The most stressful part of running a coaching business, at least in the beginning, is the question: where is my next client coming from? Belief that coaching clients are coming is really important — it’s what helps you keep showing up every day.
But there’s something else you should be doing as well: taking action to find those clients instead of waiting for them to find you.
When posting on social media, doing stories, and writing a blog isn’t enough to bring those clients in, it’s time for you to step up your game.
With that in mind, I’ve got three strategies you can add to your bag of tricks to start being assertive in finding your coaching clients.
They aren’t new strategies, by any means, but they are super effective when done well and done often.
Private Messaging
I absolutely love using Facebook Messenger or Instagram DMs to strike up conversations with potential clients.
But you know what I hate?
When other people send me a message like this:
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And you know…if I hate it, other people do too.
So please don’t be that girl. She’s not getting any dates.
Instead…watch your posts to see who’s liking them, or commenting on them, and watching your stories all the way through. Those people are already engaged with the things you’re talking about, or they wouldn’t be sticking around.
DM them and strike up a conversation. Learn more about them. Be natural and authentic. Ask them what they do and how things are going and what’s holding them back right now.
THEN offer them your freebie or a free consult to help them work a few things out and get closer to happy. I teach you how to do it here.
No sleaze involved.
Facebook Groups
Go into Facebook groups where your dream clients are talking about the problems you solve, and spread your knowledge around like candy at a parade.
Let me be really clear: you’re not going into the groups your ‘competitors’ run to try to steal their potential client base…if you do that, I’m going to pretend I don’t know you when we pass in the street (or the internet). It’s tacky. But you can absolutely go into groups that were built for support or built for something else, and do your thing.
I don’t mean go in there and say hi and make offers like some creeper from Nigeria (oh hey, 27 and counting Nigerian princes who’ve offered to be my sugar daddy)…not only is that going to turn off the other group members, it’ll probably get you kicked.
I mean seriously become the most valuable human being they’ve ever encountered on the internet. And not with the intention of them hiring you, just with the pure, authentic intention of serving.
Give away all you got, girl. I promise it’s never too much.
Here’s why you should do this:
- You’re putting amazing energy out into the world in full service vibration, in belief that you’re helping people, and that’s gonna come back to you. Law of Attraction, anyone?
- The people you help — whether they hire you or not — are going to remember you if you give them enough to get some transformation. And they’ll probably friend request you and notice that you’re a life coach. And maybe, if their BFF turns up needing your help, they’re gonna recommend you. Because you made a genuine impact on their life.
- It feels amazing to help others with no agenda. Your day will be brighter for it, and you’re gonna work harder to help even MORE people…which means you then show up stronger in your marketing.
Email Your List
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard my clients say something like this: “Yeah, I have an email list, but I don’t really do anything with it.”
People, please.
You have a list of people who’ve shown you they’re in need of what you offer, and you’re IGNORING THEM?!?!?!?!
I don’t care if there are 3, 30, or 3,000 people on your email list. You should be nurturing them.
Educate them through email. Help them get transformations. Be valuable to them.
You never know when someone will hit that tipping point of being ready to invest in honest-to-goodness coaching, and you want to be the one they’re thinking of when they are.
But that’s not going to happen if they signed up for your freebie eight months ago and they haven’t heard from you since. You’re long gone from their memory.
Don’t let that happen. Start emailing them today.
Don’t Stop Taking Action to Find Coaching Clients
Finding coaching clients does not have to be a passive activity. You can absolutely take charge and reach out to them with these three strategies in an aligned way.
The best part of using these strategies for your coaching business is that you’re no longer relying on outside forces or other people to help your business grow.
Instead, you’re taking (imperfect) action and creating your own results. That’s responsibility, my friend.
About The Author
Hey! I’m Cass, a Certified Brand Coach and a Co-Founder at Lovely Impact. I help coaches elevate their businesses with beautiful branding and websites. Here on our blog, my content focuses on branding, web design, and storytelling.