Understanding how your ideal clients THINK is not about how YOU think.
The most important piece of the business-building puzzle for coaches is figuring out how to TALK in a way that makes people WANT to LISTEN and BUY from them.
But first you must understand the way they think and at what stage in the decision-making process they are in.
Before someone decides to work with a coach, they pass through five contemplative stages.
If they get stuck in any one of these stages, they will not get to the point of hiring you or any coach.
Your job is to understand these stages and meet them where they are.
Stage 1: Hopeless
They sense unease in their life but they have no idea how to fix it or change it. They think there is no solution and that this is “just the way life is.” (They feel hopeless.)
Stage 2: Helpless
They know they have a problem and they’re starting to think “What if there is a way to change this?” but they have no idea how or where to begin. (They feel helpless.)
Stage 3: Hopeful
They’re introduced to the real possibility for change; they hear something or meet someone who makes them realize, “I can change this.” (They feel hopeful.)
Stage 4: Motivated
They commit to learning and understanding. They try to do it alone. (They feel motivated.)
Stage 5: Inspired
They realize they need guidance, so they hire you. The words you say, the message you convey, prompts them to go deeper. (They feel inspired.)
Understanding how your audience makes a decision to do something (or nothing) can help you meet them where they are so you can speak to them in a way that makes them, at the very least, want to listen.
When they’re in the early stages, what do they need to hear from you? (This is not a time to sell them anything.)
What are they afraid of, what have they already tried and how has that affected the way they think?
If you aren’t profoundly aware of what and how your ideal clients actually think (with no assumptions on your part) it will be difficult to meet them wherever they are.
Without this understanding, it’s hard to stay in business.
