2 December 2020|Business Growth, Latest Posts, Money, Psychology
By Richard Fletcher. When looking to enrol new clients onto a course, many coaches are tempted to take on any old person who finds their way into their inbox. It’s understandable, really. As an entrepreneur, you always want to ensure you enrol enough people to make good money, and many assume that engaging any and all prospects is the way to do that. In reality, though, this approach will only hinder your business and prevent you from bringing in the big bucks.
To really become a business success story, you have to be more selective. It may seem counterintuitive, but in order to take your business to the heights to which you aspire, you have to learn to say “no” to some of your potential clients.
Your target audience
It is important to note that saying “no” to certain prospects should not be a randomised process. In fact, it’s not so much about turning people down as it is about ensuring you sign the right people up. This requires you to have a real handle on your target audience. Now many coaches and other entrepreneurs think they have a solid idea of who their ideal client is. But just because you think you know who you’re pitching to doesn’t mean you aren’t falling foul of time wasters.
Picture this: you decide you want to gear your offer towards, let’s say, high achieving business owners who want to level up to making five, six or even seven figures. But then you agree to jump on a sales call with a random Facebook follower who dropped you a message. You don’t know if they have the money to invest in your services, and you certainly don’t know if they have the time and dedication necessary to make your programme work for them.
Clearly, this is a waste of both yours and their time. However, if you seek instead to engage those who genuinely see the value in coaching, are motivated, and have the resources to invest, then you are much more likely to actually sign clients on – and chances are they will be the right clients for your offer, too.
The wrong clients
Plenty of people won’t be right for you and your offer, and none more so than the struggling business owners who want sympathy more than they want to do the work. These are the sorts of people who will complain that they have a problem, but be resistant to making any real change. They are just another type of time waster, and if they ever do sign up to a programme (which is rare), they will more than likely implement none of what you tell them, and blame you when they get no results.
Your time is valuable, and saying “yes” to prospects who have this sort of attitude is not a good use of it. Think of it this way: if you spend an hour a week one-on-one with a client who, inevitably, just won’t do the work, then you have lost time that you could have directed at someone whose business could really thrive on what you tell them. Ultimately, this is a pointless waste of an opportunity to help people.
The damage here can be far worse than a lost hour here or there, though. In fact, unless you learn to say “no” to the potential clients that simply aren’t worth your time, there can be real long-term ramifications for your business…
Why you need to learn to say “no”
Unless you start turning down those who either can’t invest in your course or simply won’t put the work in once they do, you can end up spreading yourself too thin by chasing people who weren’t right for your business to begin with. This can have some serious knock-on effects.
For example, if you are preoccupied with getting the most out of a lazy, disgruntled time waster or having sales calls with people who aren’t serious about your offer, you won’t be channelling as much energy as you should towards those you could genuinely help. Not only will this prevent you from signing up more of your ideal clients, but whether it’s because you’re tired, frustrated, or spending too much time elsewhere, it can also have an impact on how you deliver your services to them if they do sign up.
As a coach, it is vital that you always do your job to the best of your ability. If you do, chances are your ideal clients will be inclined to invest further in more of your programmes. Offer mediocre services, though, and you close that door. It’s also important to remember that your credibility is crucial to the future of your business. It is imperative that you work to cultivate your reputation as someone with the answers to your target audience’s burning questions, and sharing positive testimonials from happy clients is a great way to do that. Obviously, though, you won’t be getting those from people who are unmotivated or unsatisfied.
So, by starting to say “no” to some of your prospects, you give yourself more time and space to do your job well for the people you actually set out to serve. This can lead to future investments from happy clients who want to level up further, or from others who have seen their glowing reviews of your services. Ultimately, your revenue and client list will be better off for it.
About the Author
Richard Fletcher is an upbeat, down to earth business coach with a whole range of experience under his belt. After so many years’ worth of experience and a lot of figuring things out along the way, Richard has now established himself as a highly successful coach, who you can trust to help you boost your brand and bring in the big bucks, often within just a few weeks. Starting his current business from scratch, these days Magic Sauce Marketing will very often bring in between 20k and 33k in a single week. This is not the result of luck. Making the most of his social media platforms to establish his brand, Richard was able to get his high-ticket programmes seen by all the right people, without having to spend a lot of money.
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