137: Your Future Coaching Clients Might Be Turned Off By Automation
You might be getting tired of me pointing out mistakes coaches make. The only reason I do is because it is how everyone learns best. You make a mistake then you learn a better way. Find the show notes at prosperouscoach.com/137.So, today’s highlighted mistake is … putting too much distance between yourself and your future coaching clients by having everything automated on your website and beyond. I see this all the time and it makes me a bit sad.There is a belief out there that you want your website and business to require little of you. Pour most of your energy into your clients and little into getting them. Market in an automated way, enroll in an automated way — for goodness sake don’t do anything manually until they pay for your services.While it’s good to look at ways to reduce labor, pick your spots strategically because some things should not be circumvented.Let me explain.Who Wants a Free Call with a Coach?I was reviewing a client’s website the other day and the web designer had stuck a button on her website saying CLICK HERE FOR A FREE DISCOVERY CALL. That wasn’t in our plan.Seems like a good idea, right? Wrong.You have to ask yourself … does anyone know they want a Discovery Call? Unless they are a coach themselves your web visitor isn’t going to know what a Discovery Call is. And what would motivate someone to have one? The short answer to that is trust which takes time to build.The same goes for a free sample coaching session. By the way, I advise coaches that once they’re past coach training its time to graduate away from giving free sample coaching sessions.Timing Matters on Websites and In Web Visitor’s MindsNow, this button I just mentioned is the sort of thing I might have done years ago before I knew a secret … people do NOT jump at a chance to get a free call when the invitation is unceremoniously timed.The offer of a free call at the wrong time can feel like asking someone to meet your parents when you’ve just had your first date.If you offer a free Discovery Call in exactly the right moment and in exactly the right way, they WILL want it.I’ve talked before about the Customer Journey before and how important it is that it’s strategized for the best possible outcome – that they hire you! Listen to my episode called To Attract More Coaching Clients Plan Your Prospect’s Journey to You. You can find that at prosperouscoach.com/69.So sure, if you’re selling a great new concept in shoes and you put an ad up on Instagram someone might get excited by that, click the button and want fewer clicks to purchase it.But if you’re selling something far more subtle and complicated like coaching services that approach will likely result in no clients and no income for you.You must work to build trust in the minds of your future coaching clients. They need to feel good about you before they get on a call. And that will take some of your personal time. Automation circumvents steps. Rhonda Hess helps new coaches leverage their zone of genius into a profitable coaching niche and launch with confidence. For VIP step-by-step support apply for Rhonda's VIP Coaching Business Breakthrough Program here and she'll be in touch to invite you a discovery call. Or if you're stuck on your coaching niche, grab a Nail Your Niche Strategy Session with Rhonda here.