Common Sales Mistakes Coaches Make and How to Fix Them

One of the biggest reasons coaching businesses don't make it is that the coach struggles with sales. The good news is that it's almost always the same handful of problems. In this post I'm going to break down the common sales mistakes coaches make, the fix for each one, and the one small change that helped a coach I worked with double his close rate.

Mistake 1: Blaming the leads

I call this the lead problem. A lot of coaches blame their leads. "I need more leads." "I need better quality leads." Don't get me wrong, marketing and lead nurture are a big part of it. But you don't need a big automated marketing machine to start making sales.

The truth is you don't need a ton of leads. And even if you had a ton, is your sales skill good enough to close them?

That's actually how I got into the coaching space. There were coaches doing anywhere from 20 to 100 thousand a month who had plenty of leads and thought they had tapped out. We came in and closed for them, and by having a stronger sales system, added a lot more each month from the same kind of leads. So the first fix is in your head. It's not only the number of leads or the quality of leads. A lot of it comes down to your ability to sell.

Want to go even deeper? Watch the full video.

Mistake 2: No clear process

Many coaches get on a call, have a nice conversation, and hope the person buys. If you want consistent sales, you need a clear process. In short, there are five steps on a closing call:

• Intro
• Fact finding
• Presentation
• Test close
• Close

Why does this matter? You want a clear path you're taking the person through. That doesn't mean sounding like a robot. Yes, it needs to be a real conversation where you truly listen. But without a process it's hard to sell at all, let alone sell consistently or figure out what worked and what didn't. I documented the whole thing in the sales process we use for coaching programs.

Mistake 3: Not liking sales

This is a really common one with coaches. "I feel salesy." "It feels wrong to take someone's money." They don't like the awkwardness.

But here's the thing. This person is going to pay to get their problem solved one way or another. They'll pay in pain, because they keep living with it. They'll pay in time and wasted effort, because they try to figure it out on their own. Or they'll pay someone like you. And if you don't help them, they'll go find someone else.

A mentor of mine was getting feedback from ChatGPT on a program he wanted to launch. It told him to hurry up and start, because if he didn't, someone with less integrity would, and that person would take the money from the people who need the help.

The fix: see sales as service

Your client is here right now, and their goal is over there. There's a gap in between. That gap is where your coaching comes in. If you don't sell them, they don't get the solution.

Some coaches ask, "What if I just give it away for free?" Let's be real. People pay attention when they pay. When we first started one of our programs, we gave it away for free. The system was already proven. People seemed excited. But because they didn't pay, they didn't take it as seriously. And unless you don't need the money, a business that doesn't charge eventually stops existing, and then you can't help anyone.

When you build your offer, the value should be a multiple of the price, and the cost to deliver should be well below the price. Done right, the client gets the better end of the deal. That's how my team and I think about it. We make money, but the people we work with get more out of it than they pay us.

Remember who you used to be

Often the person you are most qualified to help is the person you used to be. Think back to when you were stuck where your client is now. You paid to get through it, in time, money, or hardship. Say it took you five years. If you could help someone get there in one year, would the old you pay your price to skip four years? Framed that way, it doesn't seem like much. For more on this, read how to sell coaching without feeling salesy.

Mistake 4: Fear of the ask

You'd be shocked how many coaches have a whole great conversation and then never present the offer. Some even apologize for asking.

You have to go for the close. That doesn't mean having your hands on their throat. It means inviting them to the next step. "You're here right now. This is where you want to go. I have what it takes to get you there. Would you like to move forward together?" Boom. That's it.

It may feel awkward at first. It gets easier the more you do it.

Mistake 5: Being attached to the outcome

This one is hard, especially if you're new or money is tight. But you are not going to close everyone. If you let your emotions take over, you put pressure on yourself and on them, and they can feel it.

What helps me is having more than one place to put someone. Inside of our business we have free resources, intro products, and our main high ticket program. On a call, I'm just figuring out which of those three is the best fit, assuming they want help. The main program gets the best result in the shortest time, so that's what I recommend first. But if it's not the right fit right now, I point them to the intro option or the free stuff.

Plenty of my calls don't close. I still try to give them value and guidance. And many of those people come back later, after trying it on their own, and ask to work together at a higher level.

The shift that doubled a coach's close rate

A coach I worked with was talking for most of every call. Something like 65 to 80% of it. A lot of people new to sales think it's about saying the right things and talking up your product.

But a really big part of sales is listening. Understand where the person is now, where they want to be, and what's holding them back. Then show them how you solve the problems they just told you about.

So the fix was simple. Stop talking most of the call. Yes, in the presentation you'll talk more. But the beginning should be you asking questions and listening. When he made that change, his close rate doubled.

FAQ

Why do coaches struggle with sales?

Most of the time it's one of a few things: no clear call process, feeling bad about selling, not asking for the sale, or talking too much instead of listening.

How can I stop feeling salesy on a discovery call?

See sales as service. The person will pay to solve their problem one way or another. If you can help them faster, inviting them to work with you is helping them.

How much should I talk on a sales call?

Less than you think, especially at the start. Spend the early part asking questions and listening, then present your solution to the problems they described.

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