Who is Your Ideal Life Coaching Client?

As a new life coach, you may be tempted to accept any client that comes your way. After all, your business is new and your confidence may not yet be at its highest level. You may be unsure of what the future holds. All you know is that you want to build a successful life coaching business. 

In reality, not every client will be your ideal client. It is not always best to take on any client that comes your way, even when you are first starting out. At the beginning of your practice, it might be most beneficial for you to get laser-focused on who your ideal client will be so you can work on attaining them, serving them to the best of your ability, and creating your ideal life coaching practice. 

So how do you determine who your ideal client will be? You can ask yourself a number of questions to help you hone in on your ideal life coaching client. 

Does this person fit in my niche? Do their goals truly interest me? Am I eager to help them attain their goals?

Is this person someone that I want to establish a long-term coaching relationship with? Do we share similar values, ideas, and communication styles? Do I like talking to this person?

On a more practical level, is this person ready for coaching? Do they know what they want their future to look like and are they ready to make the necessary changes? Are they financially capable of paying my coaching fees?

Let’s explore a few of these questions in a little more detail. 

1. Are they willing to change? 

Many people know that they need to make changes in their lives, whether it has to do with relationships, careers, or lifestyles. However, not everyone is completely ready to change. Knowing you should do something and actually putting the necessary energy and attention towards it are two very different things. An ideal life coaching client will demonstrate a burning desire for the personal change that they want. 

2. Do they have an open mind to work with you collaboratively as their coach?

Even when a person shows the desire to change, it is not uncommon for people to feel that they know their lives best. This kind of client may be unwilling to work with you in a collaborative manner to set forth a plan for achieving their goals for the future. An ideal coaching client will demonstrate to you in your first coaching consultation call, in their intake form, or during your first session that they are open to new approaches. They will show that they are curious about the ways in which you can help them achieve what they are looking for in their lives.

3. Do they trust you and trust the process? 

An ideal life coaching client will not be looking for a quick fix. He or she will demonstrate an understanding that changes will not happen overnight, and certainly not within the first session or two. Your ideal client will understand that life coaching is a process that will take time, energy, patience, mutual consideration, and trust. 

At Life Purpose Institute we teach new coaches the most effective strategies for growing their practices. We want to help novice coaches understand that the coaching relationship between a coach and their client is just that – a relationship. Just because you are a new coach doesn’t mean that you must enter into relationships with clients that are not mutually beneficial for both parties. 

If you are ready to begin your life coaching career or if you are just starting out, take the time to think about your ideal coaching client. Focusing on your ideal client at the start will help you to achieve a more fulfilling career as a life coach and better results for your clients.

Learn more about the life coaching certification and training programs through Life Purpose Institute by contacting us today.