
With or without free sessions in the mix this is a spectacular strategy. I have found that having any clients at all is all about the “pre-sell” – and the actions you described continue to work for a coach 24/7.
Not only do these activities “pre sell” they also “pre-qualify” and give your prospects an opportunity to self select. The education and visibility around your coaching message, method and promise will cause some prospect to decide not to work with you – but that’s a good thing. If done correctly, with a strong attractive message, what’s left are your perfect clients (or very, very close)!
By the time you get on the phone with your perfect it’s not about “if”, or “why” it’s about “when”.