In last week's free workshop, a question came up that resonated with many of you, and I'm excited to delve into it further in this week's Women in the Coaching Arena podcast.

Should you focus on business-to-business (B2B) or direct-to-client (B2C) sales in your coaching practice? This decision is crucial, especially in executive, leadership, or career coaching, as it significantly influences your marketing strategies, lead generation activities, and overall messaging.

The Pros and Cons of B2B and B2C Coaching (00:01:20)

This topic discusses the differences between business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-client (B2C) coaching, including the pros and cons of each approach.

Marketing Strategies for B2B Coaching (00:05:02)

This topic explores the marketing strategies and activities that are effective for business-to-business (B2B) coaching, including building relationships with decision-makers, attending industry events, and showcasing thought leadership.

Marketing Strategies for B2C Coaching (00:06:04)

This topic discusses the marketing strategies and activities that are effective for business-to-client (B2C) coaching, including social media marketing, personal branding, and connecting directly with potential clients.

Useful Links

How to secure more coaching clients' free training

Download the 12 ways to get clients now

Learn about The Business of Coaching programme

Connect with Jo on LinkedIn

Rate and Review the Podcast

If you found this episode of Women in the Coaching Arena helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

If you’re kind enough to leave a review, please do let Jo know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: joanna@joannalottcoaching.com

Enjoyed This Episode?

Don’t Miss the Next One! Hit subscribe on your favourite podcast app to be notified each time a new episode of Women in the Coaching Arena.

Hello and welcome to Women in

the Coaching Arena podcast.

2

I'm so glad you are here.

3

I'm Jo Lott, a business mentor

and ICF accredited coach

4

Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone):

and I help coaches to

5

build brilliant businesses.

6

I know that when you prepare to enter

the arena, there is fear, self doubt,

7

comparison, anxiety, uncertainty.

8

You can tend to armor up and

protect yourself from vulnerability.

9

In this podcast, I'll be sharing

honest, not hype, practical and

10

emotional tools to support you to make

the difference that you are here for.

11

Dare greatly.

12

You belong in this arena.

13

Hello, welcome to the 38th episode

of women in the coaching arena.

14

I am so glad you are here.

15

This week, I held a free workshop to help

people get clear on their niche offer.

16

And somebody asked me a brilliant question

that I thought I would cover today.

17

So am I selling business to business or

am I selling to the individual client?

18

This is especially a quandary

when you are doing executive

19

coaching or leadership coaching.

20

Because it's hard to know.

21

Is it going to be that individual leader

who perhaps sees your social media posts.

22

Or are you marketing to organizations?

23

So that's what we're

going to dive into today.

24

This is a critical decision that can

shape how your marketing pans out.

25

Your entire message on your website.

26

It really is pivotal to your

success in your coaching business.

27

So first let's define these items.

28

So B2B refers to transactions

between businesses.

29

So this would be you as

perhaps a leadership coach.

30

Selling to an organization and

they are your paying client.

31

B to C on the other hand involves

a transaction between you as

32

perhaps a leadership coach.

33

And your individual clients.

34

You talking to that client

in all of your messaging and

35

that client paying your bill.

36

So let's talk about the pros

and cons of each of these.

37

Business to business coaching

often involves larger contracts

38

and longer engagement periods.

39

It means more stability, potentially

higher income per client.

40

However, the sales cycle

is longer and more complex.

41

A lot of the time requiring you to get

through those different layers of an

42

organization to get to that decision

maker that can sign off your invoice.

43

On the flip side, B to C coaching

allows for more personal connection

44

with your individual client.

45

There isn't that confusion

about who is my contract with.

46

The sales cycle is usually shorter because

that individual can just make a decision.

47

You've got that flexibility to mold your

services, to suit that exact client.

48

If they want more, if they want less,

you can negotiate with them directly.

49

However, the trade off is smaller

contracts, less money per client usually,

50

and potentially more effort in gaining

that client in terms of the marketing

51

it takes to get that one client.

52

So, how do you decide?

53

It starts with understanding

your strengths, your preferences.

54

Do you thrive in corporate environments?

55

Do you prefer one-on-one interactions?

56

Are you looking for long-term

engagements or variety in your clients?

57

Another key factor is market demand.

58

You would want to research both

markets of your area of expertise.

59

What are the trends?

60

What are most people doing that are

out there doing what you're doing?

61

What do potential clients in

the sectors need the most.

62

Are they happy to

purchase this themselves?

63

Or is it the sort of thing that

they expect their employer to fund.

64

So, for example, I worked with someone

who is providing maternity coaching.

65

And she was selling it to the individual.

66

But most people who are employed going

off on maternity leave kind of expect that

67

that's something that their employer might

fund rather than them payout when they're

68

about to take that hit in their pay.

69

So often it's about really thinking about

your ideal client and are they seeking

70

your service themselves to invest in.

71

How you want to market is also crucial.

72

So in business to business, building

relationships with key decision makers and

73

understanding their needs is essential.

74

You would be more likely to want

to do things like networking.

75

Attend conferences.

76

Do in person events for

business to business.

77

The sales process for business to business

is very different for business the client.

78

So you are likely to need very

different revenue generating activities,

79

different methods of lead generation.

80

For example, social media doesn't

really cut it with business to business.

81

You have a very different

conversion rates.

82

If you are talking to organizations

your usually building that relationship,

83

therefore you will gain higher

trust and higher conversion rate.

84

Good deep long-term relationships with

a few really good potential leads.

85

A lot of the marketing for

B2B is behind the scenes.

86

So that may please some of you, because

I know visibility comes up a lot.

87

That's not to say it's easy though,

because there is a lot of admin heavy work

88

to do to gain those corporate contracts.

89

It's about sending a lot of cold emails,

a lot of the time, making sure you have a

90

really good system to follow up on them.

91

Making sure that you're constantly

keeping in touch with people.

92

So if you are thinking, it

sounds like the easy option

93

there is still work to be done.

94

It's just a different type of work.

95

So you would need to

balance which you prefer.

96

And if you are thinking

neither, I hear you.

97

And all we need to do is really

shift it to how good you are going

98

to feel when you gain that contract.

99

For those of you who don't want to

use social media, that will please

100

you that it's nowhere near as

relevant for business to business

101

as it is for business to client.

102

So B2B marketing involves thought

leadership, publishing articles,

103

speaking at industry events.

104

It's really about building your

credibility, showcasing your

105

expertise to that business audience.

106

They are less likely to be impressed

by your social media posts and more

107

likely to be impressed by studies

that you've done in your area of work.

108

And things that completely

raise your credibility.

109

Let's move on to exploring B to C.

110

With B2C expanding your personal brand,

connecting directly with potential clients

111

through social media, really growing

that audience can be more effective.

112

For B to C social media

marketing is a core part of

113

your strategy most of the time.

114

Blogging, email newsletters,

lead magnets, funnels.

115

That kind of thing can be really

powerful to reach those individuals

116

seeking personal development.

117

That's not to say that

online is the only way.

118

You can get out there

and your local community.

119

Figure out people you can partner

with, who have your ideal client and

120

might be able to come up with some

sort of referral arrangement with you.

121

There are so many ways of building

those relationships and getting your

122

message out there and the right way

will be the right way for you, because

123

you need to enjoy it to ensure you

actually show up and do it regularly.

124

The choice between B2C and

B2B isn't necessarily binary.

125

Many coaches can blend both approaches.

126

I would recommend doing a campaign,

for example, like the next six months,

127

for example, I'm going all in on B2B.

128

And everything I do is going to be

targeted at gaining that big contract.

129

Maybe then once you have that big

contract, you might want to do B2C, and

130

then you could kind of change things.

131

I do think it's difficult

to do two at the same time.

132

They're not impossible because the B2B

marketing is often behind closed doors.

133

You will be probably cold emailing

or LinkedIn, going to conferences.

134

It won't necessarily impact what you are

showing on your social media, for example.

135

Nevertheless, I would still

always recommend making your

136

life as easy as possible.

137

And really going all in on one campaign.

138

To sum up whether you

choose B2B or B to C.

139

The key is to really align your business

strategy with your strengths, the

140

market demands, personal preferences.

141

The person, for example, who

asked about this on the workshop

142

already has B2B clients.

143

I think she was an HR consultant.

144

So therefore it made perfect sense that

she would align her coaching in line

145

with the rest of her business marketing,

rather than have that coaching as a B2C

146

thing and then her HR consulting work as

B2B thing, and it would just get a bit

147

confusing who her message was talking to.

148

So let's share two client case studies.

149

One doing business to business,

and one doing business to client.

150

And see if it helps you

to gain clarity at all.

151

So Zoe, my client was wanting to

work with leaders in agencies.

152

Before she came to work with me, she

was focusing on business to clients.

153

So she was talking to the leader

who has been promoted and he's

154

lost and confused and stressed out.

155

Rather than to the agency who wants that

leader to perform well in the business so

156

they generate more profits, for example.

157

So she transferred to business, to

business, and she has really thrived

158

ever since, because she absolutely

loves going to industry events.

159

She loves building relationships.

160

She's way better in person

than she finds social media.

161

So she really found business

to business, helped her.

162

Saying that though one of my clients,

Kate is targeting the individual and

163

she has done really well with that.

164

Don't get me wrong she has

showed up every damn day building

165

her business for entire year.

166

So that.

167

is why she is doing really well with it.

168

So again, if you do want to gain

individual clients, It is going to

169

take a lot more visible marketing.

170

Both paths are exciting, have different

opportunities and challenges, and

171

that right choice will depend on your

individual goals and the specific

172

dynamics of your coaching niche.

173

Thank you for listening

to today's episode.

174

I hope this discussion has provided

a bit more clarity and direction

175

for your coaching business.

176

Remember your journey is unique.

177

The right path is the one

that aligns best with you.

178

Your vision.

179

Your values.

180

And as I say, at the end of every

episode, trust yourself, believe

181

in yourself and be the wise Gardner

who keeps on watering the seed.

182

Thank you so much for listening to this

episode of Women in the Coaching Arena.

183

I have a mess of free resources on

my website joannalottcoaching.com.

184

That's Joanna with an A

and Lott with two T's.

185

joannalottcoaching.com.

186

And I'll also put links in the show notes.

187

Let me know if you found

this episode useful.

188

Share it with a friend and

leave me a review, and I will

189

personally thank you for that.

190

Remember to trust yourself, believe

in yourself and be the wise Gardner

191

who keeps on watering the seed.

192

Get into the arena dare, greatly and try.