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As you grow as a service provider or coach there are certain skills you just gotta learn and become good at to help you close more clients and deliver a bomb experience to them.
As a CEO it’s important for you to lead your team and company in sales and delivery and I’m going to share the top 3 skills I have developed that have allowed me to consistently sell out my offers and create a community of clients that rave about working with me!
Read on for 3 skills to develop as a service provider or coach to help you close more clients and deliver a good experience!
1. Asking good questions.
A few years ago I read the book QBQ (Question Behind the Question).
Basically this book is all about personal accountability but more importantly how to ask better questions that actually lead to solutions and results.
The reason you want to get good at asking the right questions is because the more clear you are on what people need, the better you can serve them. Not to mention, we have all signed on that client that at the end we wish we would’ve known something so we wouldn’t have signed them.
This happens when you don’t learn the power of asking good questions to pre-qualify your clients. Asking clarifying questions and challenging potential clients to dig deep and think is an important skill to have to make sure you fully understand where they are coming from, what they need, and furthermore – how you fit into the equation.
Also when you’re working with a client instead of just getting the task and doing it or just doing whatever they say – ask clarifying questions to help you understand the scope of what they need and why.
Oftentimes clients say or think they need one thing but when you dig in and ask more questions you realize they need something completely different. Asking good questions can keep your clients happy because you can catch things that may get missed in translation.
2. Listening for comprehension not just to respond.
So you ask good questions, but you have to listen carefully at what people say to you.
Like I just said, people often think they need one thing when they really need something else.
When you listen to truly understand and comprehend, you put yourself in their shoes but you’re also able to assess what they are saying and provide expert feedback.
It’s not enough to just send over a questionnaire or application asking them questions, you really want to make sure you fully understand what your clients need and not assume because you feel like you know what’s best.
As CEOs we have to remove our ego from how we engage with our clients. When you’re able to do that you’ll find way more collaboration with clients and easily sign new clients because people will feel value, seen, and heard.
I like to restate in my own words what someone says to me and ask them if I understood correctly while also giving them a chance to correct me. This shows humility and that I’m fully engaged in them and their project or needs.
When you’re on your next sales call or having a DM chat with someone, take the time to really actively listen to what they are saying they want or need.
Some of my favorite ways to actively listen are by paraphrasing, using non-verbal cues (like nodding, eye contact, or leaning forward), verbal affirmations (like “gotcha” “that makes sense” “thanks for sharing that”), and of course asking follow up questions for clarity.
I never assume with my clients or potential clients and I always seek to give them more space to explain or correct me.
3. Communicating boundaries and expectations.
This is a tough one for all of us.
Oftentimes you don’t know someone has crossed a boundary until it gets crossed and you don’t know expectations are unclear until a problem arises, but that’s ok because communicating boundaries and expectations is an ongoing process.
One thing I do is every offer I have has a contract, in addition to a contract where I write out boundaries and expectations (like response time, office hours, etc).
Inside my signature program, the BecomingCEO Method, I have a pinned article that sets out what you can expect from me and what I expect from you as well as boundaries with communication (ie. no DMs).
Sometimes there isn’t a nice way to say things but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t say it.
At the onset of any client and provider relationship you want to establish expectations and set boundaries. In my email signature to my clients I have a PS that says my office hours.
For my voxer 1:1 coaching, which has been so much fun to really serve and support people – the first message they get from me gives them a run down of boundaries and expectations.
The message basically says what hours they can access me, how long voice notes should be, and I clearly say if a voice note is too long, ya girl is not going to listen.
One thing I want to note is that it’s never to late to communicate a new boundary or to redefine expectations. Sometimes you start a project with a client and due to whatever reason the scope changes – hop on a call, discuss it, and if need be change the contract and charge them. Going back to the first two skills its important to ask good questions and listen for comprehension because oftentimes clients think you understand and you think you understand what they need until you work together and realize you have mismatched expectation.
This is why a conversation or putting things in writing is key. I’ve written my fair share of long emails re-establishing boundaries or expectations and while it can be challenging, communicating these things is important. The more you do it, the more you can prepare in the beginning.
Having a document or guide with expectations and boundaries, having clients sign a contract or form that outlines these things, sending messages or having email signatures that constantly reminds them of boundaries.
People like knowing what the boundaries are and what they can expect. People enjoy when you communicate with them what the next step is or what happens next. Don’t be afraid to over-communicate and it’s ok if they don’t always respond. They got the message and you can move on from there!
So,
Those were my 3 skills to develop as a service provide or coach to help you close more clients and deliver a good experience! Hope you enjoyed!
IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVER:
- 3 skills to develop as a service provide or coach to help you close more clients and deliver a good experience
LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- 1:1 Voxer Coaching
- Join us in the BecomingCEO Method!
- Check out my last episode on What It takes to make MORE money with LESS clients
- Follow me on Instagram: @mrskayhillman
- Follow the podcast on Instagram: @becomingceo
MORE ABOUT THE BECOMINGCEO PODCAST:
Podcast for Female Entrepreneurs and Christian Entrepreneurs to help you improve your marketing and social media strategy so you can make more money.
Every week your host Kay Hillman is going to share tips and tricks about social media marketing, mindset, and sales strategy. You’ll learn how to start, grow, and scale a service based or coaching business – God’s way.
From how to create a solid foundation for starting your business to how to strategically plan the next 6-months of marketing for your business – we will cover all things marketing, attracting more clients, converting sales, and more.
Sis,it’s time for you to up-level your mindset, marketing, and sales.
In this space we show up as our authentic selves – that means embrace being part of a community where we are low-key ratchet and high key saved – OKAY!!!
