Whether new to coaching or established in your career, clients are the livelihood of any coaching business. Although it would be wonderful if every client were a lifetime client, the reality is that life coaches often reach points in their careers when they can take on more clients. Understanding what clients are looking for and the top four things they look for can help coaches align and target the clients they seek.
People looking for a life coach usually don’t make that decision quickly. They read websites, scroll through social media, ask friends for recommendations, and compare a handful of coaches before they ever book a call. Knowing what they pay attention to during that process can shape how you train, how you market yourself and how you show up in that very first conversation. Choosing a certification program that includes marketing and offers resources is immeasurably valuable!
Trust Comes First
Hiring a coach is a personal decision. Clients are going to share things with you that they might not tell their closest friends, so the first thing most of them are trying to figure out is whether you’re someone they can trust. That trust gets built in small ways, a website that clearly explains what you do, testimonials from real clients, a bio that sounds like an actual person wrote it and a straightforward explanation of how sessions work and what they cost.
Coaching isn’t a regulated profession in most places, which means pretty much anyone can call themselves a coach. Clients know this and alot of them are cautious because of it. The more open you are about your background and your process, the easier it is for someone to feel comfortable reaching out.
Credentials Help Clients Narrow the Field
When a potential client is comparing several coaches who all sound similar, credentials become one of the easiest ways to tell them apart. A certification from a reputable training program shows that you put real time into learning how to coach, and an ICF credential like the ACC or PCC tells them you’ve met an independent set of standards for training, coaching experience and ethics.
Not every client knows what those letters stand for and that’s okay. What they do understand is that you took the work seriously enough to get formally trained. For clients paying out of pocket, that can be the deciding factor between you and a coach with no formal training at all, and some organizations that hire coaches for their employees specifically look for ICF credentialed coaches.
Fit Matters More Than Most Coaches Expect
Once a client has a short list of coaches they trust, the decision usually comes down to fit. They want to feel like you understand their situation and that you’ve worked with people like them before. Someone going through a career change is going to be drawn to a coach who talks about career transitions, and someone dealing with burnout will look for a coach who clearly gets what that’s like.
This is one of the reasons choosing a niche can make such a big difference in a practice. When your website and your content speak directly to a specific type of client, the people in that group feel like you’re talking right to them. You don’t have to limit yourself forever, but being clear about who you help makes it much easier for the right clients to recognize themselves in your work.
The Discovery Call Is Where Most Decisions Happen
Most coaches offer a free consultation or discovery call, and for many clients this is where they finally make up their mind. They’re paying attention to how well you listen, whether you ask thoughtful questions and if they walk away feeling heard instead of sold to. A coach who spends the whole call talking about their own program usually doesn’t get hired, even if they’re very qualified.
This is where your training really shows. Skills like active listening, asking powerful questions and creating a safe space for the client aren’t only for paid sessions, they’re what give a potential client the confidence to say yes.
Being the Coach the Client Chooses
If you want clients to choose you, it helps to think about each stage they go through before they hire someone. Be open about who you are and how you work so people feel they can trust you. Invest in quality training and a credential that gives clients a reason to take you seriously and get clear on the type of person you’re best at helping.
Then treat every discovery call as a chance to show what working with you actually feels like. In the end, clients want a coach who makes them feel understood and who has the skills to help them move forward. When your training, your credentials, and the way you show up all line up, you become the coach people are looking for.
Life Purpose Institute has the most comprehensive resource and support program in the industry, and it offers the highest-quality credentialing through the International Coaching Federation. If you want more clients, contact Life Purpose Institute today to learn more.
