Podcast

[Coaching: Maia #8] Upselling Clients, Performance-Based Coaching + the Power of Documenting Real-Time Progress

By Zach Swinehart

Coaching series: Can Zach get this beginner freelancer (Maia) to a 6-figure income ($8,333/mo) within 6 months?

Follow their journey through the ups and downs and watch them grow!

Milestones from today’s episode:

  • Maia’s roadmap and retainer strategy for upselling clients
  • Creating a performance-based coaching program with a client
  • Launching a podcast or public coaching series to document client journeys and successes

Coaching highlights from today’s episode:

  • Get commitment from clients to ensure dedication and consistent progress
  • The value of documenting real-time progress from early-stages to success
  • A performance-based pricing model should align with tangible outcomes

Original coaching call recording date: 07/05/2023


Want to get one-on-one coaching from Zach?

The DYF Accelerator community includes weekly live 20-minute one-on-one Zoom coaching with Zach that follows the same format as you saw here.

You’ll also get access to our huge library of all past coaching calls, along with a text-based community and weekly accountability check-ins.

Click here to learn more »


Check Out Maia’s System for Creating a Visionary Mindset

Maia created a task manager and second brain on vision — every time she mentions anything she’s doing in Notion, this is the system + framework she’s using. Click here to check it out »


AI-Generated Summary:

  • 0:00 – 2:00 — Zach introduces the “Double your Freelancing” podcast series, focusing on helping Maia reach a six-figure income, with public coaching sessions.
  • 2:00 – 4:00 — Zach and Maia discuss the progress since their last session, with Maia focusing on raising rates and selling bundled services.
  • 4:00 – 6:00 — Maia shares her success with a client, emphasizing the importance of clarity and content themes in her Playbook service.
  • 6:00 – 8:00 — Discussion on the importance of converting social media followers to email list subscribers, and the challenge of upselling without sounding salesy.
  • 8:00 – 10:00 — Zach advises on the effectiveness of ‘done for you’ services over coaching, citing an example with a YouTube marketer client.
  • 10:00 – 12:00 — Zach discusses the progression of goals for clients, relating it to Maia’s approach with her clients like Anna, focusing on clarity, quick wins, and follower growth.
  • 12:00 – 14:00 — Zach outlines his coaching goals for Maia, emphasizing the importance of meeting certain milestones like financial stability and process optimization.
  • 14:00 – 16:00 — Discussion on the challenges of implementing ‘done for you’ services, especially for early-stage clients, and the importance of client implementation in coaching.
  • 16:00 – 18:00 — Maia talks about the variability in client implementation of the Playbook service, noting the importance of coaching and mentoring over tangible deliverables.
  • 18:00 – 20:00 — Zach and Maia explore upselling strategies, with Zach suggesting focusing on email list setup and lead magnet creation as logical next steps for clients.
  • 20:00 – 22:00 — Zach proposes selling Playbook clients into group coaching and considers a cohort-based course for long-term strategy.
  • 22:00 – 24:00 — Maia discusses the varied journeys of Playbook clients and the challenges in creating a course that caters to all levels.
  • 24:00 – 26:00 — Maia expresses interest in group coaching aligned with her self-reflection magazine, considering office hours for Playbook alumni.
  • 26:00 – 28:00 — Zach and Maia deliberate on the primary goal of attracting high-paying Basecamp clients and the potential conflict with a product coaching route.
  • 28:00 – 30:00 — Discussion on identifying when a Playbook client is ready to transition to Basecamp, focusing on their business readiness and cohesive content strategy.
  • 30:00 – 32:00 — Zach discusses the financial feasibility for clients transitioning to Basecamp and the importance of establishing KPIs for financial readiness.
  • 32:00 – 34:00 — Maia considers offering a middle step, like a retainer, to help clients develop profitable strategies before investing in Basecamp.
  • 34:00 – 36:00 — Zach suggests focusing on tangible outcomes for clients and proposes coaching services aimed at building a business and gaining the first customers.
  • 36:00 – 38:00 — Maia discusses her approach to mentoring clients on newsletter strategy and the importance of making newsletters feel like a product.
  • 38:00 – 40:00 — Zach advises Maia to outline a process for coaching clients from their current state to being ready for Basecamp, focusing on tangible business milestones.
  • 40:00 – 42:00 — Zach suggests a method for Maia to develop a coaching program based on a client’s progress and the feasibility of turning it into a public series.
  • 42:00 – 44:00 — Maia expresses interest in the idea of public coaching and considers integrating it with her client interviews, focusing on pivotal moments in their journeys.
  • 44:00 – 46:00 — Zach advises Maia to use her coaching experience to refine a course curriculum and to consider a pilot program with engaged clients.
  • 46:00 – 48:00 — Maia contemplates referral incentives and public coaching as a promotional strategy, while Zach suggests minimizing costs for podcast production.
  • 48:00 – 50:00 — Zach recommends Maia to price her coaching services attractively for a guaranteed client agreement and to outline her coaching plan clearly to the client.
  • 50:00 – 52:00 — Maia discusses her cautious approach to pursuing new projects and plans to first implement a reverse roadmap and retainer solution manually.
  • 52:00 – 54:00 — Zach emphasizes the value of documenting a client’s journey from the early stages to success for a public series, suggesting it’s a unique and engaging concept.
  • 54:00 – 56:00 — Maia expresses hesitation about committing to a new project due to time constraints, preferring to focus on existing projects and retainers.
  • 56:00 – 58:00 — Zach questions Maia’s reluctance, suggesting that if she’s interested in coaching, she should consider what it would take to make it worthwhile, including pricing.
  • 58:00 – 1:00:00 — Maia and Zach discuss the potential earnings from partnerships and the timeline for achieving these goals, with Maia confident in quick results with dedicated effort.
  • 1:00:00 – 1:02:00 — Zach emphasizes the need for a commitment from Maia for their series and suggests setting a similar standard for Maia’s client to ensure dedication to implementing homework assignments.
  • 1:02:00 – 1:05:15 — Zach advises Maia to consider performance-based pricing for coaching Anna, where Maia gets paid more once Anna achieves a specific revenue milestone, and encourages Maia to start nurturing Anna sooner rather than later.