Being A Solopreneur: Attracting the right clients, setting coaching prices, goal setting and more!

You launched a coaching business because you love coaching and helping others – not marketing or selling, right?

“Sales” is probably one of the most resisted words when it comes to my community, but today, we’ll dig deep into this topic with Sue Begent! Sue shares her thoughts about attracting the right clients, setting your coaching prices, goal setting, and more.

Attracting the Right Clients

Starting a coaching practice from the ground up is never easy. You have to have a unique selling proposition, smart sales and marketing strategies, networking skills, and more.

However, more than anything, you have to attract the right clients. But you don’t want to accept just anyone – you want the type of clients that you are best equipped to help and the ones who will benefit the most from your services. 

As a coach, you need to be able to help your clients get over their fears and tip over to hope. Help them get to a point where they can confidently say, ‘Oh! This could really change everything for me.’ And what gets somebody to that tipping point? Well, they have to really understand what’s really going on with them much more clearly than they do when they first arrive in the conversation. As a coach, you need to inspire them to take that leap.

Setting Your Coaching Prices

Once you’ve identified potential clients, you now have to make sure that the price point fits the “hope” and benefit you’re providing. And this is where most coaches feel worried and hesitant – getting the price right.

As a coaching professional in a crowded market, you need to set a competitive pricing structure so you’ll be able to attract clients. However, you also want to set prices that accurately reflect the value, time, and energy you’re giving to your clients.

Just remember: Some clients may still say “No” to what you’re offering. Sometimes, it’s just not the right time or maybe the vibe is not right between you – and that’s fine!

But if you’re wavering about, like, “Will somebody really pay this?” or “Am I really worth this?” – STOP.

Sales is really about mindset – you need to believe in the value that you bring to the table.

Plus, objections aren’t always a bad thing – there are opportunities in objections which we tend not to see. Look at it this way: Objections aren’t necessarily your clients rejecting YOU, it’s more that they haven’t tipped over the fear into hope yet. This is an opportunity for you to go back and explore how you can help them.

Another tip? Imagine yourself in a sales call: If you constantly find yourself stuck in your own head thinking about what you’re going to say next or how you’re going to sign the client on, stop. Slow down and truly listen to what your client has to say.

One of the really big keys to sales conversations is just disconnecting from the outcome. You don’t want to be too pushy or too hands off – what you need to do is to be fully present in the conversation. Listen to what they have to say and don’t hesitate to ask questions!

“What made you reach out to me today?”

“What is it that you are ultimately trying to build?

“What would you want to achieve?”

“Where do you see yourself in 16 weeks; in 6 months; in 2 years?”

Asking questions helps your client get some very clear short-term objectives in their head. What tends to happen as you’re having them talk to you is that you’re prompting or maybe clarifying and summarizing what it is they truly want. Once they get that clarity? That can help push them over the edge and that’s when you can ask your final question – “Are you ready today?” And this could be the start of your relationship!

Another thing you have to remember is setting boundaries – this includes setting your price and not wavering on it. Every so often, you may encounter clients who’ll ask for discounts or push for extra sessions – this is where you need to remember the boundaries you’ve set. You don’t have to be absolutely draconian about it though – just make sure that it sits comfortably with you and the boundaries you’ve set. And if you find yourself wavering, have a chat with yourself about your boundaries and about valuing yourself, because if you don’t, you’ll be jerked around all over the place.

Putting Yourself in Their Shoes

Want to really connect with your potential clients? Put yourself in their shoes!

As a coach, you may have grown and learned so much over time, but remember what it was like for you back then. Remember all the struggles and challenges you’ve overcome. Making this connection with your client will help them feel seen and heard – and when they feel like they’re truly understood and seen, that’s when they can also tip over the fear continuum into hope.

The ‘Zone of Genius’

In “The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks, he discusses the concepts of the “zone of excellence” and the “zone of genius” (side note: if you haven’t read it yet, Sue highly recommends it!).

Most people spend their careers in their zone of excellence, as in, they’re really good at what they do. People seek them out for those skill sets, and they often build an entire career there. But your “zone of genius” – it’s that piece inside of you that gets excited every time you do what you love. It’s like inside of you, you’re bouncing up and down on your chair with excitement! When you’re in that zone, even if you are not as skilled as you will ultimately be, you still find it rewarding and you still get a buzz out of it.

And that’s so important because building your business in the “zone of genius” gives it longevity; gives it excitement; it means that you’re constantly growing it because you’re in it all the time, and you want to get better at it and just excited by it – and that’s what keeps you moving forward. And when you’re truly excited and love what you do – and when you’re able to show up that way for your clients – they can gain some of that energy and confidence, too!

Setting Goals

Yes, setting goals is important but there may be times when it’s just not as helpful as it could be; there may be times when it can demotivate rather than motivate you. But to be clear: you do need goals for your business, but you also need a plan to address the gaps that are stopping your flow. Once you get to the point where that is happening, then, yes, absolutely, goals are helpful.

But aside from setting goals, it’s also about focus. You have to be determined, you have to be courageous, and you need to be focused – these three things are absolutely pivotal.

About Sue Begent

Sue Begent is a sales, marketing and mindset coach who works with ambitious, hardworking solopreneurs who want consistent client attraction. Sue’s all-inclusive program combines the power of 1:1 and the benefits of small group coaching. With over 30 years of promotional experience on major brands, Sue helps you go from stop-start to a regular flow of happy signed clients in 16 weeks or less – all without anxiety filled launches or expensive complexity!

If you’d like to hear more about my conversation with Sue, make sure to listen to my podcast here!