This week’s blog has been written by one of our Course Advisors, Francoise. Not only is Francoise part of our team here at The Coaching Academy, she also has her own life coaching business. She’s sharing with us one of the questions she gets asked most frequently: “How will I find clients as a life coach?” Read on to learn more!
As well as my life coaching business, I also work as a Course Advisor for The Coaching Academy, and one of the most frequently asked questions posed to me is “Once qualified, how will I find clients as a life coach?”
So, in this article I would like to share with you some of my thoughts and experiences including:
It’s extremely natural to want to understand how you will get a return on your initial investment and the exciting news is, it’s totally possible. At the outset, it is helpful to consider these questions:
Is social media important? It can be but it’s not imperative. You may want to consider bringing your current followers on the training journey with you. Share your wins, your lightbulb moments or even your challenges. Think like a coach from the outset and you will soon begin to see more interest. This interest may well lead to future paying clients. Be as authentic as possible. If you have a strong sense of humour, show that in your posts. If you are a deep analytical thinker, show it. People who are considering investing in a coach will want to get a feel for you before they press ‘send’ on any enquiry email.
At times, you may find a social media post doesn’t seem to land with some people or get much traction and that’s ok, it’s all part of posting. Keep the consistency up and the messaging clear and don’t worry if you show vulnerability. As the researcher, storyteller and author, Brené Brown once said: “Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.”
Back to a question I posed earlier: What if everyone was a potential client, then what? Talk about your coaching to everyone you meet! They will feed off your enthusiasm. Even if they don’t want to be coached, they may know someone who does. In the early days you might want to enter into reciprocal coaching arrangements with other service providers. For example, a coaching session in exchange for a yoga session perhaps?
Small businesses need to support each other so check your local area and see how your coaching could benefit those around you – opportunities are there, and you never know what it could lead to.
You may wish to consider offering two free sessions in a package of eight. I once donated two coaching sessions to a charity and the person who bid on them decided to keep me on as his coach, and his long-term accountability partner. A win-win!
Ask yourself what beliefs you hold about finding clients. If you are in a scarcity mindset, then there is a chance you will possibly fail to see the opportunities around you!
A scarcity mindset can keep many of us from achieving our goals. An abundance mindset refers to the paradigm that there is plenty out there for everybody.
Try these tips to shift to an abundance mindset: For every thought where you notice lack, turn those thoughts around. For example: “why would anyone want to be my client” replace with “I am the only coach out there offering my unique coaching style”
If you start noticing the negativity of others rubbing off on you, consider surrounding yourself with people who align with your values or goals. Do you look up to the people you surround yourself with? If not consider nurturing friendships that will keep you on track, keep you motivated and maybe where there’s some healthy competition thrown in for good measure. Once you’ve enrolled on The Coaching Academy life coach training, you immediately become part of our wonderful coaching network which is supportive beyond belief.
Remember everyone could be a potential client, keep service at the top of your mind when meeting and talking about your coaching.
Here’s a list of suggestions for getting your name out there in the early days:
• Social media
• Flyers in your local cafes/message boards/co-working space
• Donating a percentage of your time free of charge
• Business page on Facebook/Meet up apps/Next Door app
• Guest speaking on podcasts, workshops or local community events
• Sending personalised direct messages to your own networks with a coaching offer
• Consider writing a signature coaching program to offer to groups or businesses
• Ask your first clients to send your details to at least 2 other people they know
When you have qualified as a coach the learning shouldn’t stop there. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) will not only keep your coaching style fresh but it will ensure you stand out from the crowd. You may want to consider honing your niche which will of course bring your closer to your ideal client.
The Coaching Academy provide prominent digital badges once you have completed any niche and CPD workshops. These can be featured on your website or shared on social media platforms. Clients will be attracted knowing that you invest in your ongoing training and self-development.
Coaching supervision is also vital for you as a coach so that you can develop your ongoing confidence and maintain your professional standards. The Association for Coaching and International Coaching Federation both recognise supervision as important CPD.
I sincerely hope this article helps you gain some clarity and some confidence regarding the questions “How will I find clients as a life coach?”. I know when I first began my journey as a professional life coach I wondered how I would do this. Looking back, I can now see that the hardest part of getting going was actually getting started in the first place. So remember, results start when you do!
When considering training to become a professional life coach, I always recommend you join one of our free 'Introduction to Life Coaching' webinars. They are designed to equip you with information to be able to see if learning to be a life coach is for you. We want to empower you to make an informed decision. You also meet one of our trainers and get a feel for us as a training provider.
We also provide you the opportunity to have a one-to-one call with myself or my course advisor colleagues to ask any questions you have. I know some people use this call as a mini coaching opportunity to work out the steps needed to make your life coaching dream a reality.
The Coaching Academy was established in 1999, and is now the world's largest coaching school.
In that time we have trained over 14,000 people to become life coaches.
We are accredited by the International Coach Federation and the Association for Coaching, and we're rated 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot.
