How to Get Coaching Clients Series #2 - Mindset Hacks To Make You A Client Attraction Magnet

This is the second blog post in my series that shows you How to Get More Clients. Lead generation and finding people, so you can begin helping your ideal client, is the key to success for your small business. If you missed the first one you can go back and read it here  

In this instalment, I am going to cover how to approach getting high-quality clients so you are the most effective and successful.  There are many wonderful strategies and approaches you can take to finding clients for your coaching business.  But first, you need to get your mindset in order.

Your mindset and how you feel about getting clients is one of the most important aspects that lead to your success.

The third and fourth instalments in this series will talk about some short and long-term strategies to get more clients and retain them.

There are 6 mindset hacks we’re going to talk about today.

1. Take Consistent Daily Action
2. Start before you feel ready
3. Be selective and listen to your gut
4. Be courageous and ask for the business
5. Play the long game
6. The word “no” does not mean stop

 Let’s look at each of these in more detail

1. Take Consistent Daily Action 

Every day, do something even something small to move you toward your goal and make sure to track your progress.

I love this story about Jerry Seinfeld and how he started in comedy. I’m quoting Brad Isaac who interviewed Jerry. Jerry’s comments are a powerful reminder to each of us about commitment, practice and the amazing results we can achieve when we take small consistent steps. 

He said the way to be a better comic was to create better jokes and the way to create better jokes was to write every day. But his advice was better than that. He had a gem of a leverage technique he used on himself and you can use it to motivate yourself—even when you don't feel like it.

He revealed a unique calendar system he uses to pressure himself to write. Here's how it works.

He told me to get a big wall calendar that has a whole year on one page and hang it on a prominent wall. The next step was to get a big red magic marker.

He said for each day that I do my task of writing, I get to put a big red X over that day. "After a few days, you'll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You'll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job next is to not break the chain."

"Don't break the chain," he said again for emphasis.

Whether you are just starting on your journey as a business owner to getting your first paying client or you are passionate about growing the size of your business and you’re ready to up level, small consistent steps are arguably the most important to the growth and success of your business.

2. Start before you feel ready

Here’s something I know about you. You are passionate about growing your coaching business and it really matters to you. You’ve invested your heart, soul and a fair ton of time and money up to this point.

How do I know? Well, you wouldn’t be reading this if it wasn’t important to you.

And because it’s so important to you, it’s easy to continue polishing and perfecting. But practicing and getting ready doesn’t get you clients. Talking to people is what matters, and truthfully, people don’t know that you’re not as skilled as you will be in the future. They will hear your excitement and the level of commitment and passion you bring is more important than getting it perfect.

Promise me, you’ll start before you’re ready, and in fact, I’d love it if you would begin today even if it’s just a small step.

3. Be selective and listen to your gut

I know you’re eager to get paying clients, maybe you need them for your coaching certification. Maybe you are so excited because you are going to grow this awesome side hustle. Whatever the reason, it’s important that you listen to your gut and trust your intuition. I know it may seem counter-intuitive, me writing a blog about how to get more clients and at the same time telling you to turn some away.

But here’s the truth, if your gut is telling you “not this one” I hope you realize they will probably be waaaay more trouble and you will not enjoy coaching them. With 7 Billion people walking this world there are more than enough people to fill your practice. 

Listen to your gut, and be generous, if you don’t think you’re a good match for them refer them to one of your coaching peers.

4. Be courageous and ask for the business

You can do all the right strategies, you can be completely ready to coach but if you never ask for the business you will stay stuck.

I know it seems obvious, but you’d be surprised the number of new coaches who do a great breakthrough session with a potential client and then freeze at the moment when it’s time to say, “I’d really enjoy working with you, would you like to sign up today?”  

So, make sure you don’t chicken out at the last minute.

The service you provide is valuable, and it will really help people overcome their issues and live a better life. If you don’t coach them, they may stay stuck forever.

You owe it to them to give them this opportunity. If you don’t ask for the business, you are doing both yourself and the client a huge disservice.

5. Play the long game. 

I know you are in love with coaching and you're very excited about growing your business.

This is a good time to get perspective on what you are working towards. Know it’s a long game. You’re not going to be a coach for only 6 months, focus on your long-term goals and results.

I recommend you keep in mind that you’re building a professional coaching practice so that it will be sustainable, have plenty of awesome high paying clients who will pay you for years to come.

6. The word “no” does not mean stop.

We’re conditioned to hear the word “no” and assume it means rejection.  I know sometimes when you hear “no,” you think it a red-light and it means stop don’t go any further.

I would encourage you to reframe this assumption.  Many times you may ask someone if they would like to begin coaching and they might say “no”.  Since we never really know exactly what’s happening in someone’s mind let’s unravel this a bit and look at some possible other meanings.

No could mean any of these things or something else entirely.

When you hear the word “no” don’t let your inner critic run wild in your imagination and cause you to doubt your ability to be a successful coach.

Know that if it’s possible for others to grow a satisfying profitable coaching business then you can do it too.

If you’ve had a good conversation and you would really welcome them as a client, continue to build the relationship. Send them the occasional note, keep in touch through DMs / social media, or an article you found that they might like. Ask them if you can add them to your email list and send regular monthly correspondence to keep adding value. 

You never know when they may be in a better spot to begin coaching, and they will appreciate you’re more interested in them and helping them as opposed to just “getting the sale”.

So that's it for this second instalment in the series, I’m curious which of these mindset approaches you found the most helpful. Send me a note to share any of your “ahas”. 

Read the rest of this series on How To Get More Clients here:

#1-  7 Steps To Get Ready To Welcome New Clients

#2 -  Mindset Hacks To Make You A Client Attraction Magnet

#3 - 7 Proven Strategies To Get Paying Clients In The Next 30 Days

#4 - 7 Proven Ways To Up-Level Your Business For Long-Term Growth

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