“I know I could enroll coaching clients if people would just give me a CHANCE.”
(That was me, decades ago.)
But for years, I didn’t get many chances…
…so I didn’t get many clients.
This is the story of struggle I hear from too many coaches.
“I don’t know how to attract clients.”
“I put myself out there… talking to everyone (but with no response).”
It’s so frustrating, especially when you KNOW you can help clients and they really NEED your coaching.
Is there ONE SECRET to enrolling clients in coaching?
YES.
Your Potential Client system.
Your Potential Client system triggers potential clients to start talking to you about coaching.
Your Potential Client system triggers potential clients to start talking to you about coaching.“
And THAT is your CHANCE.
…your chance to help them.
…your chance to enroll them in coaching.
…your chance to make this coaching business work.
Years ago, I built my own Potential Client system, and finally got MY first chance.
I spoke to sales teams, teaching them how to sell more.
They all wanted to talk to me about coaching…
…which attracted hundreds of clients for me over the years. (I cover that system in more detail HERE.)
I went from ZERO clients… to HUNDREDS of clients.
All because I built a Potential Client system.
A few years building my own system, I mentored Kelly (a new relationship coach), who also ‘needed a chance’.
Kelly was coaching exactly zero paying clients at the time, so she came to me for help.
I explained to her “Your Potential Client system is like a lottery.”
“You can’t win the lottery… if you don’t get a ticket.”
“No ticket = No win.”
“1 ticket gives you a chance to win, but it’s a VERY small chance.”
“The MORE lottery tickets you acquire, the more chances you have to win the lottery.”
“1,000 tickets gives you a much BETTER chance to win.”
“In fact, if you get enough lottery tickets, you’re almost GUARANTEED to win!”
“Every potential client you generate is like a lottery ticket…
…it’s a chance to win (in this case, a client).”
“Not every potential client will pan out…
…but if you get enough ‘chances’…
…eventually, you’ll get some wins.”
“But, if you have no chances (no matter how good you are)…
…you’ll get NO CLIENTS.”
“But, if you have no chances (no matter how good you are)…you’ll get NO CLIENTS.”
“Even BAD coaches who have a lot of CHANCES…
…usually get lots of clients.”
Kelly asked me…
“How do I build this ‘Potential Client’ system?”
I answered, “Create valuable content (a webinar, book, video, or podcast) that helps your potential client solve their problems.”
“Your system offers this content to potential clients.”
“Some of them will say… ‘I want to learn more about that’”.
“They give you their contact information.”
“When they read, watch, or listen to your content…
…they’re encouraged to talk to you about coaching.”
“The center of your Potential Client system is the TOOL or KNOWLEDGE that helps your client…
…and HOW you give it away (called a ‘delivery vehicle’).”
Kelly argued, “But as a coach, I’m not supposed to tell my clients the answers.”
I said, “You’re right… Coaching isn’t about giving your clients answers…
…but you’re not coaching them yet!”
“Your Potential Client system does its magic BEFORE any coaching takes place…
…and that system IS about giving them answers.”
“Your Potential Client system does its magic BEFORE any coaching takes place…and that system IS about giving them answers.”
Kelly said, “OK, but what ‘answer’ do I offer in my system?”
I asked her…
“What is the most valuable ‘answer’ your clients need?”
Kelly said, “Date nights.”
“My clients are always skipping date night because they run out of ideas for what to do on their date.”
I said, “Do you have answers to help them with that?”
Kelly said, “Absolutely! If I share my tips with them, they’ll never run out of great ideas for date night.”
Kelly created a special guide called “32 Ideas for Date Night to Keep The Fire Alive”, giving it away for free to her audience in exchange for their contact information.
Potential clients contacted her to request the course.
Those connections led to discovery sessions with some of them…
…which led to enrollments.
Kelly’s FIRST Potential Client system gave her lots of chances…
…which turned into lots of clients.
And that’s what you want…
A Potential Client system that gives you lots of chances.
There’s no guarantee that every potential client will hire you.
Each ‘chance’ is a gamble.
But, just like the lottery…
NO CHANCES = NO WINS
LOTS OF CHANCES = LOTS OF WINS
The only guarantee?
You’re guaranteed to lose the lottery…
…if you have NO tickets.
And you’re guaranteed not to enroll coaching clients if you don’t engage potential clients.
Without a Potential Client system, the coaching business is a constant battle to get coaching clients.
Why? Because…
Without a system… you have NO CONTROL.
Your Potential Client system gives you control over your coaching business in these 5 ways:
- You get better and better at enrolling clients due to all the practice you’ll get from a steady stream of discovery sessions.
- You’ll never seem needy, desperate, or pushy… because the consistent incoming clients support an abundant mindset.
- You’ll choose which clients you want to work with (you’re never forced to take a client simply because you ‘need one’). You can work exclusively with clients that listen to you and appreciate having you in their life. You never have to coach anybody that’s not coachable or that you don’t like to coach.
- The abundance of potential clients gives you the power to charge what you’re worth.
- The stability of a system makes planning your coaching enrollments very predictable. You’ll know how many new clients to expect and when to expect them. In fact, a good system allows you to increase or decrease your flow of new clients based on your coaching capacity and fees.
Some coaches tell me “I don’t need a system. I’m just going to put myself out there.”
I’m not sure where ‘out there’ is.
But without a Potential Client system…
…’out there’ might as well be outer space.
Coaches ‘just putting themselves out there’ get clients inconsistently (at best).
Deep down, coaches without any plan, system, or strategy…
…are usually afraid of failure.
Deep down, coaches without any plan, system, or strategy…are usually afraid of failure.”
If they never really try…
If they’re never truly serious about their business…
If they only give token effort…
…maybe they’ll still ‘get lucky’.
…their inner self will ‘shine through’.
…and the enrollments will work out.
And, if it doesn’t work out?
I hear these coaches say things like:
- “It just wasn’t meant to be.”
- “The universe has a different plan for me!”
- “Someday I’ll have time to do the work. I’m not ready yet.”
ALWAYS an excuse.
BOTTOM LINE? If you never really try…
…you don’t have to think “I wasn’t good enough” (since you never gave your full effort in the first place).
But even if you GAVE IT YOUR ALL…
Even if you DID fail…
A prosperous coaching business IS STILL POSSIBLE for you.
Other coaches are doing it, and so can YOU.
A broken or non-existent Potential Client system doesn’t mean that ANYTHING is wrong with you.
It only means you haven’t put in the work.
OR
It means you need help.
Coaches with a successful Potential Client system started from ZERO.
Coaches with a successful Potential Client system started from ZERO.”
At one point, they didn’t have a Potential Client system AT ALL.
The only possible difference between them and you?
They put in the work, and got the help they needed.
There are more clients ‘out there’ than you can possibly help.
If you were to adopt that abundance mentality, you’d put in the work, too.
You’d get the help you need.
You’d create and improve your system to attract potential clients…
…and eventually attract as many as you want.
Attracting potential clients is not magic.
Attracting potential clients is not magic.”
It’s a skill YOU can learn.
Once you learn it, you won’t just get an occasional client from it…
…you’ll have the ability to get clients anytime you want…
…for the rest of your coaching career.
You’ll have become a prosperous coach.
And your days of feeling like you NEED any one client will be OVER.
Kristoffer “Client Finder” Thompson
