39 | Build Your Client Pipeline Now: Essential Strategies for 2024

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Hello and welcome to Women in

the Coaching Arena podcast.

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I'm so glad you are here.

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I'm Jo Lott, a business mentor

and ICF accredited coach

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Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone):

and I help coaches to

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build brilliant businesses.

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I know that when you prepare to enter

the arena, there is fear, self doubt,

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comparison, anxiety, uncertainty, shame.

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You can tend to armor up and

protect yourself from vulnerability.

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In this podcast, I'll be sharing

honest, not hype, practical and

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emotional tools to support you to make

the difference that you are here for.

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Dare greatly.

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You belong in this arena.

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Hello now welcome to the 39th episode

of women in the coaching arena.

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I am so that you are here.

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Last week I held an in-person event

called dare greatly in the coaching arena.

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I shared a metaphor to help the

attendees really see how to build

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that client acquisition pipeline.

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So I'm excited to share part of what

is shared on that day with you today.

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Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone)-2:

In this episode, we will explore

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that powerful metaphor for client

acquisition as a staircase.

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Each step represents a phase in the

journey of your potential clients

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from their first awareness of

you, to deciding to work with you.

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So let's think about the staircase

as a series of steps that, that

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potential client climbs and each

step represents a deeper level

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of engagement and trust with you.

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Every step on this staircase is crucial

for building a lasting relationship with

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the client enough for them to purchase.

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So they have to know like,

and trust you to buy.

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And so every step along, the staircase

build that know like, and trust and

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enough for them to buy your services.

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Let's think about your client

at the bottom of the staircase.

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And maybe there are four or five

steps and you are at the top.

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Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone)-3:

The first step is going to be

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building awareness and interest.

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Your initial touch points might be things

like social media posts, networking

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events, maybe introductory emails or

calls with people you used to know.

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It's not just about know like and trust.

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We also will need your content or what

you are verbally saying to people to help

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them to see that you can help with an

actual, tangible problem that they have.

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So, for example, if you're creating

content, inspiring quotes often don't

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cut it enough for them to even take

that first step on the staircase.

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For it to be impactful they really

need to see that you understand them,

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their everyday life, what problems

they're experiencing, their dreams,

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their hopes, their aspirations.

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Enough to be able to just take

that first step of like, okay,

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this person has my interest.

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They understand where I'm at.

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And I'm aware of them now.

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Really think about your ideal

client when you are creating things.

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Where are they now?

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Are they feeling like it's

Christmas, another year's coming.

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This one wasn't as good as the last.

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What exactly are they feeling?

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And how can you help to really capture

what they're feeling well enough that you

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know, them more than they know themselves.

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That is what we are aiming for

in your content and in your

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conversations with potential clients.

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So now perhaps you have got that client

to take that first step on the staircase.

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They are.

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Vaguely aware of you.

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They're a little bit interested in what

you're saying in what you're doing.

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Let's talk about the midway steps now.

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Which represent deepening

engagement and trust.

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The strategies might include creating

a lead magnet, which is a free

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PDF, which you offer to people in

exchange for their email address.

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This Is something that I teach in my

program, the business of coaching,

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because there are quite a few techie

steps and strategic steps to make

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this approach really, really work.

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I was in a funnel project for an

entire year, just learning about how

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important it is to create the right

lead magnet and the right title, the

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right subtitle, the right followup

emails, how you can really use those

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emails to nurture people even further.

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So there are a few steps to this, but

essentially it's about offering something

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of high value to that client in order

for them to think that this is valuable

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enough to offer you my email address.

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And then you can get to build

that relationship, even more using

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email as well as social media.

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So now you are showing up in

two places in their world.

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If, for example, you are networking,

this would include follow ups

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with the people that you have met.

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Maybe seeing if you can have

one-to-one calls with them.

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Engaging in more meaningful conversations.

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Maybe sharing valuable

insights through emails.

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If they've mentioned, they're interested

in something you might want to send

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them an article or something useful

to help them to start to know you

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like you and trust you even further.

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This area of the staircase is when

consistency we'll also come in.

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It used to be said that people

needed seven touchpoints to buy.

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Now it has gone up to

21 touchpoints to buy.

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So in other words, people need to

see you and things you're doing at

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least 21 times before they really

know you enough to buy from you.

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So we could even think about

staircases having 21 steps.

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But that might feel like

an absolute mountain.

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So let's just go back to the fast steps.

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Then midway steps, which is

deepening engagement and trust.

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We are moving up the staircase to our

highest steps, which is establishing

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your expertise and credibility.

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This part might include things like

reading blogs, things that they

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can kind of binge on your content.

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So blogs, podcasts and a YouTube

channel, are really good for

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that binge-worthy content.

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So they can really get up those

21 steps a little bit quicker.

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Depending on your niche and

what sort of work you're doing.

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This might include things like published

articles where you can kind of borrow

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the trust of the magazine or newspaper

that they already know and trust.

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It might be guesting at events again,

where you are borrowing the trust of

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that person who's hosting the event.

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Because if they have invited you, then

people are far more likely to trust you.

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This might be webinars where

people get to come and meet you.

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Hear what you have to say, see

if they like your approach.

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Maybe live events.

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Like I held my live event last week.

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That's another way of people taking

that further step up the staircase,

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getting to know you further.

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Also having greater insights.

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If you can help someone to have

insights and make progress.

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When the time is right, they

are far more likely to think.

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That person's already

helped me to make progress.

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Maybe they can help me to

make even more progress.

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These highest steps are all

about showcasing your expertise.

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You might want to write white papers,

talk at events, do lunch and learns.

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It depends on your niche as to

where you might want to show up.

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You might want to write a book.

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There are all sorts of ways to establish

yourself as an expert in your space.

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Okay.

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We have built your brand.

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We have showcased your expertise.

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They are now nearing the

top of the staircase.

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This is where we convert

them into a client.

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If they are the right fit, where that

potential client gets to decide whether

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to engage in your services and you get to

decide whether to work with them as well.

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This may be a discovery call, most likely.

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So you would want to be having an

effective discovery call that can

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convert prospects into clients.

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Help them to see where they are now.

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What are the gaps?

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Where do they want to

be and how you can help.

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If it's a lower cost item, you might

be able to do this from a sales page,

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or if you have built up a lot of

trust and expertise and case studies.

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So, congratulations, you have moved that

ideal client from not knowing you exist up

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the staircase to seeing you as an expert,

able to help them with their problem.

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Let's recap the steps.

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So you can ensure that you are not

missing anything on this journey,

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because I know a lot of people stick

to the surface level, social media,

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and it's just not good enough.

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I like to think of it as a

shallow place to show up.

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Social media could be your shallow

place and we do need these places

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to get in front of more people.

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But also we really want

that deep nurture place.

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So the deep nurture is those higher steps.

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Our podcasts.

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Our blogs, our YouTube.

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Our events, speaking, our white papers,

our book, whatever we can do to really

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showcase our expertise beyond kind of

vaguely inspiring people on social media

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when they are just busy scrolling by.

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So have a think now about your deep

nurture place and what is your shallow

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nurture place you are likely to need both.

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If you are thinking about your website

and how that fits into this and how

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to drive traffic to your website.

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This is how sadly, unless you have a

very established website that has been

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trusted by Google for years, or are paying

regularly a lot of money for great SEO.

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And a lot of blog posts to form part

of your website it is highly unlikely

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to appear on the first page of Google.

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So how you drive traffic to your

website is through showing up.

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People are highly unlikely to find your

website unless they know you already.

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Think of your website as somewhere that

people who already know you check that

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you are an established business person.

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Sadly the website doesn't form

a really huge part of your

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early awareness stage journey.

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So, let me briefly recap

on where we've been today.

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So we are thinking about your pipeline

and how you feel that pipeline.

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And if we think about it using a staircase

with your client at the bottom, we

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firstly need to take their first steps.

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So that is usually your shallow

places like social media or

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your initial networking group.

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Then we need to take the midway

steps that might be getting them onto

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your email list or having follow-up

one-to-one conversations with them.

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Next up is our highest steps

where you ask publishing expertise

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and credibility by showing up.

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Really deepening that know

like, and trust factor.

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And finally we have the top of

your staircase where you are

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going to have a discovery call.

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Usually to convert that

person into a client.

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You may be thinking that this

feels like an awful lot of work.

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And all I can do is say

it is so worth your time.

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Can you imagine if you can help

people, even in your free content?

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And I know you might need the paying

clients and all of that stuff, but

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I genuinely believe giving value

is what you will get paid for.

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So if you are holding back.

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And not showing up and not providing

real value in your content or in your

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conversations then sadly people won't

know like and trust you to refer

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you and to eventually buy from you.

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So just know that good marketing makes

a massive difference in the world.

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And that is why I love

recording this podcast.

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And I know people have made huge

progress from just this podcast alone.

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And I'm happy with that.

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I know that the right

people will work with me.

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Those who aren't in that position

will refer people to me or make

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progress with just my free content.

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So stop and think now about how lovely

it would feel for someone to perhaps

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message you saying I've read your

blog posts and I immediately took the

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step and I am so much further forward.

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How good are you going to feel when

you have an actual strategy to really

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show up and be an expert and make

the difference that you are here for.

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Thank you for listening today.

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I hope you enjoyed our staircase metaphor

to help you to fill your client pipeline.

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If you would like my help to do

this, this is what I do in my

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program, the business of coaching.

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Feel free to find the

details on my website.

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joannalottcoaching.com.

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That's Joanna with an a and lott

with two T's joannalottcoaching.com.

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I'm not taking on any clients this month

because my diary is full, but you can

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start in January and actually, if you

are keen, you can start now and absorb

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all of the content over Christmas as

an extra month free in the program.

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And your official support

period will start in January.

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So don't let Christmas put you off.

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There's bound to be times when you

can reflect on your business and

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start making progress so you are

in a fantastic position for: 2024

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And like I say, at the end of every

episode, trust yourself, believe

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in yourself and be the wise Gardner

who keeps on watering the seed.

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Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone):

Thank you so much for listening to this

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episode of Women in the Coaching Arena.

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I have a mess of free resources on

my website joannalottcoaching.com.

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That's Joanna with an A

and Lott with two T's.

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joannalottcoaching.com.

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And I'll also put links in the show notes.

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Let me know if you found

this episode useful.

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Share it with a friend and

leave me a review, and I will

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personally thank you for that.

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Remember to trust yourself, believe

in yourself and be the wise Gardner

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who keeps on watering the seed.

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Get into the arena dare, greatly and try.