Top Seven Myths about Getting Coaching Clients

Seven Strategies to Avoid When Seeking New Coaching Clients
 

Introduction

There are a number of widespread and damaging myths circulating about getting coaching clients.  These have been repeated so many times that new coaches believe they must be true.

In truth, there are many effective ways for you as a coach to get clients.  But the first step is understanding what doesn't work and why.

If you were only to avoid sabotaging yourself by not adopting these myths, you would already be ahead of many, many coaches.  So read on, and discover the Top Seven Myths about getting coaching clients.

1. They'll Find You

Myth one is that "if you're a good coach, clients will find you."

This is the "If you build it, they will come" idea - the one memorably proposed by Kevin Costner's character in the film Field of Dreams. It's rubbish.

If prospects don't know about you, they cannot possibly get in touch to ask you to coach them.  You're as likely to get clients "just because you're good" as you are to find a black cat in a coal-hole at midnight.  On a moon-less night and with a blindfold on.

2. Free Taster Sessions

Myth two is "if you give away free coaching sessions, those prospects will convert to clients."

Myth two is widespread.  But ask experienced coaches who have used this strategy how effective it is.  The fact is people take the free session, and you don't see them again.  That's if they turn up in the first place.

This is a case of the prospect assigning a value of zero to your service.  Value yourself - don't give away your services!

3. Advertise

Myth three - "if you advertise you'll get business."

No you won't.  The only sure thing about advertising is that it will cost you money. Professional services like coaching are not really amenable to advertising.  Coaching is not like plumbing, where a Yellow Pages advert is a good investment.  Coaching is not an "emergency buy".

Similarly for radio, (and heaven forbid) TV advertising, billboards and notices in newsagents.  These media are very unlikely to target the kind of market you're after. The only time advertising will work for you is when it's highly targeted on a narrow niche.

4. You Can Coach Anyone

Myth four is "When you're a coach, you'll appeal to anyone who wants coaching."

No you won't! The coaching market has matured in the last few years. Prospective clients are no longer asking for any old coach, they're asking for a specialist coach to help them accomplish a specific thing, or overcome a specific problem. Hence the proliferation of marketing coaches, weight-loss coaches, career coaches and the like.

You must focus your marketing promotion on a target market that want what you can specifically and uniquely deliver. This implies knowing precisely what you can deliver, and which sector of the market values it.

5. Put up a Website

Myth five is "If I put up a website I'll get loads of clients".

Try it and see.  A coaching website on its own, with no traffic will do nothing for you.  A website is but one component of an overall online and offline marketing strategy.

Does this mean you shouldn't have a website?  Not necessarily, but on its own the effect will be limited. 

For it to work for you there needs to be a compelling reason for your target market to visit your website.  Putting up a few articles on the difference between coaching, counselling and consulting and having some testimonials is no longer enough.  Sorry!