Cathy Liska This is 16 in a series of 24 blog posts on Business and Marketing.
As a coach, one possibility for developing new clients is offering a brown bag lunch series either at a large company or for a professional organization. A brown bag lunch is when participants come with their own lunch. Formats for brown bag lunches vary from defining topics, including training, or simply facilitating a discussion. Bottom line, a brown bag lunch series creates an opportunity for potential coaching clients to connect with you, develop a relationship, and then consider coaching services.
Start by exploring companies or organizations whose employees or members are your target clients. Consider their specific interests and areas of focus. Plan topic options, decide if you will include mini-training, and outline your format. Next, decide your approach for offering the series. As with speaking or training, it often involves simply contacting the right person, letting them know what you offer, and discussing schedule options. Coordinate publicizing the series so that the attendance is strong.
When you host the brown bag lunches get feedback from participants on their interests and what format they prefer to either adjust in the moment or for use developing future programs. Provide a quality experience in terms of focus and information. Each time you have a brown bag lunch, you may have different people. That means planning different materials as an easy-decision offer makes sense. Consider options for making it easy for participants to explore coaching services such as a quick sign-in where they simply check if they want to talk privately.
