Two years into coaching, I was commiserating with another new coach. Most of our clients only invested in 3 months of coaching. That meant we were in a constant state of chasing clients.
We were clueless about how to find more coaching clients. All the low hanging fruit had been picked — colleagues, friends, and friends of friends.
I’d had a sample coaching session with them all, which was part of the problem. Those who enrolled didn’t perceive the long-term value of coaching.
I still hear coaches say:
Where are the clients who get the value of coaching enough to invest in it?
Chasing coaching clients instead of attracting them has to do with.
- What you’re selling.
- How you’re selling.
- How you think about what you’re selling.
Let’s dig into this …
Coach, You’re Selling the Wrong Thing
Long since that agonized time of trying to find clients, 2 things are very different for me:
- My ideal clients find me!
- And I don’t sell coaching anymore. “Finding clients who get coaching enough to invest in it” isn’t something I bother with anymore.
Why? Because with a shock — and you’ve heard me say this before — I realized that there just aren’t many people out there who understand the value of coaching. So trying to convince people to buy it is … well, painful and often fruitless.
That’s why I recommend designing a Signature Program for your audience based on what you learn from them in market research. Will you coach your clients in that program? Yes. But you won’t sell coaching as if the process alone is the solution anymore.
Have you ever been on socials and seen an ad for a gadget and you think — I want one of those! Well, some smart person figured out a gap in the marketplace and filled it with that gadget. They knew it would be wanted.
Selling products is very different from selling services but what’s similar is the way a human being responds when something unexpected solves a problem for them or something they want lands in front of them.
Coaching just isn’t that thing.
Take a moment. Open your mind. Know that your mind can be infinitely fluid and it can accept that paradoxical things can exist in harmony.
The paradox here is that coaching is a highly valuable skillset but it’s best to not even try to sell it to people.
The old metaphor I’ve had to help people understand this is … a carpenter doesn’t sell their tools. A carpenter sells the outcome that the tools create. If you want beautiful kitchen cabinets or a bathroom with reclaimed wood are you going to care what kind of tools the carpenter has? Nope!
You’ll look at their portfolio to see if their finished products fit your style.
Got it? Coaching is an amazing set of tools. And so, every coach thinks, “well I’ll throw up a website and make it all about coaching. I’ll have the word coach all over the place, in my brand, in my title — everywhere!”
If you’re new to Prosperous Coach Podcast or haven’t gone back to earlier episodes you might have missed my seminal show which is called Why Coaching is a Hard Sell. You can find that at prosperouscoach.com/7.
By the way, Prosperous Coach Podcast just hit 250,000 downloads and it is because of you. So, thank you for listening and sharing this podcast with other coaches.
So what do people know they want? Well that varies for each person. And that’s why I strongly recommend narrowing to a very specific audience and finding out EXACTLY and SPECIFICALLY what it is that they want so much they’ll invest to get it. What are their BIG problems and how can you help them solve them?
What you don’t want to do is pick a target audience and then sell them coaching. That’s ½ the way to the right direction but it’s still problematic, right? You will still chase clients and try to convince them to buy something they don’t know they want, which is heartbreaking.
Now, let’s get to the 2nd way to stop chasing clients…
How You Sell Makes a Difference to Potential Coaching Clients
I even hesitate to use the word ‘sell’ because the truth is that you shouldn’t have to sell in the classic sense of that word.
You market, but in a non-salesy way. strongly dislike hyped up promotion. It goes against my integrity. You too?
Share valuable information with your audience through generosity marketing — mine is this podcast.
You’re NOT CHASING anyone when you do generosity marketing. You’re trusting that your ideal clients will come to you by repeatedly and strategically putting out valuable messaging to them.
But you do have to ask people to hire you. If you never ask, they won’t know what you have available. Let me show you what I mean.
Before we get to the 3rd shift to help you stop chasing clients, a quick message from Prosperous Coach …
If you’ve been listening to this podcast for a while, you know that I offer a 5-month VIP Coaching Business Breakthrough mentoring program or VIP mentoring for short. This is where you & I partner privately and collaborate to build every aspect of your business.
- We start by uncovering your zones of genius and your unique story.
- That guides us to choose a viable audience for you.
- And, we’ll apply your zones of genius to a niche you’ll love.
- We research to uncover what your audience wants so much they’ll invest in your help to get it.
- Then we develop your brand, messaging and offers including:
- Designing and pricing your signature program.
- Crafting client-winning web copy.
- Creating an irresistible lead magnet and setting up the email campaign.
- I’ll teach you how to enroll clients into high ticket programs without sample coaching sessions.
- We’ll strategize your content approach, (even launch your own podcast if you like).
- We coach for mindset shifts as needed.
- And we tackle all the little details in between all of these things.
My clients love my copywriting tips and editing support. You can pick my brain about anything! I’m your creative partner for 5 months.
You are an ideal client for me and this program if you are serious about succeeding in your coaching business. You bring courage, determination and curiosity. And, you want to stop swirling around without guidance trying tactics that fail. Let’s strategize everything for your business together!
I have 3 openings starting in January 2024 for the VIP program. If you want step by step handholding to launch or relaunch more strategically, jump in now within the next 2 weeks. Right now, the VIP Mentoring Program is $7975. In 2024, it goes to $8975. If you enroll before 2023 ends to begin in January, you’ll save yourself $1000.
Apply to the VIP Coaching Business Breakthrough program here. When I receive your application, I’ll give you access to my calendar for a Discovery Call where we can get to know each other and be sure we’re a good fit. I look forward to meeting you!
Back to the episode and the 3rd way to stop chasing clients …
Your Mindset Matters When You Market for Your Coaching Business
Stop chasing clients in your mind. If you’re chasing them mentally you’re also thinking they are elusive. Your clients are not elusive. They are plentiful. Build a relationship with them through your content, social posts and more direct methods.
Call in your ideal clients energetically. Put some ceremony into it. I myself am an active manifester. I don’t just throw marketing out there. I think about how I want it to land. I think actively about who I want to call in.
Another shift for your mindset — don’t push. Pushing is the opposition of attraction. Also, it’s unhealthy. I believe pushing feels like a hard sell to prospects — even if they don’t consciously perceive it.
Attraction takes time. So chill out. Give yourself time to attract ideal clients. Be mindful through the whole process.
Stay inspired and make things happen!