I looked up the word compelling in the dictionary and discovered it means "to have a powerful and irresistible effect or influence."  Wow, that's very kewl especially when you think of the kind of marketing conversations you have on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.  It boils down to how powerful, irresistible or influential you can be, right?

Imagine sitting down in your living room with your ideal client. The two of you are enjoying an amazing conversation about what's keeping her up at night and how that problem is affecting her business. You're listening and caring with the utmost compassion. You relate to her experience because in some ways you've had similar experiences in your business. You continue listening with interest and professional objectivity. You ask her permission to invite her to look at things a little differently, knowing that it takes just one tiny step to alleviate that problem from her life and business. You encourage her to be courageous knowing that it represents genuine relief for your client. You challenge her and let her know you're there to support her in every step.

She taps into the opportunities you reveal and wants to continue the conversation (i.e., invest in your coaching). She knows you can help rid her life and business of the problem plaguing her. The reasons are very simple:

1. Connection - You began the conversation by building a bond of respect and genuine concern.  You continued that bond throughout the entire conversation by caring, listening and sharing. You invited her to accept the support you offered her and she accepted.
2. Value - You mapped out one small act of courage that would truly help her. You gave her a tip, tool, resource or strategy that she found gave her immediate relief. You gave her a glimpse into just how easy it is to take more steps and achieve bigger results.
3. Challenge - You believed in her ability to play a bigger game. You gave her the experience of playing bigger with a gentle, trusting nudge and she liked it! You know it's not being a "Yes Woman."  Instead you had faith in your client because of the great potential she had/has to remedy any obstacle in her life. You stood as her accountability partner, supporting her every move.

Now, that's a compelling marketing conversation/message — one that you can have in your emails, social media updates, blog posts, sales letters and more. Practice being authentically powerful, irresistible and influential until it becomes natural.  You'll see the difference right away!

How powerful, irresistible and influential is your marketing message?

If you're stuck, stalled or just starting out, marketing is at the very heart of getting things going in your coaching business. Marketing is the lifeline of any business yet it's an area that feels daunting for most business owners. Coaches in particular are challenged by doing the marketing you believe it takes to grow. You believe marketing is hard and time consuming. You believe marketing takes so much energy and you just don't have it to give, right?

What if marketing was easier, took little time, gave you energy and you loved doing it?

In order to embrace marketing with new appreciation, you must be open to changing your mindset about what marketing means to you.

You must be willing to experience marketing differently than you have before.

You must challenge yourself to behavior that facilitates the mindset change you desire.

I was browsing Facebook a few minutes ago and saw the headline on the cover of a magazine, "Put Me In the Game, Coach! I Want to Win!"  Your mind has to be in the marketing game for you to win clients and more business!

Imagine you're faced with your greatest marketing challenge, like writing copy, posting social media updates or follow-up calls. I have to admit I pause when it comes to follow-up calls, too. Then, I remember three very crucial things about marketing that help me put my mind in my marketing:

1. Time is a precious and valuable gift so use it wisely.
   You choose how you spend and how it benefits you. You can't afford NOT to spend time marketing your coaching programs and services. Like the dentist telling a child reluctant about flossing his teeth: Only floss the ones you want to keep.  Choose to invest your time in marketing to build your business.
   
2. Marketing is a conversation.
   I'm very social so whatever marketing-related action I'm taking, I shift my mind into a social mode. I love it when I do! I'm personable and professional. Most of time, clients on the receiving end are pleasantly surprised by the phone call from me. It's just not done in this day and age so I'm also standing out in the crowd by making the call.  Start the conversation and keep in going.
   
3. I am always willing, ready and able to engage in marketing activities to grow my coaching business. It's a personal intention statement of mine. I'm sharing it because it empowers and encourages me. I hope it supports you, too. Intention statements give you power to change your mind. Live your intention out loud.

Your mind is composed of elements by which you feel, perceive, think, will, and especially reason. You can change your mind and ultimately your behavior.  Put your mind in your marketing and watch your marketing efforts flow. You'll see your business grow, too!

My Challenge:  What are you willing to do to put your mind in your marketing?

In my last post I told you about the importance of having ONE very clear ideal client to focus your marketing efforts. When the light bulb turns on for the coaches I work with around this simple concept, it opens up a brand new perspective about how to attract and reach their ideal clients. I love sharing the reasons why having one ideal client is so important.

In this post, I want to give voice to how knowing your ONE ideal client intimately well helps you grow a very strong and profitable niche.

I define niche as having a clear and purposeful arena in which you serve your ideal client. Your ideal client group may expand over time but the work you do is what you really want to develop. A solid niche affords the coach the opportunity to use a comprehensive approach with your client, ultimately supporting the whole client. That's what coaching is all about!

Begin by understanding my Power of One strategy:

• Identify your one ideal client with great detail. Get to know your ideal client intimately well. Details matter!
• Clarify one core problem faced by your one ideal client. Get to the root of the problem rather than addressing symptoms caused by the problem.
• Determine the one solution to the problem offered by your coaching services.

As coaches, we know our client has more than one challenge she's facing so it doesn't end there.  As your relationship with your one ideal client grows, document additional problems that surface so you can revisit them and identify solutions you're able to offer with coaching.

Imagine identifying 20, 30, 40 or 50 presenting issues from your client that match the solutions you offer (your very specific coaching services). You have a product, program or service for every problem your ideal client has.  Cha-ching!!

Follow this 5-step niche-building strategy:

1. Create, market and fill a group coaching program based on the core problem identified by your one ideal client. With your ideal client clarity, you will attract multiple clients to your group coaching program who are equally ideal.
2. Match your coaching program to solve your ideal client's problem.  Your ideal client hires you as her coach because she wants change, help, support and resolution. You're well-equipped to handle that responsibility!
3. Turn your program into an information product. You're also creating passive revenue and there's nothing kewl-er than that!
4. Listen to the questions your ideal client asks and pay close attention to issues not resolved by the current program.  Opportunity is knocking and you get to be the one opening the door.
5. Develop new programs, products and services based on each new problem. You ARE the solutions-provider after all, right?

Start back at #1 for each problem-solution combination. This process is so repeatable and tenacity is the key!

I've been where you are now and know this strategy works. I believe in it so much that I specifically train coaches on implementing this strategy in the Certified Group Coach® Program. Yes, it works that well.

Try it for the next six months and you'll be able to see your profits are way up. Now you have a really strong niche  - a clear and purposeful arena in which you serve many of your ideal clients. Most importantly, you're loving the coaching business you've created filled with those ideal clients who love you and keep coming back to you for more.