Become a Business Coach by Overcoming Your Aversion to Sales

by | Aug 1, 2016 | How to Become a Business Coach

If you’re like many of the prospective coaches I talk to, there’s one thing that makes you hesitate to become a business coach: a real aversion to selling.

More than anything, you wish you wouldn’t have to sell your business coaching services at all, or continue to sell your clients on working with you once the ink on the contract has dried. You’re reluctant to spend time with business coaching prospects or at networking events. You long for business to just flow to you, naturally, without the hard work and effort sales requires.

But here’s the thing: In business, nothing good happens until something gets sold.  And if you find you’ve got this kind of aversion to sales, not only will your practice struggle, but your clients’ businesses will struggle, too!

After all, every business you ever work with will need to improve their sales. It’s just a fundamental part of growing an enterprise. And if you’re not a sales master yourself, how can you ever expect to help your clients implement effective sales systems that will take them to the next level?

Adjust the Way You Think about Sales

So if you find yourself reacting to the world “sell” like you would locker-room language, it’s time to make some adjustments to the way you think of sales.  Here are the three biggest…

1. Sales is about Service, NOT Manipulation. Perhaps the #1 complaint I hear from folks who want to become a business coach, but who struggle with sales, is that they don’t want to be manipulative or pushy. But this is only a problem if you’re not confident in your ability as a business coach. If the coaching you provide really does help people grow their businesses, then you are doing them a massive favor by offering them your business coaching services, one that will have a lasting impact on their business and quality of life! Remember: sales is NOT about getting people to do things that are bad for them against their will; sales is about motivating and encouraging people make positive improvements in their lives.

2. Rejection Doesn’t Have to Hurt. Nobody likes it when a prospect says “no,” but if you’re a service professional like a business coach, it can feel especially personal. Here’s the mental shift that will help you overcome this barrier: remember, sales is a numbers game.  It’s NOT personal. It’s about math. Regardless of whether you sell 1 in every 5 or 1 in every 50 prospects, every “no” you hear is a step toward the next “yes.” Internalize this perspective, and you will reduce the sting you feel when you lose a sale, and replace it with something positive and motivating.

3. Sales is a Skill, NOT a Natural-Born Ability. Some prospective business coaches are convinced that they’re not naturally “good” at sales–and that there’s nothing they can do about it.  But here’s a secret: no one is naturally good at sales! Sure, some have inherent personality traits that make them more comfortable, faster, in sales situations…but sales is a skill that virtually anyone can learn with the right blend of motivation and practice. Stop telling yourself you’re “bad” at sales and replace it with a positive reminder that you can master it, just like you would any other form of professional expertise or skill!  It will change your outlook.

Looking for more help if you’re considering getting into the business coaching game? Download our free ebook, How to Become a Business Coachand learn the skills and strategies you need to be successful in the industry!

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