To be honest, when I first heard about Beachbody coaching I thought it was a joke. I’ve always been skeptical when it comes to anything related to direct sales and network marketing.
I mean…no one wants to be THAT person right?!?
Because it took me a while to wrap my head around the concept of becoming a Beachbody Coach, I thought I would write a post about some of the concerns I had bouncing around inside my over-analyzing brain before I FINALLY decided to sign-up.
It’s no surprise that these are also some of the most common concerns I hear coming from other people too. So, if you’re currently sitting on the fence, maybe it can help you make a final decision.
MYTH #1: IN ORDER TO MAKE ANY MONEY YOU NEED TO BE SALESY
A lot of people think that in order to be a successful Beachbody coach you need to be salesy and post about Beachbody products and how much you love Shakeology on social media all day long.
REALITY
In order to be a successful Beachbody coach you need to be insanely giving and patient.
I think a lot of people assume you need to be salesy because that’s what they see other people doing. They are bombarded with social media posts asking you to buy this or that. Guess what…these posts don’t work!!
Isn’t that a relief?!?
The REAL work in this business happens behind the scenes in private conversations, messages, and emails. Instead of being salesy on social media you simply need to KEEP BEING YOU and consistently give people value and demonstrate that you’re someone on a mission to be happy and healthy even on the not-so-good days.
When we want to avoid sounding SALESY it often comes from the mindset that one person is pressuring someone else to do something that is not good for them. Of course it’s very difficult to feel good about that, right? I’m guessing you wouldn’t start any type of business that doesn’t help people. When someone decides to work with you, the person you help is the PRIMARY winner. The fact that you are compensated is SECONDARY. If you always remember that the other person comes FIRST, then I don’t see how you would ever come across as salesy.
Does that make sense?
It’s TOTALLY a mindset issue and it might be hard to wrap your head around it at first but that’s OK.
Let’s look at it another way.
It feels good to give someone a gift right?
Well, how does it feel when someone refuses to accept your gift?
It feels kinda crappy right? You feel rejected.
If you feel weird about receiving compensation from helping other people it’s almost like you’re refusing to accept their gift of payment. You shut down the flow of giving.
One of my favorite personal development books is the GO-GIVER and this is a key theme in the book. They call it THE LAW OF RECEPTIVITY because the key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.
All the giving in the world won’t bring success, won’t create the results you want, unless you also make yourself willing and able to receive in like measure. Because if you don’t let yourself receive, you’re refusing the gifts of others–and you shut down the flow.
GUESS WHAT FOLKS…MAKING SALES IS A GOOD THING BECAUSE THAT MEANS YOU ARE HELPING SOMEONE AND IN RETURN THEY ARE HELPING YOU.
In this business you’re simply offering Beachbody products and the business opportunity as a solution to a problem that someone is having and guess what? If you don’t take the time to learn what kind of problems they’re having you won’t know how to help them.
Sure, if you ask someone to buy something without first learning their needs/wants/problems that is going to feel SALESY!
But that’s not what I do and I don’t recommend you do that do either.
I looooove doing free challenge groups because it helps me see where people are struggling and from there I can offer them a solution.
MYTH #2: YOU NEED TO BE AN EXTROVERT AND HAVE A TON OF FRIENDS
If you’re interested in joining a network marketing business it would seem like having an outgoing personality would help a lot.
REALITY
The most successful Beachbody coaches I’ve ever known are introverts.
I don’t have the science to back this up, but introverts tend to be more thoughtful and patient when it comes to working with people, while extroverts have a tendency to be, well…pushy and obnoxious.
I didn’t have a lot of friends BEFORE I became a coach. Since becoming a coach I’ve actually made a lot of friends but it’s only because that’s what happens as a natural result of joining the Beachbody coaching community and growing your network.
If you want to have a successful business you don’t need to have a ton of friends but you DO need to learn how to grow your network. This is true for ANY type of business…Beachbody coaching or not. You can’t expect your friends and family to keep you in business (and why would you want to?!?). They might give your business a jump start but that’s about it.
If you DO have a large circle of family and friends to help support you as you start your business that’s awesome!! But you will probably experience a sudden decline in momentum within 3 to 6 months if you don’t work on growing your network. It’s only a matter of time before you run out of people to help! I won’t go into all the details now, but growing your network is probably one of THE most important things you can do for your business. There are PLENTY of people out there who want to work with you but they need to know you exist! Luckily this is a skill that can be learned no matter who you are.
MYTH #3: THERE ARE TOO MANY BEACHBODY COACHES
Wow, why would anyone ever want to work with you when there are already soooo many Beachbody coaches right?!?
REALITY
This one is easy. There’s only one YOU so YOU should be front and center when it comes to branding your business. NOT Beachbody.
Another one of my most ABSOLUTE-FAVORITE personal development books is WORLD FAMOUS by David Tyreman. He says, “The one and only rule to remember when you are seeking to stand out from the crowd is: Don’t become part of the crowd in the first place.”
That has pretty much been my motto since DAY 1 of starting my coaching business.
It’s not that we need to be ashamed or hide the fact that we’re Beachbody coaches. Not at all!
But you are waaaaaay more than just a Beachbody coach and there are oodles of people out there who would LOVE to work with you.
What made you select your dentist, doctor, veterinarian, hair dresser, plumber, etc. etc.? Was it based on the products they sell or something else? Chances are it was something else and you have plenty of that something else to offer other people too!
I know it’s human nature to FIT IN…but I challenge you to STAND OUT if you decide to become a coach. I know people think that hiding under the Beachbody umbrella feels safe and comfy, but when you dare to be different you’ll begin to discover new and exciting ways to engage your followers. Your followers will quickly see that you’re different and you’ll become their ONLY POSSIBLE CHOICE.
Yes, if you decide to brand yourself as a BEACHBODY COACH you’re going to be completely forgettable to EVERYONE you meet. Let Beachbody continue to brand Beachbody (they’re obviously doing an awesome job!) and just focus on being YOU.
That’s not hard right?!?
MYTH #4: I’LL NEVER MAKE ANY MONEY BECAUSE I DIDN’T GET IN “AT THE TOP”
Oh man, Beachbody coaching has been around for a loooong time so you totally missed the boat right?!?
REALITY
Beachbody coaching is not a pyramid scheme.
You can sign-up today and within 18-24 months be making more money than a coach who signed up 5+ years ago.
No joke.
It’s your work ethic, not the amount of time you’ve been a coach, that determines your income.
In fact, if you take a look at the latest Statement of Independent Coach Earnings you’ll see that the coaches with the highest income levels have an average tenure of approximately two years.
NOTE: Team Beachbody® does not guarantee any level of success or income from the Team Beachbody Coach Opportunity. Each Coach’s income depends on his or her own efforts, diligence, and skill. See our Statement of Independent Coach Earnings for the most recent information on the actual incomes of all our Coaches.
MYTH #5 I NEED TO REACH MY FITNESS GOALS BEFORE I CAN HELP ANYONE
So many people feel like they aren’t worthy of coaching, simply because they’re not where they want to be fitness-wise or don’t have an amazing weight-loss transformation.
REALITY
There is no one “type” of Beachbody coach, and certainly no one shape or fitness level. And your value as a coach is definitely NOT determined by what you look like.
Rather, it’s about what you bring to the table–your heart, your story, your willingness to listen to others, etc. You don’t have to be at your ideal weight or fitness level to inspire others and show you’re making PROGRESS.
Different people are inspired by different things. “Normal” average people can make really good coaches because others can relate to them. Think about it, how many people are inspired and get motivated watching the oodles of weight loss transformation videos on YouTube? These people are working out, learning about healthy eating habits, sharing their personal story and many STRUGGLE to reach their goals. It may be harder for some people to relate to a coach that is already ripped and can do one handed push-ups.
Beachbody coaches come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and each has his or her own unique background and experience to share with others. As long as you continue to work on your goals, that’s the only qualification needed to be a Beachbody coach.
In fact, one of my favorite things about being a coach is that it’s an incredible ACCOUNTABILITY tool!
And besides that, why not take advantage of the 25% discount on Beachbody products while you work on getting the body you want?!?
That’s just plain SMART!!
MYTH #6 I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH TIME
Seriously dude…you already have a million things to do. How can you possibly find the time to make this work?
REALITY
You will NEVER have enough time to start living the life you want unless you find a way to start working on your Plan B. You don’t have enough time because you’ve already spent too many hours WASTING your time instead of INVESTING your time.
You probably already know this, but everyone has the same number of hours in a day. But that should be reassuring to you–you CAN learn to become MORE efficient and effective with your time if you’re determined to make this work!
This post was written as part of my Beachbody Coaching Open House series. If you think you might be interested in joining my team as a Beachbody coach please contact me or you can check out the rest of the Open House series for more information.