Re: How to start my Life Coaching business

Beatriz R · ‎10-18-2021

Hello Community,

My name is Beatriz, I am Spanish and live in Barcelona. I am starting my Life Coaching business and have my first Project Catalog sent for approval here in Upwork. Client support told me that November and December are SLOW months in Project Catalog in the sense that there are like 2-3 sales ONLY if you are starting.

I have 2 questions to find a plan B, please:

1 What do you do these slow months in your business to sell more? Where else do you look for clients when you do not have a web page yet? When you are starting.

2 I am doing the business plan: how do you match the financial part with the reality that you have not lived yet? I mean do you give your business plan to a mentor that knows the road? Any other options?

Looking forward to your responses,

Martina P · ‎10-18-2021

Beatriz R wrote:
Hello Community,
My name is Beatriz, I am Spanish and live in Barcelona. I am starting my Life Coaching business and have my first Project Catalog sent for approval here in Upwork. Client support told me that November and December are SLOW months in Project Catalog in the sense that there are like 2-3 sales ONLY if you are starting.
I have 2 questions to find a plan B, please:
1 What do you do these slow months in your business to sell more? Where else do you look for clients when you do not have a web page yet? When you are starting.
2 I am doing the business plan: how do you match the financial part with the reality that you have not lived yet? I mean do you give your business plan to a mentor that knows the road? Any other options?
Looking forward to your responses,

Support told you that? Weird.

To your other questions, aren't these the exact problems you are saying you will solve for your clients? It should be easy enough to do it for your own business.

For now, maybe polish your overview a little. Take out the matching criteria such as dressing style, that could be pretty off-putting. Also please don't tell anybody to contact support if you don't answer within 24 hours. Why would support get involved, what are they supposed to do and why don't you simply answer within 24 hours?

Finally, your rate is ambitious, but hey, if you find clients willing to pay it, why not, but you need a good portfolio to back up your claim that you can deliver all of that. A money-back-guarantee is not the way to go, it looks as if you don't trust your abilities.

Beatriz R · ‎10-21-2021

Thank you for your curiosity and for answering, Martina. 🙂

What I am looking for is another ways to find clients.

But let me clarify:

-WHAT I DO: What I do is match the Coach channels of communications and learning styles with the client ones. For instance Visual -Auditory Coach (me) with Visual- Auditory Client ensures good communication from the beginning and feeling at home from minute one. Plus they have an issue I have solved: Spiritual Awakening process and finding my Life Purpose.

NOW with that you are able to FINE TUNE YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE and increase sales because you have a real match… versus having 80% Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic clients that are not a good match and make you lose energy after each Coaching session. Problem nº1 that Coaches, Psychologist and Therapists have. This is my research on the 8 mistakes a Coach makes for 10 years. I have made them all.

-DRESSING-STYLE: is precisely a trait for the client to feel or not identify with Who I am. Visual people are focused PRIMARILY on the way they look. Auditory and Kinesthetic not unless they are like Hollywood stars that have personal shoppers and people to take care of their image.

-CLIENT SUPPORT: in 3 occasions in around 5 months, the time I have been in Upwork, I contacted several freelancers for different jobs. The freelancer did not answer for maybe 7 to 10 days until I called Upwork support to find out what had happened. They notified the freelancer and he wrote immediately saying: - I am sorry I did not receive the message- That is why.

-RATE: thank you for the feedback, that is useful. Just to clarify, the money back guarantee is about my ethics of work not my abilities. That is why the fee is high, I trust what I know after 20 years.

Have a nice day!

Martina P · ‎10-21-2021

Beatriz R wrote:

Thank you for your curiosity and for answering, Martina. 🙂
What I am looking for is another ways to find clients.
But let me clarify:

-WHAT I DO: What I do is match the Coach channels of communications and learning styles with the client ones. For instance Visual -Auditory Coach (me) with Visual- Auditory Client ensures good communication from the beginning and feeling at home from minute one. Plus they have an issue I have solved: Spiritual Awakening process and finding my Life Purpose.
NOW with that you are able to FINE TUNE YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE and increase sales because you have a real match… versus having 80% Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic clients that are not a good match and make you lose energy after each Coaching session. Problem nº1 that Coaches, Psychologist and Therapists have. This is my research on the 8 mistakes a Coach makes for 10 years. I have made them all.
-DRESSING-STYLE: is precisely a trait for the client to feel or not identify with Who I am. Visual people are focused PRIMARILY on the way they look. Auditory and Kinesthetic not unless they are like Hollywood stars that have personal shoppers and people to take care of their image.
-CLIENT SUPPORT: in 3 occasions in around 5 months, the time I have been in Upwork, I contacted several freelancers for different jobs. The freelancer did not answer for maybe 7 to 10 days until I called Upwork support to find out what had happened. They notified the freelancer and he wrote immediately saying: - I am sorry I did not receive the message- That is why.
-RATE: thank you for the feedback, that is useful. Just to clarify, the money back guarantee is about my ethics of work not my abilities. That is why the fee is high, I trust what I know after 20 years.

Have a nice day!

A money-back guarantee cheapens your profile. Now the concept of failure has entered the potential client's mind. That is something you want to avoid at all costs. Just basic human psychology.

Preston H · ‎10-21-2021

There are things that are fine to do OFF of Upwork which are not okay to do ON Upwork.

Liz S · ‎10-21-2021

Hasn't the concept of people having fixed 'learning styles' been pretty thoroughly debunked?

Martina P · ‎10-21-2021

Liz S wrote:
Hasn't the concept of people having fixed 'learning styles' been pretty thoroughly debunked?

Don't know... but visual/auditory covers maybe 95% of the population, so it's casting a wide net...

Beatriz R · ‎10-21-2021

Thank you to all of you.

Maria T · ‎10-21-2021

Beatriz R wrote:
Hello Community,
My name is Beatriz, I am Spanish and live in Barcelona. I am starting my Life Coaching business and have my first Project Catalog sent for approval here in Upwork. Client support told me that November and December are SLOW months in Project Catalog in the sense that there are like 2-3 sales ONLY if you are starting.
I have 2 questions to find a plan B, please:
1 What do you do these slow months in your business to sell more? Where else do you look for clients when you do not have a web page yet? When you are starting.
2 I am doing the business plan: how do you match the financial part with the reality that you have not lived yet? I mean do you give your business plan to a mentor that knows the road? Any other options?
Looking forward to your responses,

In addition to those that Martina has told you, the wall of text you have is quite tiring to read.
And all those stars and brands make it a little "childish."
I do not know. Maybe you should be lighter in your presentation text.
One option, if you want to show all this, maybe it would be to write it separately and attach it to your proposals?

Beatriz R · ‎10-22-2021

Thank you for your feeb-back.