As a trainer, coach, or consultant, it can sometimes be difficult to sell your own product: A consulting service is something that customers cannot physically take in their hands. We will show you a simple 7-step concept that will convince potential customers of your training or coaching!
“Many consultants dream of some kind of magic spell that will bring them business as if roasted pigeons flew into their mouths. However, the rule applies to the training and consulting market as well: 'Without hard work – or more precisely, without an investment of time and/or money – there’s no reward'” – Bernhard Kuntz
Do you want to attract new customers with your training and coaching? Or do you have a new product (e.g., an exclusive online course) that you want to present to your customers? Then the following 7 steps will be a helpful support.
Author and marketing coach Bernhard Kuntz provides tips in his book “Selling the cat in the bag” on how to market consulting services. We have summarized the seven most important steps for you below.
Sell your training or coaching in 7 steps, here's how:
1. What can you do and what do you want to sell?
Be clear about what you want to sell in your training or coaching. To do this, you should ask yourself:
What am I really good at?
How have I helped my previous clients?
What problems could I solve for my clients?
Always keep in mind the problems and wishes of your past clients. How could you support them in achieving their desires and goals? Derived from that, your strengths and advantages over your competitors emerge!
2. Who are your customers?
To sell your product successfully, you need to know your target audience.
Who benefits from your training and coaching? What characterizes your customers? Do you know the common problems? What is your unique selling proposition?
What can I do better than my competitors, and why should customers choose you?
If you have answered these questions, you can better assess yourself and position yourself more confidently in the competition. Then you can see which individuals and companies might have these problems and what needs they have. Finally, ask yourself what characteristics and qualifications you need to be attractive to these potential customers.
3. What do I want to offer my customers?
The next step can follow once you’ve answered the previous two questions. Because: If you know your customers, it is easier to offer suitable products. Therefore, you should ask yourself what you actually want to present to your customers. Develop suitable training concepts, offer individual coaching, or provide separate bonus materials and extra information!
Do you want to sell additional products to your existing customers? Then try offering an additional online accompaniment – provide your customers with a modern and digital variant of your previous offering. We have summarized 7 arguments for you that will also convince your skeptical customers!
4. How do I work?
After you have thoroughly engaged with the needs of your (potential) customers, you should reflect on yourself and your working methods.
Am I working efficiently? Can my workflows be improved?
Does my working method fit my customers' needs?
If you, for example, have an online course, consider whether it should take place entirely online or be combined with in-person sessions as blended learning. In other words: to what extent are you actively involved in the process? Think about which method better fits the wishes of your customers and fits into your workflows.
If your working method fits your product, you can focus on how to bring your service to your customers.
5. How do I reach my (potential) customers?
To sell a product, you need customers. Ask yourself:
How did you reach your existing customers?
Which medium is particularly suitable?
What budget can you allocate for this?
Tip: A particularly cost-effective option is to use your customers as a voice. Satisfied customers tell their acquaintances about you, giving you free advertising. Positive reviews online can also be helpful! Are there meetings and events that fit your target audience? Then attend them. These questions may seem very obvious, yet they are often forgotten!
Optimize your coaching and training offerings for successful seminars and satisfied customers.
6. What do I want to achieve?
This is mainly about your monetary goals and the question of how you can achieve your desired income:
What is your annual goal?
How many trainings or courses at what price do you need to sell to achieve this?
It is important to have a clear goal in mind. Even if you don't achieve it, you have a rough direction in which to move! You may realize that your product is priced too low or too high and can adjust the price accordingly.
7. How do I ensure the success of my business?
This question ties into the question of how to reach customers – after all, you want to continue to win new customers in the future.
How can I continuously develop myself?
What can I improve?
A successful business must not stand still, and you as a service provider should always strive to develop yourself and your offerings.
You can of course apply these seven steps to your existing offerings – additionally, the 7-step concept will also help you promote a new product to your existing customers. Digital training formats, such as online courses and blended learning formats, are very much in demand in recent years (and will continue to be in the coming years), and demand is increasing!
A reading tip from our editorial team: 3 tips to make your online course a bestseller
Try it yourself and offer your existing customers, for example, an online course to help them independently review the content learned from your seminar at home. In this way, you might attract a completely new target group!
Do you need more inspiration on how to successfully market online courses? Then feel free to check out our 7 sales tips for your online support and see what works best for you and your training and coaching offers.
