Don’t Make It Too Easy!!
So…how easy should you make it for clients to work with you?
I’ve just had a very interesting conversation. My client was talking about making sure that it was easy for his client to find him, come to his meetings and to follow his coaching programme.
He stated that he wanted to make it completely simple for his prospects. Offering evening or weekend events in a high profile venue with all materials produced at the event….but that to do this was a prohibitive cost! How could he make it work?
If you are marketing yourself in the field of coaching – as my client today…how easy do you want to make it for your prospects to attend a seminar or live vent?
For example, do you want to make that event 7pm so that they can come along after work?
Do you want to make it in the largest most visible venue despite the costs?
Do you want to give them literally everything on a plate so that they aren’t left to fall through a loop after the event?
Well, we discussed this and I think I shocked him! “NO!!!” I said “Dont Make It Too Easy!!!”
Now this at first might fly in the face of much great marketing advice given over the recent years and indeed some areas I myself have endorsed…but allow me to explain:
In Ben’s humble opinion, in the knowledge business and specifically the coaching business, our results as a coach are not (or should not be) measured on how much we sell but rather on what impact we make. I want to be acknowledged for changing lives and businesses…for results not merely sales.
Thus in my humble opinion if the person who is ‘asking for help’ evidently makes little or no effort in the very first instance to find and access that help, then my experience has taught me that equally they are the ones most likely to not actually apply the ideas if you do manage to get them in your arena.
Statistically, if they are less willing to make efforts at the very beginning of the process then they are more likely to be the ones who either do nothing with the ideas or worse even complain by saying “I did that – it was ok but didn’t really do much for me!”
Sadly far too many people are looking for the ‘done for me’ solution and if they appear in your radar as a coach then you really are on a hiding to nothing. Better in my opinion to work with fewer people and have more time allowed for those who are genuinely prepared to put a little effort in! Better to filter at the beginning and let those who complain, complain without being clients!
There will be a lot of work required to genuinely help the clients that you accept…so leave energy and room to ‘over deliver’ for the clients who made deliberate effort to find you etc
So, having a daytime ‘Teaser’ event means they have to take time off work…having a good but lower profile event means they take a little time to research…having a action to take for materials shows their intent. it sorts the serious from the dreamers.
In a nutshell, if you are tempted to bring in ‘more’ by pleasing them too much, you are risking opening the door to clients who will not apply the ideas and not enhance your reputation. Selling a coaching programme should not be the goal…impacting change through the coaching should be, so leave some hurdles in and do not make it too easy!
Have an awesome week!
Yours in success
Ben Kench