How To Sell Coaching – A Step By Step Guide
In this article, we’ll explore how to sell coaching, by focusing on eight powerful and effective selling tips.
These tips are commonly used by the top five percent of coaches all around the world, when it comes to their discovery calls, and closing new clients.
Many people think that what they’re able to achieve is from pure luck.
We’ll explore how this isn’t the case, and what you can do to improve your sales process, as well as your closing rate.
How To Sell Coaching – A Step By Step Guide
How To Sell Coaching Tip #1 – Meet With Decision Makers
Our first tip when learning how to sell coaching, is that high performing coaches only meet with decision makers, or their ideal prospective clients.
Many coaches meet with what they think are potential clients; only to learn later that they don’t have the budget, authority to make a decision, a need for your product or service, or the right time-frame for your offer or solution.
IBM came up with an acronym called BANT; which is widely used by their team to qualify people early.
By meeting with the right people up front, you’ll save not only a lot of wasted time, but you’ll also shorten your sales cycle.
Related article: Qualifying Sales Leads – A Step By Step Guide
How To Sell Coaching Tip #2 – Use A Pre-Frame/ Intent Statement
Another highly effective sales tip when learning how to sell coaching, is that top performing coaches use something called an intent statement, also known as a pre-frame; prior to going into their conversations and asking their deep diving sales questions.
Not only does pre-framing position you as a trusted advisor; it also eliminates potential sales objections and gives you permission to dive deep and look for pain.
By eliminating sales objections at the start of your conversation, you’ll prevent them from coming up at the end of your conversation after you present your offer.
To learn how to use a pre-frame, as well as position yourself as a trusted advisor instead of just another commodity, read the related article linked directly below.
Related article: How To Position Yourself As A Trusted Advisor
Tip #3 – Keep It About Them
Our third tip when learning how to sell coaching and to help you close more consistent sales, is that you should do everything you can to keep the conversation about them.
The conversation should be focused on:
- Their situation
- Pain points
- What their ideal outcomes look like
- How much have they put aside to solve the problem
- How much they’ve put aside to get a desired result
- What obstacles are in the way to solve their problem and buy
By focusing on these areas, you’ll keep the conversation focused on them wanting and needing a change, rather than making it about you or your coaching services.
As per our article in Entrepreneur; many sales professionals (and coaches) make the mistake of presenting too early.
We call this ‘premature presentation’; and it kills your sales.
By presenting too early, you make the conversation centred around you, when it should be solely focused on them.
Ask the right questions, and systematically dive deeper to help them sell themselves.
Further reading: Sales Probing Questions – 20 x To Use Daily
#4 – Use Closing Questions
The fourth tip in our how to sell coaching guide, is to use closing questions throughout your sales conversations, rather than just at the end.
Closing questions aren’t scripts; as they can be changed depending on the potential client you’re speaking with.
They should be used as a guideline and can help you feel more comfortable when asking for the sale.
We’ve added these five closing questions to our how to sell coaching guide, because they’ve served me well in my years in sales coaching and will definitely help you too.
They are:
1 – “Would you like my help with this/ insert fixing problem?”
2 – “If we could find a way to deal with your *insert area of concern*, would you be happy to proceed?”
3 – “Based on your feedback and our solutions to your issues, it looks like our *insert your product or solution* is the right fit for *insert their company*. Would you agree/ what do you think?”
4 – “Would you agree that it’s worth giving us a try, to solve your *insert their problems and pain points*?”
5 – “What happens next?”
To learn more about implementing and unpacking each of these closing questions, visit the related article below.
Related article: 5 x Closing Questions To Win More Sales
How To Sell Coaching Tip #5 – Use A Sales Process
If you look closely at the top performers, you’ll find that a massive difference between an average coach and a high performing coach that regularly makes consistent sales, is that they use a consistent sales process to guide them with their sales conversations.
Want to know how to sell coaching? Don’t wing it or leave things to chance.
Following a sales process, or sales formula as some call it, is the step-by-step system of taking a potential client on a journey from start to finish. It usually starts with getting to know the clients, following a number of steps, and finalising by asking for the sale.
A good sales process should do the following:
- Is systematised in a way, that gives you some kind of clear outcome
- Something you can follow consistently; a road map you can keep using
- Creates certainty for both you and your potential client
- Allows you to control the process
By following a sales process, it allows you to feel confident and secure before walking into any potential client interview. It gives you consistency, because you don’t have to wonder what to ask, or waste time, money or resources.
Our flagship program, The 5% Sales Blueprint – is an affordable and effective online sales training program that’ll help you take away the guesswork.
To learn more about the program, click on the linked page directly below.
Close More Sales – The 5% Sales Blueprint
How To Sell Coaching Tip #6 – Find Pain
As previously explored; something crucial you’ll need to learn on your journey towards more consistent sales, is that top coaches are experts at finding pain.
Want to know how to sell coaching?
Become an expert at finding your potential clients pain points, and get the sales conversational emotional, rather than purely keeping it logical and surface level.
Finding your potential clients pain points is a crucial part of the sales process and your sales conversations, because if you can’t find what their pain points are; it’ll be hard to close the sale.
Many coaches go about their sales conversations the wrong way.
They generally present or pitch their idea, answer a few questions, and hope they said something to their potential client that’ll make them buy.
This old school methodology doesn’t work anymore, and a more consultative approach will gain you far better results.
The main reason this approach doesn’t work anymore either – is because you’re not speaking directly to the reason as to why they’re buying – being a current presence of pain.
Pain points; in a sales context, are the things that cause discomfort to your potential clients in their business, day to day activities, and their everyday lives.
Everyone has different pain points, and they come in different levels of pain.
Pain points are generally based on different levels of pain; and the measurement for the level of pain will be based on your potential client’s perceptions, and what they categorise their pain points as.
There are three levels of pain; in which you need to discover during your sales conversations. These are:
- Technical issues
- An impact on their business
- Personal impact
Although all three are important, generally people buy to eliminate personal impact.
Read the article here in regard to finding pain, and to learn how to add it to your sales conversations.
Watch on YouTube: Pain Points In Sales – Why It Is So Important
#7 – Use Concept Selling Where Necessary
People who consistently close sales use concept selling where necessary.
Concept selling is a powerful sales tool, because it shifts the focus from speaking plainly about features and benefits, to instead something a lot more meaningful.
Want to know exactly how to sell coaching?
Memorise and embody the statement below.
People buy what it will mean when they own something, rather than the product or service itself.
As mentioned; most coaches do something we call ‘Premature Presentation’; this is when they present their product or service, without first learning what it actually is a person wants solved.
Contrary to a lot of what is taught out there – people don’t buy products or services.
They don’t even buy features and benefits.
More importantly – they buy what it will mean when they own the benefits of what you’re selling.
Therefore – they’re buying the meaning of owning it.
Concept selling works so well, because you’re speaking to the meaning of owning your product.
By speaking directly to the meaning, you’re removing any assumptions about what they may think it may mean if they invest in you or your company.
Related article: Concept Selling – Tips To Do It Correctly
How To Sell Coaching Tip #8 – ‘Prescribe’ Your Solution
A lot of coaches follow an old school, outdated sales process.
This process generally means they present their product or service, hope something sticks, and then ask for the sale.
If you want to know how to sell coaching, prescribe your product or solution rather than pitch it.
When you see a seasoned Medical Specialist; they ask you plenty of questions, learn about your pain points, and then tell you what you need to do/ or take to alleviate yourself from the pain.
Seasoned and highly profitable coaches do the same thing; they learn all about their potential client’s pain points, and how it’s affecting them both emotionally and logically.
Once they’re completely clear on their pain points, they then prescribe a solution to each pain point – rather than just present an offer or solution.
To consistently close sales, our consultative selling tip is that you need to be an expert at prescribing a solution, rather than just asking for a sale and positioning yourself as just another commodity.
To present effectively, we recommend presenting in a way that solves each pain point – rather than present and assume they will know how it’ll serve them.
Related article: 10 x Effective Sales Presentation Tips You Need To Use
Final Thoughts
The top five percent of coaches who know how to sell coaching consistently, follow these eight tips religiously.
They don’t leave things to chance.
When it’s time to talk about their product or service – they prescribe rather than present.
They’re seen as trusted advisers, rather than just another salesperson.
Put these ‘how to sell coaching’ tips into action, and you’ll notice your sales dramatically increase – without the need for becoming pushy.
Want To Close Sales Easier?
Are you committed to closing sales a lot easier, and consistently?
If so, you should check out our self-paced and affordable online sales training program; The 5% Sales Blueprint.
It’ll give you everything you need to close sales consistently.
To learn more, simply click on the link below for more information.
Our Online Sales Training Program – The 5% Sales Blueprint.
