Do you find yourself holding back from launching your coaching program because you can't come up with the right name?
Coming up with the perfect name that fully embodies the magic you can create for your clients is no simple task.
Which is why most coaches will use one of three strategies to create their coaching program names.
If you're part of the first group, maybe you're waiting for inspiration to strike. Once (and if) it finally hits, you come up with an “out of the box” creative name. The problem... nobody really knows what it means. It's creative, but not self-explanatory. Your ideal clients’ eyes glaze over when hearing it.
If you're part of the second group, you decide to keep it simple… real simple. So you call it the "6-Month Coaching Program." The problem… your ideal client is not sitting at home thinking, “If only I could find a 6-Month Coaching Program! I’d sign up and pay for THAT!”
They’re sitting at home thinking about whatever problem they have (money, weight, lack of fulfillment, etc), how it's holding them back from truly living their life like they want, and wondering, “If only a solution to my problem existed…”
And then there's the third group. They use the principles outlined in this article to construct a name that's both clear and catchy. When ideal clients come across your program name, the words pop off the page and trigger an “AHA—THAT’S what I need!” in your ideal client’s mind.
As a coach, you’ve got what it takes to help your clients. But you’ll never get the chance to if your coaching program name doesn’t draw them in, so follow these 4 tips for choosing the perfect name for your program: focus on its sound, choose words that elevate status, include results or benefits, and test-drive your options. Let's dive deep into each of these elements!
4 Tips For Choosing The Perfect Program Name
1. People Remember Name By SOUND, Not By Sight
This is a powerful insight I learned from Jack Trout and Roy Williams, co-author of Positioning, and the creator of the Wizard of Ads books, respectively.
Names are sounds before they are printed words—so focus on the SOUND primarily.
Most coaches focus on the look and logic when choosing a name. But it turns out that repetitive and rhythmic sounds are the ones that stick inside of the mind—so use them!
Examples:- Alliteration - the same sound at the beginning of two words. Ex. PayPal, Passive Profits, Beachbody, Stories That Sell
- Rhyme - the same sound at the end of two or more words. Ex. FitBit, Hobby Lobby
- Rhythm - a collection of words that have some kind of repetitive meter to them. Ex. Dunkin’ Donuts, Conscious Copy
2. Use Words That Increase Your Ideal Clients Status
Status is everything.
As humans, our minds naturally believe that everything we do either increases or decreases our status. When you’re brainstorming a name for your coaching program, ask yourself, “Is this something that my clients are going to be proud of and wear as a badge of honor?”
To show you what I mean, here’s an example: I was having lunch with a close friend of mine and she shared that she was hosting a coaching retreat for women. When I asked her who her ideal audience was, she looked at me and said, “You!” I was intrigued and asked her to share more. We kept talking but when she shared the name of her program…
I was immediately turned off.
I didn’t identify with the name. In fact, in my mind, it would actually decrease my status.
It’s critical to understand what your ideal client needs and desires. How they want to be perceived by others and how they want to feel.
Think about it.
It’s the difference between a person who spends extra money on a VIP ticket compared to General Admission for an event. Yes, there are perks granted to the first group, but look at the difference in the two identities, “VIP—Very Important Person” and “General Admission.” One gives you special status, the other tosses you in a general bucket with everyone else.
Now, it’s important to note that people value certain things over others.
On one extreme of the spectrum, someone may identify with being a “penny pincher,” getting a thrill out of clipping coupons, scouting out deals, and saving money. On the opposite end, there’s someone who values significance, expense, and quality. They want to be known for how much money they spend, whether it’s the Porsche they drive, getting the VIP experience, or ordering the $35 glass of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Think about how your ideal client identifies with status, then choose a name that aligns with their values.
3. Use Names That Promise Results, Benefits, And/Or Solutions
The name should sound good, but it’s also important to use coaching names that promise some kind of result, benefit, and/or solution.
If the name doesn’t say what the program is, you at least want an association so the mind can connect the name to what you’re selling.
You can create a name that promises a benefit by going back to your customers’ pain points, desires, and aspirations. Look at the words your customers use, and choose words from that list that promise a benefit, solution, or result.
For example, if you are a love coach, your clients may come to you because they want to find their soulmate, they are ready to find ‘the one’, or they are tired of going on first dates. So your program name might be, or contain the words, “Find Your Soulmate,” “Your Last First Date,” or “How To Find The One.”
I have a client who is a health coach for women. Her clients come to her saying they want to lose those last 10lbs and that’s what she specializes in so she named her program “The Last 10 Lbs.”
4. Test-Drive Coaching Program Options & Get Feedback
There's no better way to gauge if your potential coaching name resonates or doesn't with your audience than directly asking them!
Share your options for coaching program names with your social media followers, existing clients, potential clients, and even fellow colleagues, and ask for their feedback.
Do they resonate with the name? What emotions and ideas came up when they first heard it? How did it make them feel? If most feedback is positive, you're ready! If feedback is mixed or mostly negative, take the constructive feedback and go back to the drawing board for better, more aligned options.
It’s easy to get stuck inside your head when naming your own creation. Step outside of yourself and into your ideal client’s situation.
Remember, your program isn’t for you, it isn’t for everyone. It’s for your specific ideal person. They’re out there, struggling to overcome obstacles you can help them overcome and dreaming about a future you can help make reality. As a coach, you have what it takes to get them there.
Your program name may only be a few words, but those few words are the difference between attracting and repelling your ideal client in an instant.
Follow these 4 tips to choose the perfect coaching program names so working with you becomes a no brainer.
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