The number one question I hear from coaches is simple: how do I get paying clients?  Sometimes the question is asked of me after a coaching class in a hushed whisper as if the coach is a bit embarrassed to admit she doesn’t know the answer.  Other times the question comes as almost a bold statement of protest from a coach who needs to declare that this is a real challenge.

Maybe you’ve asked this question.  If not, you probably don’t have paying clients, because unless you ask and address this question, you likely will not make the jump from coaching pro bono to coaching quid pro quo.

There’s no shame in asking how to get paying clients.  What is a real shame is that there are some dirty little secrets about this issue – issues that get addressed far too rarely and way too late in the development of most coaches.  To be specific, I believe there are 3 primary principles that are not addressed directly enough in the coach training world. 

1. The core competencies are not enough. I love the International Coach Federation and truly appreciate the eleven core competencies, which provide an adequate description of what effective coaching looks like.  But what the core competencies do not address is how to get a client for whom you can provide competent coaching.  I know far too many coaches who are masterful when it comes to the core competencies but have nobody to coach.  The reason is that there is a set of competencies needed to be a successful coach that are beyond the ICF’s list.  You might think of these are business development competencies.  While there’s no official list of business development competencies, my experience leads me to identify a few essential ones: identifying a clear coaching niche; interfacing with your niche population in ways that help them to know, like and trust you; articulating tangible benefits of coaching; providing a clear invitation into the coaching relationship; staying motivated; asking for business.  To get in tune with these business development competencies, just imagine all the steps that must occur before a perfect stranger can hire you as a coach.
2. Nobody buys coaching. Don’t stop reading now and decide to get into a different line of work.  While this principle may be state bluntly, don’t miss the nuance.  Nobody buys coaching because what people really buy is a solution to a problem they face.  Coaching just happens to be the way they can experience the results they want.  To see this distinction more clearly, think about a different profession: nobody buys the experience of seeing their dentist, they buy a healthy set of teeth, the relief or avoidance of pain, and/or a beautiful smile.  In coach training we often herald the wondrous profession and practice of coaching, but this can lead coaches astray by prompting them to think that people value coaching.  If you think people value coaching, you’ll miss the obvious fact that they truly value what coaching can provide them such as reaching a goal, solving a problem, growing as a person, etc.  The more you describe the value coaching provides, the better you’ll attract paying clients.  Oh, and having a well-defined niche is essential for describing results.
3. You are not selling yourself. I hear way too many coaches describe how uncomfortable they are “selling myself.”  There are many problems with this notion, but let me point out two big ones.  First, this notion makes things too personal.  If a potential client decides not to hire you, you’re likely to experience their decision as a personal rejection of you rather than an objective decision to not pursue coaching.   Fear of personal rejection prevents many coaches from doing what it takes to attract and contract with clients.  Other coaches hold back because they think it rude to try and get people to give them money.  But here’s a news flash: no client is going to give you money; they are going to hire you to provide a valuable service.  Second, this notion puts the coach too far in the center of things.  The coaching relationship is not about you; it’s about a client reaching goals and moving forward.  When you think of the sales process as “selling yourself,” you set yourself up as the hero of the story and make the sales process far too much about you and far too little about the client.  Great coaches help potential clients clarify their needs and determine if coaching is right for them before determining if the coach is the right coach to fit the need.  In other words, great coaches believe the client is the hero of the story and they try to get the potential client talking about the client rather than trying to get the client to listen to the coach talk about the coach.

I think the coaching world would serve coaches (and clients) better by more fully integrating these principles into the training process.  Would-be coaches need to know these principles early in their training and they need to have their eyes wide open to what it really takes to be a great coach.  Speaking of what it really takes – be sure to check out our new eBook “The 9 Things It Really Takes To Be a Great Coach.”  It’s available for free – just click the button in the sidebar of this page.