Image Courtesy of yourwellnesswithwendy.com

WOW! What a weekend. The Integrative Nutrition Live Conference March 2013 was last weekend and as usual, it did not disappoint. Lots of IINsights and IINspirations for me both personally and for my business, some of which I’ll share in this article.

Earlier this week I did a couple of recap articles of each days events, so if you want more of a synopsis you can check out the Integrative Nutrition Live Conference Day 1 Highlights or Day 2 Highlights.

My apologies for anyone I missed in my recap articles. There was so much great information shared and at the start of the conference I wasn’t as organized with my note taking. I was busily tweeting and sharing all the great nuggets, but didn’t get into the groove until the 2nd or 3rd speaker. I know I totally skipped writing about Karin Witzig Rozell, of http://www.wellpronet.com/, who was the first speaker after Joshua Rosenthal.

Karin talked about being in alignment with what is right for us and The 4 Core Relationships of the Irresistibly Attractive Wellness Pro, Things become a lot easier when you upgrade your core 4 relationships:

• 1st Core Relationship…Your relationship with wealth.
• 2nd Core Relationship…Your relationship with business.
• 3rd Core Relationship…Your relationship with environments.
• 4th Core Relationship…Your relationship with self.

For me personally, my biggest take away from this whole weekend was the sense that a successful life and business needs to be based on service and generosity. I hear lots of people say these words, but many fewer actually embody it. Danielle LaPorte summed it up well by saying “Generosity is the next frontier in business.”

I know if you are anything like me, you got into health coaching initially either because you wanted to help other people heal or help heal yourself. We all want both of these things in one order or the other. We study and learn, experiment on our selves, our families, our friends. We find out what works and what doesn’t. Most of us go through the period of trying to convince everyone they need to eat and live like we do, but most of us mature past that state.

Then we get to the whole marketing piece and this is where we stumble. I know I have been guilty of this myself. Starting a business is hard work, and especially if you aren’t sure if you’ll be able to pay the rent sometimes the altruistic motivation goes out the window.

I am so glad I have had people in my life to remind me along the way about the greater mission, to help heal the planet. Facebook, twitter, blogs, squeeze pages, selling services, sometimes it all gets to be so overwhelming that we forget why we are doing all of this.

Now that I am starting to experience some degree of success in my business (it was great having so many people last weekend say “I read your newsletter every week”), I am starting to see more and more that this motivation of generosity and service are needed at every point in the business building process.

What IINspired me the most during the conference was when Joshua was talking about the vision of the school and all the charitable contributions to be made between now and 2020. I’ve never spoken personally to him about this, but I imagine there were some rough patches early in his journey to make this vision come to life so there is hope for us all.

Another big takeaway was around the whole money mindset. Almost every health coach I know wants to be able to give more (to their family, their community, causes, etc.) At the same time, lots of us struggle with the whole asking for money bit (I know I have been guilty of this). This is really a bit backwards thinking, since in order for me to give monetarily to causes and people I believe in I need to generate that income.

Lots of the speakers kept coming back around to this point in one version or another all weekend. Robert Notter’s quote summed it up pretty well for me “You can be a good person and create a great income…and have a greater impact.”

Speaking of service, another presentation that I know I missed was from semper fidelis health and wellness, at http://www.semperfidelishealthandwellness.org/. SFHW focuses on veterans assistance-providing health and wellness training, education and support to our nation’s wounded, ill, and injured warriors, their family members and care givers. They are doing great work for veterans and are looking for support to continue this work.

I guess what I will care the most from the Integrative Nutrition Live Conference is that any work I can do to help support health coaches to get their message out to the world in a bigger and better way is much more about being in service to my tribe than it is about making money. Thank you to all the great speakers for modeling this for all of us. It’s truly an honor to be part of such an incredible tribe.

Please share your IINspirations and IINsights from the conference in the comments below.

When it comes to getting my coaching clients excited about eating healthy, nothing beats teaching a cooking class. It’s a great way to show what it’s like to work with me while promoting my other coaching services. Plus it’s an incredibly powerful way to attract new clients. Everyone loves food, and with TV cooking shows drawing huge numbers of drooling viewers, it’s easier to get people to come to (and pay for) an event where they get to see you make food magic and enjoy some tasty treats.

But when I talk to other health coaches about teaching cooking classes, most of them freeze up. “But I’m not a trained chef!” they wail. “I’m not even a great cook! I couldn’t possibly pull off a cooking class.” Often they’re afraid that, without a fancy culinary degree or years spent sweating behind a restaurant stove, they don’t have the skills or experience to teach others how to cook.

For all of you out there who might be thinking the same thing, I have amazing news for you. After spending years designing and teaching hundreds of hands-on classes and demos, I’ve developed my top five secrets for cooking class success. But the biggest secret is this—a great cooking class is not about cooking.

Nope, not about cooking. At all. It’s not about being able to slice onions in rapid-fire style. Or creating a five-star dish in 30 minutes from items scrounged out of a vending machine (yes, I’ve seen more than my fair share of Top Chef episodes). A great cooking class actually has a lot more to do with what we, as health coaches, love to do every day. So rest assured, you don’t need to master the fine art of sauce making to design and deliver a terrific cooking class.

So if it’s not about cooking, what is it about? A great cooking class is all about creating an amazing experience for your audience. Think about the last time you threw a dinner party for some close friends (or went to a good friend’s dinner party). You gave a lot of thought about who to invite, and if you wanted a fancy affair or a casual get-together. Then you chose your menu, decided how to set the table, what wine to serve, and all those other details. Finally, you crafted a plan for buying and cooking the food so you wouldn’t be stuck in the kitchen all night while your friends made a Major League dent in your liquor cabinet.

The same basic idea holds true for cooking classes. Your goal is to create a fun and engaging event that speaks directly to your audience. At the same time, you want your attendees to get to know you (and your health coaching services) better, so by the end of the class they’re dying to sign up with you.

Ready to get started? Here are my five biggest secrets for pulling off your best (or your first) cooking class ever:

Know Your Audience: The biggest mistake I see health coaches make when they’re trying to put a cooking class together is casting too wide a net. If you try to offer a class geared toward everyone, then it’s really for no one. People are way too busy these days to give up 2 hours after work on a Wednesday night for something called “Learn to Cook Healthy.” Unless you have a huge local following (and I hope you do!), then you have to design a class that, when people read the name and description, they say, “that class was made just for me!”

So how do you do that? Before you get caught up in what recipes to make, you need to get crystal-clear on your target audience. It’s not only the first secret to cooking class success—it’s the cornerstone of any successful health coaching business. If the edges of your target market are still kind of fuzzy, start by asking yourself who you like to work with. Do you enjoy teaching moms how to feed their families healthy meals? Are you excited about helping people who can’t eat wheat go gluten-free with whole foods? Or are you passionate about helping women in the 40s lose weight and boost their energy? Spend some time honing in on your target market, then learn about their needs, wants, concerns, and goals. Once that’s done, ideas for cooking classes will flow easily.

Have a Clear Message: Once you know who you want to target and you understand them, it’s time to pick a theme for your class. I can’t emphasize it enough—be specific! It’s much more fruitful to talk to half-a-dozen attendees who are passionate about your topic than 20 people who are half-tuned in to what you’re saying. If your goal is to use a cooking class to introduce your coaching services to potential clients, you want to attract the right people, not just people.

Here’s an example. One of my target audiences is endurance athletes who are also busy professionals. Besides having careers and families, some of them carve out 15 hours or more each week to train. It’s important for them to eat high quality foods to maintain their energy and overall health. I’ve been targeting this group with cooking classes designed to help endurance athletes “build their nutritional base.” When I write my class titles and descriptions, it’s very easy to see who should come to my class and why. These sessions are packed with exactly the kinds of potential clients I’m looking for.

Be Relatable: Here’s the real secret sauce to a great cooking class (any why it’s not about cooking). If you want your audience to get excited about you, entertain them. Watch a cooking show on Food Network and notice what the host does. The best of them (I would included Mario Batali, Paula Deen, and Alton Brown on the short list) draw their audience in by telling personal stories and weaving in humor. Whether you like them or not, each of these TV personalities have mastered the art of making cooking look fun and exciting to an audience who can’t smell or taste the food.

I’m not saying you have to develop a Southern drawl or wear orange clogs to teach an awesome cooking class. Just like when you coach clients, you must be true to yourself and your point of view. Your goal is not to be goofy or over-the-top—you want to strike a balance between entertaining and informative. If you’re looking for a good example, there’s no one better than Julia Child. Check out some of her shows and you’ll see what I mean.

Be Focused: Once you’ve picked your cooking class audience and theme, it’s time to choose recipes. Here’s where a laser focus comes in handy. It’s tempting to cram in as many information as possible. Please don’t do this. There’s a limit on how much even a willing audience can absorb. Plus you want to give yourself time to weave in those stories, answer questions, and talk about your health coaching services. When I create a class menu, I’ll pool my recipe ideas, edit the list down to the number I think will work, and subtract one. Better to teach a few memorable tips and techniques than overload your audience.

Be prepared: I absolutely can’t stress this point enough. Give yourself plenty of time to think through all the details. I’ve held classes in everything from professional kitchens to hotel conference rooms to city sidewalks, and all of them present logistical challenges. How much food do I need? How much food will I cook on site? What equipment do I need? How will the food be served? And don’t forget about your upsell materials!

One of the biggest challenges for solopreneurs and all small businesses alike are getting crystal clear on what makes them unique, and uniquely essential to work with. Knowing with confidence what sets them apart from the competition, in their industry, and letting the world know about it, can make the defining difference in multiplying your revenue.

Photo: Courtesy of Brandscape Atelier

Inside my world of brand building, we define this conundrum as the Brand Identity Crisis. In order to stand out, you need to express, convey, and communicate why you are different, what sets you apart. To do this you need crystal clear clarity on your brand’s identity, and then to source the courage to step into it, as you, fully, and be ready to stand out. Right about here is where the solopreneur freezes up. It’s okay! I’ll walk you through it.

Stepping In to Stand Out

Stepping in is about, defining it, owning, it, and claiming it. Stepping into your identity fully. Standing out is about communicating it, promoting it, and killing it in the marketplace.

In traditional marketing terms “what sets you apart” is called your USP, your “unique selling proposition”. Your USP needs to be something you can claim in regard to your target audience, that you comprise a meaningful difference of value that’s relevant to them. That they would pay for.

You need to understand your USP, but you need to craft your GDP. Let me explain why. Your GDP is your “global desired position”. Your GDP statement implies you are clear on identity, you claim your territory, and you craft your messaging around that claim.

It is more action oriented, and will provide momentum to your brand expression. Your audience will feel you more powerfully, upping your EQ, your emotional quotient, and your resonance. And as I always say, Resonance drives your success.

1) Get Crystal Clear Clarity.
You must define specifically, clearly, and authentically, these points: what you are, the pool your swimming in, what you offer, to whom, and why you matter, or what sets you apart.

2) Claim your Territory
When you are clear, you feel the readiness and willingness to take a stand, claim your area of expertise, and put a stake in that ground as yours, and your alone.

3) Craft your GDP Statement
Craft the perfect GDP, claiming and amplifying your position as the one that owns this service area.

Photo: Main Line Health & Fitness, www.MLHF.com

4) Weave a Killer Communication Tapestry

Again, when you are clear, and you are confident, you can be bold in your communication. Bold is what is needed to amplify your message, to grab your audience’s attention. You want your “nail head” to stick out, up, higher, for them to trip over. In other words, stop, pay attention, and listen.

Photo: Christine Gallagher, founder of Red Hot Dance Fitness

When you’re confident in your brand identity, your brand GDP, you feel a sense of relaxation. You feel comfortable being you, all of you. This is when your personality will shine through your words, everywhere you brand speaks. On your website, in your posts, in your calls with your prospects, and with your clients. Your confidence is ramped, and you can begin to kill it. You become unstoppable.

Do the work to be clear about what you can own, claim as your territory. Then, do so.

To your success!

-Kerri, The Branding Babe.

Today’s topic is about entry-level health coaching offers. See, in your business I believe that you should have more than one offer, whether it’s a product or a service that you sell. For many years I offered just one program and it was take it or leave it. That’s just what people did. They either took it or they left it. The problem was, not enough of them took it in the beginning for me to feel like I was really making the kind of money I wanted to make in my business. So, I decided to create a series of yeses.

Instead of having just one price point, I usually offer three programs. If you are my ideal client, you’ll fit in to one of the three. That’s a great way to do it, but there are also some people who say, “Okay, but what if my lowest program is so accessible that it cannibalizes, meaning it eats into the other two programs?” Well, there are couple of things you can do about that.

First, make your biggest program the juiciest one. This means that it has the most bells and whistles and is the best value. I’m not saying the lowest price point, but the best value overall.

Next, have your entry-level program be a one-time thing that people feel they can afford. Once they take you up on it and have their session, you let them know that if they decide to go into one of your other programs, the fee they paid for your entry-level program will be applied to your higher-level program.

This allows them to experience you in your service, so they know that you are trustworthy. They know that they like working with you if they’ve gotten results and they want more. They feel good about you.

They’ll also experience what’s called ‘money burning a hole in their pocket.’ When you have a gift certificate or when you have this opportunity to take $200 or $400 or whatever amount and apply it to something else it really makes you want to do that.

Your Client Attraction Assignment

Look at how you could do this in your own health coaching business. Look to see how you can expand your current health coach offerings so you have more than one product or service to offer. Then decide how you’ll charge clients for a taste of what you do and then allow them to apply their investment toward a higher-level program if they’d like to continue working with you. Good luck!

You have invested a lot of time, money and energy into your coaching practice.  You really want to help more people lead healthier, happier lives.  Maybe you’re even developed your own signature coaching program but are struggling to get people to sign up.

A mistake I see lots of coaches make is not having a marketing funnel.  They focus most of their marketing efforts on getting people to sign up for their 6 month or higher end coaching programs and are disappointed when not that many people seem interested.

Your higher end programs, which include 6 month coaching programs should be towards the bottom of your marketing funnel.  Most people will need to grow to know, like and trust you before they are willing to spend the kind of money or invest the amount of time that these programs require.

When I went to nutrition school I was told to invite people to do a complementary health consultation and at the end of this to offer my program for sale.  While this is a valid way to go, it is not scalable and does deliver high value to the many potential clients that are not ready to invest in my coaching or programs.

In a future article I will get more into the nuts and bolts of how a good sales funnel is setup, today I will just talk about the general things you need.

1.  An irresistible free offer

I have talked about this many times before but it is really important.  What do you have or can you create that is of high value to your target audience that you can give them for free.

2.  Traffic

Just having a great free offer won’t help much if nobody sees it.  Just having a little email optin on 1 page of your website that many people will never see won’t get the conversions you need.  I recommend to most of my clients to setup a separate opt-in page on their website that just talks about your free offer and the main purpose of the page is for people to claim your gift.

Especially if you are paying for advertising to get people to your website, you will see much better conversions if you send people directly to an opt-in page instead of sending them to the home page of your website.  This strategy applies to Facebook as well.

3.  Nurture your leads.

Don’t simply give people your free offer and then instantly start selling and pushing your services on them.  Keep in consistent communication with them through your newsletter, invite them to any other free offers you have, like a tele-seminar, video training or webinar.

Your goal here is to provide them with massive value.  It is fine to talk about your services, just don’t put on your salesman’s hat until someone raises their hand.  It is much easier to “sell” your services and programs to someone who has already indicated an interest in working with you.

This is one of the strengths of online and email marketing.  It is an easy way to keep yourself in front of all your prospective clients.  There are many systems out there from low end email marketing systems like constant contact all the way up to high end CRM systems like Infusionsoft.

4.  Convert Sales

This is where I think a lot of us holistic minded entrepreneurs drop the ball.  We offer great services and are very knowledgeable about our topic, but when it comes to talking about money we get uncomfortable and so our prospective clients get uncomfortable as well.  Most of this comes down to our mindset around money which is beyond the scope of this article.  If you have a negative attitude towards money, it will come out every time you talk about money.

In addition to talking with people 1:1, there are other great ways to convert sales, especially for your lower end programs.  The old method in online marketing was to have an opt-in leading directly to a sales page where your customer would buy your product.

The new and much more effective technique is for them to opt-in for your free gift, get several pieces of high quality content and then ask for the sale.  Some popular ways to do this are through webinars, online video training and tele-seminars.  When people are really excited by what you just taught them they are much more inclined to invest in other programs you have to offer.

5.  Upsells

I’m not particularly a big fan of this term but the concept makes a lot of sense.  If I invest a small amount of money with you for a low end product and like what I see and get a lot of value from it I will be very open to continue working with you.  This is a perfect time to offer your higher end programs.

Another great upsell opportunity is what is known as a continuity program.  I’m sure you’ve joined a website where they offer a monthly membership in exchange for certain member benefits.

6.  Referrals

Along the same idea as upsells, the best time to ask a client for a testimonial or a referral is right after they have had a positive experience with you.  If your client just lost 50 pounds and feels better that they have is 25 years, they will be more than happy to tell others about you.

This is when marketing actually becomes effortless, because your best clients become your spokesperson and cheerleader.

In my next article I will go a little more in depth into the nuts and bolts of setting up your marketing funnel.  Stay tuned and be sure to leave your comments and questions below.

Pulling in health coaching clients is not only more fun than pushing hard to “get” clients, it’s MUCH easier. Who wouldn’t rather have health coaching clients call them instead of pounding the pavement? The concept is a no-brainer to grasp, but very few solo-entrepreneurs actually do anything about it. Many health coaches are wandering aimlessly, just waiting for clients to come to them, but with little strategy involved. That’s when creating PULL marketing systems comes into play.

There are 3 powerful “PULLING-them-in” marketing techniques I recommend in my programs and use myself, still today. In this article, I want to share one of them with you. I call it the ‘Irresistible F.R.E.E. offer’.

Irresistible F.R.E.E. Offers (IFOs) literally make people sit up and take notice and PULL them into your pipeline. There are many forms of IFOs. It could be an audio CD that you give away on your website and advertise on the web, a special report, an intro teleclass, a workbook, an e-course, a checklist or downloadable audio.

The list of possible IFOs is endless, but this strategy works best when the topic refers to what your prospect would do-anything and pay-anything to achieve or acquire. (As a side note, I do not typically recommend offering a fr-ee consultation. It is not only too time consuming, but it attracts too many tire kickers who waste your time.)

Even though you’re not charging for the Irresistible Offer, it should absolutely be of high content and high value. Like me, you’ve probably attended a no-fee teleclass or received an ebook that left you severely under-whelmed. And like me, you’ve probably forgotten that person very quickly. The bottom line is, if your initial offer is not high-content, you’ve wasted the prospect’s time and therefore, you’ve lost them for good.

When these F.R.E.E. offers have great value, you build your credibility instantly, people talk about you to colleagues, refer others to you, you get interviewed by joint ventures and strategic alliances, and the media begins paying attention, which all creates increased exposure and visibility, without any extra effort on your part. And best of all, your first impression (one of high-content, high-value) keeps them thinking of you, over and over, until they’re ready to buy.

Now, before you start thinking, “Well, Fabienne, they WON’T buy from me if I give it ALL away at no-charge”, that’s not what we’re doing here. I’m not suggesting you give away the whole farm. That wouldn’t make good financial sense. Instead, I’m suggesting you give them the ‘what’, not the entire ‘how’ on these no-charge offers. That way, most prospects become intrigued with the high-content they received at no charge, and will look to you for the specific, pragmatic steps to implement them. That’s key.

The mistake I see solopreneurs making in a first offer is pitching their high-priced services from the get-go. I personally think this is a waste of marketing real-estate, because very few people will purchase your higher priced programs or services without knowing a little more about you. Remember the Know-Like-Trust Factor? People don’t buy from someone they don’t know, they don’t like, and they don’t trust.

You can immediately start the K-L-T Factor using the Irresistible offer. Provided it’s of high-content, high value, it starts people off slowly, establishes credibility, while positioning you as their problem solver. Priceless! Once prospects receive great benefit from your initial offer, they’ll naturally move THEMSELVES up your Services Pyramid pipeline, without any work or hard selling on your part.

That’s the beauty of this concept. You simply invite prospects into your funnel and they will naturally move up the funnel on their own, without effort on your end. The best part of this is this process feels AUTHENTIC to you AND to them. Your content does the work, and they don’t feel the sales pressure. Remember: people like to buy; but they don’t like to be sold.

All your F.R.E.E. irresistible offers are created to lead people to your ezine or other stay-in-touch marketing vehicles, where you continue to add high-content, high value over time. This builds the trust and the credibility, positioning you as their problem solver.

The goal is to consistently fill the pipeline, getting it bigger and bigger over time, continually stocking the pond with ideal clients who self-select and move themselves up the ladder of the services you provide. THAT is what I call ‘pulling’ clients in and you’re going to love how easy it is.

Your Client Attraction Assignment:

Begin thinking about what your prospects would do-anything and pay-anything to learn or experience from you. Then, create an Irresistible Offer around that, giving them high content but not the entire ‘how’ and put it in your marketing materials. Set up systems for getting that F.R.E.E. offer to your prospects with no effort on your part and watch the leads come in, day after day. You won’t believe how easy it is to fill your health coaching pipeline effortlessly and authentically!

Here’s my formula for filling a pipeline effortlessly:
Compelling and authentic marketing message
+
Effective marketing techniques
+
Irresistible F.R.E.E. offers
=
A FULL pipeline of prospects who call YOU

Do you find yourself talking to lots of people, but no one is signing up for your health coaching programs?  It’s especially frustrating when you know you have the perfect solution for someone and could help them achieve health, energy, and a better life.  But they still say, “No, thanks.”

The answer typically lies in your one-on-one conversation with them.  This is the conversation you have with someone when you’re trying to determine if they can benefit from your services.  Many health coaches unknowingly sabotaging their success during this conversation.

Here are 7 common reasons why people say no to your health coaching programs and what to do to avoid these mistakes.

Reason #1 – You have a vested emotional interest in whether or not they sign up.

There’s a saying in negotiations: “He who has the least to lose, wins.” and “He who has the most to lose, loses.”  This applies when you’re talking to prospects.

If you feel a desperation – an emotionally vested interest – for them to sign up for your program, that desperation will come through in the tone of your voice, the words you choose, and your body language.  The person you’re talking to will pick up those signals, and the result is that they will often say no and make excuses.

It’s great to have a strong desire to want to work with someone.  And as health coaches, you love transforming people’s lives.  But understand that their decision of whether or not to sign up with you is their choice.  And only they can make that choice.

If someone doesn’t say “Yes,” it leaves an opening for someone else who is a better fit for you.  Trust that the transformation you are offering is valuable and that the right clients will come to you.

If you’re talking to a lot of prospects, but no one is signing up, this is an important mistake to correct.

Reason #2 – Not clearly conveying the value of what you are offering.      

This is one of the most common mistakes health coaches make.  Before you ever tell someone the investment for working with you, you MUST convey the value of what you are offering – clearly and in words they immediately comprehend.

Do you help them…
• save time, money, or effort
• increase energy
• eliminate frustration or overwhelm
• lose weight
• reduce stress
• reduce or eliminate pain
• feel better than they have in years

Whatever the value is, whether monetary or not, clearly spell it out before you name a price.  This is especially important when you are improving their quality of life.

The better you convey the value, the less objections you’ll get about the investment amount.  For example, paint a picture of what their life will be like when they achieve their ideal weight and know how to easily keep it off.  Or ask them to imagine everything they can start doing once they get an abundance of energy that last all day long.

Reason #3 – Not asking for the business

This includes the timing for asking them to buy.  Many health coaches will clearly explain their program, but choke-up when actually asking for the business.  They don’t want to feel pushy. So instead, they ask the prospect, “So what do you think?”

Before you mention a investment amount, convey the value and get confirmation that they really are interested in what you are offering. Then name the investment amount, and ask, “So are you ready to move forward?”  At that point you can either sign them up or handle their questions or objections.

Remember, if you don’t ask for the business, you aren’t likely to get it.

Reason #4 – Price is Too High

If you’ve clearly conveyed the value, this will rarely be an issue – unless they really don’t have the funds (or any way to get the funds) to work with you.  This is especially true with health coaching programs that help people reduce chronic symptoms that disrupts their lives.

Think about it.  How much is it worth for a program that shows them how to reverse diabetes or heart disease and live a full life again?

Obviously, you want to price your program well so you can charge what you’re worth and get it.  But in some instances, you may have to lower your price – at the beginning – to get your first few clients.

Such instances could happen when you are just starting as a health coach and don’t yet have a track record and testimonials to back-up your claims.  It can also happen when you start a new program with no track record or testimonials.

I recommend that you look at all the other reasons first, before lowing your price.  If you think the price may be the issue, try lowering it 20% and see what happens.  If you’re still hearing “No, thanks,” consistently – and you’ve eliminated all other 6 reasons in this article – then you may want to try lowering it again.

Reason #5 – Price is Too Low

Yes, it really is possible to kill sales by offering your programs at too low a price.  If you’ve ever hesitated to invest in a book, program or home-study course because you thought the price was too low for what they were promising to deliver, you understand this.

You’ll want to price your programs based on the value of what you are offering, not on a comparison to other low-cost products.  If your program will change their life, it’s worth a lot more than a $25 book from Amazon.  And if you’re giving them your individual time, it’s worth hundreds or thousands of dollars – at least.

Remember that your price is a reflection to others of the value that YOU place on your health program.  Let them know how valuable the program is by pricing it well.

Reason #6 – Not offering them exactly what they want.

Have you ever gone to the store to buy something, only they didn’t have what you wanted?  Did you buy something else instead, only to later return the item or regret your purchase?

One of the reasons potential clients may be saying no is because you aren’t offering them exactly what they want.  (Notice, I said what they “want,” not what they “need.”)

For instance, if your ideal client says they want “to get back their energy,” then be sure to tell them your program will show them how to “get an abundance of energy so they live their life again.”  Don’t tell them that your program helps them “balance their endocrine system and eat healthier meals.”  Don’t expect them to interpret your
description.  Instead, use the same words and phrases that they do.

Which leads us to the biggest reason people say “No” to hiring you…

Reason #7 – Offering your program to someone who isn’t your ideal client.

Make this mistake, and it doesn’t matter if you make any others.  This one can sabotage your success all by itself.  Here’s how to avoid it…

When you’re having a conversation with someone, make certain they are an ideal client BEFORE you go through the time and effort of offering them your health coaching program.  Otherwise, you’ll likely end up wasting your time and theirs.  Remember, an irresistible program is designed for a specific ideal client.  It’s not a “one size fits all” solution, which is a myth anyway.

I recommend that you spend the first 5-10 minutes of your conversation with a potential client simply asking questions and listening carefully to see if they are an ideal client for you.  If they are, perfect!  You have exactly what they want and need.  Avoid the other 6 common mistakes, and you’ll most likely get a new client.  Otherwise, offer a recommendation or two, wish them the best, and send them on their way.

Summary

If you’re doing all you know to do and still struggle to get clients, the breakthrough you are looking for could be as easy as one of the reasons listed above.

I know because at one time or another, I made every single one of those mistakes – sometimes multiple ones at the same time!  Now I work with health coaches every week, helping them to avoid these same trouble areas.

Imagine what your coaching practice would be like if people got really exciting about your programs.  They couldn’t wait to hear the investment amount because they were already “sold” on working with you.  Eliminate the 7 reasons above, and you, too, can have a coaching practice like this.

Go through these and choose one or two to start working on immediately.  I know you’ll see great results right away.  And if you need help, be sure to check out the additional, free resources on my site.  There, you’ll find some of my best-kept shortcuts and secrets, especially for coaches.

For more tips, strategies, and articles on how to get more clients and create irresistible offers, programs and websites, visit http://www.KarenBrunet.com.  From Karen Brunet, online marketing consultant, where “It’s not just a website…It’s the Mother Lode!”

Chances are you started your health coaching or wellness business for two big reasons:  you want to help people and you want the freedom to live life on your terms.

Being in business for yourself is challenging, especially in the beginning.  Too many health coaches and wellness pros give up and end up back in their old jobs.  Why does that happen so often?

It’s NOT because there aren’t enough people who want help getting healthy, losing weight, reducing stress and avoiding illness.  It’s because building a business all on your own, without the knowledge or support you need, is a recipe for burnout.

It’s time to stop what you’re doing and take a good hard look at the business you’re trying to build.

First question to ask yourself: am I building a business or am I trying to get a few people to pay me for my advice?

If your answer isn’t “I am building a business”, then health coaching is a hobby for you.  There’s nothing wrong with that. It can be a side pursuit in addition to your regular job or family responsibilities.

The hobby approach is very different from the business approach.

If you are ready to step up and look at your passion for helping people as a business endeavor, then read on.

The key to building a business that won’t lead to burnout is clarity.  Don’t rush into things without a clear idea of what you want to create.  This kind of clarity will inform all of the decisions you make about your business.

The best place to start is getting clear on the lifestyle you want as a small business owner.

What kind of lifestyle do you want?

The kind of business you build is very much related to the lifestyle you desire.  Never forget how closely linked these are.

Consider the income you need to maintain the lifestyle you desire.  Set a clear income goal for your first (or next) year in business.  With that figure in mind, set an income goal for the next month, and so on.

Do you want to travel? Do you want to live a mobile lifestyle?  Do you want to buy a new house?

Do you have other hobbies and interests you want time to pursue?

One of my clients told me clearly that she wanted more time in the evenings to spend with her family.  It was an important value for her, and a big reason she hired me as her coach and tech developer.

However, she repeatedly offered her clients initial consultations and private coaching sessions on weekday evenings.

She was caught in the story of “I should offer evening appointments because that’s what everyone else does”.

If you want to allow someone else to dictate your working hours, you might as well go get a regular job.  It’s amazing how easy it is to forget who’s in charge – YOU.  It’s a habit of thought that you can change.

You’re the CEO of your business, and you get to make all of the decisions.  Get clear on the lifestyle you want (that’s what’s most important at the end of the day anyway) and design your business to support it.

Making business decisions “because that’s what everyone else does” is a big step on the road towards burnout.

What kind of business do you want?

With clarity about the kind of lifestyle you want, ask yourself “what kind of business do I want?” Dream big.  Don’t focus on “how” you’ll create the business of your dreams right now, just start by getting clear what it will look like.

Do you want to work with dozens of private clients in platinum-level programs?  Do you see yourself on stage in front of hundreds of clients in large live events with copies of your books and CDs on sale at the back of the room?  Would you prefer to live in the woods and run your business entirely online and by phone, or do you want to run a wellness center in a big city?

Your business is entirely your creation.  If you don’t want to work with private clients, don’t.  If you don’t like to write, then design your marketing efforts around speaking instead.  If you prefer working by phone in your pj’s, stop seeing clients in person.

Getting clear on the business model you want now (and allowing it to evolve with you over time) will help you make lots of important decisions as you build your business.

If you don’t know what you ultimately want, you will always be distracted by what everyone else is doing, and you’ll waste so much time being indecisiveness.

Check in with your lifestyle desires and the business decisions you’re making on a regular basis – at least quarterly – so you can adjust as necessary.

If you find yourself falling back into the habits of making decisions based on what everyone else is doing, or not making business decisions at all, stop and get clear again on what YOU really want.

To your awesome biz,
Heather

About the author: My name is Heather Cottrell and I show health coaches, wellness pros and other creative entrepreneurs how the right tech can grow your business and simplify your life.  Start moving your business forward today: schedule an Awesome Tech Breakthrough Session now.

Do you find it hard to get clients to sign up for your higher level health coaching programs?  Perhaps you’re working hard at marketing but getting little results.  Or you may be talking to lots of potential clients, but they end up balking at the higher
investment level or signing up for your budget offers instead of your 6 month program.

You may be asking yourself, “Why is it so hard to sell high-level programs?”  If you think it’s the higher investment level, you’re only partly right.  Sure, it’s easier for someone to come up with $300 than $3,000.  But that’s not the real reason you’re struggling to get high-paying clients.

In this article, I’ll share with you one of my top secrets on how to easily get clients to say “Yes!” to high-level programs.  It happens when you focus your marketing on your client’s #1 problem and the transformation they want most.

But to do that, you first need to figure out what they want MOST.  The difference between getting $300 for a program or $3000 for a program usually hinges on this one issue: their top concern and what they want most.  It’s that important to your ideal client and that important to charging more and getting what you’re worth.

Here’s a 4-step exercise that will help you create high-level programs that practically sell themselves.

Step 1 – Know Your Ideal Client

Your ideal client is the person you’d most like to work with.  They are also the person likely to get the BEST results when working with you.  To make this exercise effective and easy, write down a description of who your ideal client is.

For example: As a health coach, your ideal client may be defined as a woman between 30 and 40 years of age with children.  She’s feeling out of shape after birthing and raising several babies and now, she’s ready to lose weight and get her figure back.  But she doesn’t know how.  Nothing she tries works and she hates looking frumpy.  She
wants to look and feel great again, like she did before having children.  But her body seems to have completely changed.  She either works in a professional career, owns her own business, or she’s married and her husband has a professional career.

Step 2 – List Everything Your Ideal Client Wants

When you work with a specific group of people in a specific niche, you know them better than they do themselves.  You know:
• what obstacles they are facing
• their struggles and frustrations
• where they are sabotaging themselves
• the solutions they are looking for and why they want it

So start by making a list of everything your ideal client wants, and next to each item, list the problem, concern, or challenge.  And here’s a tip: feel free to write down the same problem using different words or phrases.  The words and phrases you use will have a tremendous impact in your marketing.

For example: If you were to make a list for the ideal client mentioned above, you might write down:

• Problem: Low self esteem.
Want: To feel great about herself again.

• Problem: Feels bad about herself whenever she looks in a mirror.
Want: To look into a mirror and smile at what she sees there.

• Problem: Nothing in her closet looks good on her.
Want: To have a selection of clothes that makes her look great.

• Problem: Most of her clothes are too tight or don’t fit.
Want: To find clothes that fits her shape and figure without bagging in some places and stretching in others.

• Problem: She’s tired of wearing maternity clothes because it’s the only thing that seems to fit.
Want: To stop looking pregnant and start looking sexy.

• Problem: Diets and diet pills don’t work.
Want: To find a solution that actually works for her and that she can easily implement into her life.

• Problem: Exercise doesn’t seem to work, and she can’t find time to fit it in her schedule anyway.
Want: To have an exercise program that doesn’t require a lot of time and can easily fit into her schedule.

• Problem: She no longer looks good in a swimsuit.
Want: To look good in a two-piece swimsuit again.

Keep writing until you have at least twenty items.  Make some items general and others very specific so you get a good mix.

Step 3 – Narrow Down the List

You now want to narrow down the list to ten items or less.  Here’s how to do this easily…

First, look them over and ask yourself which items on the list are MOST important to your ideal client.  That will often help you cut the list in half.

Second, pick any 2 items on the list to compare.  Ask yourself, “If my client could get A and not B, would they be satisfied or happy?”  Then ask, “If my client got B, but could not achieve A, would they be satisfied or happy?”  If the answer is yes, then one of the choices is a top concern. Put a star next to it. If the answer is that your client would need both A and B to be satisfied or happy, then put stars next to both.

For example: Let’s compare the following two items for someone whose ideal client wants to lose weight:

1. Problem: She no longer looks good in a swimsuit.
Want: To look good in a two-piece swimsuit again.
2. Problem: Diets and diet pills don’t work.
Want: To find a solution that actually works for her and that she can easily implement into her life.

Now ask yourself, “If the client could look fantastic in a two piece swimsuit, but she couldn’t find a weight loss solution that actually worked permanently for her, would she be satisfied or happy?”  The answer is no.  Whatever she had to do to look great in that swimsuit was really hard for her to do and the weight loss is only temporary.  She can’t keep doing it so the weight will come back.

Now ask, “If the client found the perfect weight loss solution that was easy to implement and gave her lasting weight loss but she didn’t look great in a 2-piece swimsuit, could she be happy or satisfied?”  The answer is yes.  If a client finds a solution to losing weight that lasts and works for her, she’s happy.  She knows that eventually, she will lose enough weight to look better in a swimsuit.  And even if she never looks great in one, she’ll at least look a lot better than she does now.

Continue to choose pairs of items on the list ask this question to compare them until you have the list down to only four or five items.

Step 4 – Confirm Your Choices

Find five people who could potentially be your ideal client and ask them which of the five transformations you ended up with is most important to them.  If they could only have one transformation, which one would it be and why?

It’s not going to be an easy choice for them.  If they really are your ideal client, they will probably tell you they want all five!  But let them think about it, and get their answers.  Then you’ll be able to see what your ideal client wants most.  Often, you will have a top three.  Try to organize those into first, second, and third priorities.

Summary

Once you know what your ideal clients REALLY want, you can create irresistible offers and programs specifically targeting this one issue.  And when you do, you will be amazed at how easy it is to attract potential clients and get them to say “Yes! I’m in.  When can we start?”

I’ve shared this secret with my clients when helping them create their own irresistible programs and the results have been fantastic.  Some of the comments I’ve received are “I’ve just had my best month ever, in number of clients and income!” or “I just have my first 5-figure month, earning over $10,000.  Thank you, Karen!” or “I’m getting a lot more interest when I talk to potential client now than I ever did before.”

And this can happen for you, too!

Help your clients solve their greatest challenges and achieve the transformation they desperately want, and you’ll be able to create irresistible programs, charge what you’re worth, and get it.  And that means more clients, and more sales more often.

For more tips, strategies, and articles on how to get more clients and create irresistible offers, programs and websites, visit http://www.KarenBrunet.com.  From Karen Brunet, online marketing consultant, where “It’s not just a website…It’s the Mother Lode!”