The Zen of Getting Your First Coaching Client
When you graduate from coaching school, the next big goal is getting your first paying coaching client. And it can seem a daunting prospect. In fact, many budding coaches give up before they have earned a single cent from coaching.
The problem is most coaches don’t really know where to start. There is no shortage of information on how to market yourself as a coach, but therein lies the problem – there are SO many possible ways to market yourself as a coach that it’s difficult to know which will actually work! And the temptation is to try out lots of different marketing tactics, barely scratching the surface of each one, then feeling frustrated and eventually giving up because none of your efforts is resulting in paying coaching clients.
I have seen many of my own mentor coachees waste precious time and money on having websites designed, creating logos and getting business cards printed, only to find that they have a very snazzy looking website and business card, but still no clients.
In the UK, we have a phrase that fits this situation: “All the gear and no idea!”
It’s usually applied to people who start a new sport, spend loads of money on a top-notch kit, but who haven’t actually learnt the basics of the sport. I’m sure you get the analogy!
So let’s set aside the temptation to splurge on gorgeous branding, a sexy new website or glossy stationery. Let’s keep the credit card in its wallet before it gets lured into “investing” in that course on “How to become a Millionaire Coach in 10 Seconds Flat Without Any Experience of Coaching Guaranteed.”
Instead, let’s get down to basics. Let’s look at the simplest, most Zen-like way of getting your first coaching client.
The Zen of getting your first coaching client is based one these three principles:
1. Coaching is all about having conversations
2. Conversations happen between two people
3. People grow from connection
The Oxford English Dictionary defines a conversation thus:
“A talk, especially an informal one, between two or more people, in which news and ideas are exchanged.”
Clearly, in a coaching conversation, the definition is more likely to be something like this:
“A meaningful talk with an objective, whereby the coach holds the agenda for the coachee, listens well and asks powerful questions to help the coachee create their desired outcome.”
You may have a different description for a coaching conversation, but for me, in essence, this is what a coaching conversation is all about.
The second point is that a conversation happens between two (or more) PEOPLE. And the last point comes from CoachU, as one of their 9 Guiding Principles: “People Grow From Connection: Connection is the wellspring of creativity.”
There are three key words that you need to focus on in order to get your first coaching client in a Zen-like way:
1. Conversations
2. People
3. Connection
As a Coach, your job is all about connecting with people and having conversations – meaningful conversations.
So it stands to reason that, if you want to coach clients, the thing to do is to connect with people and have conversations.
This is what one of my own mentors, Rich Litvin, co-author of “The Prosperous Coach,” says about conversations for creating clients:
“Use conversations, schedule conversations, have your day be about the next conversation you are going to have because if you will do that, you will get clients. All coaching agreements occur inside of a conversation. Please see that. Because, if you can see that all coaching agreements occur inside of a conversation, you will have your PRIMARY PURPOSE today to be inside of a conversation instead of pacing around, checking your e-mail 50 times a day, handling family calls, writing a blog, wondering if you should write a book—all these things we do that don’t get us clients. All these things that eat up our whole day when we could have been in a conversation.”
So there you have it – The Zen of getting your first coaching client: Connect with people and have conversations.
But let’s make it even more Zen-like: Connect with ONE PERSON AT A TIME and have ONE CONVERSATION AT A TIME.
Of course, that’s obvious, isn’t it?
You can’t have more than one conversation at a time. Yet it’s worth emphasizing the singular. If you want to be really Zen-like at building your practice, you need to constantly remind yourself that it’s one at a time. This will take the pressure off you and allow you to give the quality of your attention to just one person at a time.
And once you’ve done that, then you can start to acquire “all the gear!”
I would like more information!
Hi Zen-coach
I so much agree in focusing just at one connection or projekt at the time. It is amazing how good I feel.
Thank you for always interesting writing.
One step leads to many steps.
Hi from Denmark
This is the most helpful article I’ve read on how to get my first business client. Thank you.
This is the most helpful article I’ve read on how to get my business off the ground and get my first clients. Thank you #Connection #Conversation #People
I would like more information about developing a coaching practice. Thanks!
Thank you for the informative article. I tried to download your free e-book after entering my e-mail but it didn’t seem to work. Can you please advise? Thank you in advance. All my best, Kim
I Would like to receiver your workbook.
Congratulations anda thank you very much.
Hi! I also tried to download the workbook but was unable to. How can I get the book? Many thanks, Susan
Do you have suggestions about conversing without being to “coachy”? At network events, I want to meet business contacts, but I don’t want to be sold, coached, etc. However, I need to know what other people do and if I can trust them to do it well… ideas?
Great article. Thank you!
Good stuff, Amanda. Holding conversations. Hmm. That too human. But it’s simple, to the point. Hold more conversations and increase your client pool. Okay, You got my attention. I will do it.
Awesome step by step Guide !
Very helpful and easy to understand
Plse send me your free workbook. Thx from Canada.
You can get the workbook here: https://amandaalexander.leadpages.net/create-clients-15-mins/
[…] successful in business coaching is all about finding the right clients. If you cast your net too wide, you’ll waste a lot of time on clients that don’t align with […]
[…] successful in business coaching is all about finding the right clients. If you cast your net too wide, you’ll waste a lot of time on clients that don’t align with […]
[…] successful in business coaching is all about finding the right clients. If you cast your net too wide, you’ll waste a lot of time on clients that don’t align with […]
A perfect short and crisp introduction of the three principals.
I am wondering where to connect with matching individuals, what places are the best to get clients or talk and introduce me and my coaching.
Thanks in advance
Thank you very much for your salient and clear points. It is so simole that it is often overlooked by many.
Simple and efficient suggestions.
Thank you, Amanda! And thank you for the free-ebook!
My fabulous coach, Scott Fazekas, sent me this blog because while we were having a coaching session just today he asked me the brilliant question of “What did you do to be successful in your last endeavor that you are not doing now?” The answer I gave him was “I connected with people face to face and I am not doing that.” It hit home for me. Bingo! Then he sent this blog. The universe strikes again…
Thank you for the reminder and for putting this out there!
Beautifully expressed. There is waayyyyy too much information out there these days that its no wonder most budding coaches get overwhelmed. Thanks for sharing such timeless wisdom and clear cut principles for acquiring clients which every new coach should read. Bravo!
Best
Greg
Greg – you’re so kind. Many thanks for such lovely feedback!
I would love more information on growing my business/client list
Hi Shaun
You’ll find good articles here on the ICF blog and on Evercoach. You are welcome to download my workbook if you’d like: https://amandaalexander.leadpages.net/create-clients-15-mins/
Interested in book.
Hi Deana – here is the link to the workbook https://amandaalexander.leadpages.net/create-clients-15-mins/
Hi Amanda simple suggestions we all over look thank you. Followed link for work book and not working could you advise please
Thanks Leanne
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yeah…all that’s great…but where’s the info about how to find the people to have the conversations with? the people that will pay you to coach them? that’s what I’m interested in…
Thank you, very useful article.