We’re excited for you to meet Sheri Otto, a marketing consultant and business advisor who works with health and wellness professionals. Sheri shares her top secrets about attracting clients using a marketing system, so you have more time to focus on working with your clients!

Tell us about yourself and how you help health and wellness coaches grow their businesses?

Sheri: I help coaches, consultants, and service-based business owners increase profitability using both message clarity and marketing systems that automates the process of client attraction. This saves health and wellness coaches a great deal of time when it comes to generating leads for their business, which allows them to focus more on getting positive outcomes for their clients.

After receiving my Master’s in Internet Marketing, I was able to run advertising and lead generation campaigns that have increased revenue for high-end retail clients like Wrangler Jeans. I also spear-headed successful marketing campaigns for software-as-a-service and ratings and reviews software companies.

More recently, I’ve expanded my own business to work 1-on-1 with clients and in group settings to help health and wellness providers attract more clients, increase revenue and grow their businesses. My clients are exceeding the goals they’ve set to get more customers and attract more clients, so I’m excited about the results they are receiving by working with me. I look forward to sharing my programs and trainings with more people in my target audience.

What should health coaches think about when deciding which marketing tactics to prioritize?

Sheri: In an industry saturated with a lot of information about how to best promote their value, coaches need to set themselves apart to demonstrate how they can deliver transformation in the lives of their clients. One way to do this is to identify the real outcomes that they provide, and then highlight that in their marketing messages.

If a health coach has a practice that focuses on weight loss, then promoting this package could include a visual representation of what life would be like a few pounds lighter. This may mean more energy to play with their kids or being able to fit into their wedding gown or their favorite pair of jeans.

It may be tempting to discuss their methods and processes during the promotion phase, however, that can come later. People invest in outcomes and results. Therefore, marketing efforts should center around the transformation their clients will achieve. People invest in outcomes and results.

In your experience, what are the biggest obstacles health coaches face when marketing their business?

Sheri: I find that many coaches struggle to develop and follow a concrete marketing plan that delivers a high return on their investment. We are often inundated with new ideas of how we think we should be marketing and promoting our offers, when it’s important to simply stick with those high-level, revenue generating activities.‍

‍For example, what is going to be more beneficial for your business: 1) Promoting your freebies that have an opt-in form to build your email list; or 2) focusing on social media marketing?

The Data & Marketing Association found that email had a median ROI of 122%—more than 4 times higher than other marketing formats examined, including social media, direct mail and paid search. This means that coaches are 4 times more likely to get a sale from their own email list than from Facebook.

Another predominant obstacle that coaches face is the challenge of finding new clients and retaining their current clients for longer periods of time. Through specific targeting, coaches can take their Unique Positioning Statement to a highly targeted audience where they can share value upfront and attract those that really resonate with their specified message. Marketing systems work behind the scenes to support pre-selling and selling efforts.

What type of content is important for health coaches to share to attract potential clients?

Sheri: It’s important for coaches to provide content that can act as a precursor to their paid programs. Think of it like the appetizer before the entrée. Coaches should entice their prospects by showcasing themselves as industry experts. With that said, content is just a small piece of a larger puzzle.

Sharing preliminary, but valuable content does a couple of things.

1. It prequalifies prospects, so coaches only attract people that would be a good fit for their programs.
2. It allows coaches to begin to identify client profiles or avatars. This gives coaches a greater insight on the types of people they can work with in the future.

Coaches can also focus on creating content that works to build relationships with influencers within their industry. Establishing strategic partnerships with thought leaders serves as a really great way to showcase your expertise and get your content in front of new audiences.

What marketing metrics do you recommend health coaches track and why?

Sheri: One of the most important metrics to consider is the conversion rate from an introductory consult. A conversion rate is the percentage of prospects you speak with that become paying clients.

Having marketing systems or “funnels” in their business is a great way to improve this metric. Freebies or “lead magnets” initiate the marketing system and can do a lot of the pre-selling and framing for coaches. By the time a prospect has the opportunity to do a brief initial consultation, they should already be a warm lead. This leads to a higher conversion rate and shorter initial conversations.

Implementing marketing systems or “funnels” gives coaches more time for their business and creates more positive outcomes for their clients.

Some other metrics to consider tracking are:

• Monthly Revenue vs. Monthly Expenditures
• New Client Acquisition Rates
• Client Retention Rates
• Client Satisfaction through the use of surveys, questionnaires and testimonies
• Audience/Community Growth
• Referral Rates: Including referrals that they receive from previous clients and referrals that are received from strategic partnerships

These metrics will give coaches a sense of the health of their wellness business. It helps them to understand profitability as well as provides insights for areas of opportunity.

How is technology changing the way coaches can market their businesses?

Sheri: Technology is helping service businesses scale faster than ever before. Email automation, messenger bots, digital ads, and sales pages can practically do the selling for you. Coaches can now focus more on providing a transformative experience for their clients.