10 Strategies To Help You Get Your First Coaching Client

I know the feeling. I have been there. You have created this superb coaching strategy. You did your homework, and you know that this is just what the coaching doctor ordered. But you seem to have hit a snag as far as getting your first coaching client.

It can be frustrating and feel hopeless, but it is doable. It is absolutely easy to figure out. Come, and let's figure this out together. Below are ten strategies to help you get your first coaching client. 

1. Vet your audience

You may be, so to speak, preaching the right sermon; but you are doing it to the wrong audience. This calls for you carefully choosing and vetting every venue you are invited to speak at. The temptation may be to just go and speak and let the chips fall where they will. 

However, that's not how this works. That will work against you. See, you don't want to throw all your best efforts on the wall and hope that, at least, something will stick. You want to maximize your chances of getting your first coaching client even if it means waiting a little longer for the right opportunity.  

2.  Affordability

You may be speaking to the right clients, but the hundred-thousand-dollar question is; can they afford to pay your coaching fees? This means you must do your homework beforehand and know such vital information as the demographic and the wage median. 

Here is how you should view your coaching fees. Is it too low, until the clients you are talking to - say, in a sales call- will question your credibility? Or is it astronomically high until the clients you are addressing will not only think they are priced out but that they are too poor to afford your services? Perceptions matter. That's why doing your homework is essential. 

3. Work on social media efficiently

if you want social media to work for you, you must work at it - efficiently. Research how you can best use social media within your field. Pick the best lessons or the ones that you believe may work for you. 

As far as social media is concerned, where does your target audience hang out? Facebook? Instagram? Twitter? This is similar to the importance of vetting your audience; if you have the best social media strategy, but it is applied in the wrong place, you will miss your opportunity to get clients.

Alternatively, get a social media expert to help you out. An expert who is adept at such things as analytics will give you the best tips, and also show you the real data. And as we all know, numbers don't lie. 

4. Be a master of one trade

Carve out a niche for yourself. Be the best - and I mean the very best - at one thing, Instead of trying to do everything under the sun in order to land that first elusive client If you put all your time and talents into one thing, the singular focus will pay off. 

Potential clients are more likely to trust a coach who has specialized in one subject, than a coach who is juggling tons of balls. Besides, if you are specialized in one subject, you are more likely to charge considerably higher coaching fees than a Jack or Jill of all trades and considered to be more credible. 

5. Be proactive

Don't wait for the opportunities to come to you; instead, go to the opportunities. Be proactive. If, for instance, you are not getting any invitations to speaking engagements, come up with a plan - with other coaches in your field - and organize your own events. 

The coaching space is all about collaboration. No one can do it alone. Speak with other partners, such as hotels to provide venues or manufacturers and stakeholders in your field. For instance, if your specialty is financial and life coaching for women entrepreneurs, speak with financial and life insurance firms or self-care product manufacturers. Be imaginative. 

The other aspect of being proactive is attending events that your potential clients frequent. By networking with potential clients and partners, you increase your opportunities to land clients.

6. Expand your social circles 

They say that your network is your net worth. If you aren’t constantly increasing and expanding your social circles, you are not elevating your business. The mistake most coaches make is depending on their immediate social circles to be clients or bring them clients.

In the majority of instances, your family and friends are not your ideal clients. So, it’s time to expand your horizons. Get out there and meet people! Go to networking events, social events, conferences, and places where your ideal clients frequent. While you may not encounter clients all the time, you will definitely meet people that can refer or introduce you to potential clients and because you made a prior connection, they will do it with confidence. 

7. Commit yourself fully

Once you start on this journey, there is no going back. In the coaching space, the difference between success and failure often boils down to commitment. 

Most people bail out because they do not see any tangible results from the get-go. Commitment does not mean you keep hitting your head against a brick wall. It means that, if after careful consideration you realize that you are not making any headway, you try a different approach. The goal remains the same; it is how you get to it that changes. 

The other thing is, though they are impressed by what you are offering, some potential clients may not immediately sign up with you because they think you haven’t built enough trust with them. If you withstand the test of time, if they keep seeing you over a prolonged period, they will be convinced about your seriousness. They will also be convinced that you are not just out to make a fast buck, then are moving on to the next big thing. 

8. Be media savvy

Old forms of media, like magazines and newspapers, may be shrinking in readership, but they still have a place. And that is why, even if you have gone fully digital in search of clients, you should not ignore traditional media.

Do your research. Every day, newspapers have inserts and magazines that cover different topics. Go for the insert or magazine that you know may be relevant to your target audience. Some newspapers have open columns for freelancers. Pitch an article to the editor. If you are published a couple of times, you will get the relevant visibility. If hopefully, you become a regular contributor, it can be your springboard to coaching multiple clients. 

9. Be a futurist

As they say in ice hockey: "Don't go to where the puck is, but where it will be." Is there a gap in the market that you can foresee? The gap may be infinitesimal, but rush and fill it. 

The other alternative is to "create" a gap or niche, then fill it. This phenomenon has been happening since the advent of the smartphone. These gadgets - and apps - were needs and wants we did not know we had. But once the inventors of these now must-have items created gaps, it is almost sacrilegious to live without these items. 

10. Create a podcast

Don't let anyone tell you that you're too late to the podcast party, or that the space is already filled. Do your thing. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. 

Granted, creating a podcast does take some work. But, if you get it right - and you are consistent - it will pay dividends. Your podcast is your free medium, with absolutely no strings attached, to market your skills and attract clients.

Want to learn how to get your first coaching client?

Are you currently trying to build your business off of product launches and/or 1 high ticket product? Do you spend countless amounts of hours on social media, on discovery calls and in people’s DMs with little to no results?

Visit our coaching page here to learn how to get started with us.