195: Can You Market Coaching Services Without Selling Yourself?

When coaches reach out to work with me, they almost always say that their biggest fear is marketing. They say: “I’m not good at selling myself.” Then I say, “Well, that’s okay because you don’t have to sell yourself to be a prosperous coach.” And I mean it. This episode will be a huge relief. Find the full transcript for this episode at prosperouscoach.com/195.Selling is Not the Same as MarketingSo, first, let’s distinguish between marketing and selling because they often get lumped in together.Marketing is a part of your service. You relate to your ideal clients and let them know that you are here for them. You create a customer journey to attract the people you most want to work with.It’s an ongoing process for anyone who has a business. And it’s not at all unsavory. In fact, it’s an authentic act of caring because you are a genuine human being with real value to offer.Whereas, selling is transactional. It happens at a moment in time where you invite an interested prospect to become your client in exchange for fees.It’s a professional necessity to enroll clients this way but you don’t have to be blatantly self-promotional to complete this transaction. Blatant Self Promotion Isn’t Fun or AttractiveWhat does blatant self-promotion sound like coming from a new coach? I see this kind of thing on new coaches’ websites …“I’ve trained and certified as a life coach and I’m ready to help you create the life of your dreams. I listen closely to you and without judgment. Then, through powerful questions I help you make mindset shifts and take powerful actions.”It’s as if the coach is trying to write a resume and they aren’t really sure what to say yet because they are new to coaching. I did this on my first coaching website too because I didn’t know any better and it wasn’t at all effective.What’s missing in promotional statements like these? Any relevance to the person who reads it.Think about this. Did anyone wake up today wanting to hire a life coach to help them create the life of their dreams? Highly unlikely.People are truly not that impractical. They don’t think in terms of abstract concepts like permanent utter happiness. They want to solve a specific big problem that has been dogging them. They want something very specific and if they want it urgently enough, they seek that solution.A Better Way for Coaches to Attract ClientsRead about how to market without selling yourself and feeling like you're selling your soul.