Guide to engaging your coaching clients

Clients: The lifeblood of a coaching business

When it comes to life coaching, gaining clients is perhaps the most important aspect, and your ability to attract them can either make or break the success of your business. It is absolutely critical that you’re able to build a loyal clientele, as without clients, where is your business? We acknowledge this can be a struggle, and that it isn’t as easy as it sounds, and that’s why we’re here to help! There are a variety of ways you can attract clients, including social media engagement, using life coach software, creating an online presence through local platforms, as well as many other marketing strategies. The good thing is, there’s no one right way to do it, and your success will be only determined by the hard work and research that you put in. 

Building your coaching business successfully

To attract a large clientele and build your business successfully and sustainably, you need to consider social media strategies first and foremost. With the right online business plan, you can connect with others and facilitate professional relationships from a variety of different places and backgrounds. With an online presence, you can access an endless number of opportunities to increase your brand awareness and image, as well as partner with others to create a network. The sky’s the limit!

Life coaching templates and examples

Every life coach will do things a little differently, but to help you along the process, we’ve curated some of the most effective tips for effective coaching notes below. All life coaches must have a plan in place to be successful, and so implementing some of the following will be able to provide you with the foundation to get started. 

1. Build rapport - It’s always good to discuss their week, how previous sessions have been, and to express gratitude for their attendance. There’s no rush to get straight into it, and it’s better if everyone feels relaxed!
2. Focus on accountability - This is where you can both go into more detail about what worked and what didn’t following the previous session. If this is the client’s first time, then discuss what works practically for them! 
3. Discuss today’s issue - Naturally, you should spend the most time discussing what’s concerning the client in order to move forward. 
4. Reframe  - It sometimes helps to reframe their concerns in a different perspective, and this is where you come in. Support the client by using your life expertise to help their situation and view it from an alternate mindset. 
5. Strategize - Based on all the information shared, it’s good to collaborate and work on some strategies that can help empower the patient and progress. 
6. Action Plan - By the end of the session, your client should have a solidified action plan that outlines what they are to work on before their next meeting with you. 

Potential challenges of engaging your clients

Naturally, there are some challenges in working to engage your clients, and it’s important that you’re aware of them so you know exactly what to avoid. 

1. Condescending tone - As the life coach, sometimes clients may feel intimidated by your level of skill and expertise, and when explaining their problems, it may feel like you have preconceived judgements that talk down to people. No one wants to feel like one person is dominating the conversation!
2. Out-of-range - You may find that without the right research, you may be putting yourself out of range when it comes to attracting clients. Your fees may be too high for others to consider your services, and so it’s important you set appropriate pricing. 
3. Competition - Many large consulting companies have expensive resources and large existing clientele, which can make it difficult for you to enter the industry. However, this isn’t an impossible task, and with the right differentiation points, you can attract clients with your unique value. 

Ways to mitigate these challenges

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways around these challenges. Incorporating these tips can ensure that you’re effectively planning your coaching sessions, and that you can increase the number of clients that walk through your doors. First impressions are everything when it comes to business, and so you must consider the following factors:

1. Just listen - One of the best things you can do as a life coach to support your clients, is to just listen to their concerns. It’s best to keep your opinions to yourself, and aim to retrieve as much information as possible concerning the client’s situation, and how you can help. 
2. Don’t sell yourself - The clients have already scheduled a session with you, meaning they must have some faith in your qualifications! Don’t be concerned with talking about your experiences and qualifications unless relevant, and instead focus on the client at hand. 
3. Provide assurance - If you’re speaking to a client and discover something you want to immediately correct, refrain from doing so. You should only gently steer the client in a different direction once having engaged with them after a period of time, and it’s best to assure them of the future potential of working together to develop strategies that combat their issues and concerns. 

Effective tips to engage your coaching clients

To connect and develop professional relationships with your coaching clients, consider the following tips! We’ve collected some of the leading ways to effectively engage, attract, and retain clients in order to ensure success within your coaching practice. We want to help you succeed, as well as create high-quality life coach packages that provide value for your clients, and incorporating these techniques will greatly elevate your business and improve growth. 

1. Create a strategy - Every successful business hasn’t been successful due to luck. They’ve been able to hit the ground running due to carefully planned business strategies that maximize their value, serve their targeted audience, and differentiate themselves from competitors. You need to have clarity and direction when it comes to expanding and developing your business, and so by following a specific strategy, you can ensure that you deliver on your promises. 
2. Identify your target - You must research the type of clients you want to serve, as all your business operations need to be able to accommodate their needs. You will see more profit if you have a specific group in mind, and depending on the target group you select, you can also work with fellow locals! 
3. Write content - One of the most effective ways of attracting clients is demonstrating your expertise through effective content management systems, which could involve podcasts, social media posts, or blogs. They’re a great way to touch on common client issues, which can also help with your life coaching development skills!
4. Post regularly - Whichever social media platform you use, it’s important that you post regularly to keep your clients in the loop of what’s going on. You can advertise any changes or any new deals, as well as potential reward programs. It’s the best way to engage with your clients outside of the office, and create value through regular interaction. 
5. Use an email list - Email lists are an incredibly valuable way for you to connect with clients regularly, and are also a great way for you to increase loyalty within your practice. If customers need to attend a life coaching session, using regular emails will mean they’re likely to think of you first when the opportunity arises!
6. Build a network - Fellow life coaches are your friends, not your enemies! Take advantage of their expertise and learn from their experience, as building a professional network can provide you with excellent insight to integrate within your own practice. You can increase your likelihood of success with ongoing support, and you may also find you attract more clients through referrals. 

Take home message

Engaging life coach clients can be a challenge, but don’t let it hinder your chances of success! Hopefully, this article has helped consolidate your understanding of ways to attract clients, and in knowing the common challenges and ways to mitigate them, we hope you feel more confident in planning your business operations. When it comes to life coaching, your clients are everything, and you need to ensure that you know how to connect, and how to develop professional relationships in a way that promotes loyalty. Fortunately, there’s no one right way to do it, and you need to do what’s best for you and your business needs. Engaging clients is a learning curve, but a rewarding one once you get the hang of it, you have plenty of inevitable growth to look forward to! 

So get Carepatron for free today to say hello to the ultimate coaching management solution. 👋

Further reading:

• How To Get Coaching Clients