Introduction

You've launched your independent online language coaching business. You might even have a few students already. 

Great! But what's next? 

You want to build your new venture into a full time income but you are having trouble getting regular, well paid student bookings. And you understand that without customers, no business is sustainable for very long.

You recognize that in order to grow your income beyond the status of a "side hustle" you are going to need some business growth strategies, but you have no idea where to start. 

You are skeptical about paying for advertising with no guarantee of results. And you should be - if you don't have the right foundation in place first.

Well I'm here to solve that confusion and to let you know that you've already taken the first step by choosing to read this e-booklet.

Imagine waking up and checking your booking calendar to find that two new students have booked trial lessons with you.

Imagine opening your email and seeing that a new client has purchased your $US 1500 twenty week lesson program and that another three clients have each paid $US 300 for your group class mini-program.

I'm going to give you a framework for building an independent online ESL business that will turn those dreams into reality - and into a growing bank balance.

Meet the 5-C Funnel Framework

I'd like to introduce you to a framework which is based on concepts that I have learned from helping small businesses across a range of service industries. 

The framework applies universal marketing principles in a logical series of steps that you can implement. 

You don't need to have any kind of marketing experience to succeed with this roadmap. You just need to be committed to follow what I am about to share with you. 

I would recommend that you have some actual teaching experience though, whether that be working for yourself, on one of the teacher-profile platforms or employment with a private company. Building an online language coaching business will be less challenging if you already have the basics of actual teaching under your belt.

You should also have some basic familiarity with online communication tools like Zoom.

We won't cover curriculum development or the details of how to run paid advertising campaigns. Those are big topics and there are plenty of other resources online which you can easily seek out.

Our focus is going to be on the number one problem facing every new business – how to get more paying customers! And we are going to get you started without an expensive marketing budget, using organic (free) marketing.

We will also discuss ways in which you can take your first clients and grow your income by many multiples through some simple scaling strategies.

What is a "funnel strategy"?

You may have heard people talk about sales funnels, webinar funnels, lead generation funnels etc. They are all versions of the same concept.

A "funnel" is simply a systematic plan for taking people who are at varying stages of the "buyers’ journey" and moving them to the next stage. The ultimate goal is to get them to become a paying client. 

Ideally, we'd like them to become highly profitable long term clients or even better, enthusiastic clients who help us to grow our business through referrals, social media endorsements and glowing video testimonials.

Of course, not everyone who first hears about your amazing language coaching service is going to take the next step. At each stage in the customer acquisition process there is some attrition. The number of people in the pipeline gets smaller at each subsequent step. That's why it's helpful to visualize the process as a "funnel"; the group of members at each level of the process is smaller than the group at the preceding level.

Why do funnels work?

Imagine you are at a party or similar social event. Somebody you've never met crosses the room to start a conversation with you and says, "I think we'd be perfect together. Let's get married!" 

What would your reaction be? Run a million miles in the other direction, I hope!

Doing business isn't much different. Customers don't usually buy something the first time they are introduced to the brand. Usually it takes a series of "touch points" and interactions with the brand before they are ready (just like you need to go on a lot of dates before you are ready to tie the knot!)

A funnel strategy works because once somebody enters our contact system, we have the opportunity to "warm them up" to our brand. We can nurture the relationship and build the all-important "know, like and trust" factors by providing generous value, regular communication and building an authentic personal connection.

Over time, a funnel gives you the opportunity to establish yourself as THE authority in a particular niche and to articulate what differentiates you from everyone else. More about that below.

The following steps in the 5-C Funnel Framework are a proven, effective way to scale your business from zero to six figures.

(1st "C") Conceptualize Your Niche

Let's say that you have decided you want to work with a particular group of clients. Let's say you've defined your audience as "business professionals". That's a potential audience of hundreds of millions of people.

Great, right? ... Wrong.

In order for your message to connect, it has to have a specific audience in mind. The old adage in marketing is that when you try to speak to everybody, you end up speaking to nobody.

In order for your message to connect, it has to be much more laser focused. 

Your message needs to communicate at least two things:
a) Who do you help?
b) What problem do you help them solve?

Also, ask yourself the question, "what's the minimum viable audience that I need in order to grow a successful six-figure business?" It's not hundreds of millions. I doubt that it's even a thousand. In reality, for repeat business personal services you probably only need a hundred enthusiastic clients.

Some would even argue that you only need four or five high value clients, such as corporate accounts, to reach your income goals. This is certainly possible if you can deliver irresistible value to those few lucky customers.

So don't be afraid to narrow down your audience definition. Paradoxically, it will make the job of finding clients easier, not harder.

The magic of the internet is its ability to find micro-audiences dispersed all over the globe and aggregate them into a viable business opportunity.

So some examples of better niche definitions might be:

"I help hospitality managers who want to improve their English communication with a multinational workforce"

OR

"I help foreign university applicants who want to pass the English proficiency exam for Ivy League universities"

OR

"I help parents who want to prepare their children for entry to an English speaking education system"

These are all examples of specific audiences with specific problems that you can solve.

Before you do anything else, reach out on social media. See how much interest you can generate in your niche concept. 

Can you find people in Facebook groups, on LinkedIn or elsewhere who are interested in letting you help them? Try to find two or three people in your niche who are willing take a paid lesson with you, even on a trial basis. Validate your idea before you move forward.

(2nd "C") Create your brand

Once you've identified who you'd like to help, the problem you are going to help them to solve and you have validated your concept, you need to start work on building brand credibility.

Why should people trust you?

What can you offer to the the world that demonstrates your expertise?
 
How can you effectively show that you even care about solving your clients' challenges?

Building a brand starts with having an online "home base". You'll need a presence that serves as the starting point for introducing potential clients to yourself as a person, plus your experience, your skills and your knowledge.

So, what should you put on your website that would communicate all of that?

Compelling sales copy

Who do you help, what do you help them with and why does that matter? Those are the essentials of any good sales copy.

Anyone who visits your page should be able to find the answer to those three questions within the first FIVE SECONDS on your page. Otherwise you've lost them.

A portal to all your content

Your home page should also showcase all the different ways that interested visitors can benefit from getting to know you e.g., links to your free downloads, links to your social media channels, links to your blog articles, links to your trial lesson, course programs and groups (more about those soon).

Testimonials

Testimonials are the ultimate social proof if you have them. Ideally, your testimonials are from people who fit your target audience, and who can provide a profile photos, occupation and/or locations in order to look authentic.

The most valuable testimonial is one that explains the challenges which a client experienced before working with you and how you helped make a transformation in their life. 

Because video is such a powerful medium, it is worth asking your best clients about whether they would mind doing a 5-minute recorded Zoom call that you can re-post on your home page.

Show some personality

Your potential clients will want to know more about who you are (you are selling a personal service after all) so it pays to put a little bit of a personal biography on your home page, but don't go overboard with it. 

You just need to include details about your nationality, accent, teaching experience, education, licenses and some brief details about your personal interests and hobbies.

A self-introduction video message can really work wonders too, but remember that it's not a resume. It's a place to showcase your brand. Make sure that you talk about your clients problems and how you solve them more than yourself.

(3rd "C") Connect with your tribe

Now that you have created some brand credibility, it's time to start making connections with your target audience - your "tribe". 

You should already have a pretty good idea where to find them. If not, you need to do some research. Are they in Facebook groups? On LinkedIn? How about Pinterest? Maybe Reddit? You'll need to make some educated guesses, ask a few questions and use Google to find out more.

Start conversations. Answer questions. Be generous and responsive. Remember that nobody likes a pushy sales pitch. Find out what pain points your target community is talking about and create content that can help solve those issues - and position YOU as the "go to" person for solutions.

The average person spends 2 hours and 25 minutes per day on social media. 54% of users research products or services through social media.

Remember also that this is a "numbers game". If you send out 50 LinkedIn connection requests and only one gets accepted, don't be discouraged. Keep going.

It will greatly help you to build your social media network if you have something of value to share. In order to built trust and connection within your audience, you should think about how to create content that will be genuinely original and useful. You probably already have some ideas based on your teaching experience. 

I believe everyone has some kind of talent which they can use for content creation. Don't like writing blog articles? Fine. Make a YouTube video. Don't like the camera? Make a podcast recording. Don't like the sound of your voice? Get onto Canva and make a nice infographic. 

There are limitless possibilities for you to turn your knowledge and expertise into branded content which you can offer to your target audience.

And the best form of free content you can generate is a lead magnet. You are drawing potential clients to you (the magnet) in exchange for their contact email information (the lead). 

92% of business owners believe that having their own website contributes effectively to their digital marketing strategy.

Every small business should be building an email list through lead magnets. Why? I'll give you five reasons:

a) Great return on investment (ROI). 
Once you have somebody in your list, you can continue broadcasting content (and your sales message) for free. It costs nothing to create a MailChimp account that will let you build a list of 2000 email contacts.

b) Easy to create. 
Most people are reluctant to give out their phone number but much more willing to offer their email address. So, with a free email marketing tool like MailChimp it's possible to easily build a list of thousands of potential students whom you can reach through their email account.

c) You own it. 
Unlike a Facebook or Instagram account which can be shut down without warning, your email list is always under your control and is portable. Don't like MailChimp anymore? No worries. Just export your list, do one click import into your new email platform and you are back in business.

d) Everyone has email. 
As at 2020 there are 4 Billion people in the world with an email account (out of 4.7 Billion total internet users).  By comparison, the world's number one social media platform has less than 3 Billion.

e) Email marketing is super customizable.
With an email list and a marketing platform like MailChimp you can segment your email subscribers according to what they are interested in, their stage in the sales funnel, demographic characteristics and more. You can personalize your email marketing messages to include the recipient's name, occupation, or anything else that you've collected in your database. 

It's possible to automate the timing of email delivery based on users actions, a predefined time schedule or some other event like a user's birthday.

The ability of email marketing systems to get the right message to the right person at the right time is truly impressive.

(4th "C") Convert interest into action

So, you've started engaging with your tribe on social media and you're building an email marketing list. You are regularly reminding them that you are an expert in your niche and providing a premium quality coaching service. What's next?

I'll whisper it softly.

If there are any small children in the room, cover their ears.

It's that dirty word ... "sales". *gasp*

If you have any kind of service business, whether that be language teaching, dog grooming, roof repair or wedding photography, sooner or later you are going to need to convert "warm" leads into paying clients.

And it's at this point that I need to crush one or two myths and dysfunctional mindsets. 

I've heard people say, "I'm not good at sales" or "I don't feel comfortable talking about what I charge" or "I don't want people to think I am being 'salesy' ".

To which I say, it's time to
a) reconsider your relationship with money AND
b) reconsider your how you think about "selling"

First of all, don't be nervous or ashamed about asking a high price for your time. You have a skill that is in demand. Do you think plumbers, dentists or mechanics feel reluctant to discuss price with their clients? Not the ones I've met!

And I'll let you in on a little secret, the more "niche" your service offer is, the less resistance you are going to face for asking a higher price. People who have urgent and specific needs are usually willing to pay what it takes for a solution.

I actually believe teachers are natural salespeople.
Yep. I'll say it again.
Teachers. Are. Natural. Salespeople.

Why?
Because the best salesmen and saleswomen are great at listening (like teachers), great at asking well targeted questions (like teachers) and great at making insightful observations (again ... teachers).

Consider your local doctor. When she asks you about your symptoms, listens carefully and then prescribes and appropriate treatment, do you feel as though you are being "sold" to? Of course not.

Effective sales sessions should run the same way as your visit to the general practitioner. Your goal should be to find out your client's pain points and recommend a road to recovery which may or may not involve language coaching lessons with you in the near future.

Keep in mind that if it seems like you won't be a good fit for each other, you are absolutely not obliged to take them as a client. Just like every GP has a network of specialists to whom they refer patients, you should have a network of fellow teachers whom you can suggest if they just don't seem like the right student for you.

So at this stage in the funnel, start reminding your contacts that you offer specialized language training services and suggest they take a trial lesson and/or strategy session with you. 

The initial student interaction is partially a way for you to showcase your talents, your style and teaching methods but also an opportunity to have a "discovery and strategy" conversation. 

You want to find out more insights into your client's pain points, obstacles and problems then recommend a program that will help them achieve their goals.

(Fifth "C") Compound success at scale

By now you should have successfully converted at least some of your contacts into paying customers through the trial lesson and strategy sessions described above. You could probably rinse/repeat and keep doing this for a long time. But the limiting factor will eventually be your time and energy. You only have so many hours in the day. Even with a well-defined niche and a stable curriculum program you are going to bump your head on the ceiling of how much you can earn.

Raising your lesson rates is of course something you can (and should) do. But to really get a solid income stream happening we are going to need additional strategies.

Let's talk about how to compound your existing success and scale up.

Groups

One solution to the scaling problem is to launch group lessons. Groups can be a win-win solution for both you and your student. It's a way for you to offer lessons at a slightly lower rate, but still make more money overall because you are teaching several students at once.

Some teachers offer group lessons as a kind of "masterclass" upsell to their existing private students i.e., something similar to what they are already doing but more intensive and higher value.

Some teachers offer a "down sell" option i.e., group lessons for those who want to work with you but can't afford your private lesson rates.

From my own research it seems like the most popular choice is to offer groups as a "cross-sell" option i.e., to offer group sessions which focus on topics which are complementary to what students are getting in their private curriculum.

Passive income

Another strategy to grow your business is to develop passive income streams. In recent years there has been a boom in the numbers of people offering online courses, which are mostly video tutorials that clients can utilize at their own pace a.k.a. asynchronous learning.

Keep in mind that online courses are at saturation levels currently. Loads of people are using platforms like Kajabi and Podia to create online courses with the same goal of generating passive and "evergreen" income opportunities. 

My advice is to start with your existing and past students when you promote these courses. Students will already be familiar with your brand and (hopefully) you've built up a solid "know, like and trust" rapport with them. So this is a "warm" target audience which you should turn to first.

Business to Business (B2B) contracts

Are you teaching students who are paying out of their own pocket? If so, make some discrete enquiries about whether your student could arrange an introduction to their employer. If you put together a well-crafted "pitch" you might find that their employer is willing to pick up the bill. After all, for most companies, employees who are skilled in using English are an asset. It's a win-win outcome. 

In fact, there are countries where companies are required to spend a certain percentage of the human resource budget on training programs - it might as well be yours! And the potential to leverage this kind of corporate approval is massive. 

Instead of just teaching ONE of their staff, ask a few questions and find out if there are OTHER staff you could be training. Before you know it, you might have a contract to teach dozens of workers in the same organization. These kind of B2B clients are the "Holy Grail" for really scaling your independent ESL business to six figures.

Leverage client testimonials

In addition to finding new revenue streams, you should remember to leverage the goodwill of your satisfied clients. It should be standard procedure to ask every client for a testimonial when they finish working with you, if not before.

Some teachers find this a bit intimidating. I'm not sure why. What's the worst that can happen? They say "no"? Sure, that could happen. But so what if it does?

It's much more probable that they give you a glowing review. And even if they don't you can often learn a lot from less positive feedback, when you remove the emotional element and process it objectively. 

There is really no downside to asking for a review, if done properly.

Ask clients for referrals

You should incentivize your best clients to refer other people in their network. Offer a free lesson, discount, or some other kind of reward. Make sure that such referral programs are explained clearly in your Terms and Conditions so there are no misunderstandings. 

Hire other instructors

The final suggestion for scaling your business is to truly take off your teachers hat and replace it with your entrepreneurs cap.

Instead of teaching by yourself, consider whether you could subcontract a few reliable instructors to deliver your lesson program. That means you will need to take on other responsibilities, but it frees you up to work ON your business rather than IN your business. 

When you just start your online venture, this might sound like a far-fetched prospect, but it shouldn't be. At the very least, as your brand starts to gain traction and you get busier, you should consider hiring a virtual assistant (VA) to help you out with the low value "busy work". Always consider whether you are spending your most valuable resource, your time, in the most effective way.

Conclusion

Now that you have the five steps of the 5-C Funnel Framework, your next step is to put the theory into action. Don't let procrastination, imposter syndrome or other unhelpful mindsets get in your way. Even slow progress is progress. So start today. 

Can BabelTEQ help you build a funnel?

The 5-C Funnel Framework is a roadmap that might sound daunting and a lot of work, but it's really not if you break it down into manageable chunks and make regular progress.

With a BabelTEQ website you can dramatically cut the amount of time, effort and cost required to build an effective funnel. 

Consider what you get with a BabelTEQ website.
- Choice of website templates
- Home page
- Lead magnet page
- Trial lesson / strategy session booking page
- Private course package page
- Group lesson sign up page
- Testimonial collection page
- Instagram bio link landing page
- Blog
- And a lot more

All of this comes with a knowledge base of over 50 video tutorials plus email and Zoom support. When you create an account with BabelTEQ you are giving yourself a head start in the funnel building process.