Written by: Karen Cappello, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
How do you seal the deal on becoming a very successful coach? You’re going to need background support — whether it’s technology or people. You really can’t go it alone.
When you don’t have support: You get tired. You become overwhelmed trying to do everything yourself.
But when you do have the right kind of background support, you’re going to feel happy. You’re going to get your rest. And you’re going to do the work that only you can do — your genius work — and it’s going to energize you!
You can spend more time working on your coaching and doing your own self-development.
So what type of support do you really need?
The first type is...
1. Technical Support
There are so many great, free and paid resources out there that can help you streamline what you’re doing. When you don’t know what the right technology is, you can end up spending enormous amounts of money on tech that you don’t need. I’ve done this!
When you do know the right tech to use, you can create a strong foundation in your business, save time and it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.
Here are a few examples: If you want to post on social media and you want to schedule that out, instead of using something like MeetEdgar, which is an expensive option, you could use the version of Buffer that is completely free. And then, when you start generating more money, you can up-level.
Instead of Infusionsoft, for your autoresponder, you can start with Aweber. Infusionsoft is very expensive and MailChimp is free. You can start your mailing list with Aweber and then, as you grow, you can import these into another autoresponder.
Instead of a credit card processor, you can use PayPal subscription payments, so you don’t have to set up invoices every month. Years ago, I had a really tough experience with credit card processing. In credit card processing, there’s a processor, there’s also a gateway, and there’s a bank. There are three different companies to work with and pay.
My business started really taking off. I started taking in larger amounts than I was used to taking. The gateway actually held the money, made me refund it to my people, out of my own pocket, and then we could try again. It was a cash flow nightmare, and it was very expensive.
I went right back to PayPal. You can just send out a link in an email, and it will automatically deduct the payment every 30 days. It makes everything so much easier.
These are the kinds of things that are very important to know when you’re growing your business.
Let’s look at the second kind of support that you’ll need...
2. Virtual and Web Assistance
Unless websites are your genius work, you’re going to need help with your website. When you hire assistance too soon — and you’re not exactly clear on your ideal client, their challenge, and desired result — you can really waste a lot of money on things that are not revenue-producing.
When you are crystal clear on your business focus, it is going to be an investment — and not an expense. You’re going to know what you need. You’re going to be thrilled at how it’s paying off. You’re going to be so happy to pay those fees every month.
The right time to get support is after your business is bringing in money. I started out doing a lot of things on my own and then, once I was bringing in the income, I was able to invest in other people doing these.
Now, I have great support with my website, my social media, and other marketing and sales. I worked up to it as my business grew and was able to pay for the support.
After you’ve coached a lot of paying clients, and you know what they need and want, it makes a lot of sense to get website support, for instance. One of the things I see that is not working is coaches creating really beautiful websites without a specific and clear niche. The websites are gorgeous, but no clients are coming in.
And they’ll come to me and say, “I have this great website, but I have no clients — and I’ve spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours on this.”
Work with a coach before you do your website — before you do any of your social media — make sure that your niche is really strong, and you understand your ideal client well.
And when it’s the right time and you get the right support — it can really be a big, big help.
Finally, you also need...
3. Coaching Support
Every coach needs a coach. I really, truly, believe this — and I’ve always lived by this idea.
When you don’t have a coach, you’re not doing what you’re asking your clients to do — you’re not investing in yourself and your own self-development. And you don’t have access to your most creative answers — because your coach will help you with that.
When you do have a coach, you’re going to find ways to make it an investment, rather than an expense. Your potential clients are going to sense that alignment within you, and they’re going to know, and feel very confident in hiring you. It’s an energetic thing.
I’ve had at least one coaching session per week, and sometimes even more, every week since I’ve been a coach — except holidays and vacations. I believe in coaching — and that’s why it’s easier for me to invite people into coaching — because I know the value from being a client.
Let’s Recap!
There are so many moving parts that go into Making a Highly Successful Coach.
The first is making Mindset Shifts that empower you to move forward. The second is Tracking Actions that will get you to your goals. And the third is having the proper Background Support that helps you do your best but doesn’t eat into your profitability.
Thanks for being you, and being willing to share your time, your treasure, and your talents with the world as a coach.
You help people grow to their highest potential — and that is such a sacred trust — and I really cherish my relationship with you as my colleague in coaching. Your presence is really needed in the world!
Please reach out if you ever need any support from me. It would be my honor to help out.
Karen Cappello, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Karen Cappello, MCC, BCC, is a business and executive coach, communication specialist, motivational speaker and coach trainer. She collaborates with leaders and executive coaches to promote highly beneficial business outcomes. With over 30 years of experience and expertise in business management, financial planning, and higher education, Karen has brought a broad-based background to her coaching clientele.
