How hard is it to to get life coaching clients?
Cracking the Code on Getting Life Coaching Clients
Ever wondered why being a certified life coach doesn’t automatically come with a user manual for running a successful business? You graduate from Life Coach School knowing that you’re a fantastic coach – but then comes the hard bit, actually getting clients and selling your services.
The Certified But Clueless Dilemma
Your life coaching certificate is just the start of the journey and not the whole enchilada. You’re now brandishing your shiny new certificate, a head full of knowledge on transforming lives, and an eagerness to make the world a better place one client at a time.
But there’s just one tiny problem: where are all these clients hiding? Are they playing hide and seek with you? Why is it so hard to find coaching clients? Trust me; you’re not alone in this game because most newly certified life coaches find it difficult to actually get the business off the ground and land enough clients to make the business a success.
Full disclosure – I’m not a coach – and I’m not certified. But I’ve been in the online business world for 15 years (so far!) and I’ve seen this over and over and helped hundreds of frustrated entrepreneurs who quickly discover the life coaching certificate doesn’t equal clients.
The Reality Check: Coaching vs. Business
First things first – and let’s get real for a moment. Becoming a certified life coach is like getting the keys to a brand new car but realising it’s a stick shift and you only know manual.
Sure, you’ve got the tools to change lives and make people happier, more content and help them solve their problems – but running a business? That’s a whole different ball game. It’s as if you signed up for yoga class and ended up in a circuits class – unexpected and slightly terrifying.
Most life coaching courses focus heavily on honing your coaching skills (which is fantastic) but often leave out the crucial business aspect which is like baking the perfect cake but forgetting the icing. And before long you realise you need that sweet layer of entrepreneurial savvy to make your coaching business truly delicious and bring those clients to you.
Business building isn’t easy. There’s running your business and what they call “wearing all the hats” which means you do the marketing, the accounting, the scheduling, the admin work, the tech work, the creatives and the list goes on – and it’s easy to feel more than a little overwhelmed as if you’re juggling flaming swords while riding a unicycle.
The Biggest Struggles: Finding Clients & Running Your Business
They make it sound so easy when you’re getting your certificate. Complete the trainings, get your hours of experience under your belt, get your certificate and voila – you’re a licensed coach who can go out and practice and fill your diary with eager clients ready to work with you.
But… you hit some pretty big and nasty roadblocks straight away and it can leave you feeling like you ‘don’t have what it takes’. But there are a few steps you can take to start positioning your business in the right way to get in front of potential customers and land those clients who you’re desperate to help!
Nobody is looking for a “Life Coach”
People are selfish and they want their problem solved – that’s why it’s so important to really niche down on your topic of expertise and market that, rather than your Life Coach Credentials.
Marketing
Just whack up a few posts on Facebook they said. Start an Instagram account and people will see your stories, click your links and be eager to join up. Trouble is – it doesn’t pan out that way and you quickly end up feeling frustrated and demotivated – despite all the clever self-coaching you give yourself! And, while social media seems like the obvious choice for marketing, not everyone wants to dance for likes or post endless selfies with motivational quotes. Plus, see my shocking Instagram deep-dive into the follows here.
So your first challenge is to really nail that niche and figure out what it is you’re going to be offering and selling. Once you’re clear on your actual niche and your offerings then everything else falls into place with a lot more ease. But… if you’ve been going backwards and forwards a bit, jiggling around trying to appeal to clients – rest assured – this is all completely normal. Nobody gets it all right coming straight out of the gate and to get the ‘perfect iteration’ takes some time and experiments with what you’re doing. There is no right or wrong way – only your way.
Then, once you’re clear on that niche (what you’re doing, what you’re selling and who you’re helping) you need to work on your marketing so that you make your brand visible and attract quality leads who will hopefully think “yay! this is the person I want to work with”.
Enter Tech & SEO: Your Secret Marketing Weapon
The strongest and most successful brands make the most of technology by leveraging clever systems and wooing the Search Engines.
Funnelicious
All those systems you need to be pretty much automated from a client booking a call, through receiving email confirmation and a booking link – or even them making a payment to get a link to the booking calendar.
The ‘big’ coaches you see have built automatic systems (funnels) to cover every part of the marketing and sales journey so that they don’t have to manually handle each and every individual task related to their business.
Nobody expects you to do everything – I don’t do my accounts. I take care of the basic book-keeping – but anything which whispers “tax man” can get in the bin because I don’t even want to think about it! 😉
SEO
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the technique and methodology used to market your online business by leveraging Search Engine algorithms with a website built to adhere to the highest technical standards – and content created to deliver value to your potential clients.
There’s a lot of hoo-ha in the industry right now as ChatGTP and SearchGTP make attempts to change the way people use search engines. But, to date people are peopling and like real words from real people (quality content).
Furthermore – it’s opening up massive opportunities for those who embrace SEO to make the most of this search evolution. Whilst Google even became a verb over the last 20 years – Bing (Microsoft’s answer) has hit back hard and they own ChatGTP as you know it. The message there is – ignore optimising for Bing at your own peril!
Both SEO and making the best use of technology for automations and funnels allow you to massively grow and scale your business without relying on Social Media for visibility – but, it does help if you have a little technical know-how.
Piece by Piece: The Real Puzzle of Building Your Coaching Empire
When your site pops up on search engines like a celebrity at a red carpet event – it not only draws in curious passersby but also makes you look like the real deal. A top-notch website doesn’t just say “Hey, I exist!” – it screams, “I’m the expert you’ve been searching for!” So, why not let your website (and SEO) do the heavy lifting, building trust and credibility while you kick back with a cup of coffee? After all, who needs the stress of chasing likes when you can let your site do the talking?
So, there you have it, folks! Getting life coach clients isn’t just about waving that new certificate around like a magic wand. Building a thriving business is more like sitting down with a 5000-piece Where’s Wally jigsaw, piece by piece – and with a lot of patience. And maybe a few swear words when a piece doesn’t fit.
You’ve got to mix in some tech know-how, sprinkle in SEO like it’s fairy dust – and construct those funnels like you’re building the internet’s version of the Panama Canal.
Sure, it sounds like a lot, but remember – Rome wasn’t built in a day – and they didn’t have WiFi! Although… if the Romans had WiFi – would they have achieved an empire… or would they have spent their time scrolling? Big question there to keep you busy when you can’t sleep at night. “What would the Romans have done if they’d been addicted to Social Media?”. 😉
