Over the last few months inside my membership program for Coaches – The Influence Alliance, we’ve been spending time on mapping out our strategies for the customer journey – the sequence of strategic steps you take a prospective customer through as they get to ‘know, like and trust you’ and go from lead to paying customer.
Do you have a strategy in place in your coaching business that’ll enable you to build a relationship with a prospective client, nurturing and taking them from just getting to know you, through to a warm lead, through to a customer who can’t wait to begin working with you? So, you become THE choice vs just A choice when they’re ready to move forward?
If you answered ‘no’, or you have a few things in place, but they’re not streamlined, nor are the systems and nurturing funnel you have in place getting the best result for you – you’re not alone.
And, I’m not talking about having such a complex funnel that costs you tens of thousands of dollars, and is so confusing – it’s impossible to track and manage.
Simple and streamlined is key.
So, in this article I’m going to expand on the three stages of the customer journey we covered recently by sharing the 5 pillars you want to have in place across the customer journey so you can begin to build ‘know, like and trust’ while generate leads and nurture those leads into paying customers.
Firstly, what are the 5 pillars?
They are:
- Pillar 1: Your Message
- Pillar 2: Your Optin (Free Gift)
- Pillar 3: Your Email Sequence
- Pillar 4: Your Technologies
- Pillar 5: Your Team
How did I come up with these 5 pillars?
Years of experience and making lots of mistakes in each of these areas, while also speaking to colleagues, and working with clients, who were all struggling with each of these areas.
I became an expert at what NOT to do, as well as recognising what tools and technologies were unnecessary. Slowly but surely when I began to make changes in each of these areas, I saw a remarkable difference in my business, as did my colleagues and my clients when they implemented them.
Let’s look a little more closely at each of these pillars.
It all starts with this pillar. In fact, if you don’t get this right – it’ll impact everything else in your customer relationship building funnel.
When it comes to your message – if I was to ask 5 (or maybe 10) of your connections about you, specifically what you did and how you could help someone, would they each say a similar thing?
Or, if someone put a post out on social media asking if anyone could recommend someone in your field and with your expertise, would your name be among their list of suggestions. Or, perhaps even on top of their list?
And, even more importantly – if you are among a short list of coaches or consultants with someone who was your ideal client – would you be THE choice out of the list of possible coaches or consultants they are considering because of the reputation you’ve built?
How do you achieve any or all of these things?
By having a clear and concise message to showcase your expertise.
As I’ve mentioned before, your message must be clear and you want to be able communicate this clear message consistently, in everything you do. From your content, through to your proposals and sales conversations, through to the delivery of service as you ‘wow’ your clients.
When you do continue to share a clear and consistent message, that speaks to the needs of your ideal clients – over time YOU become THE choice vs just a choice when they’re ready to move forward.
Let’s see how your current message is working for you. How many of these statements can you say ‘Yes’ to.
When it comes to your Message:
- I have a clearly defined message and brand that stands out from the crowd
- My message and story is unique and uncopyable by other coaches
- My message is attracting engagement and enquiries from my ideal client
- My message continues to build my reputation as a trusted authority with my ideal client
- My message continues to build intrigue with my ideal client wanting to learn more from e
- My message and brand continue to position me as THE choice vs just A choice
How did you go?
One of the missing pieces I often see in a coaching business, which leads to them struggling to generate leads from the content (message) they’re sharing, is this.
The second pillar of the customer relationship building funnel – their optin.
What’s an optin? It’s a free resource that an ideal client can access as they’re searching for a solution to their challenge.
In their search they’ve come across a piece of your content that provides real value, and because they’ve also resonated with you, they’re now ready and willing to gain even more insight from you through accessing your optin. They’ve been added to your email list, and you’ve now gained a new lead, with whom you can continue to build a relationship with.
As they continue to consume the content of your optin, not only can you continue to build know, like and trust, you also get to showcase your promise of value (I.e. your expertise and how you can support people) and promise of expectation (what they will achieve through working with you) as they continue to experience you and your teachings.
How do you know your current optin is going to work in the best way possible? Go through the following 5 statements and see how many you can say ‘Yes’ to.
When it comes to your current Optin (free gift):
- I have a unique ‘step-by-step’ blueprint that can take clients from ‘struggling to success’
- I have a free resource (gift) that is aligned with my ‘step-by-step’ blueprint
- My free resource provides incredible value without being overwhelming
- My free resource provides valuable insight and clarity as to why my ideal client is struggling while confirming there’s mor to learn from me as they work towards their goals/desired outcome
- My free resource continues to position me as THE choice vs just A choice
How did you go?
Now that your ideal client has accessed your optin – the relationship building doesn’t just stop there. In fact, it’s only just the beginning. And, how you well you continue to build your relationship rests on your email sequence – the follow up emails you send along with other things you weave into your customer relationship building funnel.
While the majority of your ideal clients won’t be ready to make a purchase just yet, every interaction they have with you, will either continue to build ‘know, like and trust’ and position you as THE choice vs just A choice, or not.
Your follow up email sequence will continue to play an important role in the relationship you continue to build with your new lead.
How can you tell if your email sequence will make the cut? Go through the following 6 statements and see how many you can answer ‘Yes’ too.
When it comes to your Email Sequence:
- I have a strategic sequence of emails that continues to build ‘know, like and trust’
- My emails are a natural extension of my voice and brand
- My emails are aligned with the free resource and continue to add value and insight
- My emails continue to introduce additional touch points I know are crucial in relationship building with my ideal client
- My emails provide a clear compelling message and ‘next step’ for my ideal client to take
- My emails create intrigue and position me as THE choice vs just A choice
How did you go?
When I think back to every piece of software or technology, I’ve used over the years without success – well let’s just say, I would NOT want to go through that again.
From technology not delivering what they promised, technology so complicated you needed a double-degree just to understand the table of contents, through to having a robust system with multiple plugins that failed to work when one of the plugins got an update.
Or, technology that was so costly and so advanced – it was unnecessary for where I was at in my business. A simpler solution to start off would have been much better, with an option to add more advanced functions as my business grew.
While I wouldn’t want anyone to go through what I’ve experienced over the years, it’s certainly been an experience, that has taught me what NOT to do, so I’m now better able to support my clients in getting the right systems and technology in place, from the get go.
When it comes to your Technologies:
- I have streamlined systems and technologies in place that are working for me
- My systems and technologies are set up to strategically to nurture leads into paying customers
- My technologies are being leveraged properly and are an integral component of my business
- I have clear and trackable client relationship building funnels in place that can easily be scaled
- My systems and technologies continue to position me as THE choice vs just A choice
How did you go?
The greatest bottleneck in any business is often the CEO – YOU, followed by ineffective systems and technologies and hiring the wrong staff in the wrong positions, so it ends up becoming an even bigger bottleneck for your business. I know, because I’ve also been there and done that, too in my coaching business.
When it comes to your Team:
- I have the right team in place to support me in setting up and managing my client relationship building systems and technologies
- My team provides me with valuable insight and necessary tweaks to ensure our client relationship building systems and technologies gets results
- My team knows exactly what to focus on with our client relationship building funnel so I become THE choice vs just a choice with my ideal client
How did you go?
What about with each of the other pillars – still some work to do? And, do you have the pillars in the right sequence so they’re integrated and working strategically for you, with one pillar seamlessly nurturing your prospective client onto the next?
If you’re not sure where to start, or why your existing customer relationship building funnel isn’t working for you, and you want to make sure you get everything in place properly, this is something my team and I can support you with. Book in a time to chat and let’s see how we can support you. Go to: www.AnnemarieCross.com/LetsChat and book in a time and I look forward to speaking with you soon!