Before launching our new coaching feature, we asked a few Teachable members to test it out. Here, we sit down with David Beckett of Best 3 Minutes to learn how coaching has helped him reach his business goals.

Before starting his business seven years ago, David Beckett had a corporate job working for Canon (the camera company) and even wrote a book about Amsterdam, where he lives. He’d always been passionate about start-ups and pitching and decided to turn that passion into a business. Today, he and his team teach companies—big and small—on how to successfully pitch and sell their ideas.

“We help people find their voice for their great idea,” Beckett explains. “Our goal is to help people shine when they need to. If they shine, so do we.” Here, Beckett shares how he’s grown his business and how coaching has played an integral role in his success.

Q: Tell us more about your business. What services do you provide?

A: People don’t have time to hear a 30 to 45-minute pitch anymore, so we show entrepreneurs a methodology that helps them make their pitch in three to five minutes. I originally created the methodology for startups but it’s relevant for convincing people of any idea.

Q: When and why did you join Teachable?

A: We discovered Teachable in 2018 and it made everything so much easier. Before joining Teachable, we did all of our workshops in person. We tried to create courses online but found it too difficult. We were able to shift from face-to-face training to online, which has been so crucial during COVID-19.

Q: How have you grown your business?

A: Our customers tend to find us on LinkedIn and YouTube. There’s one video in particular that’s been viewed over 350,000 times. People will watch a video and then reach out. Offering free content also helps us generate business. For example, we offer a free, one-page brainstorming tool called The Pitch Canvas, which gets downloaded 300 times per week.

Q: Have you always offered coaching services?

A: I’ve always done group coaching but I used to turn people away from 1:1 coaching because the whole process was so difficult—finding a time, booking the appointment, invoicing, etc. With Teachable, all of that is taken care of.

Q: How has Teachable’s new coaching feature helped with your business?

A: Because the whole process is so easy, it reduces the amount of work I have to do by 70 to 80 percent. When someone books a coaching session, they pay online and click a link to schedule it. That’s it. It adds value to my customers, and it’s an extra way for me to make money.

It also helps improve my branding. Being able to offer coaching through Teachable makes what I do feel more like a complete story. Instead of just saying we offer a workshop, we can say we also have an online academy and 1:1 coaching. It builds confidence in our customers and makes them feel like they’re in good hands.

Q: What’s your favorite thing about the coaching feature?

A: I like that coaching is a separate product, which means people can book a session with me (or someone on my team) without having to sign up for a course. Or, they can book a coaching session at a discounted rate when they sign up for a course. People quite often need additional coaching—usually just an hour to sharpen their pitch—and I’m happy to offer it at a discounted rate since they’re already a customer. I see it as a package and it helps me make sure they’re successful in the end.

Learn more about Teachable’s coaching feature and how you can use it to grow your business.