Marketing Matters!

I was working for the Coaching Academy at Latimer House last weekend and had the pleasure of bumping into the lovely Hannah McNamara who was running a workshop on 'How to set up your coaching practice.' We got chatting, as you do, and on behalf of all you guys I decided to ask her why marketing is so important for us coaches; here's what she had to say...

"Want to know what makes the difference between the coaches who are (financially) successful and working with lots of clients, and those living a hand-to-mouth existence with very few clients? It's all in their ability to help people to understand how the coaching they offer will benefit them. Unless someone understands what you can do for them and why they should choose YOU, it's a tough call to ask them to put their hand in the pocket and commit their savings to coaching. Marketing, far from being a 'dark art', is actually about communication, plain and simple. Help people to 'get' what you do and what's in it for them, and you can build a practice with a steady stream of clients. And despite what you might think, it's not about hard-sell and being pushy. Many of the things that make you a good coach, will make you a good marketer - listening to your prospective clients, building rapport with them and reflecting their thoughts back to them. These are all crucial elements of Marketing."

Wise words eh? Well, here's a little story from my own experience. About 12 months ago I knew I wanted to work in the area of health and wellbeing so I bravely entered the big wide world of coaching with all my qualifications and ended up hitting a brick wall. Where were all my clients hiding? Why wasn't my phone ringing off the hook? Why was I skint? It was at that point I knew I needed some help because I just didn't know how to communicate to my clients and my experience of marketing was very limited. I contacted Hannah via her website and we worked together for about 3 months. It was certainly a steep learning curve but I wouldn't be where I am now without it. Above all else it has helped me to understand who my clients are and what I can do for them. As a result I now run a coaching business that is growing day by day. If you're reading, thanks Hannah!

If you'd like to find out all about Hannah McNamara and want to know more about marketing mentoring and coaching go to www.marketinghelpforcoaches.com In addition if you're ready for some practical no-nonsense advice click here to buy her new book 'Niche Marketing for Coaches' for only £14.99. Believe me it's money well spent and has, without doubt, been my bible for the last few weeks.

Charlotte