It was a complete disaster.  There I was standing in front of a packed room presenting my little heart out to a crowd of ice statues that would never thaw. No one smiled at my jokes, no one answered my questions, and my interactive activities fell completely flat.

Plastic smile painted on my face, I bravely marched on until the clock signified my release. I escaped to the car and wept. That three-hour presentation was a year long.

What Went Wrong

What went wrong?

I used my best material. Added clever activities.  Planned time for audience Q & A. Threw in a few jokes. Practically tapped danced my way across the stage.

I was polished. Rehearsed. Confident.

Way too confident. Because I didn’t know what I didn’t know.

What I Didn’t Know

I didn’t know that teaching insurance agents how to market is completely different than training coaches and entrepreneurs. I assumed it was the same.

I didn’t really understand these agents’ difficulties, their challenges, their pain points and needs. Although I assumed that I did.

I didn’t spend nearly enough time establishing rapport. I assumed they would be eager to receive what I offered.

And worst of all, I didn’t know that on Saturday morning they would be hung over from partying late on Friday night. I assumed they would jump at the chance to engage in a lively Q & A.

I assumed. I assumed.  I assumed…

Hmmm… there seems to be a common theme to this catastrophic event.

The Deadly Quadrant

In terms of the Knowledge Quadrant, I was firmly in quadrant two – I didn’t know what I didn’t know.

This deadly quadrant catches us all off guard and will thwart the best-laid goals and plans.

If only I’d been in Quadrant three, where I wasn’t aware of how much I knew. That would have been great, because I could still have used the knowledge I had.

Quadrant four would have been glorious because I would have known all I needed to know.

Even quadrant one would have been okay because I would have realized there were tons of things I didn’t know, so I would have searched for wisdom before I began.

Ahhh… but in quadrant two, the deadly quadrant, I didn’t even know that there are tons of important things I didn’t know.  This is why the whole thing went wrong.

Unfortunately, I am not alone.

Coaches’ Most Common Mistake

This is the most common mistake that coaches new to business building make. Never having marketed their own businesses before,  there are myriads of things that they just don’t know.

They don’t know who to market to, what to say, how to say it, how many times to say it and how to say it in a variety of inviting ways.

They don’t know what to spend money on and what to avoid. What social media is a waste of time and how to find the ones that work.

They don’t know that building a great website is important but will do nothing to bring in clients all by itself.

The list of things they don’t know goes on and on and on.

And so, like my disastrous speaking engagement, they assume.

They look around the Internet see some things that others are doing and assume they should do the same. They don’t know whether those things are working, and if they are what made them work. They just jump in and do the best they can.

Every week I meet Christian coaches and entrepreneurs who work extremely hard. They build websites, learn social media, start a newsletter and network with every one they meet.  These coaches get an “A” for effort. But very few clients come their way.

Effort alone is not enough.

There are foundational things they don’t know – and they don’t know what they don’t know.

What You Can Do

What is a new entrepreneur to do?

There are only two things you can do.

1. You can spend thousands of dollars and thousands of hours gathering all the information a new entrepreneur needs to know.

or

2. You can build your business with the on-going help of someone who knows what you need to know.

I’ve gone down the first route. I love learning, love marketing and can’t think of anything more fun than spending my time mastering the nuances of websites, social media and so much more.

You may not like marketing. Oddly, some people don’t. So for you, getting expert help might be the better route.  If so, I would like to help.

Knowing firsthand how critical certain information is, I went above and beyond trying to include almost everything you need to know in the upcoming Marketing Momentum 6-month Program.

Not too much – you don’t need to know everything.

Not too little, there are certain essentials that must be in place.

I included just enough information in just the right amounts so that you as a business-builder can succeed.

Here is a tiny snapshot of what’s included:

• Two 90-minute Strategic Marketing Plan seminars so you can create the plan that is just right for you, your business and your schedule.
• Create a Winning Website Toolkit– Making sure that from the foundation up, your website will work for you even while you sleep.
• Create an Irresistible Free Offer – Developing a free ‘taste’ of your services grows the relationship, allows prospects to see the incredible value you provide and at the same time adds them to your mailing list.
• Create Client Attracting Newsletters – If coaches were only allowed to use one marketing tool, I’d recommend having an ezine or electronic newsletter. Find out why.
• Six-week My Ideal Niche Self-Study Program – Taking you step-by-step through researching, testing and choosing a niche that is viable, enjoyable and profitable.
• Individual coaching sessions just for you.
• Group coaching sessions to keep you motivated and informed.
• An online group so that you can ask any question at any time.
• Personal email access to me whenever you need it.
• And so much more…

Get all the details at www.KimAveryCoaching.com/mm.  I hope to see you there!

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