MISTAKE #1: Conducting Sample Sessions

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The issue is that no matter how good your introductory coaching session, no matter how awesome of a
coach you are, no matter what kind of magical tools you may have for helping people make instantaneous
changes, if someone hired you to lose 60 pounds, there’s no way they’re going to lose 60 pounds in that
one session. That one session could possibly lead them to release one of the blocks holding them back,
but coaching is really about long-term result. It would be much better if they worked with you for three
months, six months, or even longer to achieve that result
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Doing a great job in that sample session, unfortunately, can do more harm than good because now they
feel like, “Oh, good. I feel better. I feel clear about what I need to do and I’m just going to go do it.” So,
the first thing is: don’t do sample sessions.

MISTAKE #2: Talking too much about yourself and your coaching
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Informiraj ljude o tome na svojoj web stranici.

MISTAKE #3: Feeling uncomfortable discussing your fees and

asking for the sale

MISTAKE #4: Trying too hard to make the sale

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Whether it’s somebody trying to sell you coaching or selling you a car, when
people start putting pressure on you, it feels really uncomfortable and unnatural.

MISTAKE #5: Not coaching people through their concerns

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As a coach our job is to help people make decisions. If somebody is trying to make a decision about
whether to hire you or not, then your job is to help them make that decision.
One of the questions I often ask is, “If you are wanting to think about it, then it sounds like
a part of you would like to do it and a part of you might be a little bit concerned about
giving it a shot. Is that true?”
If they say yes, then you can address their concerns, which are often fears of some kind.

MISTAKE #6: Not scheduling enough time for the introductory session
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A lot of times I could get through those sessions in about half an hour. What would happen is that I would
get through the session, and at the end they’re super excited and want to get coaching with me. They
would want to hear about my coaching, how it would work, how it would help them, the coaching fees
etc., but then I’d say, “I’m sorry, I have another appointment. I have to run.” We would try to set up a
follow-up session a couple of days later, but by then a lot of the momentum is gone and you need to start
over.
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While it seems that there’s nothing worse than having spent all that time giving a free session only for
them not to sign up, even worse is having someone so close to hiring you and the only reason why they
might not is because you’ve run out of time with the session.
Here is what I do instead. I tell people that the session is going to be between 45 minutes
to an hour-and-a-half. I tell people to schedule 90 minutes. This way I have plenty of time
for the session and we’re not going to run out of time.

MISTAKE #7: The Packaging of Coaching For Sale

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One big mistake that I’ve seen a lot of coaches make is charging per session. The problem with the pay-
per-session model is people may pay for sessions, but they don’t come back, or they only come back
when they’re finally in enough pain.
When people sign up for six months or a year of coaching, they’re much more likely to get all the results
they’re looking for. It’s more proactive. They’re going to be checking in with you. They’re going to tell
you about their progress. They’re going to tell you about their challenges and you can help with them.
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Charging per session is a big mistake. As is charging on a month-to-month basis. This is one of the big
problems I had in the
early days. I would just sign people up for month-to-month so they could cancel whenever they wanted. If
somebody hired me and then cancelled after a month, I would start to feel like my coaching wasn’t that
good. They hired me to find a great relationship and they wouldn’t find that relationship in that first
month (which is unrealistic). I put all this pressure
on myself and it just led to more self-doubt.
Then I switched. I started having people sign up for three months at a time. Then it went to
month-to-month after that. All of a sudden, people were getting better results and they
were sticking around longer. Then I went to six months and they were getting even better
results and sticking around even longer. Then I went to a year.

MISTAKE #8: Offering too many options

The eighth mistake also involves how you package and sell your coaching, and that is
giving people too many options.
Coaches will say, “I have the four sessions per month package and that’s $400 per month.
Or if you want three sessions a month, it’s $300 per month. If you want just two sessions
per month it’s $250 per month.”
The problem with that is clients have no idea how much coaching they need and how
much coaching is going to help them get the results that they’re looking for. Plus, they’ll make the
decision based
on their budget. Some coaches even throw in, “Well, I have group coaching. You can do
group coaching for $199 per month.”
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With too many options, it can be confusing.
Instead, I recommend you first pick whatever type of coaching is going to make the biggest impact for
them. If it’s three sessions a month for 30 minutes, do that. Just have one price.
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If someone says, “Oh my gosh, that would be great! I’d love to work with you. It would be
amazing, but I can’t afford that.” Then you can say, “Well, I have another option that might
be a better fit for your budget. Would you like to hear a little bit about that?” Then you can
tell them about your group coaching program or an information product that you have.
Or you could give them fewer sessions. Instead of three sessions, maybe you could offer
them two sessions per month.
MISTAKE #9: Not having a structure to explain your coaching
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The ninth mistake that coaches struggle with is how to explain what coaching is and how it
helps people.
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When I explain my coaching, I tell people that there are five things I’ll help them do.
Number one, I help them to clarify their vision and their direction for what they want to
achieve. If they’re single and they want to get into a relationship, then that might be getting
clear on the kind of person they would like to attract and the kind of relationship they’d like
to have together.
The third thing is helping them upgrade their skills. For example, if they’re a business owner, maybe
they need better leadership skills or time management skills.
Number four is to help them optimize their environment. I could put myself on a diet, but I could also just
look around my kitchen and see what’s there.
The fifth and final thing I help clients do is master their psychology. Again, helping them
release their fears, doubts, limiting beliefs, and their insecurities and help them to create
confidence and new empowering beliefs.
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You really want to have a system, method, or framework for how you explain your
coaching because saying, “Well, you know, we’re going to talk on the phone and
somehow we’re going to brainstorm. I’m going to reflect things back to you and you can
bounce things off of me,” is not tangible enough.
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One bonus step that I teach in my Free Sessions that Sell program, is to actually take
those five things and relate them to what it is that the client is trying to achieve and what
the client’s challenges are.
This way if they tell you that one of their challenges is that they don’t have a clear plan,
then you talk about how we’re going to strategize your actions.
That’s exactly what they need. You just keep connecting those things.

MISTAKE #10: Not having a step-by-step script and system for your introductory coaching
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This final mistake is probably the biggest.
Not knowing exactly what you’re going to do at the beginning of the session, not
knowing how to explain everything, how to overcome those objections, how to get people
to sign up and not having certain magic phrases to use when asking for the sale. You need
to have a system in place for these introductory sessions.
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You could make up your own script, or you could use my “Free Sessions That Sell”
system. I’ve perfected this system over the last 15 years that I’ve been coaching. I’ve
made many tweaks, adjustments, and enhancements over the years. I’ve tested
everything over the years to create a system that works like a charm.
I’ve been using it myself to sign up clients at all kinds of coaching rates over the years.