Part 1
When you think “candy bar”, certain brands probably come to mind.
If I want a candy bar, Twix is competing with Butterfinger which is competing with Snickers.
It’s our natural instinct as humans to group things together. We sort our options into categories (like “candy bar”).
So as a coach or expert, if you say something like “I’ll help you transform your life”… you’ve just positioned yourself against the Tony Robbins, Marie Forleos, and Brendon Burchard’s of the world.
Which is a problem because very few people are going to hire more than one life coach. Good luck competing with the big names for that exclusive spot.
And it’s not getting any easier.
Matthew McConaughey hosted a virtual event called “The Art of Livin’”.
Over 2.5 million people attended. And a whole bunch of them joined “Roadtrip: The Highway to More” (his new course & community on Mastermind.com)
So if you’re also selling “a better life”?
That’s an uphill battle I wouldn’t want to fight.
Plus, there’s another reason it’s dangerous to compete with big names on big promises…
And that’s “The Gap”.
Part 2
Matthew McConaughey’s course and community is called “Roadtrip: The Highway to More”.
Think about how vague that promise is.
“The Highway to More”
More… what?
But it worked. For him.
However: 99% of coaches should never use a title like that.
Because…
“I don’t believe you”
— says everyone who visits your website (at least at first)
One of the big obstacles to selling your coaching and expertise is how to prove yourself.
People are skeptical. When you’re unknown, you have to overcome the ‘Believability Gap’.
That’s why a big name like Matthew McConaughey can name his course “The Highway to More”.
McConaughey’s immense credibility bridges the believability gap.
If you’ve won an Academy Award and written a memoir that’s sold over 3 million copies, and are generally renowned as someone who’s led a fascinating life… you can sell the promise of “Living a good life”. Who you are lends credibility to that big promise.
If you do NOT have these things… You do not have the same level of credibility. And you should not sell a big, vague, fluffy promise like that.
Still, even if you’re not McConaughey you can still fill your courses or coaching programs. As long as you make the right promise.
How?
Part 3
This might ruffle some feathers.
But there’s a reason coaches are sometimes the butt of jokes outside of the coaching bubble.
And it has to do with this quote from Donald Miller, author of Business Made Simple:
“A coach teaches players the frameworks they need to know in order to win. Otherwise they’re just a cheerleader.”
A business coach helps business owners win the game of business.
An executive coach helps leaders win in the boardroom and beyond.
A dating coach helps single people win the heart of the right partners.
If you’re a coach, people are hiring you to help them win a game that matters to them.
Generally, the faster and bigger the win, the better you are as a coach.
And it’s why some of my favorite clients are coaches. Great coaches who take their mission seriously do an incredible amount of good for the world.
The recipe for success is often a skilled coach, a committed client, and a winning framework.
Which brings us to life coaches.
Here’s the problem:
While nearly every human on Earth is interested in winning the game of life…
Few people can reliably coach other people to win the entire game.
There’s simply too much depth, variety, and nuance through all the different areas of life.
Someone may have achieved impressive results in one area of life. But all of them? That’s incredibly rare.
Plus, just because you’ve won doesn’t mean you understand. Turning your past results into reliable and repeatable frameworks that others can use to win is challenging and time-consuming.
So for someone to come along and say they not only have expertise across the many areas of life, but they’ve also turned them into winning frameworks you can use too?
I’d be suspicious.
Now over the last few emails we’ve talked about three problems I see with life coaches:
- Positioning
- Credibility
- Capability
And the answer to all three?
Focus.
When you dial in who you’re for…
And when you dial in what you do…
You open the door to create an unstoppable business.
So if right now you’re feeling unfocused, re-read this article. Consider how you could better focus your unique experience and skillset to help in a specific area.
And if you’re a coach who helps people win in a specific area — and you have the skills, experience and frameworks to back it up — we should talk.
I help businesses like yours scale up and get you in front of more people who need you.
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