Everyone needs a team.
As a health coach, you can become an expert in multiple fields, including nutrition, behavioral change psychology, fitness and athletic performance, and stress management and recovery.
However, no matter how many certifications you earn, you will always encounter clients with problems that hinder your progress and that you don’t have the skills, training, expertise, or legal rights to solve.
Here’s the problem…
You may not be an expert in repairing marriages, treating gastroesophageal reflux disease, or counseling people with eating disorders, but someone else is.
This is where a healthy referral network comes into play.
Connecting your clients with such a person allows you to stay within your scope of practice, provide welcome business to your respected colleagues, and help your clients solve their problems.
(Total. Super Coach. Move.)
All of our certification programs include a section dedicated to teaching coaches how to build a robust referral network of professionals skilled in solving common problems for their clients.
In this article, we’ll show you how by exploring the top mistakes coaches make. Avoid them and you’ll be able to reference with confidence.
First, what is a referral network?
A referral network is a list of complementary professionals, businesses, and resources that can benefit your clients.
Networks may be local or virtual.
Physicians, psychologists, registered dietitians, and other professionals with training and qualifications assist clients with issues outside of their area of expertise. (Refer to the scope of practice worksheet for a detailed review.) A fellow health coach or personal trainer with in-depth knowledge in an area outside of your experience. (For example, a client might be interested in learning yoga but have no idea how to do sun salutations.) We offer workshops, fitness groups, webinars, food services, and other ways to guide clients through the behavior change process. Additional resources to support you.
Before you can confidently introduce your clients to a skilled professional with an excellent reputation, you will need to do some preliminary work. This will tell you the most important mistakes to avoid.
Mistake #1: Build your network before launching your business.
For newly certified health coaches, the task of “creating a referral network” can also serve as a procrastination tool, says Kate Solovieva, director of community engagement at PN.
Rather than accepting clients, these coaches are seeking out more and more professionals and valiantly trying to be prepared for every potential referral situation. But no matter how much work you do, your list will never be “complete.”
it is…
“You can’t prepare for everything,” Solovieva says.
solution
Take on clients as soon as you get certified.
yes! It may sound scary, but the best way to understand your “gaps” is to start practicing and see where your clients need more help than you can actually provide.
Add people to your referral network over time by:
Connect with experts on LinkedIn and other virtual networking sites Join peer networks (like the Precision Nutrition Facebook community) Connect with members of your local chamber of commerce Chat with family, friends, and clients about the experts and resources you love Health Other local events that bring together a variety of health care professionals to attend conferences Find (and try!) a health care provider based on your health needs
Who is in your referral network?
Use the following list of resources as inspiration.
Resource Name Website Contact Information Acupuncturist Chiropractor Cooking Class Cycling, Hiking, Walking, or Running Club Exercise Physiologist Plant-Based Eating / Prenatal or Postnatal Fitness / Coach Specializing in Coaching Uncovered Areas Marriage / Family counselor, masseuse, meal delivery service, mental health specialist, orthopedic surgeon, pelvic floor therapist, family doctor, physical therapist, registered dietitian, stress management class, etc.
Mistake #2: Assuming your referral list covers all of your client’s needs.
As mentioned above, you can never predict every referral or client question in advance, and that’s okay.
This is especially true when coaching virtually with clients around the world.
(If you live in Toronto, Canada, you might know three great massage therapists, but if your client is based in Wellington, New Zealand, that knowledge won’t help you.)
Similarly, some professionals or resources may work for some clients but not others.
(For example, you may know of several meal delivery options, but none of them are suitable for plant-based customers on a strict gluten-free diet.)
solution
Learn how to help your clients find the experts and resources they need.
You might do the following:
Ask your client to explain their preferences. (Do they prefer working with a certain gender? Do they prefer to meet in person? Do they prefer to meet online? Do they like the enthusiasm and creativity of new professionals? Or do they like the enthusiasm and creativity of new professionals? (Do you like the wisdom of “I’ve seen it all?”) Dedicate a coaching session to searching online for potential professionals and services together. We encourage clients to reach out to three experts, ask questions, and use what they learn to choose a winner.
Mistake #3: Letting social awkwardness ruin networking opportunities.
It takes a certain amount of courage to reach out to a stranger. You have to put yourself out there, explain who you are and what your motives are, and risk being ignored or rejected.
This is where many coaches get stuck, says Toni Bauer, director of coaching and educational operations at PN.
As a result, many coaches may end up putting off the conversation.
solution
Turn networking into a challenge. Solovieva calls this “Operation 100.”
Set a goal to contact 100 professionals in 12 months. Spend about 20 minutes each week working toward your goal. Follow up with each unresponsive user once or twice. Instead of expecting a “yes” from everyone you approach, understand that only about 10% of people will respond.
To make the challenge easier, Bauer suggests drafting an elevator pitch.
Don’t overthink it. Your proposal doesn’t have to be a multi-page persuasive essay. It also doesn’t have to involve magical topics. Just be yourself.
Elevator Pitch: How to introduce yourself to potential referrals
As you approach your elevator pitch, consider the following examples.
“I am a health coach who works with business owners, but some of my clients would benefit from someone with your expertise. I’d like to introduce you to you. Are you open to that?”
or:
“I’m a health coach who works with athletes. Sometimes my clients need guidance that I can’t always provide. I admire your work and would refer you to others.” I’d like to be able to do that. If you’d like, would you be willing to have a quick 15 or 20 minute meeting to discuss what that arrangement would be?”
Or just:
“I’m a health coach and am building a referral list for practitioners. I would love to introduce you to my clients. Are you currently accepting new patients?”
Mistake #4: Using outdated persuasion tactics.
If you use LinkedIn, you’ve probably fallen victim to an old-fashioned cold-sell tactic. What we’re talking about are direct messages from strangers who clearly haven’t read any of your profile and know nothing about you.
These spam messages are as welcome as a stranger coming up to you at a bar and saying, “So, would you like to come back to my house?”
We are not here to discourage the use of cold outreach. There is a place for it. However, we will introduce a rarely used technique to increase your response rate.
solution
Get to know the person before you ask questions online, suggests coach Solovieva.
Follow them, read their content, download and consume free resources, comment on their posts, celebrate their career victories, and be part of their online lives.
That way people will remember you. More people will respond to your messages. Additionally, the information you gather by building relationships can help you avoid situations such as:
Mistake #5: Not personally vetting referrals.
How can you ensure that your clients are referred to caring professionals who truly understand what they are doing?
This involves more than just checking someone’s website or social media profile.
If you only look at someone’s website or social media posts, “you’re just examining their confidence and copywriting skills,” says Solovieva. “If you’re lucky, confidence and copywriting go hand in hand with competency, but that’s not always the case.”
solution
Please try their services. Take someone’s yoga or Zumba class. Book a massage. Have your squeaky knee looked at by a medical professional.
That way you can see the pros in action.
If you’re thinking, “I don’t need some of the services my customers need!”, you have a few options:
You can offer to pay the professional to meet with you for 30 to 60 minutes so you can ask them a few questions, understand their treatment philosophy, and discuss client referrals. Connect with people on local social networking communities like NextDoor.com. Ask group members if they have seen the practitioner and, if so, whether they would recommend the person.
Mistake #6: Overselling your client with referrals.
When you recommend a professional you’ve personally vetted, it’s natural to want your client to take action.
However, despite working hard, some clients are unable to get an appointment with the specialist in question. That’s fine.
“Let your clients be adults,” says Coach Bauer.
Clients have their reasons. Your insurance probably won’t cover the service in question. Or maybe you decided to meet someone else.
“It’s not your responsibility to make your relationships perfect or flourish,” Bauer says.
support cycle
Some coaches fear referrals, seeing them as “giving away business.”
But in reality, referring your clients to a trusted professional just makes them feel like you’re protecting them. (That means they’re more likely to refer friends and family to you.)
What’s more, sending business to colleagues you respect can also lead to mutual referrals.
It’s good for your customers, it’s good for your business, and it’s good for the entire medical professional community.
If you are a coach or want to become a coach…
You can help people build sustainable nutrition and lifestyle habits to significantly improve their physical and mental health while making a great living doing what you love. Here’s how.
If you want to learn more, consider the PN Level 1 Nutrition Coaching Certification.
