Many of the tools Coaches use aren’t something I use in my own business, and are a bit foreign to me. However, I’ve worked with a variety of coaches for more than a decade, and am familiar with the journals, drawing books, cards, videos, and some of the ice-breakers they use in their work. I have to admit, I find it all quite interesting.  

I have a great respect for coaches and the work they do, and how they often use toys and tools in the coaching process to work through issues and pull things out of their clients.

The dictionary defines tool as “a device or implement, especially one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function.” Whether it’s a Self-Compassion Deck, an activity guide, an online scheduling calendar, or an email marketing system, a tool can be anything that helps you carry out a function or perform a task. And today, I’m writing about the importance of a different kind of tool coaches use (or should use!) … specifically, online marketing tools.

As someone with a team that supports successful coaches around the world with their online marketing needs, it is essential we embrace the very best technology has to offer. Because my team of marketing professionals and our clients are scattered across Canada, the United States and beyond, it’s imperative we creatively use smart and effective tools to do our work seamlessly enough that the coaches we work with enjoy the same (or better) level of service with us as they would if working with someone in their own city.

Not only do we use a variety of productivity and communication tools to do our work, but technology is crucial to the way we market our services. Without Mailchimp to deliver my weekly tips ezine, I wouldn’t be staying in the mind of my prospective, current, and future clients. Without Hootsuite, how the heck would we schedule all the social media that needs to go out? And without a project management system like Basecamp, client information would be all over the place, and no way to keep track of who’s doing what.

When you introduce new tools into your work, you’ll find a freedom you’ve never known before. This freedom comes from automating processes, cutting down on miscommunications, and streamlining all your tasks so your time is spent as efficiently as possible. What happens when your administrative time is being used more efficiently? You’ll have more time to spend doing what only you can do, more time to dream up new ideas, and of course … more time to spend taking care of your clients. All of this helps you reach new audiences, and ultimately, increase your level of success.

Using the right tools in your marketing and branding helps you stay one step ahead of your competitors. With our team being virtual and operating from so many different locations, we would be lost without certain apps and tools. 

If you’re new to the coaching business, or struggling to gain traction, try embracing some new tools to see which one’s stick. The goal is to systematize and automate the various parts and pieces of your business as much as possible!

One of the absolute best tools in any coach’s arsenal is their support team. In fact, I would say the thing that separates the most successful coaches from the rest is, the big ones have a support team working alongside them.

So now that you know the best tool you, as a coach, can have in your arsenal is your support team, what’s next? Next week, I’ll tell you all about the benefits of working with a team of online marketing professionals.

Until then, what are some of the tools you rely on to ease your load and be a more effective coach?