Optimize Traction for Every Creation: ‘Paperback Writer’

Getting Creative

When I first trained as a personal and professional development coach, being a coach was enough. There was so little competition, you didn’t even need to have a niche. Coaching was such a novelty that it soon became popular, but that was part of the problem. As more people heard about coaching, more people thought they would give it a try too.

These days, it’s no longer enough to be just a life coach. You have to have a niche too to differentiate you. Most niches are becoming overcrowded, and so now you have to think outside the proverbial box and find a new way of differentiating yourself. That’s where creativity comes in.

There’s such a wide range of potential products that can be created – it can get overwhelming. So many coaches procrastinate to the point where they don’t do anything. Listening to webinars about improving visibility will have your head spinning. You’ll be told you need to blog, host, or be a guest on a podcast, post every day on social media, build a high-ticket signature system, build a funnel, have a freebie to attract your ideal client, self-publish an e-book or an actual book, which must become a best seller. If you tried to do all of these, you’d have no time left for coaching or personal growth activities.

I am the world’s worst procrastinator. I’ve started two self-help books and a card deck. I’ve got all the material I need for all three but how do I make the time to complete them? I’m so busy with my divorce coaching and writing curriculum for the new Divorce Coaching Academy, I’m struggling to block out enough time.

However, what I have done is make use of some of the material (from my unfinished products) to write short articles on social media, and use some great software to schedule the posts. I use Canva for visual material to schedule posts, and Content Studio to schedule posts for written material. I block out one day every two weeks and just write (or rather, I talk into my phone) using another great piece of software, Otter, which transcribes it for me. That’s what I mean by being creative. Finding creative ways of getting things done in the most efficient way.

Repurpose Where You Can

I’m a big believer in “write once, use at least three times”. If I write a long article, I’ll take extracts and make them into shorter posts. If I run a podcast, I’ll repost the transcript. You have to remember that people have different preferences in how they absorb information, and therefore, repurposing can help you meet a variety of needs.

It’s the same with your coaching programs. A free webinar can be incorporated into a paid-for online course as an introductory module and padded out with a workbook. Wherever possible, have several versions of your programs to suit each pocket. A basic program would be entirely online with no coaching. This can be upgraded to a mid-price program with workbooks and group coaching, whilst a high-ticket offering would include one-to-one coaching plus or minus a retreat or similar. In this way, you are repurposing all your material in three different ways.

If your basic program is a video or audio series, ensure there is a transcript to accompany it. Not only will clients feel they are getting added value but also you will be catering to multiple modalities of learning and accessibility. The beauty of having transcripts is that you can also repurpose these into social media posts with excerpts, or put all modules together to make a book giving another income stream.

Passive Income Goals

One of the most rewarding parts of creating coaching products is the ability to make a passive income. The goal is to stop trading time for money and start earning whilst you sleep. Obviously, the easiest way to do this is to create a physical product that can be sold online through a third party like Amazon or Etsy. But with the right software, you can create e-books that can be set up to automatically download in exchange for payment. Having an e-book makes updating easier too.

Similarly, using the right software, access to your online courses can also be automated. Having this constant drip factor is so liberating, and will free you up to create more products. The important thing with online courses and e-books is ensuring that they are protected. Sorting out your intellectual property rights is time-consuming, but worth it in the long run.

Stand Out From the Crowd

The important thing to remember is that creating products for your coaching business takes time. What are you going to do to make yourself stand out from the sea of sameness? Don’t just follow the crowd and do what everyone else is doing. You don’t need to blend in. You were born to stand out so dare to be different. Become a Category of One!

What have I done to become a Category of One? I’m combining all my experiences in academia and coaching and creating The Divorce Coaching Academy. There was a huge gap in the market in the UK for an accredited program to train the next generation of divorce coaches, and a huge demand for divorce coaches following the lockdown when the number of divorces rose exponentially. The Academy will hopefully fill that gap. We’ve not advertised it yet, but our first cohort is already full. We are now taking names for the next cohort starting in February.

I was recently interviewed about the Academy The Coach Guardian. You can read the summary or listen here.

Sue Palmer-Conn

Chartered Psychologist, Certified Master Health and Wellness Coach, Certified Divorce Coach, Certified Divorce Transition and Recovery Coach yadder, yadder yadder! Ok, so Ive got qualifications but it’s not that that makes me a great, not even a good, coach. I’ve got passion, curiosity, intuition. I’ve reinvented myself every time one of life’s challenges came and slapped me in the face. Now I love nothing more than witnessing the transformations of my clients when they realise there is a wonderful life after divorce, even after 50.

http://www.me-or-we.com/

Sue Palmer-Conn

http://www.me-or-we.com/