How do you explain to others what it is that you do as a coach?
You may often find yourself struggling with what to say to your potential clients. Elevator pitching used to be an option, though not a very good one because it’s not conversational.
Thankfully, you can say goodbye to that elevator pitch. Instead, I want to share with you a way to pitch yourself that is both conversational and interesting. So get ready to engage with all your potential clients!
So, What do you do?
You’ve been asked this question so many times, “So, what do you do?” Yet, you may often struggle with how to actually answer it.
You know those moments when someone asks you this dreaded question but you freeze up and literally feel like you’re about to barf.
Generally, your initial reaction will be to say, “I’m a …”.
Let me stop you right there. The next time someone asks you this question, the last thing you should answer with is a title, such as, “I’m a coach”.
The Title Comes Last
Let me explain to you why your title should always come last.
Whenever you say, “I’m a …”, your brain will open up its filing cabinet and pull out the “coach” card. Then your brain will look at that card and throw it away.
Think about it… When you say, “I’m a coach”, “I’m a doctor”, or “I’m an engineer”, people are no longer listening to what you will say next. Then suddenly they’re texting or they need to go to the bathroom.
In other words, they have already removed themselves from the conversation because they’re bored.
This is the general psychological response that someone will have whenever you start the conversation with your title. Why? Well, it’s simply because their mind has already told them everything they need to know about your profession (making them think they don’t need to hear what you’ll say next).
How To Answer The Question
Now that you know not to answer with “I’m a …”, you’re probably wondering how you actually SHOULD answer this question, right? Here’s how…
Think about the types of people you serve. Who is your target audience and what are their pain points? What things keep them up at night?
If you don’t already know who your target audience is or what their pain points are, you’ll want to figure this out because it’s important for you to know.
For example, for me, I know who my target audience is = coaches. And I know what their pain points are = they don’t know how to find clients, their business development skills are really low, and they don’t know how to find clients or what to say to them.
So for you, practice these steps:
- Think about your clients.
- Make a list of the problems that they have faced.
- Practice saying it.
When you practice saying who your target audience is and what their problems are, your brain will immediately be able to answer the question “So, what do you do” next time you’re asked.
So forget about any elevator pitch you’ve ever considered (or actually used). Instead, be ready to fire back with all those pain points!
Responding To Input
After you have hit on some of your target audience’s key pain points, your potential client is going to give you some input.
(This is exciting because this is where the conversation starts to happen!)
It’s important to remember that you’ll want to engage in what their input is. Actively listen to them. Think about what you’re hearing. When there’s a moment of pause, your next step will be to say “I help those kinds of people do this sort of thing…” This is where the solutions to their problems will come in.
So how can you be ready to answer them with those solutions?
The best way to do so is to write them down. For example, grab some index cards. On one side, write down a common problem that your target audience has faced. Then on the other side of that index card, write the solution to that problem.
Practice reviewing those problems and the best solutions to them and you’ll be ready to respond to whatever input your potential client throws at you!
Wrapping Things Up
And there you have it… You’ve taken things from, “I’m a …” to solving their actual problems, giving them solutions, having a conversation, and opening it up for engagement from your potential client!
So, remember next time you’re engaging with a potential client, that your title comes last (and only if they ask).
Try this method out next time you approach a potential client, then send me a message letting me know how it goes!
