Episode 82: Use One Question to Streamline Your Coaching Business

This year I’ve been thinking a lot about how to make it easier to grow a coaching business, how to streamline everything.

I know every time I go on social media, I see so many people, the gurus, or experts, telling me the “right” way to do it.  Now I’ve been a coach for years, and I still get all the ads, sponsored posts, and suggestions about the right way. I wanted to let you know this because as a new coach it’s easy to fall into overwhelm.  You may feel like you’re watching the ball bounce all over the place from shiny object to shiny object.  Seeing all those “right” ways.

It reminds of when I was a kid, I had one of those super bouncy balls. The kind that when you bounced it hard it ricochets off the walls, the table, your friend, the floor, the ceiling ----every surface. It just bounced all over the place.

Well, that’s how my clients describe how it feels. Everywhere they look there is the magic golden ring, the “one perfect way” to build a coaching business to get clients, to become a six-figure earner or to be fully booked.

Honestly, it’s exhausting, distracting, and overwhelming when you look at all these options and allow yourself to follow them around like the bouncy ball. They, the experts, try to tell you their way is the only true path. Whether its high ticket offers, Facebook Ads, Tik Tok, IG, FB Groups or writing a book…the list goes on and on. 

When you bounce around from idea to idea you think, or rather you hope, there is one easy way. Ultimately though, this approach of shiny object syndrome slows you down. When you are bouncing around between so many distractions you feel like you’re doing lots, but when you analyze what’s happening you will find you’ve spent a lot of energy and made very little, if any, progress. 

Let me be straight and to the point.  

There are many ways to create coaching clients. There are many paths to success. But there is no ONE perfect easy way, there is only your way. 

And you would be surprised how your path will be easier, more aligned more resonant when you give yourself permission to be yourself and to consider what you already know.

That’s right. Permission to be you and to not just park your personality, strengths, and values at the door – but bring all of you in to attracting clients, signing clients, and becoming a thriving coach.

Now as I mentioned earlier – I’ve been focused on this word “streamlined”. It can be simple to become a coach…not necessarily easy but simpler than you might think.

Of course, there are things you will want to learn and skills you will want to grow. I would encourage you at the same time to lean on yourself. You have years of experience and knowledge, and undeniably you have more skills and valuable strengths already in place to help you become a successful coach.

So yes, learn from mentors, take high quality trainings, hone your coaching skills and at the same time honor and be true to yourself.

Today we’re going to talk about the “one question approach” that I recommend helping you make the best decisions.

By the end of this episode, you’ll understand this approach and how to apply it.

No one wants to make a bad decision. We want to avoid mistakes, mis steps and mess wherever possible.

Try this one question approach – I’ve been using it for a few months, and it’s helped me, so I know it will help you too. 

The one question approach is a simple tool you can use to help you achieve a dream or reach a goal.

Your goal might sound like this:

• I want my first 5 paying clients
• I want to coach 20 hours per week
• I want to create $10k this month

Notice how specific those are. You and I would both look at any of those goals and know precisely when you reached it. 

Every time we want a goal, part of the journey is growth and how you learn to manage the obstacles, the disappointment, the success, and the fun.

Think about all the steps, big and small, all the stumbles, the experimentation and the learning and sticking with it that allowed you to achieve the goal. 

And consider who you are becoming all along the way

When you want something new, you know you need to do things differently 

And in this case the different or radically different approach is making it simple.

I want you consider:

How good will it FEEL to reach your goal?

How terrible will it FEEL if you don’t? 

It’s very easy for us to make things complicated. What we forget is that the real power is in simplicity, elegantly simple. 

Not easy, but simple.

Simple means you choose an approach and then you apply it and see what happens. Then instead of buying the next course or signing up for the next freebie you stick with this approach and learn, tweak, and optimize.

You practice commitment and move towards mastery instead of second guessing and jumping ship. If something doesn’t work the first time, you work on it, improve and overcome.

Chasing shiny objects…or always searching for the magic bullet, is one of the biggest mistakes I see coaches make. 

You don’t get good at anything by trying it once. 

I know because I’ve done it. I’ve shifted tactics often. Then I realized I was avoiding discomfort and by doing this holding myself away from what I really wanted which was a thriving coaching business.

And this is where the one question approach comes into the picture.

Let me tell you a story about how I learned about this one question approach.

I first heard about it in The Gap and the Gain it’s a book by Dr Benjamin Hardy.

 Then I did some more research and found there is an entire leadership company that bases their practice on the ONE question approach.

So, here’s the story about how this came to be.

There was a team of British rowers who had the DESIRE to win but they were part of an underachieving Men’s Eight. In 1998 they set themselves a Crazy Goal of winning an Olympic Gold Medal in just two years’ time.

They developed a whole new way of working and began challenging everything they did with the question: “Will It Make the Boat Go Faster?” 

If it did, they would keep doing it if it didn’t, they’d try something different. 

By focusing on ownership, incremental growth, daily choices decisiveness and follow through, their results started improving.

On the September 25^th, 2000, that same crew won Gold at the Sydney Olympics.,

It’s a reminder that with the right approach people are capable of amazing things.

And that’s what I want for you

They used the one question approach as a filter for everything that they did.

One simple easy to remember question.

Will it make the boat go faster?

Should we try this new paint? Will it make the boat go faster?

There’s a party tonight should I stay out late and drink lots of beer? Will it make the boat go faster?

Should I eat that donut? Will it make the boat go faster?

Should we try this new training regimen? Will it make the boat go faster?

I’m having a fight with my teammate…should I bury the hatchet? Will it make the boat go faster? 

Now let’s talk about your ONE question

It begins with this: 

What do you want?

If you don’t decide what you want…you will never get it. I am not asking you to design your life and overarching long term goals right now. I want you to choose one meaningful goal. A 90-day goal. Something that is not too far into the future, something more immediate that you know will have an impact.

I encourage you choose a goal so that you can begin using the one question approach and see how it supports you.

My guess is you know what you want…. but you’re a bit nervous about admitting it to yourself.

It’s easy to be indecisive, maybe you’d like to create 5 clients, maybe 10…if you don’t decide and commit to something specific, you will never experience the discomfort of growth.

Being indecisive is a protection mechanism. Gives you a way to wiggle out….

A 90-day goal works well if you’re new to setting and achieving goals.

Reaching your goal means you focus on it, don’t forget it and don’t quit

It’s a process. Then you’ll need to take action daily / weekly / monthly to get to that goal. 

Choose one goal for your coaching business. # Clients, income, a substantial project, or achievement that you know will have an impact.

90-days is a short enough period that it makes sense. You won’t get lost in the dreaming and projecting so far into the future.

Since I coach coaches, I’m going to focus on common new coach goals

Your 90-day goal could be based on

• Money – how much would you like to generate from your business?

• Clients – how many new clients in the 90 days or how many clients total would you like to have? 

• Is there an important project you would like to complete?

Here are some examples to inspire you:

I will create 5 new clients in the next 90 days

I will make $5000 in the next 90 days

I will write and publish 10 blog posts.

I will do 50 consults or sample sessions

Now it’s time to choose one goal: What one thing will you focus on?

If you need to pause the audio and decide on a 90-day goal. It can be as simple as that.

Now let’s create one question to guide and filter your decisions, actions for your 90-day goal

Choose your ONE question

Some Examples

1.Will it make the boat go faster?

They knew they wanted to win gold….and to win they needed speed.

1. Will this help me become a fully booked coach?

Do I stay home, or do I go to that networking event? Do I sit on the couch, or do I write my blog post? Do I fiddle with my website, or do I improve my coaching skills? Do I create a simple offer, and do I get clear on exactly how I help my clients, or do I dream of charging top rates? Do I work on social media graphics, or do I talk to people and invite them to work with me?

Ok – now you’ve got space to choose your question

Go with your gut – choose a basic question. This doesn’t have to be hard – you can decide to make it easy.

OK once you got your one question, let’s double check that it’s on target and that it’s a question that will support you in reaching your 90-day goal.

I use four criteria to decide if my one question is on point.

 Will this one question act as a filter and help me reach my goal? Does it apply to my goal?

Will this help us get along as a team? No

Will it make the boat go faster? Yes

Is it simple and easy to remember?

Could this be a good opportunity for exposure as a family coach in the long run? No

Yes: Will this help me create 5 new clients? Yes

Is it clear and to the point? Completely unambiguous

Could learning this new skill be a potential good opportunity for exposure in the long run? No

Will this help me create 5 new clients? Yes

Does it help me be decisive? When I use it do I answer yes or no?

            How will doing this task help me? No

            Will this help me reach my goal? Yes

So let me recap this for you

1. Decide on a 90-day goal
2. Choose the one question
3. When choosing your one question make sure it satisfies the four criteria:

• Will this filter help me reach my goal?
• Is it simple and easy to remember?
• Is it clear and to the point?
• Does it help me be decisive?

 Excellent – now I want to hear from you.

What one question will you use?

Post a screen shot of this episode, on IG and tag me @candymotzek and share your one question.

Before we go, I’d love to invite you to my free Monday Coaching and Conversation with Candy.  I open a zoom room for everyone who registers.

I usually teach on a topic, answer questions and coach. I’ll put the sign-up link in the episode notes I’d love to see you there.

And if you want even more help, maybe you’ve had enough of trying to figure it all out on your own or taking hours and hours piecing together a solution by watching YouTube videos.  Then we should talk about how we can work together.

Click the link in the episode notes to find out how to apply to work with me.

I’ll be back to talk with you next week.

Featured on The Show: 

• The Gap and The Gain Dr Benjamin Hardy
• Sign up for my next Coaching and Conversation session
• Click here to learn how to apply to work with me