How To Run Your Online Coaching Business During The Holidays
As a business owner, I understand all too well what the December lull does for the coaching industry. If you aren’t selling something that can be given as a gift, your service or business is the first thing cut from a client’s budget this time of year, as gifts and travel expenses take precedent. I’m looking at you, online coaches. This is something most online coaches deal with, as it happens when you own a business that provides an “unnecessary” service. I am here to hopefully offer some words of wisdom to help your coaching business in the long term, as I for one think it is important to be sensitive this time of year.
Right around Thanksgiving, there is an influx of holiday sales with online coaching. Online coaches who offer Black Friday sales on a service are sketchy, as online coaching almost always operates in the black (unless you are doing something very wrong), so the gimmick of a Black Friday sale is disheartening. Next, we see holiday sales and pre NYR sales. Why? Because coaches are panicking, forgetting that RIGHT after Christmas, year after year they fill up with clients and there is absolutely nothing to worry about.
So instead of just accepting the notion that most coaches see a brief decline in business around holidays, coaches cheapen their services and then cram them down our throats on social media. In my opinion, this further stresses our consumers (our potential clients) out as they feel like they need to jump on a deal during a stressful financial month. Not cool. Just let people be broke and plan for the lull earlier in the year.
My advice? Take the hit to your income and budget like the rest of the world is. I’ll spare you a lecture on greediness during the holidays, as I’m not your mom. I’m more like your dad (that makes no sense, but I know you all agree somehow). Essentially what I am getting at, is that you should use the downtime this month to create instead of trying to hustle 24/7. Help people. For free.
Try a less aggressive approach to your content in an attempt to be courteous. Maybe showcase a client who is making progress through the toughest time of the year to inspire people (don’t pitch a sale on your coaching at the end of it). Or share FREE content on how to maintain weight through holiday parties and office treats. A YouTube video, a blog post, or a podcast can be so hopeful and be exactly what someone needs in order to not need the expense of a coach through this time of year. Helping people out when they truly need it but can’t afford it, really goes a long way.
December is that month where people need a lot of love and support but they don’t have any money to pay for it (how sad was that wording?). But seriously, your clients essentially pay you to help them and when they don’t have the money to pay you they surely feel lost and like they let you down. Promoting coaching sales isn’t sensitive to this.
And lastly, even if they have money, maybe they just want the month off from having their food log stared at. A lot of people use the following excuse to drop off from coaching over the holidays: “I’m not going to lose weight regardless, so I’m not even going to try till Jan 1”. Just let them use this excuse to overeat a little before they get their shit together for you. Don’t force it. Instead, help them not complete detail through meaningful content as opposed to sales pitches.
That’s all I got. There is nothing wrong with you or coaching if it takes a hit in December.
Written By: Krissy Harclerode