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Show Notes:
So why am I so sure your first step to creating a business beyond private practice is to create a pilot program?
This podcast episode answers that question.
First, here’s what I mean when I say “pilot program”:
A high quality offer delivered live (usually online) to one person or a small group of people, which may or may not be offered at a lower price than it will be in the future.
Some formats of pilot programs:
1:1 coaching programs
Retreats
Small group coaching programs
Training or consulting packages for organizations
Hybrids between 2 or more formats
I’m not usually a one-size-fits-all kind of business coach, so why am I so convinced that this one thing is true for just about everyone?
Here are 5 of my reasons why you should start with a pilot program:
Creating a pilot program fights perfectionism.
Perfectionism will get you stuck for months or years getting ready to create something perfect. It might just slow you down so much that you won't deliver ANYTHING. Excellence doesn't come from waiting. It comes from iteration. So start iterating. When you need to create something excellent and important, you’ve got to start delivering it soon.
Charlie Gilkey said this really well in his book Start Finishing: “We often falsely assume that the more it matters, the better the start should be. The reality is much humbler and more accessible. the more something matters, the better it is that we start finishing sooner.”
Creating a pilot gets us feedback fast.
We create our best work in relationship with the people it is for. You’ll get way more information from delivering your pilot than you could any other way. You'll know right away what's working and what changes you'll need to make next time.
Creating a pilot forces you to get clear on where the value is.
Creating a simple and live version of your offer forces you to clarify what matters most instead of piling it up with lots of features. Delivering more content will not necessarily add more value. Sometimes adding more content clutters up your offer.
Creating a pilot tricks you into doing the important foundational work that you need to do.
The project of creating your pilot gets you to do foundational things like clarify a truly viable niche, create a solid marketing plan to get that pilot to the people who need it, build a simple website, and more. (Breathe. You can do all this.)
Every program you’ve ever benefitted from began as a pilot.
Ask the founder or creator of any excellent program and you’ll find out it started as a simple pilot program.
