How to Stand Out as a Coach in a Saturated Market [Ep 49]

Welcome to the Thriving therapyneur podcast. The show for ambitious therapists who are ready to unapologetically make more money, scale their impact and build their dream coaching business. I'm Carly Hill, therapist turned coach turned CEO of a seven figure online business. I created the Thriving Therapeutic podcast because I'm obsessed with helping big hearted therapists outgrow the office and build successful and sustainable online businesses. So if you are wondering how you can continue to make an impact without sacrificing the life you love. Welcome therapreneur. This is exactly the place for you. Think of it like the business school we never had. I am so excited to dive in with you. Let's get started. Hello friends. Welcome back to the show. If you have ever thought everyone and their mom is a coach, how am I supposed to stand out, Carly? The market feels so saturated. Why would anyone choose me to be their coach? Or is now even the right time to grow my coaching business with everything going on with the economy? Then this episode is for you. I'm going to walk you through how to become the go to expert in your niche, even if you're just starting. Most of my clients, they start from scratch. Usually they have a private practice. Not everyone, but usually they have a private practice. They're looking to outgrow the office. So even if you're just starting from scratch, you have no idea what your niche is, anything about coaching, how to create your offer and market it. The self doubt is creeping in. Even if your brain is telling you the market is too crowded. It is. Okay, I'm gonna walk you through how you can stand out and how you can be seen as the expert. We're gonna talk about messaging, mindset, strategy, the energetic piece. Because you really can't embody your expertise, you can't embody being the CEO of your coaching business unless you're anchored in your own power. So for those of you who are totally new to my world, I just want to do a quick introduction. My name is Carly Hill. I have worked probably every therapy job imaginable. I'm an LCSW by trade. I built my own successful private practice. I was a private practice coach for a while, helping therapists build their own private practice. And then as I made the transition myself into coaching and moved from therapist to coach, I found my mission in helping therapists scale to consistent five figure months with their own coaching business, creating their signature high ticket coaching program. Because the reality was the one to one therapy model, it just was not sustainable. Not for me, not for my clients. I Found that everybody was craving more freedom. They loved what they were doing, they love being a therapist. And you can probably resonate with this, but you just have that itch for more. So coaching gave me that freedom, that creativity, and the impact that I wanted to make. So today's episode is going to be about stepping into the online space because it can be scary, but doing it in a way that you can push past the noise and you can stand out. Because if you're wondering if there's room for you, the answer is yes, there's absolutely room for you. But the time to start is now, because the coaching industry is booming and you have to be able to position yourself properly. So many of us want to help more people, right? And not in a cocky way. I always remember this in my private practice, I was like, if just more people knew about me, I could change their life. And it was just because my gifts and the way I was working with clients, I was getting them really, really fast results. I actually even was teaching therapists how to do this for a while because I combined and kind of created my own method. And it was a mixture between neuro linguistic programming, because I'm an NLP practitioner, and hypnotherapy and cbt. And we came up with a model, or I came up with a model that I was teaching where I could get clients really fast results. So I was wondering, how am I going to impact more lives? Not in a cocky way, not in a look at me way, but again, in a way where my story, my gifts could impact and change more lives. But then the fear shows up, right? Well, what will people think? What if I fail? If I put myself out there? What if I'm really not expert enough? And on top of that, the conditioning comes in. I write about this at the very, very beginning of my therapeneur book. It's the forward of my book. And I talk about how, especially as women and then being a therapist, on top of that, we're taught to stay quiet, to give for free, to not charge too much, to hide. We're not supposed to be seen, and we've been conditioned, but that means that we can be deconditioned. And this comes from neuro linguistic programming as well. If you have a block, and my clients tell me all the time, like Carly, I have this block around selling, for example. I'm like, okay, well, if you got blocked, that means you can get unblocked, right? So if we've been conditioned to stay quiet, to give for free, to not charge too Much to hide and not be seen. We can be deconditioned because there is too many wildly gifted heart led therapist hiding behind the self doubt. And maybe that's you. And it's not because you lack the tools. You're hella good at what you do, you know, and you probably have that itch that I did. Wow. If more people knew about me, I could just absolutely transform and change their life. But because we've been taught that it's quote unquote safer to stay small, we do. And it's time to rewrite that story. And coaching is your golden ticket. It is the key to having this freedom and pushing past staying small. Coaching is booming. Everyone's a coach, right? I mean, at least that's what it feels like. Especially when you start googling and you start looking up coaching. You're going to be bombarded, the algorithm knows and you're going to get target advertised by all of these coaches. It happens all the time. My clients, or potential clients rather, they're interested in the therapist to coach accelerator. They book a call with my wing woman, they're exploring it, we're talking details and then we get an email from them saying, you know, well, what makes you different, Carly? Because now I'm getting advertised by a zillion different coaching companies and we have a great answer for what makes us different. But that's not what this episode is about. So here's the thing. There's no coincidence that the coaching industry is booming. It's not a coincidence. It is a message to us that we are living in a world filled with war, inflation, pandemic residue, political tension, constant trauma cycles. Like shit's going on in the world, right? People are overwhelmed and they are absolutely craving support outside of the traditional systems. This is quite literally why the coaching industry has grown since 62% since 2019. That's an insane amount. The elearning market, it was valued at 251 billion in 2023 and it's projected to hit over 1 trillion by 2032. And that's why I say the time to get in is now. It's not slowing down. So yes, it's saturated, but it's not a coincidence. It's saturated for a reason. Because everyone needs help and it's only growing. So this isn't a phase, it's really a paradigm shift. And I would say therapists moving into the coaching space. You are on the forefront of success. Congratulations. If this is you, I have grad students reach out to me all the time and they're like, carly, I'm not licensed yet. Can I still do this? And this is a mixed answer because one, I need you to be in integrity creating a high ticket signature coaching program. You don't have to be an expert, but you do need to know what you're doing right? And I sure as hell, I mean, I thought I knew who I wanted to help right after grad school, but the reality was I needed a lot more experience. But these grad students are looking into coaching already and I was like, wow, like, I wish I was you. I wish I had someone like me to teach everything that there is to know about the online industry and moving from therapist to coach. Because congratulations, you are absolutely on the forefront of success. If you're a forward thinker and sometimes it's just, you know, older adults who have lived like five lives and they're like, you know, I don't have my license yet, can I still be a coach? And I'm like, yes, absolutely, because you have the lived experience. So as long as you're in Integrity creating a signature coaching program, and you have the confidence and conviction to get somebody from A to Z, then yes, this can work for you. Because people are saying, I want help now and I want help in a way that fits my life. I want help from someone I can actually relate to. 90% of us are our own ideal client. Your story is incredibly powerful in marketing. Story sells. So if you have ever felt called to help in a bigger way, that's the call. And your answer is stepping into your unique lane. What is your unique lane? How do you stand out? Number one is niching down. You have to niche down. If you were speaking to everyone, you're selling to no one. If you're speaking to everyone, you're selling to no one. Let that sink in and think of it in this way. Saying you're helping stressed women, it's like saying you help humans who breathe like everyone and their mom is stressed. So no, that is not a niche. It's just noise. You have to be hyper specific, hyper niche down, especially in high ticket sales. You have to be known for a very specific problem, a specific kind of person. So if you're a relationship coach, for example, you can't just say that you help people in relationships with communication so there's less conflict. You would rather say something like, I help divorced midlife women rediscover themselves. So there needs to be two identifying factors with the population. The problem needs to be really specific. The outcome needs to be specific. It needs to be tangible, it needs to be measurable. I have tons and tons and tons and tons of resources on niching. So if you need help with niche, if you're stuck with that, read the chapter in my book on niching. I have niche guides for free. I have niche episodes. Just scroll back down through the podcast. Tons of help on niching. Okay, but I can't stress this enough. I will say it until I'm black and blue in the face. Seriously, you have to niche down or you will not stand out. People will just think you're a generalist. The second thing is simplifying and just having one core offer, one clear transformation, one message your brand is known for. I have a whole nother episode on this as well. It's called the power of one. So we don't need to have our offer suite be like a Chinese menu and we don't have to have a zillion different offers. Let's start with one core offer and this could be your high ticket offer. Then we can work backwards and we can create a bunch of little digital products and mini courses. But that's not where you should start. So one core offer that's going to give one population one very clear transformation. You don't need 10 digital products. I mean, eventually, like I have 10 digital products, way more than that. Okay, I have multiple courses. But how I started in the coaching industry was with one high ticket program and I made a million dollars off of one high ticket program. So that's it. You need one program that gets results and builds momentum and then you need to create your own blue ocean. This is number three. So maybe you've heard of this before. Maybe you're like, well, what is a blue ocean? I don't get it. It's referring to the red sea is like the red sharky sea. You don't want to compete in the red sharky sea with everyone else. No, you want to create your own blue ocean and carve out your own subset market. Hey there. Did you know we give away one of our incredible digital products every single week? All you have to do is leave a review for the show, then submit proof using the link in the show notes and you'll be entered to win. Prizes include amazing resources like our passive income course, the license protection bundle, top business trainings, my best selling book, and so much more. It's super simple and your review helps us reach more listeners just like you. So take a moment to share your thoughts, enter to win and maybe you'll be our next winner. An example of this is from Cirque du Soleil. So the circus, the traditional circus, it was dying, it was declining in ticket sales. There was like outdated clowns, there was ethical concerns. And Cirque du Soleil did not compete with that. They, they just reinvented the circus. So they took out the animals, they added in world class music and lighting and storytelling and acrobats and artists and had a brand new audience. They advertised to adults instead of kids. So you can do the same. You're a therapist who helps anxious women, let's say. But that's not niche enough. That is not your own blue ocean. So you instead specialize in female founders navigating decision fatigue. So they're entrepreneurs in the health and wellness space and they want to attract aligned clients, they want to up their prices. They have imposter syndrome. They need to make better business decisions and they need help navigating this. Okay, so hyper niching down and finding a subset market and then you're not competing anymore. Think of it like in the grocery store, there used to just be regular old milk and now there's a zillion milks. There's like a zillion oat milks and goat milks and all these creamers. And these milk companies, they didn't compete. They just market it to a different avatar, a new client. So this is exactly what you are going to do. Number four is having a signature framework, AKA a secret sauce. So framework is going to build credibility, it's going to build clarity. And what this can look like for you is maybe the mommy healing blueprint, the self love reset system, the soul LED business map. Your framework is pretty much your formula. It's your proof of process and it's setting you apart from the coach who's just winging it. So there's three reasons that people are going to buy your coaching program. It's because one, you're going to help them do it faster. Two, you're going to help them do it easier. And three, you're going to help them do it with a proven process. So when you have a signature framework, AKA a secret sauce, you are giving off the message to your clients and you're building credibility. And it's very crystal clear to them we have clarity here that you have a proven process. Your mommy healing blueprint, it's a proven process. It's a proprietary process. So I have my modern marketing master plan, I have my sacred soul aligned selling blueprint. Those are part of my signature framework. These are my secret sauces. Now, did I invent marketing? No, but the way I piece together all of the different marketing concepts into a modern way. This is my proprietary process. It's a modern marketing master plan. It's a signature framework. It's my secret sauce. So you need to have the same thing. Number five is stepping into your own CEO identity. If you want to be seen as the expert, then you need to step into the CEO identity. You got to own that. You. You gotta start acting like one. And you need to clean up your digital footprint. One of the first things I have my clients do when we're prepping and priming their social media is change the title on their Facebook to CEO of their coaching page. You're using a professional email as well? It's not Susie Qmail. Com. No, you need to. What comes after AT needs to be your business name. I was recently shopping around for pediatricians and there's like a concierge pediatrician. And I looked at her email and she didn't even have a professional email. It was just a regular old Gmail and I was judging. So people will absolutely do their due diligence and check you out. They're going to look at things like this. Okay, so you need to have a professional email. And. And there's a whole other list of reasons other than just people judging and doing their due diligence on the tech in the back end of having a professional email. Because if you don't have a professional email and you're just using Gmail, then you're going to be flagged as spam. When you're sending a bunch of emails and you're not going to land in their inbox and then your open rate is going to suck. So just do me a favor and get a professional email. It's like 12 on G Suite. Okay? Be the face of your brand. When you are the CEO, you are the face of your brand. If you have a bunch of stock images all of the time, then people aren't going to see you as the founder, the CEO, the visionary. So don't be afraid to take some photos. These don't have to be fancy. Just have a friend or a family member. Go to a hotel, bring a bunch of outfits, go to a park, wherever, or literally take some selfies or use AI and you can doctor these up. There's no excuse to not have you as the face of your brand to some capacity. Does every single post need to have your picture on it? No. But if you're stepping into your CEO identity, you need to be the face of your brand. Okay, this is who you are now. This is your business. Number six is let people experience you. So we're talking about people doing their due diligence, looking you up. They care about what you do outside of work, they care about your hobbies, they care about your values. So let people see you and experience you. Let them hear your voice, let them see your character and your quirks. Show up in Facebook groups, go live, be a podcast guest. You don't have to have your own podcast, but do guest trainings. You could go live on Instagram, you could have your weekly email newsletter, have your own Facebook group. Instead of just commenting and interacting in other Facebook groups, be that tribe leader of your niche. The moment people see you holding space and delivering value, they're gonna trust you more. And as we know, trust equals conversions. Trust is the foundation of sales and a business number seven is focusing on conversations and the algorithms. So it's not just about trends, it's about connection. So yes, the algorithm is important, but what is more important than staying up to date on all of those trends in the algorithm? Because you can drive yourself crazy because it's always changing, like every single day, trying to stay up with it. I want you to focus on conversations, connection and trust. Actually caring and actually having conversations with people, asking them follow up questions, listening to them deeply, sending them a voice memo offering some free value, maybe actually giving them a quick win, solving a little micro problem for them, or being human. It's not always about more, more more like how do I get more followers, how do I get more comments, how do I get more likes? It's like, well, are you actually even interacting with all of the people that are currently in your arena on your email list who actually follow you already? Who has commented before, are you interacting with them so there's always a real person on the other side of the screen? And more than ever, people are craving that authentic connection. Number eight is your copy. So your copy matters more than your canva image, AKA pretty branding doesn't convert. It's not about having a perfect feed and everything being matchy matchy. It's about that connection again. So the words that you are saying, your copy, it needs to speak to them, it needs to emotionally connect with them. They need to read what you wrote and be like, wow, she gets me. You need to speak to their pain points. You need to speak to their transformation. You need to get inside their head, which is why market research is so important. And you need to address their objections. How can we proactively overcome their objections. What questions do they have? How can we proactively answer those questions? So people don't care about your brand colors when they're in pain. Which is why I always tell my clients, let's not worry about the fancy photo shoot and spending a bunch of money on a logo or a perfectly curated brand kit. You can do that and I give them resources to do so. If they want to drop a little money, get it done professionally, or if they want to DIY it. I have options for both. But I encourage them not to get caught up on this and possibly even skip it and come back later because you can get a paying client without any of that. Your clients just care that you get it and that you can help them get out of whatever pain they are currently in. So your copy matters more than your Canva images. Number nine Overcoming Their Objections with Precision so we talk about overcoming their objections proactively because your potential clients want the outcome, but they don't want the struggle. So speak directly to that. I help you build your signature program in seven months without wasting money on ads. That's what I do. One of your objections is, well I don't want to pay to get clients. Okay, I'm going to teach you organic marketing. I do teach paid advertising too. P.S. but I'm going to teach you how to get clients for free as well. Maybe one of your objections is, well I don't want it to take forever. Well I can teach you how to do it in a very fast way. Many of my clients have went from zero to a hundred K in four months of my program. Maybe you're a weight loss coach so you could say I can help you lose weight without cutting out the food that you love. Maybe one of your clients objections is they don't want to cut out chocolate or sweets. So you're going to say I can help you lose weight without cutting out sweets. Maybe you're a dating coach and your client's objection is they don't want to do a zillion self care routines. They don't want to exercise or diet. So I can help you get back into dating without adding 20 new self care routines. Okay, you get the point. So you have to address their barriers and you have to overcome their objections with precision. This is going to help them be more likely to buy. Okay, number 10. I hope you're taking notes on this episode if you're driving or walking. Touche to multitasking. But maybe come back to this episode and take some notes because this is jam Packed, if I don't say so myself. All right, so number 10 is leading and not following. Following. The market's crowded. It's crowded with tons of coaches. It's crowded with content. You have to be that person who's going to take a stance. Got to stir up the water a little bit. You need to have some opinions. So when you're doing market research and you see coaches who are doing something very similar, if not identical to what you're doing, take a look at them and see what are they doing that you don't like. And then can you create a post around that? Have an opinion, take a stand, share your bold ideas. So even if they feel weird or different leaders, do not wait for approval. They just act. So be that person with conviction. So let's recap these 10 really quick because we just covered a ton here, and then I'm going to wrap up this episode. So how to actually stand out? Number one niche, down hyper niche. Have one offer, not a zillion. Create your own blue ocean. Have a signature framework. That's your secret sauce. You got to step into your CEO identity. Be bold, Let people experience you. Let people understand your character, your values. Show up. Focus on the conversations, not just the algorithm. Yeah, the algorithm is important, but we need to emotionally connect with our clients. What we say in our copy, it really matters so much more than having a pretty brand logo and colors. And then you need to overcome their objections with precision. What are they skeptical about? And how can you proactively overcome that in all of your messaging? And be bold, have opinions, take a stance. Don't wait for approval, just post it. You have an idea, you have an opinion, speak about it. You don't have to be perfect. You don't have to know everything. You just have to be real. You have to be consistent. You have to be anchored in your gifts. Knowing yourself is what makes you unique. So introspection is really, really powerful. And that sounds cliche, like, just get to know yourself a little bit more, go inwards. But I'm telling you, putting yourself out there, if you don't deeply know yourself, then you're not going to be visible. You've already walked this path. If you are your own ideal client and you get to lead others through it with clarity, with structure, with strategy. And that is a beautiful thing. So if you want to stand out, have that clear niche, have that compelling messaging, share your personal story, have that emotional energy, have your signature framework, have strategic offers, be consistent and show up. You have to have that consistent presence. That's the formula. And yes, it works. Even in a saturated market. I've helped thousands of therapists make this transition from therapist to coach. I promise you that it works. Energy does not lie. People are craving real leaders, real solutions, now more than ever. So if you're done hiding, you're ready to own the seat at the table that you were born for. I would love to support you. Come say hi on instagram @Carly Hillcoaching. Check out the show notes to learn more about mentorship options and resources. I have tons of resources, anywhere from $0 to thousands of dollars depending on how much handholding you want. So whether you're launching your first offer, you're redefining your voice as a leader. I am here to help you rise. The world does not need more noise. No, it doesn't. It needs real people. It needs you. It needs the fully expressed version of you. So remember, you're not too late. You're right on time. My love is with you and I will see you in the next episode. Thank you so much for listening to the thriving Therapeutic Podcast. I hope that this episode has inspired you to reduce burnout, work smarter, and see the freedom potential you have as a therapist. We would love to have you inside the Therapist to Coach Accelerator Facebook group where we have live trainings and cheat sheets on all things marketing, sales and administration, coaching, ethically and legally. I am here cheering you on and I'll see you around.