This is a great model presented to us by James Roche that helps you identify what phase of growing your coaching practice you’re in. Like all models – it is just that, a model, but it can give us awareness on what we need to be focusing on and just as importantly what we can leave out!
Personally, it helped me to relax into the journey of building my practice. Which is always a relief! Sometimes I get really caught up in the end goals. I’m looking at the future and measuring how my current reality doesn’t match up. James 3 stage model shows us that we’re not failures if we don’t have the infamous 6 figure practice in two months. There’s actually an organic way that we grow into our roles as coaching entrepreneurs – a natural unfolding to the growth of our businesses.
Ok – what’s the model?
Stage 1 – Get Clients
The heart of this is referral marketing. Letting others know that you’re in business. Asking those that you’ve worked with to recommend your services to others. You need to get out there and do the thing you do. Working with clients, you hone your skills as you go along. As you talk about what you do you get better at explaining what you do and your identity as a coach begins to emerge. You don’t actually need a website.
Stage 2 - Get Online
Doing what you did in stage 1 but you’re automating everything. You’ve become clear about your coaching identity and what you have to offer. A big part of this involves building a list of names who are interested in what you do. So you need a website that offers something that entices people to give a name and email such as a report or tools of some kind. Maybe here you need other people to help. You can also raise your fees.
Stage 3 – Get Leverage
This can overlap with phase one. Now you’ve got a database you can leverage you knowledge and skills to create group coaching, information products, writing a book, live events. Previously you didn’t have enough experience for this. This phase allows you to increase your income again
Recognise which stage fits you? What are the activities you need to focus on to create a healthy coaching practice?
So why is all this important?
Growing into our roles as entrepreneurs and business owners is a natural organic process. Sure we can do things to accelerate the journey but if we try to rush we’ll create unnecessary stress.Relax and enjoy the journey and in James words ‘What’s the rush?’
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