Last month, I decided to give my coaching services away for free. That’s right! For the entire month of April, I did not charge anyone for a coaching session and there were no strings attached.
Why would I do that?
Because coming alongside people and helping them move from where they are to where they want to be is my passion. But let’s be honest, having a “life or personal coach” may seem lame or confusing or too expensive for most people.
So, I decided to tackle the barriers, or least the ones that I can control:
· Financial
o People have a false belief that hiring a coach is only for high dollar executives or “rich people” and I want to bust that myth!
o The belief they are not worth investing in themselves at all.
· Fear
o Fear of being judged. “What is wrong with you that you need a coach?”
o Fear of the unknown. How does this even work?
· Time
o We all have busy lives and making an appointment for something that may or may not work out is too risky.
And I removed these barriers:
· Financial: Free! No strings attached!
· Fears: How bad could it be to try it and no one needs to know!
· Time: Providing a safe environment over the phone, eliminating travel time, location issues, meeting space or living out of state.
I had no idea what would happen! But I was open and ready.
People called “out of the blue”.
People called based on a friend’s referral.
People called because they were curious.
I was meeting with the same people several times during the month. All free.
Some people were struggling with loss of loved ones. Some were overwhelmed with life’s challenges, tough job environments, unhealthy relationships or just needed clarity.
Some people were good to go after a few meetings and I happily released them to their next step! No future packages were needed or purchased. When I say “no strings attached” I mean it!
And, there are some people who are continuing, because they discovered there is more work to be done and they want to make it happen. If I hadn’t made this offer available, I am not sure they would have even reached out to me.
Here is what I have learned.
1. It gave people the freedom to “try” it. By removing the barrier of money, it created enough attention and curiosity that people thought “what do I have to lose?” More people took advantage of this opportunity than I realized. I always offer a complimentary one hour session so I wasn’t sure if people would try it. But something about being intentional, making it fun and easy to talk about on social media made all the difference.
2. People are braver than they give themselves credit for. When we are experiencing pain, most of us do a good job of hiding it from others. We have no idea what people are going through. But when given the tools, freedom and encouragement, people have amazing fortitude to keep moving forward.
3. People don’t understand the power of someone objective listening to them. Most people want and need to talk about something they are struggling with. Having someone with no agenda other than to truly see them win, had people really open up. We can then discover what is there beneath the surface that is holding us back.
4. People want to get unstuck. Once someone realizes they are stuck or going through the motions of living and they begin to talk about it, they are ready to get unstuck! This is where a personal coach can help provide clarity and the steps to get moving again.
5. It was so much fun. I completely understand why celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres give so much away. It really is better to give than to receive! To be able to help people by removing the financial burden, to reach people that may not normally be not able to afford it or even consider it was far more exciting that I could have imagined.
So now what?
As much as I wish I could continue just giving away my coaching services, let’s be honest, that is not realistic.
So I have created coaching packages that are affordable for the everyday person. (Coaching is not just for the top elite professional) I want to provide services for anyone who wants to get unstuck, move forward from the pain of loss or just clarify the overwhelming circumstances that they find themselves in.
You can check out the new packages by clicking HERE!
AND…I still, and will always, have my FREE One-Hour Consultation for anyone, anytime.
Let’s get you moving from where you are to where you want to be.