Business Coaching and Marketing

As a business coach, it is your job to educate business owners and their employees. Most are new business owners who want to take a step in the right direction or struggling business owners who need help getting back on the right track. There are many areas of business management that you need to cover. With that said, focus on marketing. To make money, a business must sell either a product or a service. If your client has a good product, but no sales, it is because their marketing plan fell flat. Speaking of which did they even have a plan?

One of the mistakes that many new business owners make is believing as soon as they setup shop people will come. A storefront in a well-trafficked location will help. Even then, it is not enough. People will stop and notice their business, but will it get them insides the doors? Not always. That is why a strong marketing plan is key.

Business marketing should be divided into two different categories. These are local marketing and internet marketing. All business owners and managers should utilize both. For example, a client who runs an online store should do more than just market online. They should market locally too and visa versa. Implementing both types of marketing expands reach and profits. Start with one section at a time, such as local marketing. Later, move onto internet marketing.

When covering the marketing aspect of running a business to your client, create a step-by-step plan. This plan should have three different steps.

Step 1 – The Importance of Marketing

As previously stated, some new business owners mistakenly believe if they step a store, the customers will come. This is rare. A good example is to create a “dummy,” website ahead of time. On this website, sell something, such as your services as a business coach. Do not market or advertise your website. Let it sit there. Ask a team member to search for it. See if your volunteer can find your fake website with a standard internet search. With no marketing and incoming links, chances are they cannot.

This exercise shows that just because you have a product or service available for sale, it does not mean people will know or be able to find it. Outline how internet marketing can change that.

Step 2 – Give Examples

Your job as a business coach is to first show your clients the importance of business marketing. This is a step in the right direction, but it isn’t enough. You need to show them steps to take. Business marketing should be divided into two categories, local marketing and online marketing. Give at least 10 examples. Do more than just say try these marketing tactics, but have them available in printed format for reuse.

When sharing business marketing tactics with clients, business coaches must think both inside and outside of the box. What seems like common sense to you, may not be to a client. You know that businesses should advertise in the yellow pages of local phone books, but does your client have a listing? If not, they should.

Then, think outside of the box. Suggest to your clients creating a monthly newsletter. Readers can signup for these newsletters via the company website. In that newsletter, share tips, review new products or services available for sale, and include a moneysaving discount code. Consumers are more likely to buy a product or service when they feel like they are getting a good deal or something for free.

Step 3 – Review

Before closing your training session, summarize everything you just said. State the importance of having a solid marketing plan, as well as the consequences for not. Restate a few of your shared marketing tactics and encourage management to implement these steps right away and build from them. Whether you are training one person or one hundred, open the floor for questions.