MM #75:Taking Your Success to the Next Level

1. Announcements/Offers

Independent Report on Coach Training and Certification

This free report by David Wood and Daniel Midson-Short reveals the real story behind coach training and certification, answering these crucial questions:

• Do you need to be certified at all?
• How to get a $300 coach training special
• How to choose the perfect school for you
Who should you get certified by? ICF or IAC?
• What if you already have related training?

Available now as a free download in pdf format at:

BecomeACoach.com/freedownload.htm

(Comes as part of the free Coach Training Mini e-Course)

2. FEATURE: Case Study: From Successful Coach to Extraordinary

Michael Stoller was already a successful coach. He'd been at it for more than six years, logging 2,200 hours experience, and had coached more than 200 people. But he saw limitations in what he was doing, and he wanted to take his business to the next level.

That's when Michael called me. I was especially impressed with Michael's determination and results, so I asked my assistant Aine to get his story. It's a very inspiring one.

Note: the audio and some of this article sounds like promo for the CoachStart Program which I run for already successful coaches - which is ironic as I'm not seeking participants right now. But what I'd like you to get from this article and audio is inspiration from Michael's passion and results as a coach. There's a link to the full audio here.

Below are a few highlights of their conversation.

"I came to David specifically to re-brand myself," Michael explained. Although he was already a life coach, he wanted to work with a new clientele - business people and entrepreneurs with the financial resources to spend on his services.

Michael wasn't familiar with David's work until he received an email from his father, who had found David's site. "I was impressed with the way David marketed himself, his products and services," Michael said. He thought the investment sounded very high, but then said: "If you can help me get where I want to be, then the cost is very small."

Specific strategies

Michael decided to use a new approach to David's coaching services. "In the past, most coaches helped me get in touch with my inner wisdom, but I used David more as a mentor and guide," he noted. "I wanted direct advice, like 'Here's what I think you should do if you want to get to the place you want to be.' "During our sessions there would be specific suggestions like: 'Get this section of your website going. Hire someone to do your logo. Create a sample home page. Write your bio.'

One of the biggest action steps Michael took in the CoachStart Program was coming up with a powerful name and brand for his business: Career Rocket Coaching. "It was something David suggested way at the beginning, and it didn't ring with me, but it ended up that as I played with developing it and my logo, I really liked it," Michael remembered.

As Michael developed the content for his site, "David told me what he liked, but more importantly, what he didn't like, so my website would match the image I wanted to get across to my clients or potential clients."

Spectacular results

Michael had just moved from a metropolitan area to a smaller community of 25,000 when he started working on going to the next level. "I knew nobody," he said. But now:

• Michael has six brand-new clients, and is making close to $2,000 per month just with those agreements. He has 8-10 more who are close to a verbal agreement.
• His clients have signed up for six to nine months!
He has become well known in the community and has been involved in Chamber of Commerce events.
• He launched his new website, CareerRocketCoaching.com
• He has a new logo, new business cards, and even embroidered polo shirts. ;-)
• He's been doing speeches and seminars, including The Art of Networking and Motivational Sales.
• He was interviewed about coaching on local television!

Michael's next step is to develop products to sell over the internet for passive income. "Prior to working with David, I thought that was a three-to-five year goal. Now I see it as a one-to-two year goal," he remarked. "I'm thrilled with the results. Things I thought would take much longer to get to, they're actually pretty much around the corner."

What did you learn?

These results alone were certainly something to be happy about, but perhaps a more important result, Michael said, was "I found out that I know how to do this, it reinforced for me that I was doing the right thing. I really learned to trust myself."

"The thing I want my clients to be left with is that you can trust yourself above all others. And I've really learned that over the past three to four months."

Michael says that the most fulfilling part of being a coach is being "in a career that causes me to constantly look at my life, where I can create more satisfaction and joy in my life." He also gets a great deal of joy from "assisting people to see that what they want in their life is actually possible, that they are smart enough, creative enough, that they do have enough knowledge."

"I help them see they don't need to know more to be successful, they need to see what's stopping them. Starting them breaking down the barriers, those fears and concerns is extremely rewarding."

For coaches who are just starting out, that advice holds true as well. Michael feels it's important to remember that success "takes a lot of hard work, it doesn't happen overnight. I don't think it's rocket science to have a successful business, whether it's coaching or any other business. I think it's doing things consistently over time, and giving yourself enough time to succeed."

***

Action: So what calls to you...

1. Who is your mentor? Find someone to inspire you and keep you on track.
2. Where would you like to focus your coaching? Have you narrowed your niche?
3. What barriers are holding you back?
4. What do you plan on doing to move up to the next level?
5. Post your answers on the blog.

***

Want more? The principles Michael and David covered in the CoachStart Program are explained in The CoachStart Manual.

Enjoy!


P.S. Got a comment on this article? Add it to the blog.

P.P.S. I'm generally not taking on clients right now, but if you happen to be one of those extraordinary coaches who has already generated success, and is ready to make a bigger impact on the world, then drop me a line using the form at the CoachStart Program page.