Become A Certified Coach

Why Would a Therapist Want to Become a Life Coach?

Barbra — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:12:56 +0000

Melissa Quiter, MA

Guest article by Melissa Quiter, MA

Why would a therapist want to be a life coach, and vice versa? Here’s my personal story.

I started out as a coach and then decided to become a psychotherapist. I remember often wondering why so many coaches were ex-counselors? I learned quickly it is because the counseling world is FULL to the brim of regulations and red tape. There are so many levels of tape to ensure that counselors are up to par that they end up losing many counselors. When coaching started to become more widely known and accepted, I believe that many counselors found a way out of the tape!

What I discovered is that psychotherapy is like marketing. Under the umbrella of marketing are advertising, PR, sales, etc. Under the psychotherapy umbrella there is coaching, mentoring, teaching, etc.

What I learned in coaching, and specifically the program I went through with Marion Franklin, is that coaching is very closely aligned with one theory that I learned in my counseling program called Solution Focused Therapy (SFT). The premise of SFT is to focus on goals and make plans for their achievement. There is a psychological bent if you are working on that type of goal, but there doesn’t really have to be, which is why I believe it is what coaching uses (not to imply that there are not many methods for coaching as well).

When I was a coach, there were many coaches offering services that I now realize are truly counseling. I know there is a fuzzy line and we all may have different definitions of what is appropriate to work on with a coach and what isn’t.

I know that as a coach it seemed almost impossible for me not to go deeper into the psyche, which is why counseling was so much more appealing. Of course, I know that I am more energized by the deeper layers while simultaneously being able to offer ongoing goal acquisition.

All of that said, I believe my coaching ability mixed with my psychotherapy training is why I have had a full schedule since almost my first month of practice. I called my practice Melissa Counseling & Coaching. I wanted to take advantage of both of my skill sets and offer layered assistance.

When I was in school, I was often criticized by professors for my “coaching” approach. I used it when I felt it was appropriate (based on my exposure to both skill sets). I often heard that I was being too “coachy.” (I don’t really think these professors even know what coaching is fully!)

What was very validating for me was that the clients I was working with or practicing with always reported that my approach was helpful, direct, and much more to their liking than past experiences with counselors. I have had the same comments in my own practice. I believe that is what sets me apart from other counselors. My ability to coach and counsel and to know when it is appropriate to use which skill set. (If you can offer that distinction, Marion, you will be doing a great service to your counselor students!)

I believe this is a good trend for counseling as it widens the breadth of services that we offer. I do wonder, though, if it doesn’t make coaching businesses that don’t/cannot offer the deeper work limited (not including business-focused coaching as I believe this has a huge leg-up on any psychotherapy offerings)? I would be interested to know how this trend will help the coaching world?

About the author: Melissa Counseling & Coaching offers services in the Austin/Round Rock area of Central Texas. Individuals and couples seeking new perspectives, skills and strategies for engaging life’s adventures are invited to call. For detailed information, contact Melissa Landi-Quiter, MA, LPC, NLP at 512-381-0833 or via email: Melissa@MelissaQuiter.com

Appreciative Inquiry Questions

Barbra — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 05:04:33 +0000

what has worked in the past?
what have others told you are your strengths?
what’s your unique superpower that you can bring to this situation?
what are other situations like this that have gone well?
what’s an example of a recent success?
what’s a small win you could have in the next few days?
what’s your vision of what’s possible if this succeeds?
who do you know who’s really successful at this who could help?
who could you influence?

How to Coach a Client on Personal Vision

Barbra — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 21:11:30 +0000

I was typing out some notes today for a mentee preparing for the IAC certification exam, and when I finished I realized that others might find this useful as well. It’s by no means “the right” way to coach a client on personal vision, it’s simply the framework I use.

The idea is to have the client describe where they are at now, and where they would like to be. Then identify the gaps and make a plan.

1. Start by asking them where they are now. Draw out their strengths and achievements, as most clients tend to overlook what they’ve already achieved.

2. Ask them to close their eyes and describe what they are ideally doing in five years. Prompt them to describe details about what they are doing, with whom, what the environment looks like, how they feel, etc. If time allows, it’s nice to do a short guided visualization

3. Debrief with them about the vision. Depending on what they have visualized, you may need to do a reality check or more likely, help them think bigger:

what would be the ultimate thrill?
where are you stopping short of all you could be?
what is a big enough game?
why bother? what makes it worth it?
what have you wanted to do but haven’t?

4. This is the point where you will hear the client’s energy shift, if they are working on their true vision. If the energy seems either hesitant or over-the-top excited, the visioning needs more work.

5. Now you want to tie the vision into their values. If you’ve already worked on values together, you can remind them of their values and ask how this vision aligns with their values. (note: this is Mastery #9, Supportive Environments because aligning vision with values makes the vision intrinsically sustainable). At this point I like to ask some version of:

how does this tie in with your top three values?
who will you be when you do this?
what impact will you have?
how could you make this align with your values even more?

6. Summarize, and move on to identifying the gaps between where they are now and where they want to be.

7. Help client identify what they will need to move forward on vision. Help them see strengths and resources they already have.

what resources do you already have?
what successes have you had in the past with ________?
what do you need to do or get?
who could help you?

8. This is usually where I stop with a session on vision. There’s a lot for the client to process, and moving immediately on to action plan robs them of the time needed to sit with the learning from the visioning process.

I hope this has been helpful. What framework do you use? Would you be willing to share it with us?

8 Questions Potential Coaching Clients Ask (And What to Say in Response)

Barbra — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 20:29:17 +0000

One of the things that prevents coaches from actively marketing their coaching services is simply not knowing what to say. The solution is to anticipate and prepare responses to the most common questions a potential client might ask. This is just the same as preparing for a job interview – you give some thought to the typical questions and practice what you are going to say. Of course, you can’t anticipate all the questions and you certainly don’t want to come across like a robot, but it does help to be prepared.

Here are the most common questions I get asked about my coaching services, along with some suggestions on how to answer.

1. What do you do?

The key here is to keep it short and give concrete examples of what you help people with. Make your examples very specific and tailored to what regular people can relate to. Avoid coaching-type language such as “personal development, authentic life, and transformative experience” which leaves most potential clients totally confused.

“I’m a ______ Coach. I help people with things like ______, ______, and ______. :

2. How does that work?

Don’t go into a long explanation of the coaching process. A couple of short sentences will suffice.

“I meet with my clients once a week. We develop goals and a plan to meet those goals. And then I help them stay on track.”

3. What’s your background?

Again, keep it short and sweet. People don’t want your entire career history. They ask this question for one of two reasons: 1) they’re curious about coaching and wonder what it takes to become a coach, or 2) they’re intrigued by the idea of coaching with you and want to know a bit more about you.

“I’m an experienced coach, and I specialize in ______. I’ve been doing this type of work for ___ years.”

If you are a new coach, you can still answer this question with confidence.

4. Can you help with _________?

Answer honestly. If it’s clearly outside your area of expertise, say: “I don’t help people with _______, but if you’re interested I can probably recommend someone who does.”

If you’re not sure, or you think the presenting issue is not the real issue, say something like: “Tell me more about what’s going on with _______ for you.”

If you know you can help, say: “Sure, that’s exactly the type of thing I help with. Tell me more about what you want to achieve.”

5. What’s your process?

This question is similar to #2 “How does it work?” but needs a more detailed answer. The person is expressing some real interest in coaching with you, as opposed to just curiousity about coaching in general.

It’s very important to have a process. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but you do need to be able to describe a method or roadmap that you follow.

“Well, I have a ___ step process. It starts with an assessment to find out exactly where you’re at. Next there is the _______stage, where we ______. This is followed with ______, then ________ and finally _________. By the end of the process, you will have achieved _______.”

6. What theory underlies your approach?

In the ten years that I’ve been coaching, I’ve only been asked this question once. My mind went blank and I was completely tongue-tied. You may never be asked this question, but just in case it comes up I want you to be able to avoid the embarassment that I went through!

“The main theory I draw from is _________. Have you heard of that? No? Well, it’s a solid approach for _______. The main idea behind it is _________.”

7. How much does it cost?

“When I do groups, it costs $___ for a 6 week group. When I coach people individually my fee is $___ per month.”

8. If I was to sign up, what happens next?

“I have a group starting on _______ and we meet at 12.30pm for an hour each week for six weeks in _______ (name of city). Would you like to register now?”

“For individual coaching, we can get started this week if you like. We’d set a time to talk on the phone, and I’ll ask you about what you want to achieve. Then I’ll explain the program to you, and we can make a plan for exactly how to achieve your goals. Would you like to set up an appointment now?”

Notice that I asked for the business: “Would you like to _____ now?” This is very important!

Practice, practice, practice

You need to know exactly what you are offering and be able to speak confidently about it.

Prepare answers to these questions and practice answering them until you feel confident with your replies.

Ask several different friends or family members to ask you the questions (mix up the order and wording of the questions to make it more realistic) and practice, practice, practice! Be careful not to rush through your answer.

Answer with a smile

Keep in mind that when people ask you these type of questions, they aren’t trying to test your knowledge or trip you up. They are simply curious. They want to learn more so they can decide whether hiring you would be of benefit to them. So keep your answers short and simple, and reply with a smile.

Share your answers with us!

I hope you enjoyed reading the article and using the templates to create your
own answers. If you’ve got questions or would like some feedback on your answers, just post your answers in the comments section below.

WAIT – Best Coaching Tip Ever

Barbra — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:16:10 +0000

One of the best coaching tips I ever received was this: Make a big sign that says “WAIT” and post it in your office where you can see it while coaching clients. WAIT is an acronym for “Why Am I Talking?” I don’t think I need to elaborate : )

The IAC Cannot Afford to Lose IAC-CCs

Barbra — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 18:04:11 +0000

Yesterday I asked the question “are the IAC learning agreements a good idea or not?” There have been lots of comments on this question, both in support of the learning agreements (LAs) and against them.

In her thoughtful comment, Jude asked “what about part-time coaches?”

I have also been wondering about those IAC-CC coaches who worked hard to get their certification, but for whatever reason are not currently working as a coach. Will they find it worth the time and money to go through the LA process? Is it fair that they lose their IAC-CC if they don’t?

On the surface, it doesn’t seem fair. However, there are lots of professional organizations that have a similar requirement. For instance, when I was a human resource management consultant, I worked hard to gain my CHRP (Canadian Human Resources Professional) designation.

Later, as I transitioned to coaching I was ambivalent about whether or not to maintain my CHRP (like the IAC-CC it required annual investment of time and money in terms of fees and professional development activities). Eventually I let it go because I really was not getting any tangible benefit from it in my new career.

Although it was a hard decision to let my CHRP go, I’ve never regretted it. I wasn’t involved in the HR world any longer, and in a way it actually simplified my life and helped me focus on my coaching career.

I wonder how many part-time or not-currently-coaching IAC-CCs will end up making the same decision? I think that would be a shame not only for the individuals, but also for the IAC. The IAC is still a young organization and cannot afford to lose IAC-CCS.

Beginner’s Guide to Become a Life Coach

Are the IAC Learning Agreements a Good Idea?

Barbra — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:15:50 +0000

What do you think of the new requirement for IAC Learning Agreements?
In case you’re not familiar with the requirement, the IAC (International Association of Coaching) now requires its IAC-CC certified coaches to submit an annual continuing education proposal, which is subject to a fee-based review. The fee for the initial submission of the Learning Agreement is $150.00, and a fee of $150.00 will apply every five years thereafter, when subsequent reviews are conducted.

For additional info about the specifics, please see details on the IAC website.

Is this a good idea or not?

Do you support the concept? What impact do you think it will have on the IAC, and on member coaches? If you are an IAC-CC have you done your learning agreement?

I’ve heard unofficial feedback both pro and con. Here’s an example of a “con” opinion that I received via email:

I deeply resent the implication that my ‘plans and learning’ have to be approved by certifiers who have the same certification as me, and in the future, by colleagues who won’t even need to be certifiers. I’m either a colleague – a peer – or I’m not.

On the other hand, some have pointed out that many, if not most, professional organizations require their members to complete annual continuing education activities. And since the IAC is a volunteer organization, the fee is necessary in order to at least partially compensate the people doing the reviews.

What do you think? Good idea or not?

Why I Quit Facebook (And What It Did to My Income)

Barbra — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 22:28:00 +0000

I quit Facebook two months ago.

Since then, my business revenue has increased significantly. Coincidence? I don’t think so.

I know you’re wondering: But don’t you miss out on important information?

Frankly, there are lots of other ways for people to contact me if they really want to tell or ask me something. Most of what gets shared on Facebook is fun (in the case of personal friends) or promotional (in the case of business associates). It’s not that there’s anything wrong with the information, it’s just that there’s so darn much of it!

My mind was just getting TOO FULL.

And a full mind can’t think creatively about business.

What quitting Facebook did for me

By shutting off the fire hose of unnecessary information that Facebook had become for me, my mind became free to work on the important stuff.

The other thing that quitting Facebook did for me is remove an entire level of “keeping up with changes”. Let me explain: according to online marketing experts, it’s now important to have your business on Facebook. Oh yeah, and on Twitter. And LinkedIn. And GooglePlaces. And YellowPagesOnline. And. And. And.

The problem with having your business active on all these social networking sites is that not only does it take time to set up your page or listing, but you need to maintain it with current and useful content. You need to get people to “like” it, or leave a review, or comment. Then you have to respond to said comment or review. AND THEN the platform changes its rules or operation, and you need to redo all that stuff. It’s a full-time job just keeping up with it all!

So I decided I simply wouldn’t.

Did I give up?

No, what I did was set priorities. I realized that I can’t do it all. By quitting Facebook I will miss out on some business opportunities, but I will free up room in my head to do focus on my priorities:

1) give great service to my existing clients
2) complete unfinished products (so that I can start selling them)
3) meditate and exercise daily (to increase productivity and creativity)

So how’s it working?

In one of my business ventures (my fill-in-the-blank bio templates), my revenue has increased more than 50% in the past two months.

What happened was this: because my mind was less cluttered, I started thinking creatively about how to sell more bio templates. I decided to try lowering the price. As soon as I did that, my sales doubled. The net result is that my monthly income increased by about 50%.

This would not have happened if I hadn’t uncluttered my mind. Even if I had the bright idea to try a lower price, I wouldn’t have had time to implement it because I’d have been too busy trying to keep up with my social networking sites.

I don’t hate Facebook

Let me be clear about one thing: I don’t hate Facebook. In fact, I think it’s a great service and someday I may reactivate my account. Facebook wasn’t the problem: it’s what using Facebook (and other sites like it) was doing to my mind. MAKING IT TOO FULL.

Yes, I will miss out on some business opportunities by not taking advantage of Facebook business pages and all the other “must do” social networking things.

But my 50% increase in revenue has convinced me that my business runs better when I stay simple and focused. That’s the only way that I can have the calm, clear, creative mind that I need to prosper in my business.

What about you? Does quitting _______ (fill in the blank with your favorite or most time-consuming social networking site) appeal to you? Why or why not?

My 2011 Goal

Barbra — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 21:36:31 +0000

Shelving “ReadyToGo Coaching Business” Program

Barbra — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:47:11 +0000

As Kenny Rogers sang, “you gotta know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em”. It’s clear that with regards to the “ReadyToGo Coaching Business” program, it’s time to fold ‘em.

Last week I wrote this post asking for feedback on my proposed program to give coaches a brand new website along with the business marketing support they need to succeed.

I asked for feedback because I found myself dragging my feet on doing the final few details needed to get the program out there. That’s not like me. Quite the contrary: when I’m excited about a new venture I work like a happy maniac getting it done.

My intuition was telling me that maybe there really isn’t a need or demand for this program.

Hmmm…what to do? That’s simple: Ask my customers.

There’s nothing more valuable than feedback

I sent out the program outline and asked people to let me know if it is something they would sign up for now. I decided ahead of time that 10 enthusiastic “yes” responses plus a minimum of 20 “maybe” were necessary to go forward.

I got lots of feedback but not nearly enough “yes” and “maybe” responses. Many people said things like (italics added):

Very cool! Although it’s not for me since I already have my website in place, I am sure there will be a lot of interest in this! Nice to see it in one place. I have taken many separate workshops over the years to glean this wisdom.

In fact, I was pleased to discover how many coaches on my mailing list have their website and other marketing pieces completed (see some nice examples here and here).

The bottom line

It’s time to fold ‘em. There is not enough demand for the ReadyToGo Coaching Business program. My thanks to Kenny Rogers and all the folks who provided feedback, as it saved me a lot of work!

Will Coaching Go the Way of Windsurfing?

Barbra — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 23:18:12 +0000

This morning I was talking with another experienced coach trainer about the state of the coaching industry. She commented that after 10 years providing coach training, she’s concluded that 90 – 99% of people who want to be coaches aren’t really serious, and that’s the real reason they are struggling.

I’m afraid I have to agree. It’s astounding to me how many people expect to enter a highly paid profession without investing in appropriate training and business development.

“I want to be a coach but…”

Several times a week I get an email that is a variation on this:

I want to be a coach but I don’t have any money. What should I do?

On my grumpy days I’m tempted to reply:

So you want to enter a profession that pays on average $100 an hour. That’s two or three times what a school teacher or nurse earns. And yet you think you can do this without investing in training?

But I don’t do that, of course. The questions are posed sincerely, so I answer sincerely. I usually refer the questioner to my Beginner’s Guide to Become a Life Coach, Julia Stewart’s guest post on Top 10 Reasons to Become a Certified Coach, and suggest some free resources such as the SCM free coach training.

Reap what you sow

And you know what? You can’t really blame people who want the short-cut to a coaching practice. The coaching industry itself has perpetuated the “teach from the beach” and “everyone’s a coach” message right from the start. It’s a shame, because it shortchanges both coaches and clients: coaches because it sets up unrealistic expectations; and clients because they get mediocre coaching and then conclude “coaching doesn’t work”.

So where is the coaching profession heading?

Here’s an analogy that comes to mind for me. My husband is a serious windsurfer. About 20 years ago everyone was getting into windsurfing, only to find out that it’s actually a really technical sport that requires a great deal of dedication to get good at. The majority of people dropped out and now there are much fewer people doing it, but the ones who remain are really serious about investing the time and money into doing it well.

I wonder if the same thing will happen with coaching. It will be interesting to see.

7 Modules: Proposed Ready-to-go Coaching Business Program

Barbra — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 03:44:55 +0000

I’m very excited about the potential for a dynamite program that will not only give coaches a brand new website, but also the business marketing support that will help them succeed.

I’m collaborating with an excellent marketing coach, and I’ve got the program outlined.

I only have one problem: I don’t have a clear idea about whether or not people really want this program.

I’ve had a lot of people writing and asking – “when is it going to be ready?”

But I know from past experience that there’s a difference between people expressing interest in something and actually signing up for it.

And I’m at the stage of my life and career where I really don’t want to do the work of creating something that doesn’t sell :)

So, could you help me out? Just reply to this email with a “YES” if you know you would purchase this program. I’ve got the outline (subject to change) and price details all written out below.

READY-TO-GO COACHING BUSINESS

All training is by video and PDF, except for the marketing parts which would be by teleconference.

Module 1: Introduction

Orientation
Marketing a coaching business (includes one year of marketing support throughout the program.)

Module 2: Professional Identify

Professional quality photo
business phone and address
your title (what will you call yourself?)
biz cards
logo and header design (optional)

Module 3: Website and Autoresponder

decide on URL
purchase hosting
fill out templates for website content
send completed templates to Barbra’s VA
review completed website and autoresponder with VA

Module 4: WordPress Website Training

accessing your site
dashboard
change header
add new pages
edit content
add images

Module 5: WordPress Blogging Training

how to use your blog
templates for writing blog posts
where to get ideas
how to get search engines to notice you

Module 6: Autoresponder Training

As part of your website set-up, you will be provided with an
autoresponder account and free report that you can give away on your website to start building a mailing list. This module will teach you how to manage your mailing list and send out broadcasts.

Module 7: Coaching Program

You will receive a facilitator’s manual and training on how to deliver a six-week coaching program in the Life, Business or Career coaching
areas.

In summary, you get a professional coaching website, blog, autoresponder, free report, website content, professional bio, and coaching program provided. You also get training on how to use all your new tools, and support from a marketing coach.

Additional costs on top of program cost:
$100 for web hosting
$20 biz cards

Program cost:

INTRODUCTORY PRICE OF $997 (or 4 payments of $297)
Eventual price will be $1897

Is this for you? If so, please comment below and say “yes, I’m in for
sure” or “maybe”.

Thanks for your help!

Pilot Program Assessment: “Readymade” Not Possible, But “Ready To Go” Certainly Is

Barbra — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 12:41:04 +0000

Our three month pilot program wound up at the end of October. After reading the feedback from the seven participants and analysing the pre- and post-program survey data, here are my conclusions.

“Readymade” is not possible, but “Ready To Go” certainly is

I had my VA do all the technical work of getting the websites and autoresponders (the free report that website visitors can subscribe to) set up. This worked out very well.

I also provided a free report for the coaches to give away on their website (this helps them start building an email list). And I provided a facilitators manual for a six week coaching program that they could use as a service offering.

The template system works

Providing the business infrastructure parts of business cards, website, autoresponder, blog, and a coaching program to deliver greatly increases coach confidence and puts them ahead months if not years in their business development. Doing this in a templated format (allowing each coach to customize their materials if they wish) creates ease and reduces cost.

See some examples of the websites here:

Edna’s website (Edna use the template wording provided, and wrote some blog posts)

Kelly’s website (Kelly changed some of her wording and added more pages)

Support is critical

People are always going to have questions. A lot of those questions can be answered in print or by training videos, but it’s also necessary to have a way for folks to get help on something they are stuck on.

Each coach is unique

Starting a coaching business requires each coach to assess her own skills, background, motivation, time available, strengths, and preferences and determine how to make that into a business. No small feat, and clearly not something that happens quickly or easily.

Three months is not long enough

Three months is not long enough to get coaches to the point where they are earning money from their coaching business.

All the pilot program coaches recommended that the program be longer, and I agree. Although in the past I have said that I don’t want to provide a longer program, I now realize that I may need to relent on that point. I have been thinking about all sorts of different configurations, ranging from 6 months to 12 month program, from complete self-study (lowest cost) to comprehensive small group mentoring (highest cost).

But the bottom line

When I really search my heart, the question I am left with is “why?” Even if I decided to offer a longer, more comprehensive program, why duplicate what’s already offered by many other excellent providers?

Build on the successful parts

The most successful part of the pilot program was the provision of the website, blog, autoresponder, website content, professional bio, and coaching program. I’m happy that that part worked out so well, and am giving some thought into how the provision of those pieces might be provided to more coaches. If I do provide those pieces, I also want to be able to provide or at least refer coaches to an expert who can help them with the business marketing side.

And the exciting news is…

I’m talking with a fantastic business coach about a collaboration: I’ll provide the technical parts, and she’ll provide the business training and support. I’m very excited about the potential for a dynamite program that will not only give coaches a brand new website, but also the business marketing support that will help them get to their destination with a flourish! Stay tuned for more details in the New Year.

Pilot Program Concludes

Barbra — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 01:08:43 +0000

We had our last meeting of the Habit Change Coaching pilot program group this week. My next step is to do an evaluation to determine what worked, what didn’t, and whether or not I will offer the program on an on-going basis.

But first I’m taking a holiday! I’ll be back in touch at the end of November.

Networking Tip: Volunteer for a Cause

Barbra — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 02:54:01 +0000

Here’s a great networking tip shared by pilot program coach Edna.

Hi Barbra and fellow coaches,

As I was tentatively handing out my hot off the press Coach Edna business cards, I received an invitation to help out with this Vancouver benefit.

Once I’d agreed to help, I was invited to submit a short bio, which I quickly wrote up.

Now I’m featured on the volunteers page as a Life Coach and money magnet. Take a look!

http://www.aid4indiapakistan.ca/volunteers.htm

There was some controversy about whether I should include the sentence about my husband and two dogs at the end. What do you think?

Talk about networking success, not to mention backlinks to her website! I’m thrilled for Edna.

I like the hubby and dog mention, particularly because Edna’s dogs are in the photo with her. I’ve added this as #12 on our list of promotion ideas – volunteer for a cause, and get your bio and website listed on their website.

Checklist for Website Information

Barbra — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 06:36:15 +0000

Whether setting up your website yourself, or getting someone else to do it for you, it’s a good idea to have a master checklist where you summarize all the necessary information. Below is a checklist for you to use (it’s based on the one each pilot program coach filled out so that my VA could set up their web site and blog).

A. MAIN INFORMATION

1.Your name:

2.Your email address:

3.Your website domain:

B. HOSTING INFORMATION

1. Name of hosting company:

2. Hosting company username:

3. Hosting company password:

4. If your domain is not registered at your hosting company (e.g domain from GoDaddy and hosting from Bluehost), then specify domain compnay, username and password.

5. What email address would you like to set up to go along with your domain name (e.g. name@yourwebsite.com)?

6. What email address do you want name@yourwebsite.com redirected to (optional)?

C. WEBSITE INFORMATION

1. What name do you want at the top of your website (check one)?

___ domain name

___ your business name(please specify)

___ your first and last name

___ other (please specify):

2. Do you want a tagline at the top of your website? If so, please specify.

3. Do you have a logo or other graphic image you would like used on your site? If so, please attach file.

4. What static pages do you want in your navigation menu? Check all that apply (we recommend a maximum of six for best results) and attach a separate document indicating the wording you want on each page.

___HOME

___ABOUT

___SERVICES

___RESOURCES

___FAQ

___SHOP

___WORKSHOPS

___BLOG

___CONTACT

___other (please specify)

5. What images do you want to use? Please describe the image and indicate on which page you would like it placed. A good source for free images is Microsoft ClipArt. Another good place to purchase photos inexpensively is istockphoto.com

Top 4 Spots in Google: More Excitement for Jacqui

Barbra — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 10:57:03 +0000

Take a look at this screenshot, which shows today’s Google results for the search term “habit change coach uk”:

How did Jacqui achieve this?

I think three things are contributing to Jacqui’s amazing Google rankings:

1) she has the search term “habit change coach” in her url
2) there are fewer coach websites in the UK than in the USA, so competition for search terms is lower
3) she has been blogging regularly, which keeps her website fresh. Google likes that.

Note that the website “Life Coaching with CBT” that used to come in in first place is now #7. Jacqui has displaced that site.

Blogging: The Courage to Show Up As Yourself

Barbra — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 21:22:18 +0000

Time and again I hear people say that what they enjoy reading the most on blogs is the personal stuff. Not personal as in “too much information that I’d rather not know about you” but personal as in “who are you really, and what do you really think?”

I was reminded of that today when scanning pilot program coach Cheryl’s blog. My eye scanned over the standard habit change articles (not that there’s anything wrong with them, just not news to me) and landed emphatically on a post titled Christians Are Not Weird. That one really caught my eye!

It takes courage to step out and be yourself. Way to go Cheryl :)

Great news from Jacqui: “I got my first paying client!”

Barbra — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 19:58:24 +0000

Just received this exciting email from pilot program coach Jacqui:

Hi Everyone,

Just have to share my exciting news – I have my first paying client – one to one sessions starting tomorrow!

Dare I say that this lady saw my poster, recognised my name from 20 years ago and has just phoned me.

Very exciting!

I’m so pleased for Jacqui, as she has been working very hard. Especially nice that the client came from the simple, inexpensive, low-tech technique of putting up posters.

ReadyMade Or ReadyToGo Coaching Business?

Barbra — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 11:49:49 +0000

Taking a fresh look

The thing that’s starting to dawn on me is that maybe it’s not possible to provide a readymade coaching business. I can provide a readymade coaching website, autoresponder, marketing materials, handouts and teaching materials. But those elements don’t make a business. It takes time and ongoing effort to develop a business, and it can only be done by the business owner.

That’s not to say that my concept of readymade coaching business is completely flawed. I don’t have to “throw the baby out with the bathwater”. There are parts of the pilot program that have been wildly successful. One participant commented that just getting the website done was worth the cost of the course.

I’m now thinking that a better name would be “Ready To Go Coaching Business”. Instead of implying that the coaching business is already made/completed, the new name conveys that the building blocks of the business (website, autoresponder, business cards, marketing plan, handouts and teaching materials) are in place and ready for the coach to “go forward” with building their coaching business. What do you think?

Roz’s Coaching Business Card

Barbra — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 01:22:13 +0000

Here’s a great example of how you can design your own business card online. Roz Neilson used a business card template from Vistaprint to make her own business cards. Her card features a full-color photo along with her business contact information. She also choose to have a useful calendar printed on the back of the business card – a little trick that encourages people to hang on to your card. I think Roz’s business cards look wonderful, and I bet her potential clients will agree.

How To Coach a Client When Nothing Seems to Help

Barbra — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 17:24:18 +0000

Of all the coaching materials that Thomas Leonard produced in his lifetime, the How To Coach Anyone (HTCA) series of 68 lessons is my very favorite. In fact, I’d venture to say that much of what I know about coaching was learned from those lessons. The first lesson that Thomas wrote was on how to coach the “stuck” client, which I think speaks to the importance of this issue.

Last week in our pilot program mentor coaching call Jacqui asked how to coach a stuck client when nothing they are doing seems to be working. She gave as an example someone working on weight loss, who never seems to be able to lose weight. Or a new business owner who is marketing the heck out of their services but still hasn’t got clients.

That’s a big question, and not an uncommon situation. The answer is covered in detail in this article: How to Coach Anyone, Lesson #1 by Thomas Leonard. Enjoy!

Fantastic Results for First Workshop

Barbra — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 21:36:57 +0000

One of the pilot program coaches reports:

I did my first free call yesterday and was pleasantly surprised 8 or 10 people called in. No clients, but it was fun, informative and inspiring.

This is fantastic results for a first workshop. Not only did the coach get a great turn-out, she enjoyed herself. What she needs to do now is continue developing a relationship with those eight or ten participants. That way, they will keep her “front of mind” for their own coaching needs and also for referrals. I asked her if she got the email addresses of her participants (very important for follow-up) and this is her response:

Yes! I have those. I structured the call and the lead up to the call to gather such things. Now I’m working on (thinking about) what to do to follow up and where I want to go next.

I kept my agenda which I spent all day writing out and refining (can re-use it), recorded the call, asked for feedback from the attendees and have now modified my ideas somewhat in preparation for another attempt.

I forgot to allow for the dog barking! Got myself a little stressed out just prior to the call over that. Pomeranians aren’t the calmest breed around. I should have arranged for her to be out for that hour. Nevertheless the dog lovers on the call said it was okay. But it was stress I could have avoided.

I need to work on my sales presentation skills and how to handle objections. The price was good. People were interested.

Listening to my recording I hear I could be much more enthusiastic sounding, louder, etc. and there’s still lots of room for improving my speech habits (in short, better get to Toastmasters!).

Some people had trouble with the phone line. I didn’t ask them to mute, so there was quite a bit of background noise at certain points. At times I couldn’t tell if someone was speaking to me or not, couldn’t quite hear what they were saying. There’s a skill to doing classes by phone. It’s easy to forget that when I’m used to hearing people like you who do it so well and calmly manage to remind people to mute, etc. Made me think doing it in person would be better. I would have a sign up sheet available rather than wait for people to email me.

I think her presentation was a great success. The main thing is that she enjoyed it – which means that her participants probably enjoyed it as well. A super start to building a list of people who will keep this coach “front of mind” for their own coaching needs and also for referrals.

I’d also like to mention that not only was this the first time this coach did a public presentation, it was also her first time doing a teleclass. The courage that it took cannot be underestimated, and the resulting boost to her confidence will be huge. If you’re reading this and thinking “I wish I could do that”, take a deep breath, set a date and do it! That’s what this coach did and look at her results.

Networking Tips for Introverts

Barbra — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 18:27:55 +0000

Do you find networking difficult because of your introverted nature? What’s that you say…glad handing at a social event not your thing? Nancy Ancowitz, a coach, consultant and speaker based in New York, provides these tips on how introverts can become comfortable with self-promotion (full article at Vault.com ).

You don’t need to brag to promote yourself.

Enlist event organizers to introduce you.

Use visualization techniques to avoid being overwhelmed by large group events.

You don’t have to respond quickly.

Don’t apologize for what you don’t know.

Keep track of details.

Stay in touch with existing contacts.

Take advantage of your writing skills.

Use the telephone.

Feedback From a Pilot Program Coach

Barbra — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:52:05 +0000

This thoughtful email from a pilot program participant, with my remarks in bold and italic.
Hi Barbra,
Monday’s class was enlightening and your email afterwards much appreciated. Lots of thinking and too much to write, so have kept it relatively short and can send more if you would like.

Speed – could it be unrealistic for those who come on this course to convert networking into free or paid talks so quickly?Yes, I’m beginning to think that’s the case. How important is it to maintain the same time frame for normal participants? What would be the pros and cons of extending the course time frame? It’s certainly possible to extend the time frame. However, then it becomes just another “how to build a coaching business” course, not a “Readymade Coaching Business”. There’s nothing wrong with a longer program, but it’s not what I set out to do and it’s not what I’m interested in offering. I’d rather refer people to some of the good programs that are already out there.

Marketing – we were all going along smoothly, and then the marketing came along. It was reassuring on Monday’s call to know that I am not alone in having difficulty finding even one person to attend a free talk.It would be interesting perhaps to discover how many people will choose your course because of this very offering – marketing to get clients.

I’m going to be blunt here. You say “we were all going along smoothly, and then the marketing came along.” In my view, the reason participants were all going along smoothly was because up to that point I was doing most of the work (getting the website and autoresponder in place).

At the same time, I do believe that each participant was doing the best she could with the resources she had available. More often than not, when people take on a big project it’s the inner work (overcoming fear and developing belief in oneself) that is the biggest challenge, and the biggest progress. That inner progress is not readily visible to the outside world.

Might it be an idea to ask future participants 2 marketing questions :

1. What does marketing mean to you?

2. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being high, how would you rate your enjoyment of networking?

You are a great coach, and your habit change program is an excellent system. Every pilot scheme, in order to really learn has to have ups and downs – just like a real adventure. Question is, how to make the most of this wonderful opportunity?!

One of my biggest learning curves on this course is how few of us have actually spent the ten hours a week you asked us to commit to marketing.

Yes, this has been somewhat surprising to me. Each person who committed to the program said something along the lines of “I’m ready to finally do the work required”, but most haven’t. On the other hand, that’s not unusual. I can think of many examples in my own life where I have signed up for something and then did not do the work that I committed to.

Is this the norm now, to agree, but not to deliver? I shall have to rethink my understanding of commitment when I have clients going through my courses.

Good question. I think it’s human nature. We are enthusiastic at the beginning of a project, and then have difficulty with the follow-through. That’s why people hire coaches! So does that mean that the pilot program coaches need more coaching? More support structures? That seems to bring us back to the idea of a longer program, and as I wrote above, I’m not interested in offering a longer program.

Perfectionism and Blogging

Barbra — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 18:23:13 +0000

One of the pilot program coaches sent me a desperate email today. My responses are in bold and italic below:

Hi Barbra.

I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed with regards to blogging and need your guidance here ..

1. How often does one need to update … daily? Weekly? it’s entirely up to you. give yourself a reasonable goal, such as once or twice a month

2. Should there be a ‘flow’ of thought? Or just random but ‘habit change’ related? the latter

I guess here’s my ‘habit’ of perfectionism (doing it right first time!) rearing it’s head resulting in me ‘procrastinating’ – but I do like to make sense of what I am doing and I feel a little mentally untidy about this blog thing.

What about doing a diary style, like I have been doing with the pilot program? Just write about what you are learning and noticing about habits.

I realise the website is not the not the be-all-and-end-all but there has to be ‘something’ happening on my site … my friends are anxiously waiting to see what I produce … Help!!!!!!!!!!

Remember what I said – the blog is the least important thing in this program. If you don’t want to do it, ignore it for now and concentrate on your networking and relationship building.

I Made a Classic Coaching Mistake Today

Barbra — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 17:39:07 +0000

We had our Monday morning pilot program coaching call today. After I got off the call, I checked in with myself about my tone during parts of the call. I realized that I sounded frustrated at times.

Everything provides a learning opportunity, right?

Here is my “self-coaching” about my frustrated tone:

COACH: frustration usually happens when things aren’t going the way one thinks they should.So what wasn’t going the way you thought it should?

CLIENT: lots of big questions about the challenges of getting clients; questions that we didn’t have time to address.

COACH: what made you think you didn’t have time?

CLIENT: because today’s time was over

COACH: what about next week?

CLIENT: next week we have to move on

COACH: why, what’s the hurry?

CLIENT: the course ends in 4 weeks

COACH: so?

CLIENT: I need these people to be successful by the end of the course.

COACH: so it’s all about you, then.

CLIENT: ahhhh….

Yup, I made the classic coach mistake of imposing my own agenda. Very tricky situation to be coaching someone where you feel that your success is dependent on their success. I was aware that there was a danger this could happen with the pilot program, and today it did.

In light of this, I’ve taken a step back. I’ve asked the coaches to rethink the start dates for their six week paid program:

I want each of you to think about what feels right for YOU. Make it challenging enough to provide a bit of a push, but not so challenging that it feels impossible. If it happens before the end of the program, that’s fine. If it is next month or the month after or even not until January…that’s fine too. There’s only 2 requirements: 1) that you set a date, and 2) that you feel comfortable with your date.

I need to remember that the point of the pilot program is to find out if the model works, not to prove that the model works.

Rejection Has a Silver Lining (If You Are Open to It)

Barbra — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 18:55:17 +0000

Today Coach Edna shares some of the ups and downs of her coaching business marketing efforts. In particular, notice how she handled the rejection after someone criticized her business card, and what happened next:

An opportunity came from the one person who rejected my business card! When I first handed my business card to her, she told me everything she didn’t like about it and handed it back.

Perhaps she felt sorry for me, I don’t know. But, because she knows me as a great listener and that I’ve been working on becoming a coach ‘forever’, she then decided to invite me to help out in her community, to meet people who may need a coach and so they can get to know me, and eventually trust me enough to hire/recommend me.

I would never have believed that the card I couldn’t give away would be the most effective. Just goes to show I don’t know much about real life marketing, and what I assume to be true is likely to be wrong. What I learned was, simply having a business card and handing it over at the appropriate time, is itself a valuable exercise. It’s what you do and say after the exchange that leads to an opportunity.

I’m sure that because I didn’t react defensively to this perceived rejection of my card, it conveyed a message about my ability to coach. In her eyes, I am now ready to be introduced as a coach to her community. That’s almost as good as certification. I’m still working on IAC certification, but much less concentration on it. I decided it’s more important to be able to attract clients.

As Edna says, simply having a business card and handing it out gives you an opportunity to show your stuff as a coach. It’s what you do and say after the exchange that often leads to an opportunity.

P.S. You can see Edna’s business card here. I think it’s lovely.

Coaching Business: First Page in Google Already

Barbra — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 02:59:11 +0000

Today I searched for “habit change coach” in Google, and guess whose web site came up on the first page for Canada and the USA? Habit Change Pilot Program Coach Ebbie’s site SmartHabitChange.com.

And when I search for “habit change coach” in Google UK?

Jacqui’s site HabitChangeCoach.co.uk. Take a look:

To say I’m thrilled is an understatement

Getting your coaching business on page one of Google is a great achievement at any time. To do it with a brand new web site after only one month is a testament to the power of three things:

a domain name with the keyword phrase in it
great search engine optimized (SEO) web site content
some good backlinks

The cool thing from the point of view of the pilot program is that Ebbie didn’t have to do much work to get this ranking. Ebbie choose the great domain name of “SmartHabitChange.com” and wrote her bio for the “About” page. Beyond that, everything else was done by the ReadyMade Coaching Business program (I provided the website content and my virtual assistant set up the website).

Jacqui’s been busy making daily blog posts, which has increased her traffic to an astounding 1000 visitors in her first month. By checking her web site statistics, Jacqui has discovered that visitors are finding her site by typing in “habit” and “coaching” into Google. Do you think these people are potential clients for Jacqui? Hmmm…I think so!

First client interview for Jacqui

Not surprisingly, Jacqui has an interview with a potential client booked for later this week. This client liked what she saw on Jacqui’s web site and contacted her for coaching.

What this means

These results are a testament both to the coaches, and to the effectiveness of my ReadyMade Coaching Business program. And in the bigger scheme of things, if the ReadyMade Coaching Business model works, more coaches will have successful coaching practices which will lead to more people leading happy, fulfilled lives. And that’s my ultimate goal.

How to view your subscriber list in MailChimp

Barbra — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 17:40:22 +0000

I’ve talked about the importance of having a mailing list for your coaching business. In the ReadyMade Coaching Program we set up a mailing list along with a free report for you, so you don’t have to do a thing. The program we use for the mailing list and autoresponder is called MailChimp.

However, sometimes you might want to view your subscriber list to see how many people you have signed up and where they are located in the world.

If you want to view your subscriber list in MailChimp, here’s how:

1. log in

2. go to Lists

3. you’ll see a number, and then underneath the words “View List”. Click on View List

4. Next screen brings up the subscribers. If you click on view beside the subscriber, you can where in the world they were when they signed up for the free report!

Why is a Mailing List Important?

Barbra — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 17:31:36 +0000

Habit Change Pilot Program coach Jacqui reports that after only two weeks of having her website operational, ten people have signed up for her free report.

I’ve been looking at Mailchimp – rather exciting – ten people have signed up for the newsletter and some are complete strangers, so habitchangecoach.co.uk is reaching into HongKong and America as well as Scotland.

Why is a mailing list important?

Jacqui now has 10 people that she knows are interested in habit change. And they have connected with her through her website. Who do you think they are going to contact when they decide to hire a habit change coach?

In addition, Jacqui can continue to stay in touch with these folks, sending them useful information about habit change. Eventually she may decide to offer a habit change coaching group over teleconference. The people on her mailing list will be perfect candidates for that group, and because a teleconference is not location-specific, it doesn’t matter that they are located all around the globe.

How did Jacqui get that free report?

The free report and the signup form are all included in the ReadyMade Coaching Business program. Jacqui didn’t have to do a thing.

What’s The Absolutely Best Way to Get Coaching Clients?

Barbra — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 23:18:55 +0000

OK, maybe there’s no absolutely best way to get coaching clients. But one of the best ways is to get your local newspaper to write an article about you.

As an example, I noticed the article below in my local newspaper today. It shows a photo of fitness coach Tara McNeil working with a client. If you can get something like this published locally you will have it made!

Three things to note:

1) the article has an “angle” (full-figure fitness)
2) newspapers like photos
3) it is promoting a class that will be held at the local parks and recreation department.

So how do you get something like this published?

A few tips:

newspapers are more likely to publish something that has a community angle than something that is obviously promoting your business.So a free course is good, as is something offered through the Chamber of Commerce or the Parks and Recreation Department. Something with a charity or volunteer angle is also good.
look at the bottom of newspaper articles for the email address of the reporter who wrote the article. Then phone or email them your “pitch”.
the easier you make it for the reporter, the more likely they will take you up on your offer.

Related suggestion

Contact your local continuing education outlets (e.g. college, parks and rec department or elder college) and offer your services as an instructor. That gives you tons of free publicity and establishes you as an expert in the community.

Business Networking: Fee and Free Options

Barbra — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:45:30 +0000

One of the Habit Change Coaching Business requirements is to join a local business networking organization such as the Chamber of Commerce. The cost to join the Chamber varies depending on your city, but averages about $200 a year. In my opinion this is money very well spent if you make full use of the member benefits.

However, if the investment is not affordable for you right now, there are other options. You can join free networking groups in your local community, or even start a business networking group of your own.

For example, one of the pilot program coaches sent me this message:

A friend and I are starting our own business networking forum here in our town which we have been ‘talking’ about for months and never moving forward … all set for inaugural meeting on 23^rd September. So, all is forward march!!!

For this coach, the cost of joining the Chamber was prohibitive. Instead of just accepting that limitation, she is starting her own networking group. Talk about self-empowerment!

Teaching What We Most Need to Learn

Barbra — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 15:35:59 +0000

A nice bonus of teaching the habit change coaching program is that it makes me more aware of habits that I’d like to change. The old adage “we teach what we most need to learn” certainly applies to me!

What are my worst habits?

lateness
email “addiction”
sweet tooth

I’m using the principles that I teach in the habit change coaching program to improve each of those bad habits. These are long-standing habits for me, so it’s a challenge. I’ll let you know in future posts exactly what I’m doing to overcome these habits, and how I’m doing.

Apparently I’m not alone in recognizing and addressing my own bad habits. One of the pilot program coaches sent me this email today:

Doing this course has highlighted and brought to the fore a ‘serious’ habit of procrastination which I honestly didn’t even ‘know’ was there … one never stops being challenged!!! I am so grateful to you for offering to have me on your pilot programme … I cannot wait to get started and, short of nagging, am following up furiously on my 5 offers to host workshops.

Coach Business Card

Barbra — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 23:43:47 +0000

I received this business card in the mail today, along with a lovely note from Coach Edna. I was touched by Edna’s words – her note made my day! I showed it to my husband and he said “I can see why you love coaching. It must be so gratifying”.

Yes indeed.

Here’s what Edna wrote:

I’m thrilled to have a business card. Not only does it give me a practical networking tool for our next assignments, it’s a tangible reminder that, at last, I’m in the coaching business ‘for real’. I also love the look on my friends’ faces when they see it. I’ve been talking about, and studying, and spending time and money on coaching for years. This convinces them that now I’m serious!

And more importantly, it convinces Edna herself.

I remember when I first started taking art classes. The instructor encouraged us to frame and hang some of our paintings, because that’s what artists do. She said it would help us to start seeing ourselves as real artists, rather than just someone who takes art classes. I think she was right on.

What would having a business card do for you?

It’s not as hard or expensive as you might think. The Habit Change Pilot Program coaches got their business cards at Vistaprint.com for an average cost of $20 including shipping for 250 cards.

Don’t wait for the perfect time, or the perfect logo – just go ahead and order some today. The cards are not carved in stone – if something changes in your business, you can just order new cards!

Freaked Out? Sorry, No Time for That

Barbra — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 12:27:25 +0000

The pilot program coaches now have their website, autoresponder and business cards all taken care of. I’ve provided them with a poster to advertise their free workshops. Their job now is to spend a minimum of 10 hours a week marketing those free workshops and paid coaching groups.

The idea is simple: lots of people come to the free workshops, some of those register for the six week coaching group, and then a few of those sign up for individual coaching. Rinse and repeat until you have a full practice.

This is where the rubber hits the road.

In response to the news that it’s time to start booking at least one free workshop a week, one participant said she was freaked out at the idea of doing that. She doesn’t think her public speaking skills are good enough, and the thought of doing a workshop terrifies her.

Say what?

I know that public speaking is the #1 fear of most people, but I assumed the pilot program coaches would be different. For one thing, they knew what was expected when they applied for the program. As Jacqui wrote in a comment:

Reading through [the program application], I was immediately excited, then terrified at the thought of the dreaded networking, and then elated at the opportunity to face my fear and overcome it, hence I applied to be a guinea pig.

I expect the coach who freaked out feels much the same way: it’s scary but she’s up to the challenge. It’s that kind of attitude that makes me love working with coaches in general, and this group of coaches in particular.

Taking a step back

If someone has the training, education and life experience to identify themselves as a professional coach, wouldn’t it follow that they have the confidence and skills to facilitate a group? Seems to me it comes with the job description.

Maybe I need to clarify with the pilot program coaches that it is not a formal Toastmasters-type speech they will be giving. They will be facilitating a workshop using a pre-written script.

Of course, even with a pre-written script you need adult education skills – the ability to introduce a subject, invite input, listen, reply, and manage the group. Those are high level communication skills, but by definition a coach can do that. After all, coaching is all about using high level communication skills to bring out the best in people.

So what’s the problem? I think it’s a matter of confidence, and I’m confident all the pilot program coaches will do a great job with their workshops. As the saying goes, they will “feel the fear and do it anyways”.

There’s no time for fear anyways!

If this was a traditional coaching development program, I would spend time coaching the freaked out coaches on their fears.

However, this isn’t a traditional program. This is an action program that assumes coaches are ready to do what’s needed. I told applicants up front that I would not be coaching them on their blocks.

So even though I’m sympathetic about the fear, I won’t be spending much time talking about it. We will be moving on.

Marketing Follow-up

Barbra — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 15:24:24 +0000

One of the coaches sent me an accountability report today. I’ve put my reply in italics:

I’ve been handing out, and mailing, my business cards. I’ve also been tracking who I give them to, what response I get from them, and a note to myself about follow up actions, if any, I intend to take. For example, I told my husband to take some and feel free to give them to people he works with. I asked him how many he gave out. I’m waiting for his co-workers to call me, visit my site, send in a comment, or something. for feedback on your website; 2) if they or anyone they know would be interested in coming to your free workshop on X date 3) if you could come and give a talk at their workplace, school, club, place of worship.> I’ve given cards to my closest friends <Good start, now here are some ideas for followup: ask them to support you by coming to a free workshop, ask them for names of five people that they think might be interested in your workshop, invite them to your 6 week program.

No to Modules, Because It’s Called ReadyMade Coaching Business for a Reason

Barbra — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 02:26:37 +0000

I had one of those “whack on the side of the head” moments today. It happened when I was driving on the freeway, but fortunately it was just a metaphoric whack.

I was thinking about the suggestion (received from many coaches) that I break my ReadyMade Coaching Business service into short, lower-priced modules that people could pick and choose from. That way, coaches would not have to commit to such a big financial and time investment.

WHACK!

Then it hit me: it’s called ReadyMade — not Do It Bit by Bit — Coaching Business.

My whole idea is to provide everything a coach needs to hit the ground running with a successful coaching business. And to me, everything means everything.

I simply would not feel good providing a modular program, because I think it would perpetuate precisely the problem I am trying to solve!

From A-Z in one program

This means that my service will not appeal to people who prefer modules. That’s fine. Those folks are not my target audience, and there are plenty of other business building courses out there for them.

My service is for people who want to implement A-Z in one go, and start making money as soon as possible.

If an interested coach already has a website and therefore doesn’t need that part of the service, no problem. They’ll get a credit with my Virtual Assistant for something they do need done.

Dare I call this revolutionary?

When I first started talking about my “big idea about to hatch”, I dared to call it revolutionary. If you know me at all, you know I detest hyperbole. So I didn’t use the word “revolutionary” lightly.

What’s revolutionary about my service is that it takes coaches from “no business at all” to “completely done and successful business”. No one else is doing that at an affordable price.

To date, the only way for a coach to do that is to invest at least $6000 to hire a team of various professional services including mentor coaching, professional writing, web designer, virtual assistant, and curriculum design.

Speaking of price

Speaking of price, the money solution came to me along with the whack. Coaches will have the option of paying with a monthly payment plan, just like they do when they hire a mentor coach.

An additional upside to this model is that it will attract coaches who are really serious about finally making their coaching business a success. Coaches who see the value of investing $297 for six consecutive months to get from A-Z in record time are the folks I want to work with. Those who don’t see the value are not right for the program. Perfect screening mechanism.

Can I Really Provide Coaches With a ReadyMade Coaching Business?

Barbra — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:03:08 +0000

Utopia comes at a price

Can I really provide coaches with a ReadyMade Coaching Business for under $2000? That’s the question sparked by yesterday’s post, where I wrote about my doubts.

In short, I’m beginning to question whether I can achieve my goal of providing coaches with “everything they need to hit the ground running” at a price that coaches are willing and able to pay. But I’m motivated to find a way!

Should I use a module approach?

In response to that post, Cheryl commented that a module approach might solve the cost problem. Coaches could purchase just the modules they need as their finances allow.

I like the module idea. It allows coaches to purchase what they need , when they need it, and as they can afford it.

Although the module approach solves some problems, it does create some new ones. My main concern is that coaches may purchase a module or two and then find that they can’t implement it successfully because they don’t have the complete context for starting a successful coaching business.

New business people often don’t know what they need because they don’t have the big picture. It just seems like an overwhelming mess of details and conflicting information to the uninitiated.

The problem I’ve noticed

The Internet has so many courses that sound great (and often are great as far as they go) but the purchaser gives up because implementing the course turns out to be more complicated than they thought it would be. I am speaking from personal experience here! I have many expensive courses sitting unused on my hard drive.

It would be quite easy for me to make a bunch of $199 or $299 modules and put them up for sale. But my feeling is that will not achieve my goal of providing coaches with “everything they need to hit the ground running”.

I’ve seen that done many times and coaches end up poorer but no further ahead. I’m just not interested in creating something that doesn’t work, and my experience tells me that courses without context and support don’t work.

And quite frankly, it’s the support that is expensive.

Of course, there are semi-automated ways to address the support issue, but the challenge is maintaining an acceptable service level.

Custom hot rod vs. Toyota

In her thoughtful comment, Julia Stewart wrote:

Unless you can put this program on a mass-production conveyor belt, I don’t think you’ll be happy charging $1800 for the whole thing. And mass production goes against the very nature of a unique one-to-one customized service, like coaching.

Although the the phrase “mass production conveyor belt” has a negative connotation, I’m not rejecting that concept. Mass-production is not always a bad thing. Just ask all the people enjoying their high quality, budget-priced Toyota vehicles.

I agree with Julia that coaching is a “unique one-to-one customized service”. But does that mean that setting up a coaching business needs to be a one-to-one service?

As Edna pointed out in her comment, with my knowledge of the software and technology available today, I may find a happy balance between “custom” and “mass-production”.

Technology may be the game-changing ingredient.

Smoking Cessation: Should Coaches Offer This Service?

Barbra — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:47:18 +0000

Today one of the Habit Change Pilot Program coaches sent me this query:

Do you recommend steering clear of helping with smoking cessation? I was asked about that at a Chamber of Commerce meeting this morning.

My sense about coaching on smoking cessation – like pretty much everything – is that it all depends on whether you are qualified to coach on that. Do you understand the psychology and physiology of addictions? Can you provide what the client will need to be successful?

If not, then you are ethically bound to refer the client to another resource. Most communities have good group programs with built in support buddies.

On the other hand, if the client is already working with the coach on other issues, and then wants to tackle smoking cessation – I can see them wanting to continue with the coach that they have the relationship with.

An article about “coaching addictions” was published today at the Coaching Commons. In the comments section of that article I made a distinction between degrees of addiction, and what is and is not appropriate for coaches to address:

…non-therapists should not be coaching on “heavy duty” addictions such as heroin addiction, but smoking cessation could be appropriate territory for a non-therapist coach. Some people would argue that smoking addiction is as difficult to overcome as heroin addiction, but I think [there is a distinction]. For one thing, the family, job and social problems caused by smoking addiction are not to the same degree as those caused by heroin addiction.

Comments?

Pilot Program Diary: My First Doubts

Barbra — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 08:21:09 +0000

I’m feeling a bit discouraged about the habit change coaching pilot program today. On the one hand, the seven coaches have accomplished a tremendous amount in these first three weeks:

selected a coaching business name and domain name
got website hosting
obtained a business address
ordered business cards
got a professional photo taken
wrote 5 pages of content for website, based on writing templates I provided
developed answers to the eight most common marketing questions that a coach encounters
joined their local Chamber of Commerce
made a master list of local places to promote their services

And my Virtual Assistant and I completed some major technical things for each coach as well:

set up an auto-responder account
wrote free report to give away on each coach’s website, plus two follow-up autoresponder messages
set up websites and blogs (see an example here)

Later this month the coaches will receive the participant workbook and facilitator’s manual for the six week group coaching program. I’ll be training and mentoring the coaches and how to market and deliver the group coaching.

That’s a lot of progress in one month for coaches who have been trying to get their coaching business going for years.

So why am I feeling discouraged?

To get these coaches to this point I’ve done a lot of hand-holding. As I mentioned in a previous post, I have no problem with this. For one thing, I think it’s absolutely necessary for new business owners to have someone to ask these questions of. It’s precisely the lack of this type of support that causes many coaches to abandon their dream of having a successful coaching practice.

In addition, it’s useful for me to experience first-hand the types of questions and difficulties the coaches run into. That way, if I decide to proceed with the Readymade Coaching Business service, I will know what kind of support I need to set up .

But there’s the rub

The level of support required is time-consuming and therefore expensive.

Basically I am providing a “done for you” package that includes:

mentor coaching
business set-up consultation
marketing consultation
website design and implementation
virtual assistant services
curriculum development
professional writing services

The question I have to ask myself is: will coaches recognize what they are getting and be willing/able to pay what it is going to cost?

What it typically costs to set up a coaching practice

Let’s take a step back and talk about what coaches normally pay to set up a coaching practice.

In my early years, I spent about $10,000 on coach training, website development, business cards, memberships, training, and mentoring.

If I take out the $4000 I spent on coach training, and just looked at what I spent on business development and mentoring, that’s still $6000.

Not to mention literally thousands of hours of self-study, learning how to set up and use automated services for my newsletter, auto-responder, shopping cart, teleconferencing, audio recording and editing, and much more.

So what makes me think that I can boil all this down into a $1200 or even $1800 package for coaches?

My original goal

My goal in starting the pilot program was to give coaches “everything they need to hit the ground running” as a habit change coach.

It’s becoming abundantly clear to me that this is a tall order.

I remember early on in this project, Julia Stewart commented on my blog that she was skeptical that I would be able to do this:

… as you well know, many coaches have an unrealistic expectation about what it will look like to have their own business and that’s one of the main causes of their lack of success.

And it’s not just the new coaches. Recently, a master coach told me that she’s tired of everything she has to do to get clients. I asked her what she was doing and she said, ‘Nothing!’ Some coaches seem to be looking for a coaching practice that is more like a job with a guaranteed paycheck (aka ‘clients’), but no boss!

At the time Julia’s comments only served to galvanize me. I thought “I know exactly how to do it – I’ll show her!”

Now I’m beginning to wonder

Julia has been in the coach training business as long as I have. Like me, she has mentored hundreds of new coaches. Over the years, she and I have talked a lot about the joys and challenges of helping coaches get going.

One of the observations we’ve often made is that not only do most coaches resist the business side of coaching, they also don’t budget for what it costs to set up a business. That’s the “unrealistic expectations” that Julia mentions above.

Maybe that’s why so many coaches complete their training but never get a business going.

But I’m getting ahead of myself

To put things in perspective, the pilot program coaches are making fantastic progress. That’s not in question. Whether they get clients within the next few months remains to be seen.

What’s troubling me is the cost. Can I provide coaches with “everything they need to hit the ground running” at a cost they are willing and able to pay?

Or do I need to take a hard look at what I’m offering, and downsize it to fit coach’s budgets?

What do you think? If the results from the pilot program prove my system works (i.e. each coach is moving confidently forward with a website, blog, autoresponder, business cards, a program to deliver, and paying clients by the end of the program), what do you think is the dollar value? And more to the point, do you think coaches will recognize the value and pay it?

Rookie Life Coach? You Can Still Sound Experienced (Because You Are)

Barbra — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 19:14:01 +0000

Today one of the pilot program coaches send me this email:

I have been working through the eight marketing questions to develop my own replies.

I have a problem with the “What’s your background” question.

I may have had many years in the corporate/training and development environment and perhaps ‘coaching’ (in one form or another) came naturally to me BUT I am very much a ‘rookie’ life coach with little real coaching experience. How does one get around this?

Answer

I would say “I have had many years in the corporate training and development environment where a big part of my job was to bring out the best in people. I’m now using that experience as a life coach.”

How do you answer the “what’s your background” question? Please share in the comments section below.

Marketing Your Coaching Business: 8 Questions You Might Be Asked

Barbra — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:09:58 +0000

Having completed the coaching website and business card modules, the pilot program coaches are now starting the marketing segment of the habit change coaching program.

The first task in marketing any service is to know what you are offering and be able to talk about it. Together we developed answers to these common questions that might come up when marketing coaching services:

What do you do?
How does that work?
What’s your background?
Can you help with X? How?
What’s your process?
What theory underlies your approach?
How much does it cost?
If I was to sign up, what happens next?

Practice, practice, practice

You need to know exactly what you are offering and be able to speak confidently about it.

Prepare answers to these questions and practice answering them until you feel confident with your replies.

Answer with a smile

MailChimp: Free Newsletter and Autoresponder Service

Barbra — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:58:08 +0000

For years I’ve recommended Aweber as my email newsletter and autoresponder service of choice. I still like Aweber for its great service and reliability, but I’m setting up the pilot program coaches with an alternative service called MailChimp.

MailChimp is the new kid on the autoresponder block. From what I can see, it provides everything Aweber does, but with one critical difference: it’s free for the first 500 addresses. That’s a cost saving of $20 monthly for the pilot program coaches. As we all know, money is tight when starting a small business so every penny saved counts.

Here’s a video about MailChimp.

Coaching Business Website: Getting Started With WordPress

Barbra — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:40:57 +0000

Note: In this article I use the terms website, blog, and site interchangeably. These days, there’s not much difference between a website and a blog in terms of how they are set up.

Getting a business website set up is a major challenge for most coaches. There are so many options and decisions to be made.

I’ve made it simple for the pilot program coaches by recommending that they get a self-hosted WordPress business website.

What does that mean, you might be asking!

If you find all this terminology confusing, you’re not alone.

Let’s start by explaining what “self-hosted”, “hosted” and “WordPress” mean.

Difference between hosted and self-hosted websites

Self-hosted means that you purchase a domain name and website hosting and upload your business website content to your hosting account. Rates for website hosting range depending on the features you want, but expect to pay about $10 a month for a reliable web host with good customer support.

Hosted means that you register at a service such as Blogger or LiveJournal or WordPress.com and set up your site for free. You don’t have to buy a domain name (although you can) or pay for website hosting because your site is hosted by the service.

Why WordPress can be confusing

WordPress is software that is used to run websites and blogs. What makes it confusing is that there are two versions: WordPress.org and WordPress.com. Simply put, the “.org” is the self-hosted service and the “.com” is the hosted service.

OK, so what does “self-hosted WordPress site” mean?

A self-hosted WordPress website means that you have done each of these four steps:

1) purchased a domain name

2) purchased website hosting from a company such as Bluehost or Hostgator

3) installed the open source software called “WordPress” on your domain at your hosting service

4) uploaded (published) your website/blog content to your site.

Because you installed WordPress on your domain at your hosting service, this is referred to as “self-hosted”.

Note: “Self-hosted” is also referred to as “hosted on your own server”.

I already have www.mywebsite.wordpress.com – is that the same thing?

No. This is why it’s confusing. There is a free service located at www.Wordpress.com. This service uses the open-source WordPress software to provide free websites/blogs. Because these sites are located on free hosting, this is referred to as “hosted” sites.

So why bother paying for hosting?

Use of the free WordPress.com service is subject to their terms of service. For example, you are restricted as to what kind and how many advertisements or affiliate links you can put on your site.

Pros and cons of hosted (WordPress.com) versus self-hosted (WordPress.org)

Both use the WordPress software, but in different ways:

With WordPress.org, your blog or web site is hosted on your own server. Don’t be put off by the “.org” in the name – your business website or blog will be titled www.yourwebsitename.com or whatever domain name you have purchased. This is important, because it means that your business website is entirely under your control.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that you will need to register your own domain name and get paid hosting. Not only does this cost money, but it’s more technically challenging than going with a hosted solution.

Community pool or private pool? It's your choice

Wordpress.com is a third party hosting of the WordPress software. This also has good news and bad news.

The good news is that it is free and easy to set up a WordPress.com site. You don’t have to buy a domain name (although you can if you want), and you don’t have to pay for hosting because your blog is hosted by WordPress.com. Therefore, your website url will look like www.yourwebsitename.wordpress.com.

The bad news about WordPress.com is that it places some restrictions on what you can do with your blog, such as only allowing one affiliate link. This may or may not be an issue for you.

An analogy would be that with a hosted solution like WordPress.com you are swimming in the community swimming pool so you have to follow the community rules. If they say “no skinny dipping” then you can’t do it. In contrast, a self-hosted site (which you get by purchasing your own domain name and hosting) is like a private swimming pool in your own backyard. If you want to go skinny dipping, it’s entirely up to you!

Bottom line

I’m recommending the pilot program coaches get a self-hosted WordPress site.

Pilot Program Diary: Coaching Business Without Tears

Barbra — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 12:05:30 +0000

Things don't have to be complicated to be beautiful.

When I was in university struggling through upper-level statistics courses, there was a little handbook called Statistics Without Tears.

Boy, did I relate to that title!

I was reminded of that book today when I received an encouraging email from one of the pilot program coaches.

She was referring to how frustrating and time-consuming it is to get the website part of a coaching business taken care of. Here’s what she wrote:

This pilot program is reminding me that the reason I do all this computer tweaking is to coach. Thanks for being proactive and giving us the best tools to enable us to actually coach before the computers get us too frustrated. Not only is there a lot to learn, it changes a lot (sometimes at inconvenient times).

I was gratified to read her email, because that’s exactly what I’m trying to achieve with my Readymade Coaching Business concept. I want to help coaches get their business up and running quickly so they can actually get out in their communities and coach people.

Perhaps instead of calling my service “Readymade Coaching Business”, I should call it Coaching Business Without Tears.

Pilot Program Diary: Getting Business Cards

Barbra — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:51:02 +0000

Here’s the advice I gave the pilot program coaches about how to get started with business cards.

1) don’t wait until you have a logo designed – getting a logo is a “nice to have” thing but not necessary to get started
2) since your website is just a “starter version” at this point, get relatively plain business cards that will go with whatever website template you end up choosing
3) the best way to do this is to get a plain white business card that has your photo on it

What email address for business card?

Once you have a domain of your own, you can set up whatever email address you want.

I’m recommending the coaches use name@website.com on their business cards. My VA will set it up so that any email address to name@website.com will redirect to the coach’s main email box. This way they will have a professional email address for their coaching business, but they won’t have to check two different email accounts.

Ordering business cards

You can order business cards from a local printer or from an online supplier. I find it easy and inexpensive to order from Vistaprint.com. Vistaprint regularly has special deals where you can get 250 business cards for $3.99 or $5.99 plus shipping.

If you get to Vistaprints website and you don’t see one of these special deals, do a Google search for “vistaprint promo” and you’ll get a link to one of their special deals.

When you’re ready to order from Vistaprint, choose:

1) Premium business cards

2) The default matte finish with 80 lb paper is fine. If you want to
splurge (I think it’s another $12 or so), getting the upgrade to 100 lb
paper is worth it in my opinion.

3) On the next page, where it says “Style” – choose the style “upload
photo or logo”

4) It will give you some options. Choose the blank template that you
like. NOTE: I’ve tested the photo templates and found that some of them make
the photo the ENTIRE size of the biz card (with writing superimposed over
it). If this happens, just choose a different template and try again.

5) Doubleclick where it says to browse for and upload your photo or logo

6) Fill in your name and details using the lines on the left side of the
page (easier than typing directly onto the template)

7) If something doesn’t fit in the space allotted, put your cursor on one
of the little “handles” (small square box surrounding the text) and drag to
expand

8) You don’t have to fill in all the blanks. For example, if you don’t
want to put a fax number, just leave that line blank or substitute it with
something else – maybe your facebook or twitter name

9) Also, these days you don’t necessarily have to have a physical address
on your card. It’s personal preference. You do need a physical address,
though, if you expect people will be mailing you things (like cheques!)
or coming to your office in person.

10) Once the card is to your liking, scroll down and put a check mark in the
spot that asks you to verify that the card is to your liking (or some such
wording)

11) Click next

12) Pay

If for some reason you don’t want to use Vistaprint, another good online company is OvernightPrints.com. I’ve used them and have been very happy with the service and products.

Selecting a Domain Name and Hosting for Your Coaching Business

Barbra — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 21:47:06 +0000

Pilot Program - Coach Jacqui

Each of the seven pilot program coaches has now successfully registered a domain name and purchased website hosting.

Although the actual process of registering a domain name and purchasing website hosting can be done in 10 minutes, it’s the decisions that have to be made before (what domain name? which hosting company?) that tend to be time-consuming.

Here are some tips that hopefully will make the decisions easier for you.

How to sign up for website hosting

Choose your domain name* and then follow these instructions to get hosting set up.
Go here to sign up for hosting
The best deal is to sign up for a year of hosting.
Click “Sign up now”
Where it says “I need a domain name” – you enter your desired domain name (no www.)
Follow the prompts to pay.

*Of course, the phrase “choose your domain name” is easier said than done! Here are some tips to guide you.

Domain name tips

There are a number of considerations in choosing a domain name. I recommend choosing your namesurname.com if it is available. (e.g. www.susansmith.com)

Failing that, look for coachname.com (e.g. www.coachsusan.com)

Another option is to use keywords that describe your business. One of the pilot program coaches choose www.SmartHabitChange.com, which is a nice domain name because it describes exactly what the website is about.

Try to make your domain name highly identifiable with you (that’s why I recommend getting namesurname.com if it is available). This is because you want people to be able to easily find you online by typing in the first thing they remember about you – which is usually your name. If your name is also your URL, they’ll automatically know where to go.

Does it have to be .com?

What if you can’t get the .com domain of your choice? Should you settle for the .net or .org? Or would it be better to get a country-specific domain (like .ca for Canada or .co.uk for UK)?

Here’s my opinion:

1) get the .com if you can.

2) if the .com is not available, try different combinations of the words you want.

3) if you can’t get a suitable .com, get the country-specific TLD. This can work quite well if your target market is the local community (which is generally where coaches get most of the clients anyways). In fact, you actually benefit from having a local domain because your potential clients know they’re dealing with a local entity, which is often what they want.

4) I wouldn’t get a .net or .org simply because people will never remember it – they’ll always type in .com – which very well may take them directly to your competitor’s website!

What about hyphenated domain names?

Short answer: don’t.

It’s brutal to have to say a hypenated domain name outloud (such as when introducing yourself at a networking meeting), and people will forget to type in the hyphens when searching for you.

Tips for a Complimentary Coaching Session

Barbra — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 17:24:49 +0000

My office, and happy honeysuckle

One of the pilot program coaches sent me this email today:

I am corresponding with a new potential client. Do you have any good advice on handling complimentary coaching sessions and getting them to buy? Please let me know. Thanks!

Here’s the reply I sent to her:

Don’t try to accomplish too much
Don’t give advice
interact as a professional, not as a friend
have an approach that you can describe – not just “we meet and play it by ear, whatever comes up”. People feel more secure and hopeful knowing that the coach has a plan.
Don’t be afraid of offending the potential client – if you hear or sense something that you think might be a blind spot for them, point it out in a neutral manner. That will provide huge value to them and differentiate you from “talking with a friend”
Have a couple of frameworks (ways of looking at the world) or quotations “in your back pocket” to pull out and offer where appropriate. For example, if someone is talking about wanting to do something but being afraid of the risks, I’ll present the framework “risk is always reducible”. If the client seems intrigued by that idea, I’ll coach them on ways to reduce the risk of the venture.
Before the session, practice out loud the language you will use for asking for their business. Something like, “Susan, what has been of most value to you from our session today?” … “Great, I’m glad to hear that OR Yes, I heard you make that shift too. That’s the type of progress that my clients typically make every session. Would you like to sign up for coaching now?” Be proactive, don’t wait for the client to bring it up. It’s your job to do that, not theirs.
If the client wants to think about it, that’s fine. I usually say “That’s a good idea. Getting started with coaching is a big decision. When would you like me to contact you to follow up?”
Don’t try to accomplish too much (I know I’ve already said this, but it is deliberately repeated). Keep it clean and simple for the client. There will be a lot of buzz going on in their head. If they can experience three things from your complimentary session — 1) feeling heard, 2) getting one new way of looking at their situation, and 3) getting a sense of hope – then they will hire you.

What Address Should You Use for Your Coaching Business?

Barbra — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 23:15:00 +0000

There are many details I’m asking the Readymade Coaching Business – Habit Change pilot program coaches to decide on this week. One such detail is: What mailing address will you use for your business?

It’s wise to think about this before you get started with your coaching business website and other services. The options are:

1) your real street address

2) a post office box (check at your local post office)

3) a UPS mail box or “virtual office” address

Personally, I use my real street address because I started out that way years ago. Now I wish my home address was not plastered all over the Internet, but it’s too late for me.

If I was starting out today, I would use an alternative.

Realistically speaking, it probably doesn’t matter because these days anyone can find your street address and phone number in various look-up places on the Internet, even if you have not knowingly published it.

But personally I wish I had minimized it as much as possible.

Where will your address show up on the Internet?

There are two main places where this issue is most relevant:

1) domain registration (unless you choose the private registration option)

2) your newsletter/autoresponder service

Domain registration: Your address may be visible

When you purchase an internet domain (URL), your contact information including your street address gets registered in the “WhoIs” registry (yes, that’s the real name of the registry!). This happens automatically unless you click the button that says “make domain registration private”.

Depending on which domain registry company you use, you may or may not have to pay extra to have the information private. Many people use GoDaddy as their domain registry – at Godaddy it costs about $7 – $10 extra for private registration. At other domain registration companies such as Bluehost (the hosting company I use and recommend) private registration is included at no extra cost.

Newsletter/Autoresponder: Your address will be visible

By law, newsletter/autoresponder services are required to include a postal address at the bottom of every message.

Perhaps you’ve never noticed it, but if you look at the bottom of any email message sent through a newsletter/autoresponder service — such as Aweber, ConstantContact, or MailChimp — you’ll notice 2 things: 1) an unsubscribe link, and 2) the postal address of the person or company who sent you the email.

What this means is that every time you send out an email using your newsletter or autoresponder service, your postal address will show up at the bottom of the message. If you work from home and don’t want recipients to see your home address, then you need to use an alternate address.

Where won’t you address show up?

It’s OK to use your street address for things like website hosting where the information is confidential between you and the service (note that although domain registration and website hosting are often purchased from the same company, the two services are separate things when it comes to the postal address issue).

Your street address does not have to be on your website – that’s under your control.