Should Life and Business Coaches join BNI?

Article: Should You Join BNI?
Written by: Michelle Schubnel

A client recently asked, "Do you think I should join BNI?"

BNI, short for Business Networking International, is a lead-sharing networking group.

I was a member of a San Francisco BNI Chapter during my first year in business as a full time coach. It was a great experience and I definitely benefited from my involvement in BNI. Specifically:

• 5 fellow chapter members became clients
• 8 referrals became clients
• 3 strategic alliances were formed (with an accountant, graphic designer and biz attorney)
• several speaking engagements were generated
  

Back then I was coaching by phone from my studio apartment in the Marina District of San Francisco. Having a weekly in-person meeting where I built friendships, gained business knowledge, improved my speaking, developed a great pitch and dressed to impress at least one day a week was definitely key to my success.

Joining BNI, or another lead-sharing organization, such as Le Tip (USA/Canada) Elite Leads (SF Bay Area), can be an excellent tool and marketing strategy to grow your coaching business.

But is it right for you?

5 Key Criteria for Deciding about Joining a Lead-Sharing Networking Group

1. You need to be specific about who you coach and what you coach on. Think about it. In order for the other members to give you qualified referrals, they need to easily understand what you do. And you don't have to be a business coach. There was a career coach in our group who was constantly getting leads.
   
2. You must enjoy it. Do you like the idea of attending a weekly meeting with other small business owners in your area? Are you excited to build business and personal relationships and become an active member of a group? If so, great. You'll like this type of networking.
   
3. Join a large, healthy and dynamic chapter. The coaches who generate the best results by joining lead sharing groups are members of a great chapter. Shop around and choose wisely. The size and quality of your fellow members impact your results.
4. You need to give leads to other members. It's the law of reciprocity. Givers gain. You need to refer people you know to your fellow members, and this can sometimes be challenging. For example, a chiropractor who sees hundreds of clients per month has a much easier time generating referrals than a coach who works from home and coaches clients across the country.
   
5. You need to be committed. You can't just show up when you feel like it. To get good results you need to make it a weekly priority.
   

Go for a Test Drive
Research organizations in your area and visit their meetings. Many chapters will allow you to attend a few times so you can get a feel for the group.

Weigh the Pros and Cons
In addition to potentially gaining new clients, be sure to consider the intangible benefits that address the loneliness and isolation that that is so common in the profession.

Trust Your Gut
If it feels right, go for it. If not, say no thank you and move on to the next thing!

DeGeeking Internet Marketing :: Skype for Coaches

Learn How to Use Skype, through Helping Hands for Coaches! This class will teach you some of the basics that is necessary for the "Skyping" coach. Learn how to change your profile, add a photo, chat or make a call, use the "Mood" bubble for Marketing, and SkypeCast. The new weekly class will be posted here, but for live attendance you can sign-up for the eNewsletter above.

eNewsletters that Get Read!

eNewsletters have become an Internet Marketing tool that almost all small business owners take advantage of, and we have seen the trend almost more often with business and life coaches. Why? Because: they're cheap to produce, you can track your results, you can easily direct readers to buy something at the click of a button, and it's easy. So, why is it so hard not to have an eNewsletter that won't be deleted or marked as Spam? Well, below I've given some quick tips on how to by-pass the Junk Mail folder, and go straight to the "Must Read" folder.

-First, make it interesting with color and photos.
-Second, make it easy to read with bullet points, headlines and small paragraphs
-Third, don't just write about you, but give some information that your readers care about. For instance, if you're a photographer, have a link to a short video on how to hold your camera correctly.
-Fourth, pay attention to subject lines. Announce who you are, and what the reader can expect to find in the eNewsletter. An example would be "Indra :: Make eNewsletters Stand Out!"
-Lastly, make it short. We don't have a lot of time these days to read emails, as often our email box is full. If at first glance it looks like a novel, often people will just ignore it; yet if it's too short, it will look like spam and the email program will automatically send it to the Junk Mail box. In order to avoid this, have more text than there are pictures, and use the feature in your email database program to check the email for your possible score on the Spam chart.

So, remember, keep it short, sweet and pretty and you'll have it made.
If you need help in creating your eNewsletter, or don't want the hassle finding pictures or upkeeping your database, give me a call and we can help you out!

Here's to Internet Marketing for Coaching Success!
Rachel Pradhan
Indra Successful Coach Marketing
Start your eNewsletter campaign with iContact.com, the email database program with so much more to offer!

Book-Signing Success!

I was in Barnes and Noble yesterday, and was compelled to pick-up the Writer's Digest, a monthly magazine for writers.

In it I found several different articles that all life coaches and business coaches would find interesting when marketing and promoting your book! One I found really intriguing was about "Book-Signing Success". Although I can't re-publish the entire article, I'll paraphrase the "Drive-by Signing" by J.A. Konrath (I do suggest you buy the magazine: it's only $6!) The idea: you drive up, go into the store, and sign the stock of your books, then leave.

1. Find the Stores in the area that you will be visiting or are in your area by going online: www.bookweb.org and www.booksense.com and entering in your zip code to find local bookstores.

2. Call the stores you want to drop-in. Call and find-out when their open, when they close, and if they have your book: but don't tell them your the author.

3. Map Out Your Route. I like www.maps.google.com or mapquest.com

4. Find Your Books. This will help the bookstore clerks with their time, and they will be more open to the idea. When you're done signing the books, ask if they have "Signed by Author" stickers for the books, then return them neatly to the shelves.

5. Meet all the Employees of the Store. If an employee meets you, then reads your book, they will recommend it and promote you like crazy.

6. If you're at an Independent Bookstore, Don't Leave without buying something. You scratch my back.....

7. Keep a list or log of where you went, and how much you signed. This will impress your publisher and agent.

8. Return to Stores. After a few months a bookstore may have a fresh stock of your books (because they sold the others) as well as new employees.

9. Don't wait. If you wait 6 months after your book is published, it may be too late.

For more awesome tips on Book-Signing Success, buy the June 2007 edition of the Writer's Digest.

To Your Success!
Rachel

Writers: You need this!

This is a sample of websites that I believe will be helpful for life and business coaches that want to publish:

misssnark.blogspot.com
This blog gives an "interesting" funny insights into the publishing world by answering questions and critiquing queries.

pubrants.blogspot.com
This blog has a great store of resources for writers, plus "rants about queries, writers and the publishing industry."

raleva31.livejournal.com
Rachel Vater, former Guide to Literary Agents, editor and lit agent blogs about the inner workings of the publishing industry. If you are looking for an agent, Rachel will also give you advice and tips on finding the right one.

book-in-a-week.com
Need to write a book, right now! Check-out this site to find out how you can get it done in 7 days straight.

www.askoxford.com/betterwriting/classicerrors
Not great at grammar? The portion of this website is dedicated to answering classic grammar questions.

bartleby.com
Great for research and quotes.

m-w.com
Thesaurus and Dictionary online.

absolutewrite.com
Want to write an article, or be a free-lance writer? This site not only has "Writers Wanted" section, but it also has an eNewsletter full of agents looking for writers.

autocrit.com
Supposedly, this site can automatically give you feed-back on your book. I haven't tried this myself, but if you have, please leave a comment about it.

bookpromotionnewsletter.com
Have a book, but don't know how to get it sold? Free eNewsletter will help you market your masterpiece.

publicityhound.com
Self-promotion on a budget, or on a non-budget.

copyright.gov
You wrote it, now protect it!

sfwa.org/beware
Please make sure you check-out this site before signing up with any company. If you can't find the company on their website, you can email and they will respond quickly.

whitepapersource.com
Don't know how to write White Papers? This site is full of tips!

Have other sites you want to add, leave a comment!

To Your Success!
Rachel

San Diego Professional Coaches Alliance :: Self-Publishing

Do you have a book in you, but "Clueless" on how to get it out? Let me recommend Mike Rounds "Clueless" series on self publishing: amazon.com. When I went to the SDPCA meeting this past Monday, Mike gave us some real "how-to" on self-publishing, including: how to get an ISBN number, how to get a bar code, what the pros and cons are on different kinds of binding and printing, and how to get started with the daunting task of developing and writing your book. His hands-on, and real-time techniques can have you writing your book and get it published within 4 months, vs. 18 months with a publisher.

Publishing your first book will give you credibility on your knowledge and expertise. If you want some instant exposure and credibility, write a book! Get started with Mike Rounds "Self-Publishing for the Clueless"!

To Your Success!
Rachel

Coach and Grow R.I.C.H :: ICF-OC

Yesterday, I went to an amazing ICF meeting in Orange County that had Michelle Schubnel as the Headline Speaker. Although I've been a big fan of her teleclasses for a while, I loved seeing her in action! She was lively, personable, and real. Her talk was very interactive with some real "hands-on" activities that helped us to quickly get in tune with her talk.

The first part of the program she taught us how to introduce ourselves with a real simple formula: "Who are you, who do you work with, who would benefit from it, and what your specialty is." Although I was late for this part of the meeting, I quickly caught on, and loved the simplicity of the formula. It would be simple for the listener to understand what you do and who would benifit from it: which is the point of a 30 second speech, right? I'm sure you may have been in this situation: Your at a networking meeting or expo, and you have a potential client in front of you, and after you give your 30 second speech, they give you a blank stare. Not a good sign. I know I'm going to use Michelle's formula for my future interactions. Thank you Michelle!

The 30 second speech formula is just a sample of all I learned during her 2 hour talk. After the talk, I went over and quickly reviewed her books and program, and it's an amazing program! So detailed, with real effective action items, and specially formulated for coaches to better their business skills! I recommend every coach to go to her site: www.coachandgrowrich.com!

Also, if you are a coach, and are not part of a professional organization, such as ICF (International Coaching Federation), I would highly recommend going to a meeting. Not only will you meet colleagues in your field, but you will learn practices that will propel you forward in your career as a coach. The three organizations that I have visited, and would recommend you visit is: www.sandiegocoaches.com, www.icforangecounty.com, and the PCMAonline.com (Orange County). As I visit more, I will write about them and my experiences, so please visit my blog often!

To Your Success!
Rachel

Rachel's on TV with "Insight with Ethal"

I was interviewed by Ethel Lover with The Insight TV Show this past week. We discussed the many different ways coaches and business owners can market themselves through the Internet, beyond websites.

You can watch it on Google Videos, or on Free Marketing Videos. If you watch it on Google Videos, be sure to rate it! I'd love to have some feed back, so leave a quick comment after.

There's only one thing I would say differently: if I had a choice between YouTube and Google Videos, I would pick Google Videos. It is much easier to use, there's no restrictions, and it's easier to search, too.

What is a Blog?

A blog is a user-created website where entries are made in an online journal and displayed in a reverse chronological order. Blogs often provide commentary or news on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news; some function as more personal online diaries. For coaches wanting to start a blog, you should focus on your particular expertise: relationships, business, spirituality, or the law of attraction. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of most early blogs. For small businesses using a blog is a great way to generate new and fresh content, which allows visitors to visit often.

When marketing your coaching or motivational speaker website, you need to have a reason for visitors to visit more than once. The idea is to get them to visit often, so that you have more opportunities to market to your potential clients.

A blog can have many different faces: it can be an area that you post articles related to your service or products, it could be where you post news releases, it could be where you post commentaries, and it can even be an online journal of personal thoughts, but it should be related to your expertise if it's attached to your website. A blog is not, however, where you should expect a lot of feed back or visitor communication. Visitor’s can leave comments, but generally a blog is not for that purpose. A forum is a better communication vehicle, which I will discuss in my next blog entry!

Once you start your blog, you can use blog distributors' sites, such as www.technorati.com to promote your blog, and your business!

-Rachel

LinedIn: Online Networking

There are 9 million professionals on LinkedIn. That's a lot of people that you could potentially connect to! But, I'm often asked: "So, how can I utilize Online Networking, such as LinkedIn? Can I really contact people directly?" I like to think of Online Networking, such as LinkedIn, as a very large expo. They're there to make connections! Some big differences between a live expo and an online expo are:

1. Everyone is online, so people can be from all over the country
2. Everyone has an exhibit table in which you can "display" your expertise, your hobbies, your contact information and website, and testimonials
3. People can see who your connected to within the group-and if someone wants to be introduced to someone within your connections, they can ask to be introduced

Some similarities are:

1. If you don't work the room, you wont get much business from it: Don't be shy about asking your connections to introduce you to people you want to meet, but be considerate-don't bombard one contact with lots of introductions at one time.
2. The more connections you have, the more potential business: Think of it as a game to see how many useful connections you can make!

I've made a lot of great connections with LinkedIn, and believe it will soon bring me some great business! One of the most frustrating problems with trying to connect with people in LinkedIn is when a member's profile is not fully developed, and you're not sure what they do. Be sure to take some time and fully develop your profile so that it's easy for people to see what you do. Think of it as your table at an expo - it's your first impression!

Try it out, and get networking with LinkedIn! Be sure to look for my profile and get connected! To Your Success! Rachel Pradhan.

Websites for Coaches

One of the great marketing tools for a coach can use to build their client/coach relationship is their website! Below are some marketing tools for effective coach websites:

1. Have an audio or video sample on your website: this allows people from all over the globe to hear you speak, give advice, and start building the relationship with them.

2. Have testimonials on your coach website: this allows for people that worked with you previously to recommend you with glorious praise about how you helped them accomplish their goals. If you can add photos next to the testimonials, that will add authenticity.

3. Have a fun feature, such as 'Take a Moment': this is a "stickiness" aspect, giving visitors the opportunity to stay and experience. Many large companies do this, such as paint companies use their 'virtual painting' in which visitors can paint a room, virtually.

4. Send this Site to a Friend: allow you visitors to recommend your site easily!

5. Constantly add to your site, or have several changing pages: visitors will come back if they know that you write often in your blog or your calender of events is up-to-date.

6. Have a Resources page: visitors that come across your coaching website are interested in the same things you are-help them find more websites, books, or movies within the same genera will make visitors want to come-back often, thus giving coaches more opportunity to market themselves.

These are just a few of the marketing tools we use in our coaching websites. If you want a free 20 minute evaluation on the effectiveness of your coaching website, be sure to contact us: 949.249.4958 or rachel@indrasvoice.com.

Coach Marketing

Coaches have it very different when it comes to Marketing. Here are some unique ways that Coaches can Market themselves to help them get noticed:

1. Offer something for free: a 30 minute coaching session and free articles on your website. Try to be unique, and geared for your niche. Try our Inspirational Wallpapers as a free gift-it's effective, cost efficient, and fun!

2. Niche-Do you have a Niche? Having a niche is like creating a funnel for your prospects: the ones that fit into your funnel will come running to you, but if you don't have a niche-it's like having a net in which you have to run after prospects!

3. Have a video or audio sample on your website. Your website is one way to communicate with your prospects and start building a relationship-and what better why than to have them hear or see you speak!

4. Start a Podcast-look at past Blogs to find out how!

5. Start a Blog! It's easy as long as you schedule in time to do it! Make sure you update it often, though, so your viewers will visit often.

6. Offer a referral program to past clients-many companies do this, and there's a reason why-because it works!

7. Offer a low-cost class at your local library based on your niche-have brochures and CDs or Books available to purchase at the back of the room.

8. Start a support group with MeetUp.com based on your niche.

Here are just a few of the many ways that coaches can market themselves. If you have another suggestion, feel free to leave a comment and offer it to the rest of the readers!

To Your Success!

It's All About Showing Up!

Robbie Motter, national speaker, coach and author recently bought one of our customizable wallpapers. She wanted to remind her friends, family and clients that "It's All About Showing Up!" I love the colors she chose. I personally have it as my own wallpaper, because so often I have "Shown Up" and something amazing happens: I meet people that can help in so many ways. The truth is, coaches, if you show up the laws of attraction can work-but if your not there, how can it? The law of attraction is very powerful-but we also have to do a little work as well. So, it's there every time I look at my computer-helping me remember that with just a little effort, so many wonderful things can happen!

Calling all Business and Life Coaches: Inspire yourself! Market yourself! Advertise yourself! Show-up to that networking meeting you've been neglecting, show-up to that party you were thinking of skipping, and download Robbie's wallpaper on her website: http://www.rmotter.com/html/wallpaper.htm!

Our First Video Series

Business Coaches, Life Coaches, Relationship Coaches: Our video classes are up! Please visit them often as we will be updating them regularly. Our next series will be on Internet Marketing for Life Coaches: the basics.

This week we have "How to download and use our Free Wallpaper" series, as well as "How to download, use and send your Customized Inspirational Wallpaper".

Do you have a technology question that you need help with? Leave a comment on what video class you would like to see!