Biz-D Basics for Life Coaches

When I first started giving complimentary coaching sessions I felt uncomfortable about asking for the business. I did. To me, the purpose of such a call was to provide a coaching sample, not to close the deal. But I knew that the ultimate goal of these Sample Sessions was to turn prospects into paying clients. I just didn't like it all happening at once.

So I developed a routine where I'd end these calls with a homework assignment. "Go do this assignment," I'd say as the coach, not the salesman. "If you find that in a week's time you either (a) didn't do the homework, or (b) found it really didn't help, then please don't hire me to be your coach.

"But, if in a week's time you found that you did do your homework - and it did help - then call me back and we can talk about how you can hire me to be your coach."

Separating my "coaching" from my "selling" into two separate, well-spaced, conversations allowed me to know (read: prepare for) which part of the broader conversation I was going to have when.

Note, too, that in doing it this way, when prospects did call back, more often than not, they were the ones who were driving the sales conversation - not me!

I didn't sell - I just let them buy!