The Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Coaching Clients Without Feeling Icky
How do I get a steady stream of aligned coaching clients (and not feel deeply uncomfortable in the process)?
That’s the question I got from one of our subscribers, Carole-Anne Ward.
What I love about this is how much of the struggle of many coaches it holds in one question. I see three parts:
1. How do I get a steady stream of coaching clients?
The answer to this is actually fairly straightforward: tell people how you work, how much it costs and how to pay you on a steady basis. If you are doing that on a steady basis, you will get clients on a steady basis.
Once you're doing that steadily, there are lots of ways to make it more likely people say yes to you.
And if you're wondering how to get more opportunities to tell people how you work, how much it costs and how to pay you, well... that's what this ebook is about: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/the-coaching-business-flywheel
2. How do I get aligned coaching clients (instead of ones where we don't feel as aligned)?
There are three crucial ways that I have seen work to do this:
Coach people BEFORE you offer to work with them or ask them to work with you. That way, you can feel what it's like to work with them.
Then, only tell people how you work, how much it costs and how to pay you if you would LOVE to work with them. Chances are, if you love working with them before they pay you, you'll love working with them after they pay you. And they'll love working with you, too.
Charge them a meaningful amount of money; one that makes them make the choice: am I up for the commitment of doing this work now?
3. How do I not feel deeply uncomfortable in the process of building my business?
Practice. Pretty much everything we have ever done has felt goofy and uncomfortable the first time we do it. I have an 18-month-old. She loves running around. She falls and cries A LOT. Or, try crossing your arms the other way to the one you usually do. That feels weird because you haven't practised it as much.
Make each stage of the process soul work: discover the gift for the client, the service to them, at each stage, and focus on that gift and service. For example, asking them to pay: you're creating the conditions for them to REALLY commit and do REALLY aligned work by making them make a choice. You're giving them the chance to spend their money on what matters most to them: their happiness and fulfillment.
Do your own work. Take each thing you find uncomfortable to your coach with the challenge to understand why you feel uncomfortable, and change things so you feel less uncomfortable next time. That'll speed up the process: and it makes everything that feels uncomfortable the opportunity to grow as a person.
As you read this - what lands ? What stands out?
What is the CRUCIAL insight for you?
What are you REALLY ANNOYED that I said, because you know it’s what will make the difference to you?
Put something in the comments, or get in touch to let me know.