What 115 Coaches Taught Me About Getting Clients Ep 447

Recently, I was invited to speak at a marketing event for coaches. As I prepared my talk, I realized it was something my podcast listeners needed to hear too. In this episode, I share that talk in full: What 115 Coaches Taught Me About Getting Clients.

It starts with a question I could not stop thinking about: why are so many good, trained, capable coaches still struggling to sign enough clients? To find out, I surveyed 115 coaches across 10 countries. The results were sobering: 69% had fewer than five paying clients, 85% had ten or fewer, and nearly 90% said they wanted more clients and more income, regardless of how experienced or credentialed they were.

Then something unexpected happened. While I was studying why coaches struggle to get clients, the survey itself started bringing me clients. One project added more than 350 people to my email community and led to 57 booked calls in just 46 days, with no funnel and no ad spend.

I share what that taught her, the story of Kirsten (a dog behaviour coach who booked 13 real conversations in four weeks from a simple survey), and the one question I believe can change how any coach builds their business: not "how do I get people to pay attention to me," but "what could I get curious about instead?"

Free resource mentioned: the 2026 Coaching Business Growth Report, at candymotzek.lpages.co/business-growth-survey/

Key Takeaways

• 69% of the 115 coaches surveyed had fewer than five paying clients, and 85% had ten or fewer, regardless of training or experience.

• Nearly 90% of respondents said they wanted more clients and more income.

• The survey itself created real business results: over 350 new email subscribers and 57 booked calls in 46 days, without a funnel or ad spend.

• Kirsten, a dog behaviour coach, sent 250 invitations, received 76 responses, and booked 13 real conversations in four weeks.

• The reframe: instead of asking how to get people to pay attention, get genuinely curious, ask good questions, and let conversations create the opportunities.