Business Coaching: Mindset and Approach

Mindset and Approach

• The goal is to book blueprint calls that convert to closes and generate revenue
• When speaking to prospects go in with a doctor's mindset
• Diagnose problems before prescribing solutions
• Prescribing a solution before understanding the problem is considered malpractice by losing control of the frame
• People seek assistance because they lack the knowledge we possess
• Economics favor the advisor, as our services offer a cost-effective shortcut compared to clients going it alone
• Avoid prematurely offering solutions or discussing how amazing the services are until the diagnostic phase is complete
• Each company is unique, with different needs and starting points

Initial Prospect Interaction

• Prospects new to the idea of business coaching may need warming up before booking a blueprint call
• Do not use this as a crutch, aim to book as many calls as possible
• Push back on objections
• Without pushback one will end up with a long list of follow-ups and short list of actual results

Decision Maker

• Always secure a decision-maker on the call, whether inbound or outbound
• If the contact isn't the sole decision-maker, ensure the other party attends the blueprint call
• Failure to do so can result in lost control and objections from uninvolved parties
• Securing commitment from all decision-makers is crucial for efficient use of time

Blueprint Training

• Always get the blueprint training tie down
• There is no reason not to
• It sets the expectation of pre-call homework
• Psychologically, prospects earn the right to a blueprint call, qualify them, don't beg

Script Adherence

• Strong frame and process adherence qualify prospects
• Script adherence is critical
• Avoid answering too many questions upfront, as it gives control to the prospect
• The prospect should not be running the entire process

Outbound Frame

• This involves contacting individuals who've opted in for a lead magnet but haven't booked a call
• This accounts for 80-90% of the work due to high-quality leads generated from lead magnets
• Begin by acknowledging their opt-in and offering additional value

Outbound Frame Example

• Begin with a casual greeting, acknowledge their opt-in, and offer additional value. If the prospect doesn't recall opting in:
  • Briefly introduce the company and its services
  • Reiterate that they opted in for a video training
  • Confirm if they're a business owner
  • If still not making progress, offer to resend the video training and schedule a follow-up call

Securing Commitment

• When scheduling follow-up calls a variety of approaches should be used to secure commitment
• Time Commitment and Confirmation: Offer specific time slots for the follow-up call
• Scarcity and Authority: Imply limited availability to prompt a quicker commitment
• Inversion and Micro Commitment: Use reverse psychology by expressing doubt they'll watch the video
• Problem Solution Frame: Assume they'll watch the video and schedule a call to discuss its application to their business

Inbound Frame

• Inbound frame involves individuals who have booked a call, demonstrating higher intent
• With inbound leads get straight to the point
• Objective: understand their business and challenges to determine if there's mutual value.
• It is important that you do the diagnostic
• Next Call: Ensure the next call is mutually beneficial

Diagnostic Questions

• Start by understanding their motivation for booking the call or opting in for the training
• Ask about their business, target audience, and their role as the business owner
• Ask "Are you the sole business owner or do you have a business partner?"
  • This gains qualification for the business partner

Challenges

• After learning about a prospect's business determine their biggest challenge
• Dig deeper to find data
• Ask about the impact of the challenge
• Ask what is missing or broken that is keeping them from fixing these issues to bring it down into problem isolation

Shifting the Frame

• Get into a potential solution frame by understanding the goal of the company
• Ask "what's the revenue and profit as a ballpark?"
  • Ask this to really understand the business size at the moment
• Ask "is cash flow okay, or is that something that needs attention, too?" This alludes to money in the bank

Is there Alignment?

• Establish priorities with questions like:
  • "Would you say sorting these issues out is a high priority?"
  • "Why?"
• There are three keys at this point:
  • Are their problems aligned with our solution?
  • Do they have the desire to change?
  • Is it a priority?

Pitch Consultation

• After the diagnostic ask "Based on everything we have discussed I think there is a really good chance we can help"
• Get into the goal
• Tell a story (Andrew's, Testimonials and success stories, etc)

Pitch a Closer

• Schedule a deeper conversation to understand their business and offer a custom blueprint for achieving their goals to get that time back
• Allude to "I was thinking throughout the call as well like, what I might be able to do is get you on with our most senior advisor"
• Offer a couple closing times

Tie Downs

• Get two tie downs at the end of the call
  • Ask "Are two really simple things I need you to do before the call okay?"
  • The first is making sure they will watch the videos to get up to speed on the process and note any questions from that
  • The second is asking whether their partner will be on the call Make sure they are in a safe and quiet place to talk

Closing

• Communicate what you are going to do and what they are going to do, restating the plans
• Ask "Does that all sound good?"

Objection Handling

• Objections are common
• When a prospect asks about fees, emphasize the custom nature of the solutions
  • "Everything we do is super custom, like it is way too early to say, it is going to depend on what your business needs." This approach addresses the concern without divulging specific numbers, maintaining the focus on the value proposition