Ah, technology.
If you’re running a coaching business in today’s world, you can’t live without it.
And while your rational mind may tell you technology has the potential to streamline, organize, and automate your business, your emotional mind may feel a bit intimidated by the idea.
You need technology for so many different elements of your business: your website, lead generation, marketing, emailing, your calendar and appointment scheduling, client management, and your shopping cart.
It can be overwhelming to think about how you’re going to get ALL of these platforms set up in the first place, and then, how they’ll work together, and how you’ll find the time to manage them all.
The whole point of technology is to streamline your business so you can focus on coaching—but from where you’re standing right now, it may feel like handling the technology is a full-time job, in and of itself.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be.
You can choose the right technology to streamline, organize, and automate your business—without feeling overwhelmed.
And it’s key to get it all set up in advance, before you even start getting clients. After all, if you’re not set up to support your new client, how long do you think he or she will stay a client?
Because that’s so important, I want to make sure you have everything you need, now.
Here are nine factors to consider when you’re selecting the technology to power your business:
Can it be integrated?
What resources are necessary for managing it?
Is it designed for a service-based industry?
How complex is the setup?
Does it offer ongoing/post-setup support?
Does it offer community and resources in addition to technological support?
How much does it cost, and what is and isn’t included?
Is it overkill?
Can it offer a one-stop shop?
Can it be integrated?
If you’re using more than one technology, ensuring they’re integrated—that they can talk to each other—is a huge must. For every technology you add to your business, you add a layer of complexity. If they’re not integrated, you’ll spend countless hours entering data multiple times, repeating yourself, making sure nothing slips through the cracks, and switching back and forth between platforms.
The Coaches Console is fully integrated.
The Coaches Console IS integration. Not only does it include technology for each element of your coaching business, but it also integrates those technologies, which means they talk to each other so you don’t have to be the go-between. It also integrates with merchant accounts such as PayPal, and lead generation tools like Leadpages—which means the data you enter into one platform automatically passes through to the separate technology. You don’t have to do anything with it! At every step of the way, from marketing to lead generation to conversion to support to follow-up, The Coaches Console keeps track of everything, so you don’t have to!
What resources are necessary for managing it?
Some of the technology platforms out there require a VA (or a team of VAs) to run them—which means you may need to outsource the running of these platforms to an expert (or more than one expert). So not only do you have to pay for and manage the technology, but you also have to spend time and money paying for the VA to operate it.
The Coaches Console is easy-breezy to manage.
The Coaches Console is designed by coaches, for coaches, which means you don’t need to be tech-savvy to manage it. In fact, if you can operate a Word type of program, or Gmail, or even a smartphone, you’ll feel tech-comfy when it comes to using TCC! Although you can hire a Coaches Console Certified VA to manage it for you efficiently and effectively (which we consider a nice bonus!), you don’t have to. Many of our coaches manage the platform themselves in just a few hours per week.
Is it designed for a service-based industry?
Technology platforms that are not designed specifically for a service-based industry like coaching (or similar service-based practices) often don’t include the mechanisms you’ll want to use to build and run your service-based business. They may have tons of bells and whistles, but in many cases those bells and whistles are impressive only for other industries (such as brick-and-mortar businesses or businesses selling physical products).
The Coaches Console is designed with coaches and service-based practitioners in mind.
Like we said before, The Coaches Console is designed by coaches, for coaches. We know which list-building funnel, sales funnel and conversion process work for our industry, and we not only designed our platform with those in mind, but we’ve also prepopulated and preuploaded it with over 20+ templates, agreements, messages, opt-in pages, forms, documents, products, and lead magnets that you need to build your list, convert prospects into paying clients, and support your clients exquisitely, to better ensure they get results!
How complex is the setup?
If you’re just launching your coaching business, the prospect of Getting Started—i.e. the initial setup of the technology for your website, funnels, support systems and so on—may feel overwhelming.
Some of the technology platforms you’re considering may require expert setup. You may have to hire a website designer or computer programmer. Others are really user-friendly and you won’t need any help at all.
The Coaches Console offers you options, based on how much or how little help you want or need.
If you’re comfortable with technology, you can set it up yourself! It’s completely user-friendly, and tons of people have gone this route and loved it. If you want a little help and a lot of love, you can join us for our Easy-Breezy Coaching Business Bootcamp, where we walk you step-by-step and click-by-click through getting everything set up, and we share some kick-ass business strategy (also known as Best Practices) with you. Or, we can do it FOR you, so that it’s all set up and ready for you to use! (Because it’s user-friendly, additional support is not required; this is just one more option we give you, so you can choose HOW you want to experience the set-up of your business.)
Does it offer ongoing/post-setup support?
Each platform offers a different level of support, and before you choose a technology platform, it’s great to get an idea of how much is available to you. You may or may not anticipate needing support at this point, but things can change as your business grows.
The Coaches Console offers ongoing support, in many forms, at no additional cost.
The Coaches Console offers multiple types of support and many ways to experience that support: live implementation calls to get you started, live chat to support you as you need it, a searchable knowledge base, video tutorials and FAQs, and weekly live trainings—all at no additional cost.
Does it offer community and resources in addition to technological support?
In order to make the most of a technology you bring on to your business, you must know the best practices and strategies that will optimize it and bring you awesome results. So, ask yourself whether you’re getting anything beyond the technology you plan to use. For example, does the provider offer an online group or a forum where you can ask and answer questions? Does it give you education and guidance on those best practices and strategies you can use to optimize it and get the results you want and need?
The Coaches Console offers a supportive, friendly community to address technology, business, lifestyle, and mindset. It’s everything you need to create a business beyond your wildest dreams, so you can live a lifestyle beyond your wildest dreams!
We offer a Coaching Lifestyle Facebook group (where we focus on Body, Mind, and Business), as well as private Facebook groups for members and Bootcampers. It’s all relevant to all the aspects of success as a coach—not just technology.
How much does it cost, and what is and isn’t included?
Many of the program out there start relatively cheap, but as you’re successful and grow your list and make more money, they become more expensive. What you pay for is directly tied to how successful you are—the more successful you are, the more you pay. For example, your investment might increase as you add more contacts to your list, sign more clients, or process more transactions. This means you may end up paying significantly more for a certain technology later.
You also want to pay attention to any initial startup fees, and whether or not there is an ongoing maintenance fee, beyond the fee for the platform itself. Be sure to inquire about these types of “hidden” costs, to avoid any surprises in your bank account when your payments are processed!
With The Coaches Console, you pay a flat fee, no matter how big your business gets.
As your business grows, you can rest assured that your investment level for The Coaches Console won’t.
Is it overkill?
As we mentioned before, some technologies were developed around the needs of businesses other than service-based businesses. Therefore, they may include (and charge you for) elements you don’t actually need. For example, some shopping technologies offer a great way to get paid, but because they want to cater to so many different types of businesses, they include many elements you’ll likely never use as a coach (but you’ll still pay for them!).
The Coaches Console offers everything you need, and nothing more.
Because The Coaches Console is developed by coaches, for coaches, it includes exactly what you need, and nothing more. And you pay for a single fee for everything: website, list-building funnels, converting features, client support, and getting paid.
Can if offer a one-stop shop?
When you implement several different technologies, you have to install, learn, manage, and pay for several different technologies. While each one may handle a different aspect of your business well, you’ll have to handle each of them separately. This often means you have to enter the same data and information separately (and when it changes, you have to make the change separately)—and this is where things fall through the cracks if you forget one technology. Obviously, this approach requires you to expend time, energy, money, and resources separately. Each technology adds a layer of complexity to your business management experience.
The Coaches Console is a one-stop shop where you can handle everything related to your business, all in one place.
As we mentioned in Consideration 1, The Coaches Console is fully integrated. All the different components communicate with one another, and, even more importantly, you can manage your entire business from this one place. This saves you so much time, money, energy, and possible aggravation, and it ensures none of the finite details slip through the cracks. It’s simple, and as Leonardo da Vinci said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
In Conclusion …
The Coaches Console is an integrated technology, created by coaches, for coaches, that includes software to manage your:
MARKETING & BRANDING:
Website
Templates
Landing Pages
Newsletters
LIST BUILDING:
Contact Management
Opt In Pages
Autoresponders
CONVERTING:
Scheduling for sample sessions
Appointment reminders
Forms
EROLLING:
Electronic Client Agreements
ONBOARDING & ENGAGING:
New Client Autoresponders
Invoicing
Billing
Shopping Cart
SUPPORTING:
Secured Client Data
Forms & Documents
Course & Content Delivery
Private Member’s Portal
OTHER:
Reporting
Training & support
Security & Compatibility
Business Building Community Forum
And it is designed to work on computers and mobile devices, which means that you and your clients can use it anywhere, and at any time.
Many consider The Coaches Console to be a one stop shop: their business in a box!
Plus, we offer you an amazing set of resources, for the technology and for your personal journey as a coach, to ensure you have everything you need to make the impact about which you’re passionate and to enjoy the freedom and fun of entrepreneurship!
Again, as a quick recap, here are the nine questions to ask yourself as you consider each of the various technology platforms you’ll use to help you make an AWESOME impact and achieve that freedom you want and deserve:
- Can it be integrated?
- What resources are necessary for managing it?
- Is it designed for a service-based industry?
- How complex is the setup?
- Does it offer ongoing/post-setup support?
- Does it offer community and resources in addition to technological support?
- How much does it cost, and what is and isn’t included?
- Is it overkill?
- Can it offer a one-stop shop?
Finally, I’ll take a few moments to reiterate how crazy-amazing-sexy it is to have one integrated platform to handle all the behind-the-scenes details of your business.
Imagine having one piece of technology to install and manage—a single place from which to operate your entire business. Imagine how much time, money, and energy that would save you … and consequently, how much time and energy you could devote to coaching your clients and powerfully supporting them.
That piece of technology IS The Coaches Console. It’s one integrated platform where you can manage every detail of your coaching business, in an experience that is seamless and fun for you and your clients.
Comment below with the top 1-3 considerations that are lacking in your business right now … those that, when you make a few minor adjustments, could free up your time, money, energy and resources to focus on doing what you love. If you haven’t joined the private Coaching Lifestyle Facebook group yet, do so now! Just follow this link, click “Request to Join,” and we’ll get you added ASAP.
Dear Melinda,
This was excellent for me because I’m new to the coaching industry and preparing to launch within the next few months. But. I’m not tech-sophisticated. My business focus is positively impacting children and teens’s lives with self-esteem & identity building, character excellence training. So, I also want to offer our branded clothing products to clients. Would I be able to get that kind of technology support also together with our digital training products using the Coaches Console systems?
So glad you enjoyed this… and welcome to the coaching industry!! Your work sounds powerful and is certainly needed! While the Console shopping cart is designed to sell online products and services (training programs, coaching packages, membership sites, etc) you can create whatever type of product you wish. Two things to consider for your clothing products (or any physical products): 1. taxes (you can set that up as a default inside your Console Shopping Cart) to be applied to your orders and 2. Fulfillment & Shipping. Your Console Shopping Cart does not handle the fulfillment of orders or shipping the actual product to the purchaser. But you can contract with a fulfillment house – you can set your Console System to email the fulfillment center that will then trigger the shipping. And keep in mind; you do not need to be “tech-sophisticated”… just “tech comfortable”. 😉
Is hosting of site included in plan? What about domain name registration?
Thanks
Hello Michelle! Yes, with your Coaches Console System you do receive a website. It is a template that you can customize and brand as your own and there are no hosting fees. Technically speaking your site is a sub-domain of our site so there are no additional domain name registration fees either. So for example you could create your URL to be coachmichelle.coachesconsole.com. Now, many members do already have a domain name they’ve registered at someplace like GoDaddy or Network Solutions, etc. If (or when) you do that you can certainly “redirect” your Coaches Console domain name to “point” to your registered domain name. For example: let’s say you registered http://www.coachmichelle.com to be your domain name with someone like GoDaddy. You can then redirect that URL to point to your coachmichelle.coachesconsole.com URL. So when you give out your http://www.coachmichelle.com URL and people type that into their browser, they’ll automatically land on your coaches console website to view your content, lead magnet, etc. Let me know what other questions you might have. You can also find out more about it here: http://www.coachesconsole.com
Hello.
What is the basic plan cost for the integrated systems?
Thank you
Leoni
Hello Leoni! Glad you found this article helpful! to have your entire back end managed in one integrated system you have a choice, depending on what stage you’re at in your business. You can find them here: https://coachesconsole.com/sign-up-now/. Please let me know what questions you might have… and just curious, what stage are you currently at in your business? are you just getting started? Have you been at this for a while?