I’ve been a business and life coach for over eight years. It took me years to get into the flow of creating new clients and charging decent fees for each client. It’s an art that relies on understanding the quirks of human dynamics very intimately.
Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Powers has played a big part in helping me navigate this world. Not everything he shared needs to be used as a power play. But his ideas have helped me in business tremendously.
Here are 9 laws of power to build wealth and boost happiness:
1. Act like a king to be treated like one
Much of coaching revolves around setting an example for your client. I was, and still am, often nervous during calls, but when I speak assertively, even if the negative voice is piping up, it encourages belief in the client, too.
This is why it’s crucial to focus on your strengths and areas of deep interest as a coach. It’s far easier to settle into your king-like flow when working in your zone of genius.
2. Recreate yourself
Great coaches attract interest and intrigue through the image they project. The way I do a lot of this is through my writing. People want to work with people that stand for something.
You must be willing to emphasize what makes you different to stand out. Most importantly, it permits those you work with to do the same.
3. Maintain and guard a positive reputation
Much of a thriving coaching practice requires that you help clients get results. Encourage clients to give you testimonials and to forward you to people they know who can also benefit.
They will tell others about their successes, and your business grows based on word of mouth.
Research shows that a positive reputation attracts loyal customers and can serve as a shield during crises.
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4. Master the art of timing
Never be in a rush to get clients. It gives off an air of neediness that puts clients off. This is a long-term game built on a sense of abundance.
If one client doesn’t work out, no worries. There are other opportunities, and you have options. Your priority is making professional friendships first and closing a sale second.
5. Don’t talk down to a client
In his first Law: Never Outshine the Master, Greene says we must avoid coming across as superior to those in positions of higher authority. In the case of coaching, you want to approach all conversations not from a subservient angle but in the spirit of collaboration.
You want to be relatable and not perfect. This means revealing aspects about you, the coach, that are imperfect. At the same time, you want to ensure the client can see what’s possible for them.
6. Play into people’s fantasies
The equivalent of this in the world of coaching is the power of painting a vivid picture of what the client’s life could be like with your support. Clients pay for coaching when they believe they can be transformed. Selling a transformation starts with showing them what’s possible.
According to researchers, unlocking an optimistic mindset includes leniency for the past, appreciation for the present, and opportunity-seeking for the future.
7. Win through your actions, not through argument
You can’t argue your way to a coaching client. By this, I mean avoid doing what most do: trying to persuade based on a concept rather than on in-the-moment results.
You demonstrate your coaching or help them envision the transformation they get before a sale. This is why I run free sessions first, so prospects can experience how I can help without needing to sell it.
8. Assume formlessness
No client has benefitted from my enforcing my guidance on them. Though presenting a loose program to the client to give direction is helpful, every client is different.
As such, you want to be open to adapting your approach to everyone you work with. This means listening more than you speak.
9. Always court attention
In a noisy world, you need to do everything you can to stay in front of the minds of those who could work with you. This is why I’ve been working on developing a stand-out personal brand, social media audience, and newsletter for many years now. Most clients come to me because they already know who I am and what I stand for.
Growing your brand and monetizing your unique skills and talents is an art. It requires an understanding of the intricacies of human nature so you don’t get swallowed by the complications they represent. Following mentors like Robert Greene, who relay human nature as it is, is a great start.
Alex Mathers is a writer and coach who helps you build a money-making personal brand with your knowledge and skills while staying mentally resilient.
