How to Build a Coaching Practice
Posted on November 29, 2007
Consulting differs from coaching in many ways (although the terms are interchanged rather flippantly). A consultant is more likely to take a hands-on approach with a client, offering specific deliverables based on the client’s need (whereas a coach more closely resembles a mentor, counselor, or therapist).
The field of coaching has grown rapidly over the last decade. There are now several certification and training agencies, such as Coach University and The Coaches Training Institute. It’s not critical for you to be “certified” to serve as a coach; however, you may find the education beneficial.
One-on-one coaching via the phone allows you to work from home and manage your own schedule, serving clients anywhere on the planet! You can schedule coaching sessions monthly, bimonthly, three times per month, etc., depending upon the nature of your coaching practice and your area of expertise. Coaching sessions can last anywhere from 25 minutes to an hour (calls less than 25 minutes may barely scratch the surface). Over an hour and you may end up with a therapy session.
If you have a synergistic relationship with your clients, and you are both committed to constant growth and development, the relationship can last for many years. Pricing is determined by your field, specialization or expertise, and your professional status in your market. Business coaches usually charge more than “life” coaches. Monthly coaching fees range from $75/session to $1,000+ per month. Based on your area of expertise, you may be able to create a niche and offer something that’s very difficult, if not impossible, to duplicate.
The primary way of generating clients in the coaching field is through referrals. Working hard to produce results and provide massive value for your clients is the best way to grow your business.
Here are several useful resources on coaching:
• Coach U: www.coachinc.com (coach training)
• The Coaches Training Institute: www.thecoaches.com (coach training)
• Coachville: www.coachville.com (online coaching community with over 40,000 members in 139 countries)
• International Coach Federation: www.coachfederation.org (professional association of coaches)
This post is an excerpt from the FREE Become a Best-Selling Author eBook, 60 Effective Strategies for Selling More Books. Download it here.
Posted in Consulting
Best-Selling Author Review by Joe Wikert
Posted on November 21, 2007
Joe Wikert is a Vice President and Executive Publisher in the Professional/Trade division of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. He keeps a very well written, up to date blog about the world of publishing. Here is some of what he had to say about Best-Selling Author . . .
“Over the course of the past few weeks I managed to listen to all 10 (yes, 10!) CDs in this product. The result? I’m extremely impressed with the depth and breadth of the information covered in this package . . . you’ll quickly discover that Jeffrey and Dr. X not only provide wisdom on the industry’s inner workings, but they also tell you everything you need to do to maximize your results.”
You can read the entire review on Joe’s blog.
Posted in Reviews
How to Build a Consulting and/or Training Business
Posted on November 19, 2007
Your book is your ultimate brochure—a gateway to new clients and larger speaking fees (authors can generally demand a higher fee—perceived value).
A consulting practice integrated into your overall book marketing game plan can be very effective. Make sure you’ve clearly identified your target market and clearly addressed their needs (and how you can help them) in all your communications. A consulting or training business can feature one consultant—you—or can be developed into a thriving enterprise that leverages your brand equity in the market.
Many successful authors have developed wildly prosperous training and consulting businesses:
• Tom Peters Company: www.tompeters.com
• The Ken Blanchard Companies: www.kenblanchard.com
• Michael Gerber’s E-Myth Worldwide: www.emyth.com
• FrankinCovey (from Stephen Covey): www.franklincovey.com
This post is an excerpt from the FREE Become a Best-Selling Author eBook, 60 Effective Strategies for Selling More Books. Download it here.
Posted in Consulting
How to Teach a Course through The Learning Annex
Posted on November 7, 2007
If your book and area of expertise are better suited for groups of individuals (meaning, not businesses), you may find yourself contemplating ways to attract your market to your venues. This can be tricky: you need to secure a location, anticipate the number of attendees, and promote the event like crazy to fill the room. The upfront costs and risk can be enormous.
Depending on where you live, you may have access to organizations that can help. The Learning Annex, for example, organizes classes in Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New Jersey, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Connecticut, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and Vancouver, and brings in workshops that appeal to its grassroots base.
Their monthly magazine/catalog is distributed to over 2.5 million people, so the exposure is very valuable. They assume the financial liability for the venue and promotional expenses for your event, and in return, they make an arrangement with you to split the ticket sales.
If you’re not a big-name celebrity, The Learning Annex will generally pay you 20% of the gate fee, meaning they receive 80% of the total revenue generated from the seminar. You’ll also receive exposure to a “qualified” market well suited for your platform and the opportunity to capitalize on BOTR sales. Considering the expenses involved in setting up and promoting these events, this arrangement isn’t outrageous. Plus, you’re still able to sell your products (and keep all the revenue from those sales).
To learn more about their criteria and submission guidelines, go to www.learningannex.com (click on “About Us” and then “Teach for Us”).
You can also check out:
• Omega Institute: www.eomega.org
• Chicago’s Discovery Center: www.discoverycenter.cc
• Seattle’s Discover U: www.discoveru.org
If you live in or in proximity to a large city, there’s a good chance a similar organization exists.
This post is an excerpt from the FREE Become a Best-Selling Author eBook, 60 Effective Strategies for Selling More Books. Download it here.
Posted in Teaching
How to Develop a Seminar Platform
Posted on November 5, 2007
You can develop a hands-on workshop that guides people through your area of expertise. (These workshops and training seminars can be conducted over three hours, a half day, a full day, a weekend retreat, etc.)
Let’s say you’ve written a book on how to create the most aerodynamic paper airplanes. Naturally, before you wrote this book, your market research demonstrated that there was a substantial market for this how-to information. Now you can develop a workshop to instruct a group of people on the intricacies of paper airplane development.
One strategy could be to target individuals (priced per person) by hosting your own venue: Rent a meeting room (like a hotel conference room) and promote the event on your own. As you might imagine, this can turn into a substantial undertaking.
Another approach is to develop workshops for small or large businesses. Market these workshops directly to prospective businesses, who essentially hire you to present at a flat rate (similar to a speaker’s fee).
Note: “Seminar” and “workshop” are generally used interchangeably, although “workshop” tends to imply a more hands-on experience.
This post is an excerpt from the FREE Become a Best-Selling Author eBook, 60 Effective Strategies for Selling More Books. Download it here.
Posted in Speaking
