Episode 6

full
Published on:

10th Apr 2024

Client Magnet: The Art of Finding and Attracting Coaching Clients

Attracting Clients: Strategies Beyond the Hype

In this episode, Angie and John discuss the essential qualities that make a coach appealing to clients, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and expertise over showcasing a lavish lifestyle, which tends to attract followers to fake gurus.

They delve into the challenge of finding the right clients, highlighting the value of niching down and knowing where to look for potential clients in abundance. They explore strategies for coaches to effectively market themselves, including leveraging social media platforms suitable to their target audience, outsourcing non-core activities to focus on coaching, and the impact of strategic guest appearances on podcasts and other media.

The conversation also covers the pitfalls of trying to be omnipresent online and the importance of strategic planning, delegation, and building relationships in creating a sustainable coaching business. Towards the end, the significance of referrals in scaling up the business and ensuring consistent messaging across all marketing channels is discussed.

00:00 The Misconceptions of Coaching Success

01:15 Finding the Right Clients: Strategies and Challenges

03:23 The Pitfalls of Trying to Do It All

06:28 Strategic Focus: Niching Down and Delegating

12:30 Leveraging Relationships and Referrals for Growth

21:13 Concluding Thoughts on Effective Coaching Strategies

Transcript
John:

Angie.

2

:

Angie: John

3

:

John: what makes a coach

attractive to clients?

4

:

Angie: bunch of things, I think.

5

:

Their energy, their experience,

their openness, and probably

6

:

a few more things as well.

7

:

John: What about their lavish lifestyle,

their big mansion, their garage full of

8

:

lambos and all the models hanging around

with them in their pool or their yacht?

9

:

Angie: No, John, that is the

stuff that makes people attracted

10

:

to fake gurus and scammers.

11

:

John: Oh damn, I'm going to have to

completely rethink my new Facebook ad.

12

:

Angie: Oh, gosh, let's

just start the show.

13

:

John: Angie, one of the hardest things

for coaches to do is to find the

14

:

clients who they're going to work with.

15

:

Now we've talked recently about how

to launch your business, but you're

16

:

not really going to have a business

if you don't have the clients

17

:

.

Let's say you've been following our episodes and you've been niching yourself

18

:

and you've been thinking about the right

things to be thinking about for launch,

19

:

how do you then go and get some clients?

20

:

Angie: I think the good starting place is

is we already talked about niching, right?

21

:

We talked about finding the ideal

client that is, worth our time,

22

:

energy that we're a good fit for.

23

:

And I think that's the first space, right?

24

:

I think we have to start with

Who do I really want to talk to?

25

:

And then we need to figure out where

we can find them in abundance, right?

26

:

We don't want to cherry pick and just

one here, maybe one there, because that

27

:

I think is what many people coming into

the coaching industry, I think that's

28

:

like their first level of failure.

29

:

And they don't fail forward,

they stop and they go, Oh,

30

:

well, this just isn't working.

31

:

But it's because they're not looking

to find what for example, if you're

32

:

looking to do leadership coaching well,

where are you looking for those leaders?

33

:

Where are you trying to find them?

34

:

And if you try to find one here and one

there, I just don't think that that's

35

:

a good recipe to a strong launch.

36

:

John: No, I agree, we talked previously

about how we both started working

37

:

initially with some clients who are

people who knew us or were at least

38

:

aware of us and what we were doing.

39

:

But even then, it's hard to get

those people if you haven't set your

40

:

stall and saying, Oh, this is what

I'm actually coaching people on.

41

:

When I started getting clients is when

I was focused more on helping people

42

:

build their business and ended up

actually mostly working with coaches.

43

:

And so I think probably for at least

10 years, I was helping coaches

44

:

, start and build their businesses.

45

:

And a lot of them just giving

them the guidance to do that.

46

:

That was great.

47

:

That was a great niche to come in on.

48

:

And it was help that was really needed

when it comes to finding the clients.

49

:

I think people have all sorts

of weird ideas about what they

50

:

should or shouldn't be doing.

51

:

I don't know, maybe you have this

experience as well, but a lot of

52

:

people now seem to be doing everything.

53

:

They're throwing everything at it

and probably not getting a lot of

54

:

return for that, for their investment.

55

:

Angie: Well, I think, you know

what, let's go back to what we were

56

:

talking about and we were poking

fun at in the beginning, right?

57

:

Is that, fake gurus and scammers and

I think that ties into what you just

58

:

said about throwing everything, right?

59

:

Trying to be all things to all people.

60

:

Is not going to work.

61

:

Now, I do have one or two friends

that are actually life coaches.

62

:

So, their business model is,

well, I could talk to anybody

63

:

because I'm sitting and I'm talking

about life and the areas of life.

64

:

So I'm not going to say that that does

not exist because it certainly does.

65

:

Okay.

66

:

But still what you always

want to be thinking about is

67

:

where am I going to find them?

68

:

I'm always going to come back to that

piece where, you know, yes, you can

69

:

start with everybody you know, right?

70

:

Who's in your book of business

or who do you know to launch and

71

:

say, Hey, this is what I'm doing.

72

:

But in the long term because that might

bring you some immediate success or

73

:

appear like it's immediate success,

but it's going to run dry eventually.

74

:

The idea of coaching is that we

don't want to keep people with

75

:

us forever and ever, right?

76

:

Coaching is supposed to, hey,

move you up, move you on.

77

:

So where are you finding

these people when you are lead

78

:

generating over the long term?

79

:

So you have built a sustainable business.

80

:

It's really important

to be able to do that.

81

:

So when you say throwing everything

at it, tell me, cause I have my

82

:

own ideas of what that means.

83

:

What does that mean for you?

84

:

What are you seeing?

85

:

John: Yeah.

86

:

Okay.

87

:

So I see that they're trying to be

omnipresent on social media channels.

88

:

They're trying to do Instagram,

the LinkedIn, the Facebook, all of

89

:

it, and start a community, have a

podcast, have a YouTube channel,

90

:

have A blog whatever else, all of

it, a book speaking, everything.

91

:

And, they're trying to do it all at once.

92

:

Angie: Yeah.

93

:

Yeah.

94

:

That's kind of what I thought you meant.

95

:

But I wanted to be clear for everybody

who's listening because I really,

96

:

because here's the thing, since you

and I got into this, so we've said

97

:

between the two of us, we have over

50 years of coaching experience.

98

:

That's a lot.

99

:

And

100

:

John: hmm.

101

:

And most of it's yours.

102

:

Ha ha ha ha ha

103

:

Angie: Stop.

104

:

John: ha

105

:

Angie: Well, okay if you say so But i'm

saying so but when you and I started

106

:

right in our businesses It was a very

different landscape in terms of Lead

107

:

generating and you were going to sit in

a Networking group or things like that.

108

:

It had to be much more in person, right?

109

:

And maybe some cold calling, we weren't

really putting out email campaigns.

110

:

This was a long time ago, remember?

111

:

So I think that for coaches that are

coming into this space now, it's hard

112

:

not to see what's going on around you and

not want to join in on that and feel like

113

:

the right thing to do is to do all of it.

114

:

I think it's just a perception

that's how you do it.

115

:

John: I feel like it's

part of the hustle culture.

116

:

There are people out there and i'm not

going to name names But there's like

117

:

hustle hustle hustle grind grind grind

and it never ends and there's But if

118

:

you actually saw their journey, that's

not what they've done They have focused

119

:

in on a particular area and have been

able to expand they have teams they're

120

:

delegating stuff They're not the

ones who are doing all of the hustle.

121

:

I'm not saying they're not working

hard But they're not doing what

122

:

individual coaches are perhaps trying

to do, which is do it all themselves.

123

:

And that is a big difference.

124

:

When you can afford to pay people and

have a team and delegate a lot of the

125

:

work and have people who have expertise in

different social media channels and other

126

:

kinds of advertising, then yes, You can

do more and you can be more omnipresent.

127

:

But until you get to that level,

you are gonna have to focus in.

128

:

And that's just the reality of it.

129

:

But that message is not so

much out there as it should be.

130

:

Angie: have to say I'm so glad that you

brought that up because I feel like one

131

:

of the number one killers of All things

coaching businesses besides trying to be

132

:

all things to all people and not really

knowing where to go what to do But in the

133

:

business structure, you definitely have

to identify where you need to delegate.

134

:

And I understand like we should have

a budget and that's part of having a

135

:

great business or a solid business is

deciding what the budget is that you have.

136

:

And when you have a budget, if you

have no budget, it's going to cost you.

137

:

I did it.

138

:

You know, this is me.

139

:

I, Do not want to sit there and

post on social media all day.

140

:

I do not want to.

141

:

It's not a can't.

142

:

It's, I do not want to.

143

:

I want to be working in my

business, not on my business.

144

:

So what have I done?

145

:

I've hired people because the cost

of me taking all of that time out

146

:

every week is leaving me there, or

it was leaving me very little room.

147

:

To actually coach To actually if I

actually got clients what was I going

148

:

to do because my week was so full

of I used I think I told you this I

149

:

call them like nippa nippers n i p a.

150

:

Okay, not nipples nippas Non

income producing activities.

151

:

Are they necessary?

152

:

Absolutely.

153

:

But that is not what's really

going to help me earn my income.

154

:

And I had to delegate.

155

:

And I think that's a really important

piece for anybody starting this type of

156

:

business is to decide what's going to

cost me more time than it's really worth.

157

:

And is that social

158

:

media?

159

:

John: Yeah, I think that's a really

great point because even if all your

160

:

efforts did pay off And you end up

with a full client list You are then

161

:

going to have that problem of you

don't have time to keep all that up.

162

:

So you're going to have to

bring other people in to do it.

163

:

It's just the realities

of running your business.

164

:

You cannot have a full client list and

do everything else that you're doing

165

:

when you don't have a full client list.

166

:

So it has to be some level of balance,

but if you are finding your clients

167

:

in the right place and the right kinds

of people, which is if you've got the

168

:

niching question and you know, the

problem you're solving for people.

169

:

That should be a bit easier to figure out.

170

:

You do not need to be

in all of the places.

171

:

for many people, if you're more focused

on business side of things, LinkedIn

172

:

is probably the place for you to be.

173

:

If your audience or your, say

demographics, probably not what I want

174

:

to use, but if your potential audiences

may be more of millennial crowd.

175

:

Maybe Instagram is the place

that you need to be more present.

176

:

Because that's where a lot

of people are hanging out.

177

:

So it is going to the watering holes

and joining in the conversations

178

:

and adding value and all of those

things that needs to be happening.

179

:

And ideally, if you want to go faster,

paying for some advertising, and

180

:

Not just throwing money at it, but

actually figuring out how to do it

181

:

right either for yourself or hiring

someone who does know what they're

182

:

doing that will move the needle faster.

183

:

Angie: Yeah, I love, so here's what we're

saying, strategy, be strategic, right?

184

:

You know your niche, you know your

message, you know your niche, right?

185

:

You know who's going to probably respond

best to what you are putting out there,

186

:

but going to the places where you're, and

I am going to use the word demographic,

187

:

where do they meet, where do they gather?

188

:

So for me, my ideal, my avatar that I

have now just fine tuned is middle aged,

189

:

men and women so I'm not necessarily

going to be making posts on TikTok

190

:

about what I do professionally.

191

:

It's not that they're not there.

192

:

It's not that they don't watch,

but if they are watching, that's not

193

:

what they're necessarily looking for.

194

:

So I'm going to spend my time

and my effort on LinkedIn.

195

:

And I hate to say this, but

even on Facebook, because

196

:

that's where they tend to sit.

197

:

So I will do that.

198

:

And that's all I'm doing.

199

:

I have friends that are like you should be

on, Instagram and you should be on Twitter

200

:

and I'm like, no, I shouldn't because

that's not where my people are sitting.

201

:

John: If you have a favorite social media

channel that you like to hang out on,

202

:

then sure, include it in what you're

doing, but is that where your audience is?

203

:

But I do think there is a

differentiation that we probably.

204

:

We'll talk about this at some point of

are you consuming or are you creating?

205

:

Because there's a difference when

it comes to social, when it comes

206

:

to social media and most people,

business owners included, are spending

207

:

the majority of their time on social

media consuming rather than creating.

208

:

That is completely the wrong way around.

209

:

So there's some stuff that needs to

change around that, but we did take

210

:

the piss a little bit out of the sort

of scammers, the fake gurus and stuff,

211

:

the guys who like do those videos in

their garage next to the Lamborghinis

212

:

that probably aren't even theirs.

213

:

And.

214

:

Those people are out there, but I

think we see far less of them now.

215

:

Well, I think I do because I've probably

blocked most of them, but we see far

216

:

less of them now because things have

changed in the post horrible events

217

:

of a few years back where we couldn't

socialize much and things like that.

218

:

Things changed.

219

:

People became much more

focused on relationship.

220

:

And I think that had a huge impact

on how we, as coaches, as speakers,

221

:

Market ourselves and reach out to

people because the relationship side

222

:

of stuff suddenly became a much bigger

deal It was already on the way to

223

:

happening, but that got I feel that got

super accelerated By quarantines and

224

:

everything else that followed from that.

225

:

So Building those relationships is one

of the most important parts and how

226

:

you get those relationships to happen.

227

:

Well, that's up to you because probably

my number one strategy for finding new

228

:

clients is going and appearing on other

people's podcasts or video channels

229

:

and getting myself out in that out

there in their media, leveraging other

230

:

people's media and marketing so that

I don't have to do all that myself.

231

:

That's my top source.

232

:

Angie: That's awesome.

233

:

I love that.

234

:

And I think that I'm going to use this

word again, but I'm sure that where

235

:

you appear, you are, you're choosing

that you're being intentional, right?

236

:

You're not going on somebody's podcast.

237

:

That's all about swaddling babies.

238

:

And I'm making that up.

239

:

I don't even know if there is one, right?

240

:

But I'm trying to show the, the natural

opposition of making sure that you

241

:

are being strategic because, I think

one of the things you have to think

242

:

about is your branding in your image.

243

:

Right?

244

:

Who do you want to be?

245

:

Who do you want to be associated with?

246

:

And that is where stepping onto somebody

else's space is a great way to do

247

:

that, but you have to be very clear.

248

:

And again, strategic about how

you do that and when you do that.

249

:

And I think it's a fabulous idea.

250

:

I love that you do that.

251

:

This

252

:

John: Yeah, yeah, 100%.

253

:

So I certainly started off just going

on all sorts of podcasts with all sorts

254

:

of people initially and realized that I

wasn't seeing a lot of return on that.

255

:

I was having fun and making

new connections, but also a

256

:

lot of the connections I was

making weren't very relevant.

257

:

to my progression.

258

:

So I did start getting more strategic and

I did start thinking about whose shows is

259

:

it worth me being on and started learning

more about how to pitch myself to those

260

:

shows so that I was a more attractive

prospect for the host and could really

261

:

add value to them and their audience.

262

:

So it meant doing less appearances

but getting more return of my

263

:

time investment in those shows.

264

:

In those connections and appearances

because I'd done my research because I'd

265

:

put in the work And because I was getting

on the right kinds of shows to the right

266

:

kinds of audiences That really put me

in a position where I could leverage the

267

:

other people's audiences or opas as we

like to call it because that's more that

268

:

was more powerful and more bang for my

buck then Paying to do this all myself

269

:

add that if you could add something like

that into your strategy for attracting

270

:

Clients and becoming more known.

271

:

I think it's a at the moment still

a very winning strategy Yeah,

272

:

Angie: like it's one that.

273

:

we don't hear very often.

274

:

It's step out of the box a little bit.

275

:

It's not always the obvious that's going

to gain you the most momentum, right?

276

:

You have to stick your heels in a

little bit to gain that traction, right?

277

:

To grab on.

278

:

And then how you gain momentum is doing

what you said, is to be able to say,

279

:

okay, where am I going to be strategic?

280

:

And spend my time and figure out

what kind of time do I even have,

281

:

I think for a lot of people coming

into the industry and you briefly

282

:

touched upon it, they feel like I'll

change it up when I get to that point.

283

:

And my attitude is, I dress for

success now, not when you get the job.

284

:

That's, how I feel about it is,

set your business up as though you

285

:

were already doing those things.

286

:

I'm not saying that you should be lead

generating one day a week or one hour

287

:

a week, but just make a plan, make a

business plan, set up and say, what

288

:

am I doing and when am I doing it?

289

:

When does it make the most

sense for me to do that?

290

:

Not just willy nilly plug

it in wherever I can fit it.

291

:

That is not a great business strategy.

292

:

John: I told you never to call me that

It's absolutely it's absolutely not a

293

:

great strategy it is Now, I can think

of times where I've been invited on to

294

:

shows that would have been a lot of fun,

but would have really hurt my brand.

295

:

And one was I'll tell you,

I'll share with you one.

296

:

They wanted to talk about a

time that you broke the law.

297

:

And it's okay, well, there's

a few times I could pick from,

298

:

Angie: No way!

299

:

You know what?

300

:

I don't

301

:

John: like, it's true,

302

:

but yes, but I decided not to go on

the show because I thought not that

303

:

I don't want to be, not that I don't

want to be dishonest about like my own

304

:

past experience or anything like that.

305

:

But what would that do for my brand?

306

:

Like if that was a big hit and lots of

people listening into that thinking, are

307

:

they going to want to connect with me?

308

:

If I've been talking about that time,

I got I went through a red light and

309

:

I did get caught and I did pay a fine.

310

:

And I got points on my license.

311

:

It's like that doesn't seem like,

doesn't really seem like the kind of

312

:

thing that is going to actually benefit

my brand probably shouldn't be talking

313

:

about it now either but it's, but

314

:

Angie: We've all gone

through a red light, John.

315

:

Come on now.

316

:

I thought you had

something juicy to share.

317

:

I'm a little let

318

:

down right now.

319

:

I'm just saying.

320

:

John: not.

321

:

Not on this podcast, but, uh, let's

not go there moving swiftly on.

322

:

Yeah it's really just, is it going

to help your band to go on this?

323

:

Or is it just going to be

one of my favorite analogies

324

:

I've used before on the show?

325

:

It's just going to be pissing in the wind.

326

:

It's just going to go everywhere

and not really serve you.

327

:

Because throwing spaghetti on

the wall and hoping something

328

:

sticks is never a good strategy.

329

:

Hope it's not a strategy.

330

:

Let's get that

331

:

Angie: Oh my gosh.

332

:

Right?

333

:

Hope is not the strategy.

334

:

You definitely want to,

take this as it comes.

335

:

What's my niche?

336

:

How do I brand myself?

337

:

Where do I find these people?

338

:

And then, how often am I kind

of fishing for them, right?

339

:

What am I doing?

340

:

What is the structure of my business?

341

:

What do I want that to look like?

342

:

And I think it's a great, basic

way to think about how you're

343

:

gonna find those people, right?

344

:

Beyond the obvious let me do

all the things because you're

345

:

not gonna do anything, right?

346

:

You're gonna say I actually have

clients and students right now that

347

:

come into a session hysterically crying.

348

:

And I'm not exaggerating because

they are so overwhelmed, they put

349

:

so much pressure on themselves

that they're stuck in the mud.

350

:

They're not gaining any traction and

they're certainly not gaining momentum

351

:

because they can't even get a grip.

352

:

So we have to start eliminating some of

the things like writing the book, doing

353

:

the podcast, multiple types of businesses.

354

:

It's overwhelming to even

listen to as a coach.

355

:

It's okay, wait a minute.

356

:

Let's go back to square one.

357

:

Start at square one.

358

:

Not at square 15 or 25.

359

:

John: If you have your message and you

clear with that, and you're in showing up

360

:

in the right places and you're showing up

with with good energy and competence about

361

:

what you're talking about, then you become

an attractive prospect to your clients.

362

:

I think, and, and of course.

363

:

Being the kind of coach who is doing

a good enough job to get referrals

364

:

from other people is going to make you

a very attractive prospect as well.

365

:

Because I think that one of the things

we perhaps haven't got to we can spend

366

:

a whole episode on this is going to

be getting yourself referred by your

367

:

clients and building up your business.

368

:

Cause that can be one of the best

ways to scale up your business.

369

:

Angie: Love that because guess what?

370

:

I think that's probably at this point

more than 50 percent of my business.

371

:

I don't know how that works for you,

but it's a nice place to be where people

372

:

are just referring you and referring

you and you're like, wow, it's working.

373

:

And making sure the messaging is clear.

374

:

Cause you know, Really quick when you're

out there trying to do all the things.

375

:

What's the message is the message even?

376

:

Consistent across the channels.

377

:

So we'll have to talk about that.

378

:

But Yeah, referrals beautiful thing.

379

:

My favorite thing ever.

380

:

John: Me too.

381

:

Love me referrals.

382

:

Why don't you refer someone to our show?

383

:

We'll be back very soon with

another episode of the coaching

384

:

clinic Talking about how to

get the right kinds of clients.

385

:

So we'll see you for that

386

:

Angie: Ta ta for now

Listen for free

Show artwork for The Coaching Clinic

About the Podcast

The Coaching Clinic
The HEart of Coaching from learning to client sessions, starting to scaling, we've got you covered.
She's direct and he's diplomatic but Angie and John are both successful coaches with years of coaching experience and very different delivery styles.
Each episode will tackle a different coaching problem from both styles of coaching, with occasional guest coaches and audience interaction. We're going to have some fun digging into your biggest coaching challenges and helping you become an even better coach.

About your hosts

John Ball

Profile picture for John Ball
From former flight attendant to international coach and trainer, on to podcaster and persuasion expert, it's been quite the journey for John.
John has been a lead coach and trainer with the Harv Eker organisation for over 10 years and is currently focused on helping his clients develop their personal presentation skills for media and speaking stages through his coaching business brand Present Influence.
He's the author of the upcoming book Podfluence: How To Build Professional Authority With Podcasts, and host of the Podfluence podcast with over 150 episodes and over 15,000 downloads John is now focused on helping business coaches and speakers to build a following and grow your lead flow and charisma.
You can now also listen to John on The Coaching Clinic podcast with his good friend and colleague Angie Besignano where they are helping coaches create sustainable and successful businesses, and the Try To Stand Up podcast where John is on a personal and professional mission to become funnier on the stage and in his communication.

Angie Besignano

Profile picture for Angie Besignano
With early beginnings as an entry-level manager in the sales industry, Angie has spent more than 3 decades building her knowledge and expertise to create her master coaching and speaking brand, AngieSpeaks. After climbing the professional ladder, she started her own company and decided to focus her practice on High Performance Coaching. In doing so, she challenges individuals to elevate and grow, no matter what level they are at currently in their personal or professional lives.
Angie has created a strong following through her “tough” but “pragmatic” approach and challenges her clients to find the space that is holding them back the most. In doing so, their outcomes not only compound, but take root, so that results can be permanent. The tools she provides work in the “real” world and show up in their first interaction.
Angie has an unwavering passion toward the journey that fosters a true transformation for those that work with her. She delivers her content and speaking engagements with an authentic enthusiasm and curiosity that creates trust and rapport, allowing for a heightened experience.