Why Every Online Coach Must Use Knowledge Base Software

If you have been coaching or training clients for a while, you would have been asked the same question more than once. Chances are you have been asked the same question more than twice, even more than ten times?

It can get become a bit of a chore, your quality of answers decrease over time, and worse, you may even start to resent your clients for asking such 'basic questions'. 

But then again, you're in the service industry. You should just accept this as part of the job?

Right?

Wrong.

Powerful Reasons Why Online Trainers Must Use Knowledge Base Software

If you're serious about scaling your online coaching business while still keeping the passion for your work high, you need systems.

Systems for training, systems for meal logging, systems for reporting. 

And you also need systems for support.

Some of you may already have some basic support systems in place. Maybe you use canned emails, or various blogs and videos that you refer clients to when they ask a common question, or maybe you send them detailed ebooks and diet plans full of frequently asked questions...

These are all good strategies, but they're not perfect.

Why?

• Content changes, and it's hard to update a video and an ebook or even a blog
• Having content spread across blogs, youtube and PDFs makes it a nightmare for clients to easily find a suitable answer
• Clients don't want to read through 30 page ebooks to find an answer to a simple question
• Canned email responses may not answer the exact question the client asked
• There is still a time delay with email answers - whether it's automated, sent from your VA or sent from a template - clients want (and expect) answers immediately
• If a client has a follow up question to your video/ebook/blog content they will often email you with another question. This leads to more work for you, and the answer you provide cannot be seen by new clients

What about Facebook Groups and forums?

It's a step in the right direction, but it's still far from perfect. Despite the 'community' you can build (which is beneficial for other reasons), you will often still be answering repeat questions - just in a facebook comment instead of an email.

Also, if you hope to crowd source your answers (i.e. having more experienced clients answer questions from newcomers) you need to be wary as often your answer gets diluted or twisted when it goes through the hands of non-professionals.

What A Coach Really Needs

Ideally we need a solution that:

1. Is Easily Updatable - If your answer changes, or needs updating (a new link perhaps) you need to be able to update it easily on the go. Without having to record videos or create new PDFs.
2. Has Minimal Coach Involvement - Your client should be able to (easily) find the answer to your question without having to reach out to you. You're a coach, not a concierge. You should focus on adding value by designing better programs, holding clients accountable, and providing support. Not copying and pasting links in emails.
3. Is Centralised - All your answers need to be in one place, not spread between Facebook groups, youtube channels, blogs and PDFS. One central hub of info.
4. Provides concise answers - clients don't want to read a text book on human physiology to find the answer to a simple question. And nor should they have to. Thats why they're paying you - a coach who has read these books. They just want a simple answer without all the technical know-how. Sure your 6000 word blog article might answer their question, but they just want to know the 50 word answer.
5. Offers the ability for further clarification - Your template answers in the FAQ section of your ebook are great, but what if it doesn't answer their question exactly? What if they need further clarification? Coaches need a platform that allows some interaction, to tailor an answer to the individual.
6. Is available 24/7 - you need to sleep, your VA has holidays and clients live in different time zones. But with live in a hyperconnected, need it now, world. Clients want immediate answers to their questions. You need to be able to provide immediate answers, no matter where you are or what you're doing.
7. Supports all forms of content - Some questions are fine answered with a paragraph. Others need some diagrams or photos, and occasionally a question requires a video demonstration. 
8. Answers their question - You may think you paragraph on why grains should be soaked before eating answers their question, but this may not be the case. And if you're an online coach working with many clients, you need to know this information.

Enter Knowledge Bases

If you're reading the above and thinking 'yeah that sounds amazing, but such a solution doesn't exist', thats where you're wrong (and why you subscribe to the Hey Coach Tips Newsletter!)

Knowledge bases are traditionally used in big corporations with 100's employees. Or you may seen them on support sites for your favourite software app.

But this doesn't mean they can't be used by online trainers or coaches.

In fact, they're perfect for online coaches who want to scale their business, help more clients, and work less (and don't we all want this?!)

Why Every Health Coach Needs A Knowledge Base

It's a place where you can provide answers to all your commonly asked questions, where you can store all your clients resources, documents, downloads and training videos.

It's also a place where you can store all your own content related to your diets and training programs etc. If you have a video that you filmed showing someone how to deadlift, you can store it here in case another client needs it.

A knowledge base is a like an external brain for a coach. 

But better than that, it's an external brain that your clients can tap into. Whether you're awake or asleep. Online or offline. Alive or dead (seriously, but let's hope thats not the case).

Every question you've every answered, every explanation you've every given, every document you've ever produced, all in one central hub. 

*** If you want to see what my online coaching program knowledge base looks like, be sure to click HERE ***

More Than A Detailed Support Document

This isn't a giant wikipedia website.

No, having your own knowledge base provides clients to easily find relevant articles about their problems.

And it's all on a platform that is designed for one purpose - to answer your clients common questions. And to do it in a a way that has minimal coach input.

You can be sipping cocktails on a beach knowing your clients have access to that external brain of yours.

I'm Not Convinced, Why Do I Need My Own Knowledge Base Again?

Let's look at how having a knowledge base of your own meets all our 'wish-list' items from above:

• Is Easily Updatable - Check. You can login and quickly edit a link, a sentence, an image if something changes. Likewise if you get a new question that needs answering, you can simply upload it to your knowledge base so clients can access it.
• Has Minimal Coach Involvement - Check. Once you have uploaded the content, its there for clients to see. And they can see it without having to contact you. They search for their question and find your answer.
• Is centralised - Check. You can store PDFs, videos, links, articles, audios, or text based answers. All under the one web roof (if websites have roofs? Hmm). All at the one address.
• Provides concise answers - Check. You tailor your responses to your client. You can include a short answer to the question and then link off to a more detailed blog/video/book/documentary if they want to take a deeper dive.
• Offers the ability for further clarification - Check. If the answer doesn't perfectly answer their question, they can request more info, or leave a comment. You as the coach will then be able to provide more insight and build your external brain in the process.
• Is available 24/7 - Check. Its a standalone website accessible on PC and on their phone. If your client has a problem, they can find an answers immediately. 
• Supports all forms of content - Check. Want to answer one question with video and another with an infographic. Done. This is not youtube where everything has to be videos content. Pick and choose.
• Answers their question - Check. Clients can click thumbs up or thumbs down based on your answer. You can see if your answer helped or if you need to go in and add more information.

It's the perfect support system. Don't believe me? Be sure to check out how I successfully use a knowledge base on my Hormone Reset coaching program by clicking HERE.

A knowledge base in use - to see it in action click HERE

It works well whether you have 1 client or 1000 clients. In fact, the more clients you have, the better your knowledge base will be.

Sure there will be more time required setting it up and answering all the questions, but like many systems, the more work you do at the beginning the less work you have to do later on.

I'm Still Confused, How Will A Knowledge Base Help Me Help My Clients?

Simple,

Every time you answer a question, copy the question and the answer into your knowledge base.

Direct all your clients to this knowledge base.

If a question comes through that isn't answered in your Knowledge base, answer it but then enter it in the Knowledge base.

Repeat.

Over time you will grow a wealth of information that clients can tap into whenever they want, and you don't have to do a thing.

You can grow your business while sipping cocktails on the beach!

Ok I Get It. I Need One. What Next?

I promise you it's an investment in time and finances you won't regret.

There are many knowledge base solutions out there. Most are targeted towards large corporations and have a ton of features that you and I don't need.... but we still have to pay for them.

In my coaching practice at AlexFergus.com I use Knowledge Owl and I must say, it's perfect. It does everything I need from a Knowledge base, without all the extra features that overcomplicate life.

Knowledge Owl key features - See how it is used on the Hormone Reset Program by clicking HERE

It may be a little pricey for new coaches. But if you are serious about growing your business, and eager to stop answering the same questions over and over in email or in facebook, the price will pay for itself in time saves.

I have even put together a short video giving you a behind the scenes look at how I use this software in my own coaching practice. You can view this video by clicking HERE.