159 - Mindset and Marketing for Life Coaches: Part 1
If you’re not marketing your coaching business consistently, you’re not going to get more clients. So, what’s keeping you from doing more marketing? What’s the mindset issue behind you NOT marketing more consistently?
If you’re ready to break free from any mindset issues that are holding you back, you need to listen to this podcast.
Today's podcast is the first of a truth-telling two-part series on mindset and marketing. We'll dive deep into the four deceptive lies you may unknowingly be telling yourself, hindering your motivation to market your business effectively. Get ready for some eye-opening insights on what is actually holding you back from doing more marketing.
Tune in with an open mind, and let's debunk these myths together so that you can do the coaching that you are meant to do.
Your coaching business is your calling, and marketing is the key to reaching your clients and fulfilling the journey you were destined to embark on.
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Transcript
Preview: Let me just tell you, even on social media, you guys, if something accidentally gets posted, all you do is hit delete. Okay. So I want you to decide to embrace technology. I want you to decide that it benefits your business, that it's the way you're gonna reach the world. I want you to decide that social media is for you and that you're capable of doing it. I want you to decide that video is something that you're willing to work on. The only way that you'll ever get better is if you try it and then you work to improve.
Intro: Hello, I'm Debbie Shadid, the host of the Life Coach Business Building podcast. If you are ready to have more clients in your life coach business, then you're in the right spot. Each week I'm gonna teach you super simple strategies to grow your business without feeling overwhelmed and without spending money on paid ads. If that sounds interesting. Stick around and let's get started.
Today's podcast is going to be the first of a two-part series on your mindset and your marketing. What I wanna say to you is that your mindset is driving the decisions that you make about marketing. And marketing is what drives the growth of your business. So today in part one of this mindset and marketing series, I'm gonna talk to you about the four lies that you are telling yourself that are actually killing your desire to market your business, which is in turn killing your business.
So what you're thinking or saying really about the topics I'm gonna talk to you about today are stealing your dream. They are driving your actions or inactions. When we don't take action in our business, guess what you guys, we don't have any business, right? It's not gonna work unless you're marketing. I'll run down the four most common things that I hear from coaches about marketing and their sneaky thoughts that they don't consider are actually killing their desire to do marketing. So I want you to make your own list today of what comes up for you.
As I do today's podcast, I want you to think about the mindset that you have about marketing and consider how it is affecting your business, and then make a decision to change your mind about that, right? Because you're probably not getting the results that you want with the thinking that you have about marketing today.
All right. The first one I wanna talk to you about which is a lie is I'm terrible at tech. And I'm gonna prove to you in a minute why this is a lie. But let's talk about technology. First of all, it is necessary, but it's also not necessary because you can run your business without technology. I mean, I want you to have it and you're gonna wanna have it, but the truth is you can build a business without it.
When I started my business in 2000, of course I didn't search for people on the internet. I didn't post on social media. I just went out and found people to talk to. You can do the same thing, so anytime you're tangled up with tech, you can ask yourself, what is a better way to do it? Do I have to actually use technology right now or is this just like a roadblock that's keeping me from marketing? Is there like a way around this? And I'm gonna guess there probably is. I do also want you to think about tech making your business easier, right? Instead of it being hard, what if you started saying like, actually this tech that I'm learning is going to make my business easier.
Tech helps you reach more people. I mean, I know whether you like tech or not you know that to be true because you have to get on a computer, you have to get on your phone to do your social media, to write your emails, to work on your website. All of that requires you getting into technology. Tech helps you track the marketing that you do, which allows you to be able to see if what the marketing you're doing is good or not, if it's effective or not. We don't wanna waste our time on ineffective marketing. So utilize tech to go and look at your insights and see what is happening with the marketing that you are doing.
Let me just tell you that tech is taking your payments. You guys had to learn how to either use PayPal or Stripe, whatever you are using to collect payments, and thank God for technology because you can get paid for services from somewhere, any place in the world. That is technology that is working for your business. Technology is your calendar. It's your Google calendar that you use all the time to schedule everything, and you learned how to use it. There was a point in time where you're like, I don't know how to do this. I like my paper planner better. And some of you guys I know still use paper planners too, but you're like, I don't wanna use a Google calendar, but most of you are using it.Tech is also Zoom. Seriously, you guys, what would our business be like today without Zoom? The whole world can stay connected now because of the technology of Zoom. Tech is also your email, and I want you to take yourself back. There was a time when you thought email was difficult. Like getting things ready, attaching, sending, all those things were hard. And now a life without email seems impossible.
The last piece of tech that I wanna tell you about that you use all day long that you thought was hard, that you have now conquered is your phone. Doesn't matter whether it's an iPhone or an Android. You have that thing in your hand all the time. That iPhone allows you to be connected to everyone in the world at a moment's notice. You can send a message, you can get on FaceTime, you can get on Skype, you can get on Zoom, all of that through your phone. You can take videos of the ones that you love. You can take videos of yourself for marketing. You take photos, you can record a podcast on your phone. There are so many things you could do. All of those last few items that I mentioned to you, your calendar, zoom, email, and your phone, those are all four things that not that long ago you thought were hard, that you were having to get somebody to teach you. You know, you're having to figure out how to do it. You were going to your grandkids or your kids, or to a friend or whoever it was. I don't know what your age is, but whoever it was, you were finding someone to help you with the technology. So consider that the next time that you approach technology and you're thinking, I am so aggravated and so frustrating, just remember that there was a time that you did not know how to use your phone, and now you cannot imagine a life without it.
All right. The second thing that is really killing your business is I hate social media. And you are really lying to yourself If you think you can build a business without it. Now, I tell people all the time, you can. You really can. If somebody tells me they don't wanna go live on, you know, reels or do video, okay, we can find another way to build your business, but you guys, it is free.
Why would you not decide to have a mindset shift around social media and say, I'm gonna love social media because it connects me to the world. As of right now, I just looked today, there was a report from April, 2023 and we're in June as I record this. 2.9 billion Facebook users, Instagram 1.68 billion Instagram users. The world is on social media. Why would you not be working to figure out how to use social media? Why would you not be there looking to build relationships to connect with people? I always say, and I believe this is true, if posting on social media was a paid expense that you had to pay for, we would all take it a little bit more seriously. But because it's free, it's like, eh, I don't need it. You know, you tell yourself a lot of stories about it. Some of you guys talk about having stalkers. And I wanna tell you, I hope to God you don't have a stalker, but what most of you guys are talking about is the same thing that all of us experience.
It is weird, people, particularly if you're female. It is all kinds of people from around the world that are connecting with you and saying how pretty you are or how beautiful you are. I don't know who those people are. It's probably spam and I don't care because they're doing it to everyone. It's not you exclusively that they're doing it too, so it might feel like it's intrusive. And it is, it's annoying. You just delete those posts. You just block those people. Alright? There's gonna be people that in the middle of a post about something significant, make some weird comment, delete the comment, or just ignore it. At this point, we all know that there's weirdos on the internet, and that's just part of it.
So when you see that, don't allow yourself to just believe that you're being stalked. Now, if you think you are, then get a hold of whoever you need to and find somebody to solve the problem for you. But I'm just gonna tell you, probably it's just spam. Social media is the gateway to so many people. All right, so I want you to open up your mind about that. I want you to figure out how to do it. I want you to get comfortable with it and start making that the place where you tell people about your business all the time regularly, and where you meet people, network and make connections to grow your coaching business.
All right. The third thing that people tell me is I don't wanna be on video like that is just like a Hard no. I hate being on video. And let me tell you what, the mindset of that is not helping your business either. Video content has exploded on every platform. We know, like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook. There's been so many over the years, I think we're just at the beginning of this. Video is where you need to be.
Now, how do you get comfortable with video? Uh, I'm not sure, but here's the statistic that you wanna know. 91% of Instagram users report that they watch videos every single week. Every single week people are watching videos, and I'm gonna guess if you're on Instagram, you are too. So how can we be part of the 91%? What do you have to be thinking and how can you get over yourself to decide that video is okay for you? And I am not talking about taking the time to make a plan for a very fancy reel. To me, in some cases, that is just buffering. You're really wasting time. All I want you to do for now until you master it, is just get on a reel. Get a stand for your phone, record yourself talking, and you don't have to hit post. You can rerecord the same thing 25 times. So even when you mess up, even when you stumble, you're never gonna get good at it until you practice it. And again, 91% of Instagram users are looking at videos.
I think that video is the way that people connect with you. I think it's the way that they decide if they like you. I think there's just almost like instant trust that is built when somebody is looking at you and seeing you. I know for me, people say so often when they get on video or on Zoom or they see me, they're like, Wow. You're just like, the person I've been looking at, like I watched the Canva workshop and you really are that person.
I'm like, yes, I am. But that's that know, like, and trust factor that's created. As coaches you guys have so, so much to talk about. There are so many things for you to share, whether it would be strategies for overcoming things, whether it be stories about client success, whether it would be personal stories of triumph, whether it would be terms, words, modalities for healing. I don't know. You fill in the blank. There are so many things for you to teach.
One of the ways that you can start to think about video to make it easier for yourself is to start thinking about how easy it is. If you are hung up on writing, like social media posts, the post that is perfectly, you know, crafted the message. If you're worried about the captions and if you're worried about the graphics, you know, being in Canva, by the way, hey, Canva is a piece of tech too. That's a piece of tech that you guys all love to use that is actually helping you in your business. It's helping you create that professional coach brand that I talk about it.
All right, back to the video for social media. So you can either go to Canva and create the graphic and also work on the caption. But you know what's easier than that? Just picking up your phone and starting to talk to it. You don't have to script anything. You don't have to practice anything. You just look at the camera and you start talking. You will get better. I know what you're worried about. You think everybody is looking at you, and I have to say, they really aren't paying as close of attention as you think. So while you think they're looking at your wrinkles or at this or at that, they're really not. They're listening to you.
Yes, there's always gonna be haters. And you know what I say about haters, you guys, is when you get to the point in your business that you have a hater and somebody is like, you know, you're full of BS, or You look awful, or you know, you don't know what you're talking about or you're crazy, I say, you've arrived. That's right. You have arrived when you have a hater.
I remember the first time I was running Facebook ads. And I had somebody put something on Facebook ad, this is back in 2017 about, I don't even know what it was. I can't remember. That's how insignificant it was. But I remember thinking at that moment, like, oh my gosh. I am important enough now that somebody took their time to write a nasty comment to me. How hilarious is that? You see, it didn't get me. I thought it was unbelievable that somebody would take their time to type out some hateful thing to me. So I want you to have that same lightness because it's going to happen. It is inevitable. While you run a business like this, and you're the face of the business, you're the marketer of the business, you're the delivery of the coaching. You're the whole thing. You're gonna have haters.
Alright, the fourth piece that I wanna talk about that is really killing your business mindset wise and your marketing is that you think you need another certification. Now let's talk about the facts to that and let's talk about the idea of certification, which is a delay of the pain of building your business. So it really is probably a lie. It really probably is. The fact is nobody needs certification. Do we want certifications? Absolutely. And I want you to have certifications too, but not at the expense of building your business.
It seems very useful when you start to build your business and now we start getting into the harder things in your business, like you're working on your website or having to talk to people, or you've been marketing and nobody is becoming a client. I know where you go in your thinking is like, I need a certification.
Maybe if I got certified or maybe if I got this advanced certification, I'll have business. That's just not true. Doesn't matter how advanced certification you have or how many certifications, you are still the mouthpiece for your business, so you still have to talk to people. You still have to tell people what you do. You still have to explain your coaching services, social media, email, marketing. Oh, website. Oh my goodness. All of those things.
I wanna tell you that I never had a certification. I've been a business consultant since 2000. In all of those years, only one time, one time did anyone ask me, and that was a couple years ago. She didn't ask me what my certification was. She just said, what courses and programs have you taught and what software do you teach in your coaching? That is literally the first time in almost 25 years that anyone ever asked me that. Nobody, since the time I've become certified at the Life Coach school has ever said to me, where are you certified as a life coach?
So, Stop lying to yourself about needing another certification. You have everything you need. You know how to talk to people. I say it all the time. People want to be heard. They want to be listened to, and I know that if you are in my space, you are coaching and you can help people solve things. So get your business built, earn the money, and then go get the certification later once you have your business built. Don't let that stand in the way of you doing the marketing that you need to do.
In general, what I am telling you, you guys, is it doesn't matter how old you are, whether you grew up with technology or not, we all. All have the same roadblocks. Yes. Younger people are maybe more willing to just jump on and do things. They're more willing to video themselves in casual settings. They're not trying to look perfect. They're not worried about whether they have their lipstick on, they're just doing it. Yes, they are. What I want you to consider is, is that your age equals wisdom.
So your wisdom actually trumps a younger person who is really good at social media or with technology because you have wisdom and however many years more experienced life experience that you bring to your coaching, and that is so powerful. So it's you talking to people, it's you making videos. Make them super simple. Like I said, just grab a phone stand, start practicing.
I wanna mention that I started practicing Zoom videos to myself. When I started my online business in 2016 actually, I started videos for myself. I recorded myself doing things, and if you can believe it, I was actually so nervous. I was, you know, having a hard time breathing. I would watch myself so stiff and so nervous and so awkward. I practiced over and over and over and over. Nobody was watching me. Nobody was even in my Zoom. I was zooming to myself. I also set up a Facebook group that nobody was invited to so that I could practice going live on Facebook. I also have An Instagram page that nobody knows about. It's private and it's my place to go practice Instagram. So I can go over there and I can make a mistake. And lemme just tell you, even on social media, you guys, if something accidentally gets posted, all you do is hit delete. Okay.
So I want you to decide to embrace technology. I want you to decide that it benefits your business, that it's the way you're gonna reach the world. I want you to decide that social media is for you and that you're capable of doing it. I want you to decide that video is something that you're willing to work on. The only way that you'll ever get better is if you try it and then you work to improve.
All right, you guys. Video, social media, and technology, and then skip the certifications for now. You got this. I know you do. I know you wanna build your coaching business. Marketing is the only avenue to clients, so clean up your mindset and work on some thoughts that will support, that will fuel you to market your business so that you can do the coaching that you know you are meant to do.
All right, I'll see you guys next week in part two as we talk about mindset and marketing.Y'all have an amazing week. Bye-bye.
Outro: Okay, ladies, that is it for today. Before we go, I want to invite you to head over to debbieshadid.com. I have this incredible Canva training, specifically designed for life coaches where I'm gonna teach you how to use Canva to create beautiful graphics to market your life coaching. All right. Have an amazing week. I'll talk to you very soon. Bye bye.