3 real-life lessons about getting the most from a marketing coach

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You want to work with a marketing coach. At least you think you do. But you’re not sure if you are actually ready, how to find someone that will understand you and your business, or how to get the most out of the relationship.

Getting the most out of this relationship isn’t just about you meeting with the coach and talking through your challenges. No, it starts much earlier than your first meeting! And this is where most businesses slip up. Their relationship with their marketing coach fails because:

• They don’t understand their motivations for wanting to work with a marketing coach
• They don’t take the time to find the right marketing coach for you
• They don’t make sure they’re doing everything right to get the most out of the coaching

Let’s break each of these down so you can find the perfect marketing coach and get brilliant results from that relationship.

Not understanding your motivations for wanting to work with a marketing coach

For your coaching relationship to succeed, it’s a good idea to sit down and think about why you want to work with a marketing coach. Here are a few reasons I’ve heard from my clients.

You’ve come to a standstill with your marketing

This happens a lot and that’s because people confuse marketing with promotion. It’s easy to do a few social media posts promoting your product or service. But marketing is so much more than that. It’s about understanding your target customers, knowing the problem your product or service solves, making sure you’re priced correctly and promoting. If you only focus on the last part, you will get to a point where you get stuck. That’s the time you want to talk to an expert.

It’s all become a bit too much

It happens to us all. There are so many things you could be doing to market your business. A social media expert will tell you to focus on that. A blogging expert will tell you that you need to generate more of your own content. A website expert will tell you your website needs a refresh.

And you know what? They’re all right. I know that’s not helpful, but they are. Your business needs a mix of marketing activities. But it needs to be the right mix for your business to achieve results. Working with a marketing coach can help you uncover that mix.

You’ve run your course with free advice

When I started my business, I didn’t have a lot of money. I had to decide where to spend it. And with a lot of free advice out there, I prioritised my money for other things. The free stuff is great. So many people adding so much value that’s free and gets you started. I love that about the small business world.

But there came a time when that free advice wasn’t enough for me.

Because let’s face it, you want your business to grow. And if you look at what’s out there for free, it really is for beginners. So, if you want to move your business on, you need to make the decision to invest in it and work with someone who will help you get there.

You need an independent eye

You are stuck in the day-to-day of your business. That adage is true: you can’t see the wood for the trees. That’s when having a marketing coach comes in so useful.

When I started working with my coach, I can’t tell you how much I got from it. He picked up on things I didn’t see – even with my marketing – because I was just too close to it all. It was such a great investment because I got that one-to-one time that really helped me focus. I stopped being a magpie who was distracted by all the shiny, new things.

A lot of his advice is what saw me through 2020. When I thought that I might not have a business when things opened again, I looked back on what we had discussed in those early sessions. I focused and it worked – I won three new clients during the first lockdown!

Not taking enough time to choose the right marketing coach

For me, the choice was easy. I already knew the person. You see, I’d worked with him years ago and I knew he’d be perfect for my needs, and a perfect personality match. You need to work with someone you can have fun with because life’s too short not to! But what if you don’t know the right person? How can you find her or him?

Get ready for a bit of research

Start off by asking your business buddies who they are working with. Recommendations are a great way to find someone. Also look at marketplaces, such as Enterprise Nation. Don’t forget networking events. These are just a few ways of finding a coach. And, with technology, the coach you choose doesn’t even need to be near you. My coaching clients are all over the country and we make it work with video calls, emails, and the phone! So, widen your search and make your choice from the best. You really don’t have to limit yourself by geography.

Look at their online activities

Go check out their website. Look at their social media networks. Join their email list. Find their reviews. All these things will help you build a picture of the person, their expertise and whether they get results.

You want this to be a good relationship that works for you. So, invest some time in finding out more about the people you’ve shortlisted (yes, shortlist some!) That way, you can make an informed judgement about their expertise.

Talk to them

Did you know you can book 30 minutes with me? I mean, how great is that? I’m not telling you this because I fancy a chat (although who doesn’t love a good natter?)

Think about it. You wouldn’t agree to go on a second date with someone if you weren’t keen on them after the first one, would you? Chemistry is important. If you don’t get on, those coaching sessions are going to be a slog. You won’t enjoy them, neither will your coach. That means you won’t achieve what you want for your business.

That’s why you need to have an initial chat, even if that person comes recommended.

Ask questions

During your conversation with your potential coach, you should ask a lot of questions. They will too. They’ll want to know about your business, product/service, and what you’ve achieved so far. For us, it’s our way of finding out if we can help you.

But you need to know if we can help you too! So, ask questions.

“Why do you recommend that for me?” “How will that help my business?” “What can I expect from you?” “Tell me a bit more about your background.”

Keep your questions open so you get longer answers. It gives you a chance to make sure the person you’re talking to knows their stuff.

Not getting the most from your marketing coach

Listen, you’re going to invest time and money here. You need to make sure it works for you in a positive and tangible way. And this bit is down to you. Because if you’ve worked through steps one and two, you’ll have a reason you want to work with a marketing coach, and you’ll be on your way to finding the right one for you.

You will get out of this what you put in. Here’s what I think you need to do to max out this relationship.

Get specific with your goals

Head into your coaching sessions knowing exactly what you want to achieve for your business.

• Be specific. More sales isn’t enough information.
• Do you have revenue targets? What are they?
• Know your target customer inside out.
• Know the gaps in your business and be prepared to share them.
• Tell them as much as you can.

This relationship is designed to help you, so be open and honest with your coach.

Do the doing

Yes, you have a million things to do. Anyone running a small business does. But if you don’t do this, you won’t get the results you want. And believe me, it’s not a great motivator for your coach either!

So, when you have a meeting booked with your coach, set aside half an hour right after it. Use that time to plan when you will do the things you need to do before your next meeting. Whilst someone like me will give you the benefit of my expertise, I can’t do the work for you. That’s down to you. And if you don’t do it, then you won’t get results.

Say if you’re uncomfortable with something

Working with a marketing coach should push you out of your comfort zone. After all, that’s where the magic happens, right?

But really, you need to be comfortable with what you’re being asked to do. If you’re not, you won’t do it. That means zero results.

So, speak out. If a suggestion for a marketing activity isn’t for you, it just isn’t. And saying so means that you can discuss other things that would work for you, and you are comfortable doing.

But do be prepared to push yourself. Working with a coach is about the health of your marketing. And marketing is what’s going to help your business achieve its goals.

Ready to take the next step?

I hope I’ve helped you understand how you can get the most out of working with a marketing coach. Now, if you’re ready to talk to me, head over to my services page to check out my packages. And don’t forget to book that call!