Are you wanting to become a life coach, but are simply at lost on how to get your first clients? Life coaching can be a fulfilling career, and it all starts with the first few clients. So how do life coaches get their businesses started?
How do life coaches get their first clients? Starting with people in your own network is the best way to gain traction and referrals. Some examples of famous life coaches and their first clients are in the following methods:
- Brochures, flyers, and advertising
- Finding an uncommon niche
- Friends with Business Challenges
- Networking events
- Social Media
- Roommates
- Local Meetups
After starting with your friends and family, where can you go next? How do you grow your business and expand your circle of clients? When do you start making money? Although all of these answers will vary depending on the individual, the following is a guide to help find your method and gain traction. And, don’t forget the “why” as you embark on your journey. To become a certified life coach (or maybe just sharpen your skills) it’s going to take discipline and maybe even a few gut-check moments for you. Remembering why you began will help you keep your eye on the prize.
How Do Life Coaches Get Their First Clients?
Life coaching can be an uphill challenge, but a fulfilling career as you see your clients grow and become stronger under your guidance.
For such a challenge, getting your first client is a great boost to your morale. As you may know that there are so many people out there that would really benefit from your encouragement and wisdom, but how do you get your first client?
The primary and most common method is reaching out to friends, colleagues, and family around you. Advertise within the circle of friends and professional networks about your career in life-coaching. Generally, a friend will reach out or have references. Mainly, you need to go out and reach out to clients.
7 Great Example of How Life Coaches Get Their First Clients
Here are some real-life experiences of famous life coaches: what they did to gain their first clients and how they still gain more clients by the day.
1. Michael Neill – Brochures and Advertising
Michael Neill got his first clients through a brochure in a bookstore in London. After that, he was referred by people from the initial training, and friends that came along to the training.
Now, Michael uses books, radio shows, and videos to reach out to new clients.
2. Lewis Howes – Finding an Uncommon Niche
Lewis Howes started his career by offering strategies on a specific niche topic. At the time, LinkedIn wasn’t well known by other life coaches, and when word spread, many signed up for his webinar.
3. Ajit Nawalkha – Friends with Business Challenges
Ajit, like many other successful life-coaches, started his career by speaking to a friend that was struggling with business challenges. Moving forward, he used events and socializing at events to find his other clients
4. Pamela Slim – Networking
Pamela is also a great example of an entrepreneur that used networking and socializing to gain clients. She got her first three clients by attending networking events, sharing conversations that led to a follow-up call. During these calls, she offered coaching options and packages.
5. Kendrick Shope – Social Media and Free Classes
Kendrick used a confident strategy of reaching out to someone in need on Facebook by offering help for free. She later reached out to offer a free class for them to sign up for more.
6. Paul McManus – Social Media
Paul is also another life coach that used social media. For him, he used the commonly known professional platform, LinkedIn to reach out to clients. He comments on how great the new LinkedIn tools help you attract clients to your profile to further network and conversate about sales and their problems.
7. Christina Berkley – Roommate
Christina was another one that reached out to a friend’s circle around her. Her roommate helped her practice as a first client with a 25 per session fee. With that, she reached out to her other clients that she found at her meetups.
How Do I Promote My Life Coaching Business?
Your magic number is 3.
As mentioned by many life coaches, three is the magic number, the tipping point of your business. When you get three full-time clients to sign up with you, then you really get traction, and you can really coach full-time.
Additionally, when you reach your third and beyond, your confidence and morale will shine out to others.
Promotional Tools to Keep Your Life Coaching Business Growing
From the famous life coaches, here are some methods they used to gain more clients as they gained their first few clients.
- Referrals
- Books
- Radio shows
- Videos
- Events
- Networking events
- Comments and advice on social media
- Reaching out to networks virtually (emails and messages)
- Website and blogging
- Running Meetups
- Maintaining attraction through social media
Refer-a-Friend
As many life coaches do, to further promote your life coaching business, offer webinars and classes through friends and social media platforms. When clients show up to the first training, ask them to bring a friend to the next class.
Maximize Exposure at Events
Some entrepreneurs host their own events, but it is also possible to gain leverage through other people’s events. Through networks and sharing your success stories with coaching and personal experiences, clients will sign up to learn more.
Give a Little, Get a Little
Personally, I think a fulfilling relationship should be both ways. If a client can feel fulfilled with the service and their personal growth, they will know this is a key ingredient to keep you as their life coach.
Offering free classes or sessions was a famous one by many of the life coaches mentioned above. As John P Morgan had stated, “I coached my….ass off for free.” This a great statement – and the way you need to give to get in business. Getting your name out there and growing clientele is letting people experience what you have in store.
Show Your Social Side
Lastly, social media can be a great tool to attract new clients. Whether it’s blogging, Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn, use that tool! LinkedIn and Udemy offer great courses for freelancers and starting entrepreneurs to learn about the various tools one can use to attract clients to your page and show them what you offer.
How Many Clients Do Life Coaches Have?
As mentioned above, getting your first three clients will be your tipping point. But on average, how many clients do life coaches have?
According to School of Coaching Mastery Survey report, life coaches can have between 6 to 6.5 serious clients scheduled per week! That means each client is probably paying a hefty fee for their visits.
How Do Life Coaches Make Money?
The types of life coaches and their niche can easily vary, which in result will change how they make their money and how much money they generally make.
- Many life coaches offer classes, events, write books, and, most importantly, have long-term clients that they visit regularly.
- With webinars and LinkedIn being so easy to use, many life coaches host webinar classes virtually to gather varieties of clients, students, and guests.
- Most importantly, a life coach’s attention and dedication are what clients look for the most. If you can sacrifice that time and
How Much Do Life Coaches Make? Life Coach Salary
Worldwide, the ranges of coaching will vary. But most commonly, life coaching tends to be a hefty price tag for the average person. Most coaches worldwide are charging 200 US dollars per coaching hour.
According to Sherpa,
- Executive coaches can make $325 per coaching hour
- Business coaches make $235 per coaching hour
- General life coaches make $160 per coaching hour
With the average client amount ranging from 6 to 6.5 a week, that’s generally the volume of clients that life coaches can have to provide the high-end and fully attentive service to their clients. On average, a life coach salary can range from $55k to $166K (USD).
Doing the Math
If you’re curious of what it takes to calculate a one-on-one life coach’s monthly revenue, use the following formula:
| Maximum monthly revenue = A x B x C | A: Monthly revenue of the average client B: The number of months the average client sticks around C: The number of new clients attained each month |
So, if you had the following scenario,
A: $400 for the average revenue from your clients each month
B: 6 months for the average time a client tends to stick around
C: Average of 5 new clients that can be secured
$400 x 6 months x 5 new clients = $12,000
Then your monthly income will be roughly $12,000. Don’t forget that this is pre-tax and just the raw income.
How to Value Your Coaching Sessions
As a life coach, you should charge your clients a fair amount to resemble how much work and time was put into your knowledge. From your previous life coaches and to your own gathering of strategies and life-changing tricks, your service should be priceless.
Don’t undercharge clients! As rare as that sounds, you are asking your clients for a life-changing transformation, and your price doesn’t have to say anything different.
For many individuals that know the value of your work, they will want the valuable coaching and will only seek the best that they can get. If they see a low price or an uncertain price that continuously changes, they will be skeptical!
In general, a life coach fee is expected to be high. People perceive life and business coaching as a highly personalized, special, and priceless value to add in their life. For that reason, if you charge less or little, they will not think you are the valuable coach that they will need and seek.
Final Thoughts on How Life Coaches Get Their First Client
Life coaches often face the challenge of acquiring their first clients, but with determination and strategic planning, they can overcome this hurdle. Firstly, building a strong personal brand and online presence is crucial. This involves creating a professional website, establishing a presence on social media platforms, and sharing valuable content related to personal development and coaching. By showcasing their expertise and providing value to their target audience, life coaches can attract potential clients who resonate with their message.
Secondly, networking and forming meaningful connections are vital for life coaches to secure their first clients. Attending industry events, joining relevant professional groups, and participating in online communities can help coaches expand their network and meet individuals who may be interested in their services. By offering to provide value and support to others in these networks, coaches can establish credibility and gain referrals from those who have experienced the benefits of their coaching.
Finally, offering complimentary or low-cost introductory sessions can be an effective strategy for life coaches to gain their first clients. These sessions allow potential clients to experience the coach’s style, approach, and the potential benefits of their coaching firsthand. By delivering a valuable and impactful session, life coaches can inspire trust and build a strong foundation for a coaching relationship. Additionally, asking for testimonials and feedback from these initial clients can further enhance a coach’s credibility and attract more clients in the future.
Acquiring the first clients as a life coach requires a combination of personal branding, networking, and offering introductory sessions. By establishing a strong online presence, building meaningful connections, and providing value to potential clients, life coaches can overcome the initial challenge and kick-start their coaching practice. With persistence, passion, and a genuine desire to help others, life coaches can create a thriving coaching business and make a positive impact on the lives of their clients.
