Wendy (00:32)
Hello, welcome back to the coaching edge. I am your host, Wendy McCallum. Today we're gonna talk about how to find your foundational markets marketing strategy. So the one thing that you are going to really be consistent with and focus on that is going to form what I like to refer to as kind of your top of funnel. So the thing that is gonna become the reliable platform.
Wendy (00:55)
form for leads that you pull down a little further into your world and something that's going to help you start building that like no trust with people so that eventually those people convert into paying clients. Okay. I want to tell you a story before we get started because that's really the origin of this episode comes from me thinking about what are some things I've learned in my lifetime that I can talk about on the podcast that will be helpful to other coaches to hear because it might prevent them from making the same mistake.
Wendy (01:25)
Or it might help them, you know, just make different decisions in terms of what's next for them in their business. And this is one of those stories that I thought of. So a while back, and it was probably like nine or 10 years ago, I can't remember exactly when, I hired a business coach who I really loved. She was just an excellent coach. And I had hired her to help me launch a new program that I had designed. And I was really looking for support in the launch process part.
Wendy (01:54)
and she had a very specific launch formula that she taught and a program that she sold to coaches where she walked you through everything you needed to do up until the launch and after the launch to have a successful launch. It was a formula. The centerpiece of her formula was a live webinar with a really set structure. So it was very much based on the clock.
Wendy (02:21)
And that included a dedicated sales section at the end. So at a certain point when the clock hit this number, I was supposed to start talking about the program that I was the the offer that I had and really start selling it. Now I did feel some initial kind of resistance to this. I'm not, I'm not going to lie. I just didn't listen to it. And I guess my my the moral of this podcast today is listen to your gut. I've gotten a whole lot better at doing that.
Wendy (02:51)
but there was like there were some things about this that rubbed me the wrong way. I wasn't worried about the actual live webinar because I had done all kinds of group work and teaching that had been the basis of my practice and my business for a long time. So I wasn't uncomfortable with the idea of getting on live and teaching something or talking about a topic. but there were a couple things that didn't sit right with me. First, the word webinar. I hate it. I've always hated it. It to me
Wendy (03:17)
Has kind of a negative connotation. And when at the time that we were doing this, which was many, many years ago now, was kind of in the the at the peak of the the webinar-driven sales model. So there was this association that the word, the word webinar was really code for like a sales call, and that you knew that I'd been on enough of these things that I knew that at
Wendy (03:43)
40 minutes or whatever it was, the host was suddenly going to start talking about whatever the offer was. And there was no way that if I was going to get the advantage of the first 40 minutes of value from that host, that they weren't going to sell me something at the end. And I, you know, you kind went into a webinar with that assumption, or at least I did. But I had also been on a lot of webinars that have had been really kind of bait and switchy.
Wendy (04:06)
So what I mean by that is that somebody sold it as this will not be a sales thing. I am not going to be selling on this. I I actually was on one once that I was told it was a retreat for coaches, and it was a hardcore sales event. very structured, very obvious from the beginning to me, frankly, that there was going to be a a major high-ticket sale at the end. And and there was. so I just had this like
Wendy (04:32)
resistance there around this whole webinar idea, but I did not listen to it. I went ahead anyway, even though my intuition was telling me this probably wasn't for me. so I did all the work. I felt really productive. I followed all the steps and the guidance. I got my whole sequence ready for the launch for all my emails. And then I had, you know, my socials that went along with the launch and I had my sequence for after the the the webinar that was going to send out to people who attended. I had it all set up and
Wendy (05:01)
The webinar date came and the teaching part went really well as I knew it would. I felt really comfortable. It was great. I was totally in my flow state that I get into when I'm doing live things. And then the clock hit that magic number where I was supposed to switch into sales mode and I just lost all flow. It was the most awkward thing. I could literally keep started sweating. I was just so anxious about doing this, like delivering this specific sort of script around sales.
Wendy (05:31)
It wasn't a bad script, by the way. It was a good script. And it wasn't a particularly pushy sales thing. It was just, it was just really uncomfortable for me. And I felt completely out of step in that. When the thing was over, I was so freaking glad it was over. And then I was sending the replay out to both the participants on the live call and a bunch of people who had signed up but couldn't come live. And I actually re-recorded the sales portion and edited.
Wendy (05:59)
The live video to include my re-recorded portion of the last, like whatever it was, 10 minutes of the call. Cause I felt so uncomfortable about the way that I had delivered it. It just felt I was so stressed about it. I've never done that ever, ever on any other thing. But with that one, I just felt like I need to re-record this because I was all over the place. And it must have been so obvious to everybody how stressed I was. Now, it probably wasn't. It was probably way more obvious to me than the people who were on the call, but it taught me something really important, this experience. And that's why I wanted to share it with you. It taught me.
Wendy (06:29)
That
Wendy (06:31)
Really, this experience had nothing to do with the coach. Again, she's an excellent lover. it had nothing to do with teaching live. And it really wasn't that the formula wasn't a good formula or approach. It was that the formula just wasn't mine. It wasn't the right formula for me. And after almost 17 years of coaching, here is something that I know for sure. There is not just one way to build a coaching business. In fact, there are three
Wendy (07:00)
thousands of ways to do it. And your job is to find the one that fits you. And as a coach, that's what I help coaches do. Figure out what is the right fit for them. In this episode, I'm going to talk about why this one formula message is now everywhere and walk you through three steps that will help you figure out what your fit is, and also tell you what I'd suggest you ask before you actually hand over any money.
Wendy (07:29)
For a business program. Okay, so let's start with the fact that this one formula messaging is everywhere. In fact, I just talked about this last week a little bit when I had Lauren Balterman on. We were talking about how both of us kind of are have been noticing this and it's feeling uncomfortable for both of us because we're both in the world of supporting coaches. but what I have noticed is that, and I don't know if it's with the advent of AI or just the huge boom in the coaching industry or or what it is.
Wendy (07:59)
But there is a lot of this sort of follow my formula and you will get X. This is the return you'll get. and it they it it's out there around, you know, my launch formula or my business building formula or my, you know, paid ad strategy or you know, whatever it is. There are there are various different versions of this out there, but it is all over the place. And
Wendy (08:25)
The reason it is out there is because it's really easy to sell, because it feels certain and that feels safe. And especially in the first few years of building a coaching business, anything that feels certain feels like relief. In fact, I would say it still feels like that to me as somebody who's been in this for 17 years. But if it feels feels certain, then I'm gonna feel some relief from that. Now, what gives me certainty is very different than what gave me certainty when I was a new coach starting out.
Wendy (08:54)
Clear about that. And what I want to really highlight in this episode is that just because there's a formula doesn't mean it's certain. In fact, oftentimes it's a whole lot less certain. Because what if it's not the right formula for you? Right? The thing that's certain is when you land on the right approach for you. The thing that feels like when you're doing it, we're going to talk about it. There's always going to be hard work involved in it, but it does feel like you're kind of in a state of.
Wendy (09:21)
flow, there's energy that comes from it. It feels really good to you. It doesn't feel uncomfortable. There isn't a lot of resistance. So that's what we're looking for. The one formula kind of approach though, that's being hard sold all the time. I mean, I get an email in my inbox almost every day promising me some enormous result if I just sign up for this person's program or support is actually costing coaches a lot.
Wendy (09:51)
It's costing money. So I just I see a lot of people making investment time and time again in these types of like one size fits all solution to the problem. it's also obviously costing time because you have to like build this whole new strategy or approach as a result of whatever program you're following. and you know, if it's gonna work, usually you have to be pretty consistent with it for a long period of time. And I think the biggest one is confidence, and I see this all the time. So people
Wendy (10:18)
decide because that particular formula that they paid for and learned didn't work for them, that they're bad at marketing or they're bad at sales. When the real issue is probably fit, like it was with me with that webinar. I have continued to do live workshops and presentations, and those have become a real part of the backbone really of my
Wendy (10:42)
Of my mark the marketing for my business. They work really, really well for me. I just don't do them the way that particular formula suggested that I do them. I have found the right fit for me. so the issue there wasn't that I'm bad at sales. That type of sales, that type of formula for sales is not the right fit for me. I'm actually great at sales, but it's a completely different approach that I take. so that again, that formula that someone is teaching is, you know.
Wendy (11:12)
A formula that works for that person because it fits them. My coach's launch structure structure worked for them, and it probably worked for other coaches too, but it just wasn't a good match for me. So, and I want to be really clear here, I'm not saying all programs are bad. lots of them are genuinely helpful. The question isn't whether a strategy is good or bad, it's whether it's good for you. And that's what we're talking about today. So the first thing you need to know in order to start.
Wendy (11:39)
Figuring out whether a program or a formula or an approach for to marketing is the right fit for you is to get really clear on your special sauce. Now, this is something I talked about, I've talked about it in a previous episode. I think it was episode 66 where I talked about nailing your special sauce. I touch on it all the time in podcast episodes, and I talked to Lauren Balterman about it last week because she is a coach who helps other coaches determine and get really clear on what she calls their psychological signature.
Wendy (12:09)
Which really is another way of saying special sauce. So we're talking about what makes you distinctly view as a coach, your story, your perspective, your lived experience, the way that you connect with people. and the reason that this comes first is that your marketing is how people experience your special sauce before they even work with you. So if you are showing up and you're
Wendy (12:35)
Your top of funnel marketing thing, whatever that is, for me, it's this podcast, it's also some of these workshops that I do where you're talking to somebody for the first time. It's the first time that you're getting in front of them. If you're showing up aligned with your special sauce in a way that you are basically just like it's oozing out of you your special sauce. By the way, my special sauce, there is no one size fits all formula for anything. Business building is hard, but it's fun.
Wendy (13:02)
And it's all about experimentation and you know, figuring out what is right for you and really leaning into your own strengths. And I am a person who will deliver you a no BS straight shooter approach to business building. but I'll do it in a way that's really kind and and feels you know inclusive to you. So that's my special sauce.
Wendy (13:27)
in terms of my background and experience that contributes to my special sauce, I was a practicing lawyer for 12 years before I, you know, left that because I burnt out and moved into this what I thought was kind of be the dream, which was building my own business as a as a coach. and man, it was hard and I made a million mistakes and I learned so much along the way, but I did it. And I eventually turned it into a full-time, very successful coaching practice.
Wendy (13:55)
And all of my lived experience, both as a coach myself building a business, and the experience that I have now from supporting over 100 coaches and building their own businesses is what comes into everything I talk about on this podcast and everything that goes into my programs for coaches. So that's my special sauce. You want your special sauce to ooze out of you in whatever your top-of-funnel main foundational marketing thing is. I'm gonna talk about all the different
Wendy (14:24)
Options for that in a second. when I look back at that webinar that I did, part of my special sauce is warmth and no pressure honesty. And a timed hard sell section that I was supposed to do worked directly against my special sauce. And so it's no wonder it felt so wrong to me, honestly.
Wendy (14:47)
Okay, so that's the first thing. You've got to know your special sauce when we're talking about trying to figure out what the right foundational marketing thing is for you, you and your business. The second thing is you have to find the right marketing lane. So you need to figure out, okay, what is my what what are my natural strengths and where do I feel best in terms of marketing efforts? Like, so this is a little bit of trial and error for people for sure, but let me talk you through like,
Wendy (15:14)
Some of the coaches that I've worked with either inside the BBB or one-on-one, who I've watched build successful businesses, I want to give you some examples of different types of marketing lanes that have worked for different coaches. Okay. So the first kind of archetype, let's call it an archetype. It's a fancy word for marketing, but is the writer. I have, I can think of a very specific coach, and if she's listening, she probably knows who she is, who I'm referring to, but a coach who
Wendy (15:43)
From the beginning, I was saying to her, you are such a fabulous writer. You have a gift with writing. You are funny, you are clear, you are a great storyteller. And she started to really experiment with longer form content. First, she started working on publishing, getting some essays or articles published in magazine local magazines, and then settling into longer form content and then experimenting with Substack.
Wendy (16:12)
And writing is where her voice comes through best. So that is where people get to know and trust her. So that's an example of someone leaning into their strengths. Like that is a special strength when you are a natural storyteller and communicator in writing.
Wendy (17:54)
Another archetype that I have seen over the years, and I can think of a few coaches I've worked with who would fit into this category, these are the researchers. These are the detail-oriented people. They often come from some other career that is a detail-oriented profession.
Wendy (18:09)
These coaches are often brilliant at research. They love digging in, they love facts, they love gathering evidence and then making sense of it. And I can think of a couple of coaches who I've worked with who have really leaned into that strength, and it's led to book proposals for the two that I'm thinking of specifically, and eventually book deals. So a book is an
Wendy (18:32)
Right move for most coaches, honestly, but for them it was a natural extension of what they already loved doing, and therefore it worked, they were successful at it. Another archetype, maybe, of coach marketers are the corporate connection people. And this happens a lot inside my programming. I have a lot of coaches I work with who've had previous careers in corporate and are shifting over into coaching. And
Wendy (18:57)
As a result of their previous corporate careers, they have a really big network. And so they love networking because they've been doing it for a long time, and they have a lot of connections. Because they are often also public comp public speakers, so they're confident public speakers, and that's something that they did as part of their previous jobs. these people can often leverage their network to get paid speaking gigs.
Wendy (19:26)
And use that as a foundation for marketing a one-on-one coaching business or something else if they have a group program or something that they offer. I have a coach who I can who a specific coach in mind as I'm telling the story who left corporate, started her coaching business, and booked a $5,000 corporate speaking gig within a couple of months of officially launching as a coach.
Wendy (19:49)
And it was through her network. And then she went on to book a bunch more paid speaking gigs. Now, is $5,000 out of the gate normal for a brand new coach for a corporate speaking? No, not in my experience. But that was her sweet spot. And she was not starting from scratch. She was starting from an existing network and an existing set of strengths and confidence. So that's one other architect. Also, Reels people, R E E L people, real people.
Wendy (20:18)
So those people who are just geniuses with reels, who love to make short form content on Instagram. They love playing around with the editing thing. They're comfortable with the tech. They're genuinely funny usually. And short form content has over consistent short-form for short form content has helped them build that like no trust. That is not everybody. That is not me. I do not love that. I love long form content. but short form content works so well for for a lot of people. so if you enjoy making that kind of content, it can be really powerful.
Wendy (20:47)
and if you dread it, it's probably going to show. It's probably going to be very apparent. Another little sort of special marketing lane that I can think of is I have one coach that I support a number of coaches all over the world. Frankly, lots of my coaches are in Europe. I've had coaches in Australia. this particular coach I'm thinking of is the only coach who in her niche.
Wendy (21:13)
Who creates social media media content in the language of her country of origin for that niche, which is her country of origin. So she's the only coach who puts out social media content in her language for the people of her country of origin. and her dream clients obviously are from her country of origin and share that background and language, and it's landed really well for them. Her special sauce and her marketing lane are kind of the same thing, and no one else can
Wendy (21:42)
copy it. It's it's really it's her thing. So sometimes it's that sometimes it's just you have a really specific niche and your niche involves you showing up in a certain way which is in alignment with her special sauce and and that works. I have some coaches who are really good at structured marketing repetitive marketing. These are like the monthly presenters these are the people
Wendy (22:09)
Who probably would have done a lot better with the webinar model, the formula that wasn't the right fit for me. They do often structured months monthly presentations. They're really good at learning as they go. So they just keep repeating it and tweaking it and making it better. And every time it gets a little bit more effective, repetition is their superpower. Structure is their superpower. They like that, they lean into that. I have some coaches who actually have their all of their marketing has been in person, live, face to face. And I know that you're like, what? People still do that.
Wendy (22:39)
But they do still do that. And I have some coaches who are really successful who get far more clients from live in-person events than roundtables or anything else that they might do online. So those coaches usually have offices where they actually sit across from clients and see them face to face. And I know again, it sounds old-fashioned, but it absolutely still happens and it works really well for them.
Wendy (23:06)
Those people also tend to run really successful small intimate in-person groups and often like retreats as well go along with that. then one of my favorite groups, one of my favorite kind of marketing lanes, the podcasters. This is my lane. I have two, I'd say I have two lanes, but this is one of my main lanes, obviously. Some coaches are just natural podcasters. They're really comfortable talking, they love conversations, they love thinking out loud.
Wendy (23:33)
They're much more comfortable in long form content than sort of 90-second reels on Instagram. And a lot of my coaches have built podcasts of their own. And some of those podcasts have really taken off, which is awesome. Podcasts build slowly. There's a lag time on them. You need to be committed and you know consistent and just keep showing up and just trust that eventually a good podcast is going to gather momentum and steam.
Wendy (24:01)
but for the right coach, it's a really wonderful way to build like no trust. It's worked really well for me, both in this area of supporting coaches and building businesses, and also I had a podcast for many years that was more focused on my personal coaching niche. So podcasting can work really well. And then the last thing I wanted to talk about is the live workshops because they do actually work for me in my way. So not that structured webinar.
Wendy (24:30)
But I really love teaching live and the format was never the problem. Like the the online platform was never the problem. It was the scripted sales and the really tight organization of the timer. That was really the part that threw me off. So I kept the part that I loved and I changed how I sell in that I teach really generously. I do lots of workshops and live presentations and
Wendy (24:55)
they're never webinars, they're never salesy. In fact, I will say there will be no sales component to this. as I'm recording this, I have a connection call, a free connection call coming up for coaches, and I've advertised it as no sales, and there will be zero sales on it. But will I sell from that? Probably, because in showing up as myself with my own special sauce, which is not pushy sales, but where I do talk confidently about, you know.
Wendy (25:24)
business building and how I support coaches and I provide lots of free value in those sessions, that speaks for itself and often will lead to selling. And I'm also very good at what I call organic marketing, which I've talked about at various times in this podcast episode. I will follow up with emails and next steps and you know that will often lead to sales as well. So you don't have to throw out the whole strategy, but sometimes you get to keep the parts that fit and change the parts that don't.
Wendy (25:50)
So the point of all of this is that every one of these coaches that I've just talked about in these various marketing lanes is successful and not one of them did it the same way. There isn't just like one way to do this. There are such, there's such variety available here. So if you're not sure what lane is yours, here are some of the questions that I would ask you. What kind of work energized you before you became a coach? So if you had a previous career, what did you love doing? What felt good for you? When did you feel like you were in this, in this, in the flow state? Which marketing tasks now make you feel really icky?
Wendy (26:20)
put you off. and which ones do you love doing where you lose track of time when you're doing them? Where have your best clients come from so far? Because that's usually a clue that you have whatever it was that you were doing that led to those clients was probably something you were feeling really aligned with and in flow. and what has felt wrong in your gut? Like when have you felt that resistance that I felt to that webinar, even though a coach or an expert or influencer or somebody told you that it was the right move. Like
Wendy (26:48)
Pay attention to all of those things.
Wendy (26:54)
Okay, I would be remiss if I didn't have this next piece of the conversation, the one sided conversation with you, which is I just wanted to be really clear and honest about the fact that just because you find your fit in marketing, the thing that is the right lane for you, doesn't mean that it's gonna be effortless. It doesn't mean that it's not gonna take a lot of hard work. your lane is probably gonna stretch you. it's
Wendy (27:21)
It's going to require consistency no matter what it is. The difference is in the energy. So hard work that lights you up feels really different from hard work that drains you. Like it's just a completely different feel. And I'm looking to help you find hard work that feels good to you. and here is why this matters so much for sales. When you are doing what suits you, you're gonna talk about your work with authenticity, with passion, when you're in a lane that feels like
Wendy (27:51)
There's very little resistance, and it's a place that is energizing for you. You're gonna talk very differently about the work that you do. That's what's gonna build the like note trust fastest for you. And that is what, of course, is going to lead to sales faster for you. So I want to encourage you to listen to your gut. And the purpose of me sharing that little story was to just kind of show you how you can trust your gut and how it's also like a human thing to sometimes override that and not listen to it. But
Wendy (28:18)
It's a really good lesson in business. Trust your gut. Listen to it. I did have a really clear signal before that that webinar. And I overwrote it because the formula from this trusted person who was excellent at what she did did, it just felt right. It felt like I should try I should trust that more. And I think you have to treat that kind of dis discomfort when you feel it, that resistance as information.
Wendy (28:47)
And not necessarily as a flaw that you have to push through. And that's not to say that like you can't push through uncomfortableness in business. That's part of doing business too. But you know, I have started to learn like what kind of resistance and uncomfortableness is the stuff that means this is not right for you. And what is more like, okay, this is something that you're gonna have to like, you know, sort of muscle through. And and again, that comes from like the doing for sure.
Wendy (29:13)
Here are the practical things to take away from this podcast. Just pick one primary lane. We've been talking today about your foundational marketing thing. For me, it is this podcast. Now, I also have some secondary like workshops and live things that I do, but for me, it's all about long-form live content. That's what I love the most. and having having longer form conversations with people as opposed to short form content.
Wendy (29:39)
Commit to it for a set period. You're gonna have to give it a few months at a minimum for some of these things. Like I was talking about a podcast, like you really need to be in it for at least a year. I think the two podcasts I've done, the payoff from the podcasts, the point where I've started to think, this is really catching on. People are really starting to feel like compelled to book calls with me, for example, from the podcast, was a couple of years for both of them.
Wendy (30:06)
it just grew steadily and it definitely led to sales before that. But there's a bit of a tipping point with a podcast, and there is with most marketing things. So you're gonna have to also adjust as you learn, you're gonna have to pay attention. You know, I'm a big fan of beta mode. Pay attention, gather data, what's working, what's not working, what can you tweak? You get to change your mind. and so if after a long period of time it doesn't feel like it's doing what it should be doing, or it doesn't feel good to you, you have to listen to that.
Wendy (30:35)
Before you buy another coaching program, this is the last thing I want to really hammer, hammer home. Here are some questions I want you to ask. Does this program approach formula, whatever it is, does it actually adapt to my strengths, what I know are naturally the things I am good at and the things that feel energizing for me? Or does everyone just do the same thing in this program? Like is it really just a formula that I am following?
Wendy (31:04)
Is there any room for adaptation, for flexibility, for my natural strengths to kind of shine through in this? Will I get help figuring out which strategies suit me? Or am I just gonna get a plan and instructions for one route, one path from A to Z? can I see results from people who are different from the creator? So can I talk to other people, or are there testimonials that show me what?
Wendy (31:33)
How this approach has worked for people who are different from the creator, because it probably worked really well for the creator of this program. But where's the evidence that it works well for other people? And if part of the method doesn't feel right to me when I learn about it, is there room for me to adapt that within this program or is it really, really fixed and rigid? Those are the things to ask. And by the way, I probably could have adapted this approach, but I just didn't have the confidence to listen to my gut in that moment. And
Wendy (32:01)
and change it up. And I've I've done that since. I've adapted since. It was really a good learning experience for me. Okay. if you want to know a little bit more and have get some more depth around like, is this a program I should be investing in? I actually did a whole podcast episode on that. I think it was episode 62 and it was called something like, is this business program worth it? So go and listen to that if you're currently on the fence about a business program. but, you know, let's let's bring it back
Wendy (32:29)
Home to me and what I've learned from this and how this has affected the way that I offer programming rep programming for coaches. I do not offer a one size fits all formula ever. So even the courses that are more specific to this solving a particular problem, like for example, the CCC, which is the coaching course creator program, there isn't one way to build a course. And I don't talk about how you have to follow a specific formula to launch. I give you all kinds of ideas.
Wendy (32:54)
Around how you can do that. And I really help you in in that course and in all the other programming and coaching that I do, figure out what the right lane is for you. and that, you know, that just works a whole lot better for me because again, it's aligned with my kind of special sauce, my experience, my, you know, all the things that I believe in. And it just it feels a lot better to me to do it that way. And I think it serves the coaches that I work with a whole lot better. Just a reminder, there are
Wendy (33:24)
thousand different ways to build a successful coaching business. And the one that works for you is the one that combines your special sauce with marketing that you'll actually enjoy showing up for. And again, that's what I do with the coaches that I support. I help them figure out what the approach is that feels exciting and right for them. Okay, that is it for me today. Hope you found this podcast episode helpful. And I will see you next week on the coaching edge. Thanks again for listening.
Wendy (33:50)
If you like this podcast, I'd really appreciate it if you go and give it a review. It really helps.
Wendy (33:55)
And share it with any other coaches that you know who might be looking for some support around the building of their small business. Have a wonderful week. I'll see you next time on The Coaching Edge.
