As a life coach, getting clients is essential to the growth and success of your business. The good news is that there are many ways to get clients, both online and offline. In this lesson, we will discuss some proven and effective strategies for how to get quality clients as a life coach.
And, before we go on, realize that this is just the beginning. There are many more options. However, this will give you a very good idea of fundamentals. Also remember that you will receive an incredibly comprehensive and step-by-step client acquisition and business blueprint for online and off-line coaching success as part of any coaching certification course with Spencer Institute.
Define Your Ideal Coaching Client
The first step in getting clients is to define your ideal client. Who are you best able to help? Who would you enjoy working with most? What kind of people make you most happy? Where are these people? Do you know how to find them? Do you know how to communicate with them? This means creating a clear picture of the type of person you want to work with for your coaching sessions. Consider their age, gender, occupation, income level, interests, and any other relevant factors. Once you have a clear idea of your ideal client, you can tailor your marketing efforts to attract them. It’s also important to know that you will repel people who do not fit your ideal client. This is OK. When you know who is not attracted to your message, it makes it easier to defined who is attracted most.
Create a Coaching Website/Blog
For clarification, our website tends to be more static. They are not updated as much. And, in years past, they used a slightly different technology. However, a blog, usually WordPress, is dynamic, forever changing, easily updated and a living and breathing thing. Google likes this. It shows that you are more current and relevant and on top of things. Most people today use these terms interchangeably. A blog is a must-have for any life coach. Your website should include information about your services, pricing, and testimonials from past clients. It should also have a section where you can share valuable insights and advice on topics related to your coaching niche. Make sure your website is visually appealing and easy to navigate. It’s important to let someone with some design skills do the work for you. As they say, “stay in your lane”. You should know some fundamentals such as adding a new blog article. But leave the advanced architectural design and graphic elements to an expert. You can outsource this very affordably through third-party sites. Once you get your blog done, you will also want to focus on ranking it on Google and other search engines. Here is a service you can try for free to help get more coaching clients from Google.
Utilize Social Media Effectively
Social media can be a powerful tool for attracting clients. Platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram allow you to reach a large audience and showcase your expertise. Post regularly about your services and share helpful tips and insights related to your coaching niche. You can also join Facebook groups related to your niche and engage with potential clients. Most importantly, add value. Don’t argue about politics. Offer advice. Create solutions. Make short videos with helpful insight. Smile. Always be the person who takes the highroad. Even when talking about controversial topics, always be considerate to the opposition. Play the long game. Social media takes time. You either do it for the duration of your career or you do not do it at all. Just be consistent over time whatever you decide.
Offer Free Consultations You Can Call a “Discovery Call”
Offering free consultations is a great way to attract clients. This gives potential clients the opportunity to get to know you and your coaching style before committing to your services. During the consultation, ask questions about their goals and challenges, and provide feedback and advice based on your expertise. This is always controversial. Some people would say never give away your time. Others would say that a 10 or 15 minute “discovery call” is worth the effort and, when fine-tuned with a good script and a compelling offer, will yield a great result often. 10 minutes could lead to a customer who pays you $5,000 per year. That’s a good return on your investment.
Leverage Referrals
Referrals are a powerful source of new coaching clients. Ask your existing clients to refer their friends and family to you. You can also offer incentives for referrals, such as a discount on future coaching sessions. Make sure to thank clients who refer new business to you. So, how do you think a client who refers your new business? You have options. The simple thing to do is get them something such as a Starbucks gift card. But that doesn’t take much effort or thought. You can consider something customized with their initials.
There are many promotional companies who make excellent gifts that have high perceived value and are beautiful. Think about the person who referred you a new client. What is their favorite hobby? Do they have a particular wine they enjoy? Is there a favorite restaurant that they spoke about going to with their significant other? As a coach, you should be paying attention to these things anyways. And when you do, you will have great ideas for gifts for when they refer. Also, from the inception of your coaching relationship with your client, let them know that referrals are appreciated and part of the process of you to continue your coaching services. This lets your current client always keep you in mind for their friends and family who can benefit from your services as well. Here is more information about getting coaching referrals.
Network Like a Pro
Networking is an effective way to get clients as a coach in any niche. Attend networking events in your area and get to know other professionals in your industry. You can also join professional associations and organizations related to your coaching niche. This will allow you to connect with potential clients and establish yourself as an expert in your field. There are rules for effective networking. Avoid being the obnoxious person that runs around to meet everybody while handing out business cards like a crazy person. Stop. Don’t do that. Go to the event with a specific agenda of making one or two quality contacts with wonderful people. A networking event is probably one of the only places anymore where people hand out business cards.
As you’ve likely learned, in today’s digital world, people share social media accounts and possibly a contact card from their smart phone. The smaller and more local the event, the more likely someone will have a traditional paper business card. Adjust accordingly. Sometimes you may want to go to a networking event to meet people who can introduce you to other people, rather than finding the end person who will become your coaching client.
Speak at Events of All Sizes and Types
Speaking at events is a great way to get exposure and attract clients. Look for events related to your coaching niche and offer to speak on a topic related to your expertise. This will allow you to showcase your knowledge and connect with potential clients in person. This is a journey. Speaking effectively in front of a group is a skill that needs to be developed. And when you do develop it, it opens up endless doors for you. There are different styles of speaking in different formats of events for speakers. If this interest you, you will want to check out the Spencer Institute Professional Speaker Certification course. You will learn how to become a highly effective and dynamic speaker and learn the business of speaking from the stage, in front of a camera or online.
Use Paid Advertising
Paid advertising can be an effective way to get clients. Google Ads and Facebook Ads are two popular platforms for online advertising. You can target your ads to specific demographics, interests, and behaviors. This allows you to reach a highly targeted audience and increase your chances of attracting new clients. You really need to know what you’re doing with paid advertising or you will burn through a lot of money fast. And, the technology and the reach for people to see your ads changes all the time. You can also consider social media platforms such as LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter and Instagram. Read up on this topic extensively before you put down any money. And, if you decide to do a paid advertising on social media, you need to stick with it for a few months to learn, gather data, make modifications, and give people enough time to learn about use so they want to take action.
Write a Book – It’s Easier Than You May Think
Writing a book can help establish you as an expert in your field and attract clients. Consider writing a book related to your coaching niche and promoting it on your website and social media channels. You can also offer free chapters or excerpts to potential clients to generate interest. Once again, this can be a simple or complex topic. You can self-publish. You can do an e-book and make it available on kindle on Amazon. You can do an audiobook. You can work with a third-party and they can transcribe an interview into a book. It’s possible you can get a publishing deal if you’re not yet published, although it can be challenging. Don’t expect the book itself to make you rich. That is highly unlikely. However, using your book to establish yourself as an expert is brilliant. That should be your focus. And most people’s eyes, writing a book is a task far beyond what they would ever consider. Because of this, they view you as an expert simply because you completed it. Of course, quality of content is equally important as marketing the book. It all matters.
Collaborate with Other Professionals
Collaborating with other professionals can help you expand your network and attract clients. Look for professionals in complementary fields, such as nutritionists, chiropractor or personal trainers, and offer to collaborate on projects or events. This will allow you to reach a new audience and showcase your expertise to potential clients. Think about professionals and other fields who think in a similar way as you do.
To be successful, getting clients as a life coach requires a combination of online and offline marketing strategies. By defining your ideal client, creating a website/blog, utilizing social media, offering free “discovery call” consultations, leveraging helpful referrals, networking with the right people, speaking at events of various sizes, strategically using paid advertising, writing a book, and collaborating with other professionals.
If you are not yet a certified coach in any niche, or you’re looking to expand your skill set and earn more professional credentials, you will want to click over to see our list of professional training courses now.
