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In this article, I will guide you through the steps I took to have my executive function coaching practice booked solid.
When I say "booked solid," I mean that every open slot of my day that I wanted to fill with coaching clients, I was able to fill. This includes a waiting list of clients who could "step in" when one client reached their goals or decided to end services.
It doesn't mean that you cannot take vacations or have weekends off, as it is up to you to determine how you set your schedule.
This approach can also be used by educational therapists, dyslexia therapists, dyscalculia specialists, and any educator who provides specialized instruction to students with special needs.
Common mistakes EF coaches make when trying to get "booked solid"
Here are a few mistakes I see new (or experienced EF coaches) make when learning how to attract clients.
They think word-of-mouth is a strategy
Word of mouth is not a strategy! When you depend on hoping that others talk about your business enough to the point you will have a steady stream of clients, you are bound to be disappointed.
A strategy is something that you can choose to do that, if enacted with fidelity, will increase the probability of getting more "prospects" or potential customers to inquire about working with you.
They pay for Facebook or Google ads
While Google or Facebook ads can drive explosive growth for a business, they cannot drive growth for a business that does not have a clear value proposition and flow for enrolling new customers.
Think of ads as "gasoline for the fire," and your primary job when you are starting your EF coaching business is to create a buzz or small fire by demonstrating over and over that you can help others develop improved executive function skills.
Often, I see new coaches spending lots of money on ads or paying a marketing "expert" to manage their ads and only end up losing money and not attracting new clients.
There are no shortcuts, but you can improve your strategy and approach to make things easier.
They don't have a clear value proposition
It is nearly impossible for a referral partner to refer to you if you don't have a clear value proposition.
For example, look at this vague value proposition:
At Sarah's Brain Support, I help kids with executive function, do career coaching, and special education consulting...
Would you hire Sarah to help your child develop better executive function skills and navigate college application challenges?
But what about if you read a value proposition like this:
At EF Coaching by Sarah, we guide high school juniors and seniors to manage the challenges of school, sports, and college applications through online coaching that teaches time management, prioritization, and self-advocacy so students feel empowered and motivated.
So who would you hire and why?
Steps to ensure your executive function coaching practice is "booked solid"
Determine your "ideal" schedule
As a first step, decide how many slots a week you would like to open up to work with clients. You can do this by using my ideal schedule template and filling in the slots you would like booked.
Once you do this, you should have a clear idea of what being "booked solid" would look like in your life.
Remember, you can only reach a goal if you have defined what it is with such clarity that you can see it.
Otherwise, it's just a dream.
Develop a marketing strategy to drive customers to your business
Once you have your ideal schedule, you need a marketing strategy to drive customers to your business.
A marketing strategy is like a hypothesis in science. You have to test it in action to determine if it works and you repeat it, or if you need to adjust it to serve you.
In the Executive Function Coaching Academy, I know that most prospective executive function coaches prefer not to use social media, so I teach a simple process that involves consistent outreach to local neuropsychologists.
I will break this process down into three steps:
Step 1: Create a value proposition
Create a value proposition that accurately describes your services without offering to do everything
Step 2: Share your value proposition with prospective referral partners
Now, you want to reach out to local:
Neuropsychologists
ADHD therapist
Independent Educational Consultants
Attorneys
Introduce yourself, but focus on them and the value you can offer them.
A good rule of thumb to follow is to offer value before asking. For example, instead of writing an email to ask clients to refer to you, say something like:
Hello (person name),
I found your website searching for local neuropsychologists I can refer to since I am an executive function coach for high school students with ADHD.
I am sure many of my clients would love to learn more about your services, and I will be building a list of local neuropsychologists on my website to direct them to in the future.
Can we meet for 15 minutes in the next two weeks to learn more about your practice and how I might refer to it?
Thanks,
(Your name), Certified Executive Function Coach
Step 3: Have an easy way to sign up and get started
You will start getting referrals once you commit to sharing your value proposition with referral partners.
At this point, you must ensure you can sign up clients and deliver value through the coaching process. There are many tools you can choose for this process, and here are the tools I use, but follow these tips to ensure they serve your needs.
Clients should pay a registration fee for sessions upfront of their first session to ensure you are paid for your work
Have a way to collect all essential information in advance using a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. I use Tutorbird, but you can check out other options by searching for review.
Have a precise term of service that stipulates what happens when someone wants to cancel, if you need to reschedule, etc.
Summary
Those are my top tips for getting yourself booked solid.
There are not cheat codes to this process -- you need to get clear on your offer, put in the work to make connections, and deliver value to clients.
If you can focus on this for 24 months and not get off track, you will be amazed at what you can create.
Here is how you can take action today:
Write your unique value proposition using this template
Set up an outreach tracker and start connecting with local neuropsychologists
Create a smooth onboarding process for new clients
Hope this helps 🤙🏻
P.S.
Consider joining hundreds of educators and professionals who have completed our executive function coaching certification. You'll gain all the tools, templates, and techniques you'll need as a coach, plus you'll make new friends and have a community you can rely on to grow and learn. Learn more.
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About Me
Hey! I'm Sean 👋
I'm a former public school special education teacher who realized that executive function skills are more important than knowing when George Washington crossed the Potomac.
Since then, I've made it my mission to teach anyone who will listen about how to develop these key life skills.
In 2020, I founded Executive Function Specialists to ensure all students with ADHD and Autism have access to high-quality online executive function coaching services. We offer online EF coaching and courses to help students and families.
Realizing I could only reach so many people through coaching, in 2021 I started the Executive Function Coaching Academy which trains schools, educators, and individuals to learn the key strategies to improve executive function skills for students.
In 2023, I co-founded of UpSkill Specialists, to provide neurodivergent adults with high-quality executive function coaching services.
When not pursuing my passions through work, I love spending time with my family, getting exercise, and expanding my brain through reading. You can connect with me on LinkedIn.