What I’ve Learned about Client Creation by A Prosperous Coach

I was discussing various programs with Stacy Nelson this morning. I have a retreat in a few months and both of us are on deck to do larger events this year. And….. while at first it feels daunting… one thing I KNOW to be true is that it is ALL ABOUT CLIENT CREATION. One conversation at a time. Just like Rich Litvin and Steve Chandler write about in The Prosperous Coach.

I have a hair up my butt about this because I’ve seen people I love and care about toss out events via links or facebook etc, build pretty web pages etc…and wonder why their retreats and rosters are empty. I see them get CRUSHED and HEARTBROKEN. They build something beautiful and then NO ONE COMES… It doesn’t work that way.

I used to whine about client creation — I admit, I wanted it to just happen. I wanted people to just come knock on my door and say, “Allison I want to work with you and pay you the big bucks to do your thing.” And…sometimes, they do. AND…. for everything I create…for every ounce of me that wants to share my gifts with the world I still have to be the person both inside and out that LOVES the process of creating clients. Michelle Bauman taught me that.

“Oh I LOVE filling events!” she said, ‘I love creating clients. And.” she added, “run through the finish line.”

And when I adopted that mindset, it really did become fun, and easier.

I add one step to the 4 step process in the book The Prosperous Coach written by Rich Litvin (one of my coaches) and Steve Chandler. Here are the steps I take:

• 1. Call in clients energetically and activate sacred contracts via meditation…. if I can lay my ass in the grass to do it…it works even better. I see their hearts and mine, in the form of 2 lights becoming one…. and I solidify and create the relationship energetically and spiritually first.
• 2. Connect ~ CH 17, pp73 – just go be with people. Talk to them Be interested in them. Really listen and see them. Not in ORDER TO… because that energy sucks. But, because everyone wants to feel interesting and special. Magic is able to arise when a foundation of connection starts a relationship.
• 3. Invite ~ CH 18 pp 75. Would you like help with that!? This week I had an unusually empty schedule. So I created an invitation on facebook to GIFT 7 sessions away. This isn’t always the way I invite. In fact, rarely do I do things this way. I didn’t do this for client creation really, I did it because I was getting BORED. I wanted to PLAY and stir up something fresh and new. And Spirit helped me remember that I am on FIRE and in FLOW when I am on and after coaching. So with this offer I stepped into the flow of both giving and receiving. I created a filter via an application for the 7 sessions…. and I ended up filling my week quickly. I had a little space for overflow and ended up scheduling a few into the first week of April.
• 4. Create ~ Ch 19. pp. 78. In I dive, as if each person were a 50k client…giving them my whole heart on these calls. And yes… I’ll brag… I’m good. I’m good at filtering for my people (most of the time)…and because of that… I’m good with really helping and astonishing the beautiful soul on the other end of the phone. I always approach these calls with NO attachment to the outcome and I have NO intention of ever proposing on these calls.
• 5. Propose ~ Ch 20, 21, 22 pp. 83. I go SLOW. I stretch myself and my client. I use my versions of some of the language in the book (p84). I want it to be a total hell yes for me before I propose…. and when I do…and if they say yes…I’ve learned to TEST THE YES. I’ve learned to make it a challenge. I’ve learned to not be attached to the yes or no. I get so many Nos. I get them all the time. I also get yesses now and then 🙂

There is no timeline….each of these is an organic step. I use my intuition over these steps…and most of all: I remember that these are people…human being with hearts, and dreams, and desires. And that makes me LOVE client creation (ch 24). It makes me love mingling with possibility. It makes me love inviting people to spend time together….on calls, at painting/coaching retreats…. and soon at larger events.

One connection and conversation…one HEART at a time.

You cant create clients if you have a stick up your ass.

Coaches….don’t make it so hard. Just go be human and present with other humans. Be Visible.  Share your Heart.  Show Your Work. Re-read the book. The appendix has some serious GEMS in it. Read that book–slowly… with a pen and stickies. Make your version of some of the scripts and language in the book. Track your steps & process…tweak it to make it your own. BE relentlessly YOU. Have some effing fun… enjoy yourself. Leave your fears at home and experiment…there is no failure in an experiment.

What questions do you have about client creation?
What are you doing to ENJOY client creation? or are you MISERABLE doing it?
Are you making people feel like they are in a transaction or are you genuinely building relationships?
Where have you fucked up royally?
Where did you NAIL IT!?
Have you been avoiding client creation to build your website or brand or whatever?
What have you done to make the client creation uniquely YOU?

I’d love to hear…. and yes…even as a seasoned coach…. I still get to create clients….yes I love coaching…and creating clients is becoming just as exciting because a while back I decided it could be, will you?