Why You Must Be “More Than a Coach”: Interview of Jory Fisher by Christina Woollen of the Christian Coaches Network International
As a new CCNI board member, I had the pleasure to personally interview Jory H. Fisher, JD, PCC, CMCC; Founder and President of Jory Fisher & Associates, Inc., based in Bel Air, Maryland. Jory specializes in helping purpose-guided leaders and entrepreneurs glorify God through success. This delightful, upbeat long-time CCNI member and mastermind presenter offers various tips on how to succeed as a coach in today’s marketplace.
CCNI: What does it take to be a successful professional Christian life coach in today’s competitive world?
Jory: Coaches can’t operate in “stealth mode,” sitting at their desk with a website and phone waiting for prospective clients to make an appointment. To succeed as a coach, you must be clear about who you are and what you do—and get out there and market your services!
To be successful in business, you have to focus on marketing and sales. I recommend spending approximately 20% of your workweek delivering coaching services. The other 80% or so should be spent creating content, marketing, and selling—yes, selling. I see way too many coaches who are so excited when they first earn their coaching certificates, only to get depressed and close down shop within the first year. Why? Because, although they are seriously good at their craft, they lack sufficient business-building skills to make a profit.
CCNI: Wow! The 80/20 Rule of Marketing will really shock some readers out there. Where should a coach begin with this rule?
Jory: First, get crystal clear on your coaching niche, and get comfortable knowing you are MORE than a coach…you are an entrepreneur. Becoming an entrepreneur means you will need to learn all facets of running a successful business, with marketing and sales as your top priority. The best rule of thumb I’ve learned from success gurus like Darren Hardy, Brian Tracy and Jim Rohn is to invest 10% of your total desired income each year on personal and professional development.
CCNI: What are some strategies coaches can use to market their services?
Jory: In-person marketing is the most effective strategy; followed by webinars and phone calls. Emails, blogs, and website opt-ins are way down the list. Do what comes naturally. (For me, this means networking and speaking.) Start out with three strategies that energize you. (For me, that’s leading Meetup events, speaking, and having in-person meetings with strategic partners or potential clients.) It’s all about building trust and forming relationships. According to The Chally Group, only 18% of people will buy services from someone who doesn’t match their own personality type. You won’t find out who your ideal clients are if you are not relating and connecting to them authentically.
CCNI: Where can CCNI members find out more about you and what you do?
Jory: You can visit my website at www.JoryFisher.com.
If you live in the Baltimore/DC area, I hope you will consider joining my Meetup groups and attending our events:
Baltimore Business Success Club
Sales Business Leadership Success
Baltimore Christian Business Owners
I speak fairly often in the Baltimore/DC area, mostly on calling and client attraction. As a trainer for a company called BANKCODE™, I speak on how to integrate personality type into the sales conversation.
Please email me at Jory@JoryFisher.com if you have questions. Business owners HAVE to learn how to sell!!! (To determine your key values and receive your own personality profile, take this free 90-second assessment.)
CCNI: Jory, what a pleasure to have you as a dedicated CCNI member who enjoys actively participating. I am thrilled to showcase you in this newsletter. You are such an inspiration to many of us and I love your enthusiasm for sharing what you have learned throughout the years, along with sharing today’s current trends. Thank you for your time and passion for CCNI and Christian coaching.
Author: Christina Whitten Woollen, CPLC, CCNI Marketing Director
Though I am not a coach professionally, I can see the simple truth that if people don’t know where to find you, you won’t be busy as a coach. I am surprised that only 20% of a coaches time should be spent coaching. I will be sharing your website with a woman I know who is not succeeding at coaching.
Thank you for reading (and sharing!) my post, Beth! It does sound crazy, doesn’t it? It’s been true in my experience, however. If coaches spend too much time coaching, they’ll find themselves without clients down the road. Business owners have to market and sell continually if we want to earn a profit. The “trick” is learning how to market and sell with ease and grace so the process is fun, not icky.
Hi Jory! Great reminder that as self-employed professionals we must continually marketing our businesses to ensure the future of our business. Blessings in all that you do!
Thank you, Michelle. And to you as well.
The 80-20 guideline was surprising to read, but I think you’re right. Most of our work should be done marketing/selling/doing outreach if we want to grow and spread the word.
It’s the opposite of what we think — which is why we’ll never forget this once we learn it. Thank you, Jessica.
Dear Jory!
This is an interesting interview because this topic is highly relevant to discuss.
There are so many 19-23 old life coaches out there, and nobody questions the value of this.
How can someone be a life-coach with no life lived yet? 🙂
This interview represents a much more active and realistic approach to the marketplace. I like that.
You wrote: “. . . although they are seriously good at their craft, they lack sufficient business-building skills to make a profit.”
This is spot on; as I see it there are very very few Christians with the courage to stand up and truly say: “Hi guys, I think I know how to do this”. It’s all drowning in the political correctness.
In the interview you guys discuss what’s the most effective strategy. My take on that is that there is no best strategy. It will always be relative to the person using the strategy.
Kindly,
Edna Davidsen
Thanks, Edna. I’m not one to concern myself with political correctness. I’m more interested in helping my colleagues. Entrepreneurship is hard enough. We don’t need to be misled. I hope to hear your response to future posts!
This was insightful! I’m always thankful to come across a tip for how to make progress in my business. What an honor to be interviewed and featured, too!
I liked this part, I hadn’t really thought of it before. “The best rule of thumb I’ve learned from success gurus like Darren Hardy, Brian Tracy and Jim Rohn is to invest 10% of your total desired income each year on personal and professional development.”
If we’re not growing….
At times I’ve invested more than 10%, which can also be a mistake!!! We need to be wise with our resources. Thank you for commenting, Jessica.
I have seen the 20/80 number referred to blogging as well. If you want to be a successful blogger, only 20% of the time is spent writing, the rest is spent on marketing (social networking, making good graphics, etc). This was a shock to me when I decided to take blogging seriously, but I am starting to see that it makes sense. You also cannot undervalue networking and building relationships as you mentioned. I was a successful Realtor and a big part of that success was those two things. I spent very little money on paid advertising, but was very active with social networking and building trust via relationships.
(I was called Luisa when I lived in Spain because my middle name is Louise and my Spanish family couldn’t say Jory.) Nice to meet you!
Oh yes, I think the 80/20 rule is good for all of us who are trying to make a difference and a dollar. Thank you for your insight and for sharing your experience!
Hi Jory. Wow – I didn’t realize that only 18% of people will buy from someone with a different personality type than theirs. I think sales and marketing can be intimidating for someone who doesn’t know how to do it or if they feel it’s their strength. But I agree that we have to do it!
We need to know how to speak people’s language if we want to succeed in sales, and I don’t just mean the words we use. Communication includes so much more. The good news is it’s easy to learn. And fun! 🙂 Thank you for your comment, Afi!