Ep 105 - What Technology Do I Need as a Life Coach?
Business Success + Life Coach, Debbie Shadid, is talking with you about the types of technology you’ll need to use and be comfortable with to build a profitable life coaching business.
A quick hint - it’s not nearly as much as you think you need! You’ve been hearing of all these strategies, tools, systems, and so on to run a business, but SO much of it is just unnecessary.
One of the biggest hurdles my clients face when growing their business is getting overwhelmed by all of the options out there. We’re going to break it down simply by what you actually need to start making money in your business - no extra fluff.
Listen in on today’s episode to find out what tech you need to start making money in your life coaching business.
Transcript
00;00;06;05 - 00;00;24;04 | Debbie
Welcome to the Business Building Boutique podcast for new life coaches. If you are a newly certified coach who's trying to figure out how to grow your business, you're in the right spot. Join me each week to learn simple business growth strategies along with step-by-step marketing tips to get you seen by clients in your niche. I'm going to be your guide.
00;00;24;04 - 00;00;53;00 | Debbie
I'll tell you what to do so you can feel confident in your business. And here's the truth, ladies. You can build your dream coaching business without paid ads and without a fancy sales funnel. So if that sounds interesting and you're ready to get more paid clients and let's get started Well, here we are, episode 105 and we're going to be talking about pillar six, which is technology. In pillar six, I show you the simple technology that you can use to grow your business.
00;00;53;00 - 00;01;11;27 | Debbie
We all have to use technology. And I know that there are a lot of people that I work with that are like I'm terrible at tech. It overwhelms me. I don't want to do it. I don't know how to use it. But you guys, I promise it can be easy. I can show you how to do it and I can help you make it super simple.
00;01;11;27 - 00;01;32;29 | Debbie
What I want to do today is I'm going to talk to you about the technology that I recommend, but I also want to start by doing a recap of what we've talked about in the pillars of the Business Building Boutique, because we're going to talk about each of these pillars again. I'll recap them because each one of these is the steps that you want to have in your business, the steps you want to take in your business.
00;01;32;29 - 00;01;58;04 | Debbie
All right? Pillar number one, we focused on you and your brand. As a reminder, you're the only thing that sets you apart from the sea of coaches out there. And my job is to help you see what is special about you so you can market yourself in a unique way. Everybody that I work with loves this process. I want to challenge you to decide today how you want to be seen by your clients because you get to choose what you want.
00;01;58;04 - 00;02;21;04 | Debbie
Your reputation to be. You also have a chance to show up in a way that is completely different than you've ever shown up. You get to decide who you want to be, and then you can align yourself with this future self. You can become that today. So I want to encourage you to take this first pillar seriously. Where you become the brand of the business.
00;02;21;15 - 00;02;46;13 | Debbie
This really is the cornerstone. Everything else that we do in the Business Building Boutique builds on top of this. Your business brand is next and then your copy and each one of those things. All right. In pillar number two, we talked about designing a business that supports your lifestyle. This is why we're all in business. Yes, we have a passion for coaching, but we want to work for ourselves because we want to have freedom.
00;02;47;03 - 00;03;04;10 | Debbie
So I want you to think about your business, the time that you want to work and how you intend your time to be. Because you get to decide do you want to work from eight to two, four days a week? Because you want to go to the gym, you know, at 2:00 in the afternoon because you want to have three day weekends.
00;03;04;19 - 00;03;21;23 | Debbie
You want to pick up your kids after school. I don't know, you get to decide. Maybe you have a full-time corporate job and you decide that you want to have this as a side hustle, always - more power to you. That's awesome. Then you're going to decide I'm going to do it one night a week or I'm going to do it on Saturday mornings, whatever that is.
00;03;22;04 - 00;03;44;27 | Debbie
When you decide that, that helps us decide what your offer should be. Maybe if you are in this incredible corporate career, you decide to have two VIP clients who pay you a premium and have lots of access to you. They do private coaching, right? Or maybe you decide that you have the amount of time that will allow for group coaching only.
00;03;44;27 - 00;04;07;00 | Debbie
You get to decide how you want it to be and you are the creator now of this ultimate business schedule. And then you guys, when you decide that you build your business around that. Pillar number three, we talked about writing client converting copy. This process is the most challenging one and it's also the most rewarding. How could it be both?
00;04;07;01 - 00;04;29;00 | Debbie
It is the most difficult because it forces you to get really clear on what your person is thinking about in regards to what you coach on. You have to be able to articulate the result in a compelling way that helps them see that their problem needs to be solved right now with urgency today. And you want to be able to present what their life will look like after they coach with you.
00;04;29;01 - 00;04;47;01 | Debbie
The rewarding part of this is that when you create this copy and it begins to convert, you know it works, you know it brings in your ideal client, then you can use that same copy everywhere. It makes your marketing easier, it makes your social media easier. It really solves all of your marketing dilemmas that you guys have about I don't know what to say.
00;04;47;01 - 00;05;07;06 | Debbie
This gives you the exact of what you're going to say everywhere. In pillar number four, we talked about crafting your unique offer. As I mentioned, when we work together, there is no generic offer. You won't be just offering six months for $5,000 just because. And maybe you will have that as your offer, but there'll be a reason for it.
00;05;07;18 - 00;05;27;06 | Debbie
You'll have six months because you know, that is how much time it takes for your client to get the outcome you have promised. You'll have this mapped-out process that will help you when you make the offers. And why do you want that? Because it makes it so much easier to explain your coaching. It makes it so much easier to sell.
00;05;27;19 - 00;05;48;10 | Debbie
And when you go to coach people, you'll have this clear process of I know I start with this, and then I do this, and then I do this. It will help you get your client to a clear result in a much faster way. This is what you're going to use when you talk about marketing, too. You'll talk about the path that you take people on to get there.
00;05;48;11 - 00;06;11;08 | Debbie
This is another way that you're going to separate yourself from the competitors. All I work on is helping you really define your ideal brand, your ideal niche, your ideal price, all of that specifically for you. This same process can be used with private coaching or group coaching. It just is the guide for your coaching. Pillar number five. That's about money, you guys.
00;06;11;08 - 00;06;29;27 | Debbie
It's about making that profitable business. Once you establish this solid offer, and then we go out to get our pricing, we're going to have it fit our desired lifestyle. Remember, we're going to look at how many hours we have to work a year, and we're going to figure out how much we want to make and we're going to base our coaching pricing on that.
00;06;29;27 - 00;06;49;02 | Debbie
You won't just be guessing at a price. We're going to have a price and an offer that speaks to the person who will actually pay you for coaching, who's actually ready to be coached, who is actually going to do the work, not somebody that you have to beg to coach with you, but somebody who is really raising their hand saying, I want to be coached.
00;06;49;05 - 00;07;11;03 | Debbie
We're going to create a price and an offer that works for them. So when we talk about the profitability of your business, in Pillar five, you guys are going to step into the role of being the CEO of your company. You're going to see yourself as having this role of owning a business. You're going to start to figure out where your time is best used.
00;07;11;19 - 00;07;37;09 | Debbie
You're going to see how creating a plan for marketing a plan for your business, a plan for your launches. You're going to decide on things like, should I take payments? Should I take pay in full? You'll have all of this streamlined so that you can create a consistent business. You're going to look at your monthly expenses in a different way and decide how you want to invest back the money that you've earned.
00;07;37;22 - 00;07;53;25 | Debbie
And you'll have the tax money set aside to pay on the profit that you have made in your business. Pillar six. That's what we're going to wrap up today with, technology. You can love it or you can hate it. Either way, you guys, you have to have it to run your business. You really can't do it without it.
00;07;53;25 - 00;08;17;19 | Debbie
Now, of course, I guess you could have no computer, no nothing, and be in business, but it's not likely. So I agree that tech can be stressful. I spent many years stressed out about technology. I've been just like you. I've watched so many dang training videos I have sat up till 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning trying to figure something out and it was like, oh my gosh, if somebody would just tell me what to do, there's got to be a simpler way.
00;08;17;22 - 00;08;43;10 | Debbie
This is why I do my coaching the way I do it. I want to help you with the technology and it doesn't have to be that hard. You guys have been looking around at other coaches. You've heard about technology, you've heard about fancy sales funnels, but you do not need any of that right now. Someday, when you're making hundreds of thousands of dollars, let's get you hooked up with somebody who's going to set you up with what you need for that.
00;08;43;22 - 00;09;05;18 | Debbie
But a funnel, you guys, is simply a process step by step. How somebody comes from a social media post. You funnel them through. The next step is to go to my website like they're going down the funnel. Then I want you to sign up for my email, and opt-in down the funnel. Then they go down, they get the email and we send and we start nurturing them.
00;09;05;21 - 00;09;23;24 | Debbie
We start sending them through our email steps. That's what a funnel is with the ultimate goal that they have a consultation call with you or they buy coaching from you. That is a funnel. It can be that simple. You don't need a bunch of software to run your business. I've already mentioned to you guys that you can have Canva and I'll show you how to use that.
00;09;23;24 - 00;09;42;23 | Debbie
It's very easy. When you do a Squarespace website and you learn how to do that, you'll automatically know how to use Canva, almost, they're about the same. And when you know how to use Canva, you're going to learn how to use FloDesk because they're all basically the same. You guys should make sure that you take the free Canva class that I have.
00;09;42;23 - 00;10;02;17 | Debbie
I will leave the link in the show notes. You're going to learn how to use Canva in one hour. Start to finish. You'll see me inside of my Canva telling you where you might run into mistakes and making it super simple for you to be able to use it. So that's all it takes to learn it. If you go out and start Googling to use Canva.
00;10;02;17 - 00;10;24;17 | Debbie
Oh, my goodness, you could spend hours learning how to use it. It doesn't have to be that hard. Most of the software technology that we use, it's literally click and change a color click and change the text, click and change the image. Yes, we have to learn that. And yes, you're going to get frustrated, but it is super simple if you give yourself just a little bit of time to use it.
00;10;24;28 - 00;10;48;12 | Debbie
And the reason why I want you to use that technology and that software is that you can have such a professional, high-level look that removes you from being the home-based business life coach and looking like that person who has this big business. I also want to mention to you that in the Business Building Boutique, I provide you with lots of templates, specifically designed for life coaches.
00;10;48;12 - 00;11;08;12 | Debbie
You use those templates, I give them to you to use and my copy is in there. I will teach you how to click and change it. The copy will be a guide so that you know what to write about your business. And by the way, the copy that we write, when we write that client converting copy, is the same copy that you will use,
00;11;08;12 - 00;11;25;15 | Debbie
as I've already mentioned, in all of your marketing everywhere. So you do that step, then you can do your email marketing with greater ease. You can do your Canva brochures. I've got all the templates for you to use. Coaches that come to me, they just want to know how to get clients. But this technology is part of it.
00;11;25;18 - 00;11;45;06 | Debbie
So I will help you figure out how to get your email setup. This email opt-in. Let me just tell you guys, there is money in your email list. Every email address that somebody gives you is like they raised their hand and said, I am interested in what you have to offer and your only job is to email market them.
00;11;45;06 - 00;12;07;25 | Debbie
And again, FloDesk is 19 bucks a month. It's not much. I'll teach you how to use it. I have email templates that you can follow. But, we'll work on creating a super simple marketing plan. All of these pieces, these plans that we put in place are to help you stay consistent. If you know what you're going to talk about next week and social media and next week's email and the plan is already in place,
00;12;08;05 - 00;12;30;12 | Debbie
it is so much easier for you to get it done because you don't have to come up with the next new idea. And then we'll talk about how you can repurpose that content over and over. All right. I want to wrap up and make a few suggestions for you when you get stuck on technology. The first thing is when you are really stuck, just ask yourself is there another way to do this?
00;12;31;00 - 00;12;50;02 | Debbie
Do I have to have this technology? Because I can tell you honestly that there probably is another way. Could you write a note instead of email marketing someone? Yes, you could. Could you host an in-person workshop instead of trying to do a virtual webinar? Yes. People have done it forever. Could you do in-person networking instead of posting on social media?
00;12;50;02 - 00;13;15;26 | Debbie
Yes. All of those things involve zero technology. So challenge yourself. Is there a different way instead of me wasting so much time trying to figure something out? All right. Now, if we work together, when you're stuck on a piece of technology, you'll just bring it to me and we'll talk about it. All right? Number two thing I want you to do is I want you to know and decide that you are going to be willing to work step by step through one piece of software at a time.
00;13;16;00 - 00;13;33;18 | Debbie
One. Right? If you do that when you're stuck, then just find a solution for that one piece. You can take an in-person class at a junior college or at a trade school or at a Vo-Tech. You can do that and you can learn how to do that one piece. When you learn how to do one piece, you guys, be patient with yourselves.
00;13;33;18 - 00;13;48;14 | Debbie
You'll learn the next piece and the next piece. All right. The biggest thing is that you have to change your mind. You have to rewrite the story you have about technology being hard. You have to change your mind and quit saying that you're stuck, that it's too hard, that you're never going to learn how to do this because you know how that is, you guys.
00;13;48;14 - 00;14;08;10 | Debbie
You're never going to learn how to do this. You can learn how to do that. And with the right person helping you, it's probably going to be a lot easier than you think. All right. Number three, say no to software that coaches who are earning more than $100,000 are using because you do not need it. Start your business with the bare minimum.
00;14;08;14 - 00;14;26;20 | Debbie
You do not need to have paid versions of very many things. Do one piece of technology at a time. You don't need to have a fancy note-taking system or a client management system. All you need is a word document or a journal if you want to do it old school, write it. Just a word document to keep all of your client notes on.
00;14;26;22 - 00;14;46;05 | Debbie
I have client notes from the last four years for some clients all in one document because it goes 60 pages at a time. You can keep it all there. You can use your free Google calendar to schedule appointments. You don't even have to have acuity or Calendly. I recommend that you do, but you don't have to. You don't need the client management system.
00;14;46;05 - 00;15;03;22 | Debbie
Just invoice from PayPal. Yes, I would love it if you use FreshBooks, and I would love it if when you have accounting software when you're ready for it, that'd be amazing. I do want you to use the upgraded version of Canva. It's 12 something dollars a month that is worth it. It's a small investment that's going to make a huge difference for you.
00;15;03;22 - 00;15;25;12 | Debbie
You will look like a professional. I'm going to leave links to all the software that I recommend, and I'm also going to leave the Canva Workshop link so that you can learn how to use it. In an hour. I want to challenge you to get familiar with Google. Use Google, Gmail, Google Docs, Google Sheets, your Google calendar, all those pieces because nearly everybody uses that.
00;15;25;12 - 00;15;43;19 | Debbie
That is all free to you and it's a great place to build all kinds of things in your business. All right. That is it. On technology, keep it simple. There's always an easier way. There's also always somebody that can teach you. You learned how to coach, right? You can learn how to use the tools for your business, too.
00;15;44;01 - 00;16;05;01 | Debbie
You learned how to be that coach. Now I'm going to teach you how to be in business. All right. I'm going to wrap up this series but I cannot do that without personally inviting you to explore the Business Building Boutique. I can tell you without hesitation, I promise you that this is the best program on marketing for those of you who want to have someone personally tell you what to do and then show you how to do it.
00;16;05;10 - 00;16;31;05 | Debbie
I have designed this program to include tons of business support, the mindset coaching, the accountability check-ins, and office hours plus you have the educational pieces for you to watch and review over and over. One of the concerns that many of you guys have is about group coaching that you're not going to get your questions answered. I want to be a private client, they tell me, because I'm not going to get the coaching that I need, and I just want to tell you that's just not true.
00;16;31;05 - 00;16;55;01 | Debbie
I will help you. We are together many hours during the month. I will help you and I will answer your questions specific to your business. That is what my business coaching is built on, is answering people's individual questions. Personalized coaching. All right. So I promise you you'll get the coaching that you need specific to your niche, specific to your problem, and you'll also learn how to be in business along the way.
00;16;55;09 - 00;17;11;10 | Debbie
It is everything you need to have a successful and profitable business. And when you do each one of these steps, you will know how to be in business for good. All right, you guys I am there to help you with your copy, your pricing, and all the things that you'll be facing. I'll be there to help you. It's magical.
00;17;11;10 - 00;17;33;29 | Debbie
At some point when you get to hire someone to help you with your business, but at this point, you guys, you have to learn how to do it on your own. You have to learn how to be successful in business just as you are successful as a coach. All right, you guys, I cannot wait to help you build your business, help you solve these problems, and to help you with all that you need to grow your business.
00;17;33;29 - 00;17;51;01 | Debbie
You can be a coach with more paid clients in just a few weeks. All right. Let's have a call DebbieShadid.com/Schedule. Get on my calendar and let's talk very soon so you too can be part of the Business Building Boutique. Until next time. Bye-bye.
00;17;53;06 - 00;18;16;08 | Debbie
That's it. Thanks for listening. Now it's up to you. Put what you learned today into action. Do what you need to be seen and then hired by clients in your niche and if you're ready to stop wasting your precious time and get your business finally booked up, you're invited to join me in the Business Building Boutique for new life coaches where you will learn everything you need to be a coach with plenty of paid clients.
00;18;16;08 - 00;18;19;03 | Debbie
All right. Have an amazing week, until next time. Bye-bye.