But there is a tool that is extremely helpful, no matter kind of coaching you do. This tool can help any coach. It’s the SWOT analysis.

SWOT analysis stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats and it has been an integral part of the business world since the dawn of time. (Or, at least it seems that way).

To perform a SWOT analysis, simply take a regular sheet of paper and fold it into quarters. Then in each quarter right one of the words – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats – so you have all four on the page.

Now it’s time to analyze. To do this well, it’s best to first clearly define what you are analyzing. If you’re a business coach, you might be helping your client analyze an entire business or a market segment or the competition or a new product or a new joint venture. If you’re a relationship coach, you might be helping your client analyze a recent date they went on or how they view themselves. If you’re a productivity coach, you might be helping your client analyze their schedules or a recent project they started. You need to clearly define what you are analyzing or else the analysis can carry on too long and get out of hand.

Start with strengths. These are the internal strengths of the situation – perhaps of the person or the business, if that’s what you’re analyzing.

Then move on to weaknesses. These are the internal weaknesses of the situation.

Next, move on to opportunities. These are the external elements that can be used to improve the situation.

Last, work on threats. These are the external elements that risk the failure of the situation.

Often, for people new to the SWOT analysis, strengths and opportunities often get repeated, and weaknesses and threats often get repeated. However, they are different: Strengths and weaknesses are internal while opportunities and threats are external.

Take as much time as you need on this part for the more it’s filled in, the more useful it will be in the next step:

Next, start making connections and leverage what’s there. Use the following questions to help you:

1. Are there strengths that can be used to minimize weaknesses?
2. Are there strengths that can be used to leverage opportunities?
3. Are there strengths that can be used to mitigate threats?
4. What weaknesses are real problems and what weaknesses are minor?
5. How can these weaknesses be resolved, strengthened, or eliminated?
6. Which opportunities are worth pursuing?
7. Which opportunities are dependent on something else?
8. Which opportunities should be backburnered?
9. What threats are real problems and what threats are minor?
10. How can those threats be resolved or eliminated?

Lastly, you need to create an action plan from the SWOT analysis, drawing on actionable tasks that need to take place to turn those earlier theoretical connections into reality.

Brought to by you by: Contemporary VA - Run your business instead of running in circles.

@ContemporaryVA on Twitter.  Follow the team to stay updated on business resources we deliver that cover strategies and tips, social media and more!

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GoogleDocs. GoogleDocs is a free online word processing application. If you use Microsoft Word, GoogleDocs feels excatly the same. Files are stored online in your own secure account and you can access them from any computer. But GoogleDocs offers coaches two additional advantages: You can share documents with others so that both of you can work on the same document at the same time without overwriting the other person’s work. For example, that means that your client on the other side of the globe can sign into a document that you’ve shared with them and the two of you can work on their goals. Together, at the same time. And the other benefit to a coach: GoogleDocs allows you to create custom forms that can be posted on your website. New clients can fill out the form online, click submit, and all of their answers are entered into a GoogleDoc for you to review before their first session. Why not have one form for new clients and another form for your regular clients to fill out before each session?

Mindomo or Mindmeister. These are web-based mindmapping software that allows you to create mindmaps online. Like GoogleDocs, more than one person can edit a map at once, making it the perfect tool for you to work with your clients no matter where there are. (I’ve listed both of the ones that I’ve used here, and there are others, but I prefer Mindmeister).

Blogs. Blogs aren’t just for you to promote your business so that the world can see. Blogs can come with limited access for only certain people to view. A coach might have a client create a blog as a personal journal of their progress, and set the viewership permission so that the only people who can see blog are the client and the coach. This allows the client to keep the coach up to date, and the coach can add comments to encourage or direct where necessary.

These are just four tools that can empower coaches to meet with clients anywhere, and to collaborate with them in real time, all the time.

Contemporary VA

@contemporaryva on Twitter.  Follow us to stay updated with our many resources that include business, accounting and bookkeeping, social media, and much more!

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Part of the problem lies in the misconception that sales is about pushing people into making a decision that they aren’t comfortable with. The truth, however, is that sales should be about helping people figure out what they need and then showing them how to get it. Not that different than what you do as a coach!

Once you’ve met someone who may have a need for your services, your first task is to highlight that need. You don’t have to push them into anything. Ask questions that draw out their own thoughts and feelings on the issue. Talk about the issues they’re facing as a result. And talk about the consequences of continuing in the same way that they always have.

By doing this, you are helping yourself understand the need and, more importantly, you are helping them to realize just how great in scope their need really is.

Once you have helped them see their current state, talk to them about how much better it could be. Don’t talk about what you can do for them. Don’t talk about how you can solve their problems. Instead, focus on helping them see an image in their minds of how life could be improved when they address their issue or challenge. In sales speak, you’ve probably heard of selling the sizzle, not the steak. Helping them to see that ideal in their mind is the sizzle. Don’t worry about your services just yet — that’s the steak.

Once they have seen the ideal image of themselves living with their issue completely resolved, then you can ask the question: "How can you get there?"

They might suggest some ideas of their own. That’s fine. But then the conversation will reach a point when you can offer that they come and talk to you. Point back to that image that they just pictured. You will want to rephrase it for your situation, but you’d essentially say something like: "You know how you pictured a life that was highly productive and free from procrastination? I’d like to help you achieve that."

And then ask when they would like to schedule an appointment. Don’t ask if they would like an appointment. Ask when they would like an appointment.

This is a basic sales presentation, customized to the professional coaching industry. Of course you will want to modify it slightly for your own needs, but this method works — proven over and over through decades of sales experience in all industries. Of course you won’t book appointments with everyone you use this method with, but it can help create some structure and direction around your pre-coaching conversations.

And do you notice something else? It’s not pushy. It’s not forceful. What’s more, it probably is not that different than what you do now: help people see the problem clearly, help people see the solution clearly, and help them get from the problem to the solution. The first step is the SALES step — to get them to see you professionally.
 

Contemporary VA

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With the support and knowledge of others, we can all foster our goal of helping others reach their goals. 

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