Why most coaches don’t even make minimum wage [video]

Rich Coach – Poor Coach

I just read the book “Rich dad, Poor dad”. I know. What took me so long?

Right now I don’t know why it took me so long to pick up this book. Actually I am lending it from a friend because it was in the stack of books that we had to move last Tuesday. And moving the books and bags was necessary because we needed the space to record his first videos for Youtube. Funny how these things sometimes go.

rich coach - poor coach

I asked him is this a good book? Yes, he said, do you want borrow it? Two days later and I have finished the book.

While reading this book I recognize things that’s happening for me and my clients.

Of course you have a great product or service and happy clients. That’s a basic need for business. It’s not a USP. It doesn’t set you apart from the competition.

What will set you apart from the competition is mastering these 3 topics.

Marketing

This is the topic I worked on already before I started my own business. I learned about blogging in 2005 and saw the traffic and expert status it can generate when you are in a niche. Learning and writing about marketing and social media actually launched my first published book. It also made my business, building blogs and sites for coaches.

While it is natural to me now, to write posts on my blog. Talk with people in Facebook and Twitter. Write weekly emails for the people that want to receive updates about becoming No.1 in their niche. Create weekly videos.

It wasn’t always like that and at times it still is difficult. The intense focus on a specific project makes me sometimes forget everything else, my marketing, my sales, my income, even my clients. I know, stupid.

The less I write and create, the more difficult it is to start again.

I need to maintain the creation muscle all the time. It’s like when I don’t play squash for a few weeks, my game sucks when I start playing again. Same thing with my idea muscle, when I don’t exercise it it will just get weaker every day. And it gets difficult to start.

What I do know now, is that you can do this too. It is one of the things that you need to learn when you want a healthy business and a wealthy live. Potential clients need to find you. They need to see you.

You need to become excellent in marketing and in writing specifically. Writing copy for your website, your blog, your emails, your sales pages, headlines, updates in social networking sites. You need to write all the time.

You need to step on to the podium.

I am still learning about writing every day. The latest thing I learned was from the writing style by Robert T. Kiyosaki author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”. And the course I am following, the Brain Audit kit by Sean D’Sousa. I try to find opportunities to learn about copywriting all the time. Reading books and following courses.

Next to learning about copywriting there are also a few other topics that I need to learn more about. Fast.

Advertising, case studies and analytics. It will help me to move forward faster. Creating a larger platform.

After marketing (seeding) comes sales (harvesting).

Sales

This is the most hated word for most coaches. Or maybe it was just me. Sales. Sleazy. Car sales man. “They are after one thing and that is your money.” and of course “they” will always be better off than you are. They sold you something and made money and you paid too much.

This is of course not true. Most people that you want to buy from, really want to help you. You have a pain, the person behind the counter really wants to understand your pain and give you a drug that takes away your pain.

You want to learn about good copywriting, Sean D’Sousa really wants to help you to become the best at it.

You have a solution for your ideal client. Your ideal client is right in front of you. They have a problem. You can solve it.

Now it is time for you to sell your solution. If you don’t sell it, your ideal client can’t buy it. They will continue to have that problem.

Do you think that you can help your ideal client to solve their problem?

When you hear “Yes” in your head at this moment, it is time for you to start selling.

Help your ideal clients and sell your solution so they can buy it and solve their problem.

I know there are still plenty of people out there that are ready to sell you anything, even things you don’t need. These people are more interested in their bonus than in your happiness. Which in the end will always be a loss for them. A happy customers will give you more sales (and bonus) in the end.

When you sell your solution most of time you will get money in return. What to do with it?

Finance

One of the things that is changing for me the last few months is the relationship with money.

Again a funny thing. In school I found business administration a very interesting course. I learned about investing, balance sheets, cost and the like. It was a course that I enjoyed and got good at.

Once I started my own business I hated numbers. Money was a topic that I did not talk about. Not with the people around me and not with family and friends. When my wife brings the topic up I get a weird feeling in my stomach.

For me it was OK not having a lot of money. I am doing what I enjoy. It was a hobby turned into a business. How could this not be fun. No need to make a lot of money. All excuses in my head.

It probably was one of the most stupid periods of my life. How could I have been so foolish to not see that understanding finance is important if you want to move forward.

But no more. Finally I understand it is time to take the effort to understand what is really my relationship with money.

It is time to learn about money, about assets, about cost, about private cooperations, taxes, trust funds and more. I want to understand it. If I want to change my relationship with money I need to understand numbers. What is our accountant saying. Really understand what is in my financial statements. And of course learn about reducing our taxable income.

On the top of my priority list is to become financially independent. Not sure how to do this yet, but I will find a way.

Weekly video

Do You want to excel from poor coach to rich coach?

You want good results from your business?

Start learning about Marketing, Sales and Finance.

Read books about it. Start following courses. Train yourself, get training and get better at it.

It will change your life.

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Share your tip

Now, I want to hear where you are going to focus the next 90 days.

Which of these 3 topics will be in your calendar?
Share it in the comments below.
I love to hear from you.

Credit photo Matt Mordfin — Rich Peoples

This was previously published on Medium

By Erno Hannink

Sparring and accountability partner for entrepreneurs who create sustainable positive impact. Explores decision-making. Shares his insights on this in, articles, books (Dutch), podcast, newsletters, and tools. Has a life mission to reduce social and ecological inequality. Father of two children, husband of M., runs, referee for the national soccer league, and uses stoicism for calm. Lives in the Netherlands. Speaks Dutch, English, and German.