Let’s talk about how to attract clients who are coachable.
Attracting coachable clients is fairly simple when your marketing really (and I mean really) makes clear what your work is all about, what your methods are, and what will be involved in getting the transformation when they join the program.
Someone recently made a post in my FB group wondering how to ensure that future clients will be coachable when we’re vetting them before signing them up.
And that question inspired me to write this post 🙂
In the past, when my marketing was vaguer about what my methods were, I had plenty of clients who would be, um, less than coachable.
(That means questioning and doubting me constantly, admitting they didn’t do their assignment because the method didn’t feel right to them, saying they didn’t like the format of the program or even straight-up telling me that they weren’t going to do what I said or take my advice because they thought I was wrong.)
Now, those kinds of things are so rare, if not nonexistent.
(Everyone is respectful, constantly asking me for my thoughts and feedback and telling me how brilliant they think the methods are, there are pretty much zero complaints about how the program is set up and if they do disregard any of my advice, they don’t tell me about it.)
So, what made the difference? Why are my clients so much easier to work with now?
I think it’s partly that I’m charging more… although, some of my past clients paid high-ticket as well and were still disagreeable. So the difference can’t entirely be attributed to that.
I really do think that the change is mostly attributable to how much more specific and clear I am about what my methods involve.
In fact, I pretty much give all the steps, frameworks, and concepts away in my marketing.
I think that this attracts empowered clients because they can see that I have a specific system, and they like the looks of it. Many have even tried the system before signing up to work with me – which further empowers them because they are already seeing results.
I have a theory that the vaguer marketing is more likely to attract the type of client who is looking for a savior or magic pill.
After all, that’s really what vague marketing sounds like (a magic pill!). It promises the world but doesn’t say much about how the program or method will get you there, or what will be required of you.
And who is more likely to be coachable and open to your guidance?
Someone who came into the coaching experience with eyes wide open, knowing what to expect, even having tried your methods already and finding that they work?
Or someone who just knows that they signed up for something that promised an amazing outcome and even feels somewhat entitled to that outcome, while lacking in their understanding of what it will involve?
In my experience, the answer to that is a no-brainer. It’s the first kind.
My own experience as a coaching client validates this theory as well. Almost all of my own coaches and mentors have raved about what a great client I’ve been – how open, how coachable, how hard-working.
The small handful with whom I felt myself becoming disagreeable and maybe even seeming uncoachable (though no one has ever called me that) were the ones who ended up asking me to do something that hadn’t been clear initially from their marketing.
Or who changed the program and/or methods and/or expectations halfway through, when we’d initially agreed to something different.
This is why I believe that attracting coachable folks is a function of how solid your methods are AND (as an outgrowth of that) how well you communicate them.
To bring in another point from earlier, I’m also being a lot clearer about how my programs are set up (what kind of support is given, what features/deliverables are included and so forth).
The 500-word offer statement that I teach includes those details even though a lot of gurus say not to include them.
The thing is, when you tell that information upfront before someone is a client, you tend to only get clients enrolling who are cool with how the program is set up. 😉 (Imagine that)
If they aren’t cool with it, they won’t sign up, and you’ll be spared an unpleasant experience with an uncoachable client.
I did have one experience where I signed up clients before my methods and program setup were really solidified, and I ended up changing my mind in the middle of the program about what would be most effective.
That caused some “coachability” problems, and it really made me think carefully about whether a person should really be charging high-ticket fees before their methods are solidified. I tend to think “no,” now, because clients might not feel as aligned with our new methods/setup and are understandably going to feel that they sunk so much money into the program and now it’s not going to be what they were promised.
At least if they pay a lower or more “beta” rate that might not be the case. Live and learn.
Now, here’s what I DON’T think is a good idea as a method for attracting/screening for coachable clients:
Asking them if they’re coachable. 🤪
The vast majority of people who are interested in working with you will say “yes” if asked that. Because the “right” answer is implied, isn’t it?
I mean, who in their right mind would hear that question and answer “no, if we work together I’m going to be disagreeable and question everything you say”?
All clients in all niches need to be coachable. That is a given.
So this question doesn’t tell you any useful information. It’s like when eHarmony used to ask “screening” questions before it would let you chat/text with a potential romantic match.
And the questions were things like, “Are you someone who’s unfaithful in relationships?” “Are you dishonest?” “Do you like creating drama?”
If those things were true of someone, who in their right mind would admit them?
(Or even be self-aware enough to know?)
The only thing those questions do is turn OFF the people who are actually coachable/of good character etc. because they feel so insulting.
So I believe you don’t really need to worry about screening for coachability. The way you construct your programs and methods and the way you explain them will determine whether your future clients come to you coachable or not.
This is good news because it means that you have the power to change the results you’re getting – just like you have the power to change who you’re attracting romantically.
It all comes back to the man or woman in the mirror. 🙂
As a footnote, my experience lately has been that when someone pays a $5K-$20K+ fee without any resistance and without being pressured, it’s pretty much a given that they will be coachable.
The key there is “without being pressured” – as people can definitely pay high fees because of sign-up-now tactics or other sales tactics, and what I said above definitely won’t apply because they didn’t truly feel that the program and its methods aligned with them.
And that’s the beauty of the method I use and teach: you can have high confidence that clients you sign up using this method will be coachable and easy to work with.
(That assumes you have a lot of experience doing what you do and that your methods are solid and not ever-changing. There has to be truth backing up your communication, obviously)
I have two kinds of posts that I teach for you to use to explain yourself fully before potential clients reach out to you so that you are only attracting the empowered type who knows exactly what they’re getting into.
If you’re not familiar with them (or even if you are!), I suggest watching these two trainings where I break them down:
And if you want help to construct your posts so that they do as much pre-qualifying as possible for coachable empowered clients, that’s the kind of help I provide in my 30-day 1-on-1 program.
If you’re interested in the program, the next step is to send me a private message on Facebook. We’ll chat to see if it’s a good match for you and your business. 🙂
You can also send me a private message if you’re interested in teaching my methods to your own clients. I have a certification program coming up!