Networking for Coaches: Finding Your Ideal Clients

Because I started coaching when the Internet was still called the "World Wide Wait" and wasn't yet important for attracting clients, I had to develop marketing skills that many of today's coaches lack. Specifically, I learned to attract clients without needing the internet at all. I can use the internet, but don't need it. Let me give you four examples that you can still use today, and maybe give you an edge: 1. I picked 10 companies where I wanted to get hired and found ways to engage one or two leaders there. Once a month, I would drop off (YES -- I drove there and dropped envelopes off!) 3-page executive briefs, chapters from a book I was writing, or articles or book reviews that might be of interest. I would follow up just enough -- without being a pest -- to see if the prospective client wanted to meet for coffee. If it became clear a prospect/company wasn't going to work with me, I found a different company for my "Top 10" list. (If you have more energy than I do, you could do a Top 25 list; a consulting firm I worked with had a Top 100 list and every partner had to develop relationships with a share of that list). 2. I became a leader at an industry association. I led seminars about topics they cared about (a strategic seminar got the best response), interviewed members for research and benchmarking reports, and spoke at conferences. This made me the resident expert on their leadership issues, and got me lots of work. 3. I formed a few quality alliances. I'm an extreme introvert, and so I had to outsource my networking to those who had access to lots of prospective clients. I worked with a local bank to do seminars for their business clients. I coached executives in the portfolio of a local investor/venture capitalist. I had reciprocal lead generation relationships with an assessment company, HR consultant, and even a former professional athlete. All I needed was for each alliance partner to get me 1-2 clients per year and I was set. 4. I conducted research about leadership issues in my target markets. This is a great way to reach leaders without coming across as a salesperson. I'd come up with benchmarking studies, or interview leaders about best practices. Participants saw me as a serious professional and expert. This work also gave me content for writing articles in industry publications. When the internet became a real thing, it only augmented the business development discipline I had already developed. Websites, LinkedIn, and YouTube: these helped but didn't replace the above, and other tactics. Today the internet is a blessing and curse for new coaches. It provides the illusion of visibility, but you still have to build relationships with quality and dedication. Get online to meet people and then build relationships offline. Don't be dependent primarily on the internet for leads. Do the work. As the classic (also pre-internet) ad slogan said, "We make money the old-fashioned way. We earn it."

I had a call with a coach last week who spent $15,000 on a website.   She was proud of it.   But guess what?   Zero leads in 6 months.   Meanwhile, another coach I know has built a 6-figure business with just a LinkedIn profile and genuine conversations.   This isn't rare. I see it all the time.   Coaches get stuck in the perfection trap:   "I need the perfect website" "My logo needs to be just right" "My branding must be flawless before I launch"   Here's the truth I've learned after helping dozens of coaches build their businesses:   Your ideal clients care far less about your perfect branding than you think.   What they actually want is to:   → Feel understood → Trust your expertise → See that you genuinely care about their success   At Unlock, I focus on building real relationships first.   I reach out personally. I listen deeply. I show up consistently.   And clients follow.   Consider this: every coach I've worked with who's getting 10's of leads started by prioritizing connections over aesthetics.   They:   Asked thoughtful questions Shared vulnerability in their content Followed up without expectation Genuinely celebrated others' wins   Your personal brand evolves through relationships, not the other way around.   So if you're waiting for perfect branding before fully showing up - please reconsider.   Start conversations. Build connections. The rest will follow.   Easy, right?

I'm surprised more people don't start their own coaching or consulting business using LinkedIn. So many of my corporate friends have incredible expertise. They solve complex problems daily, lead teams, drive results. But when I suggest they could turn that into a coaching or consulting business, the response is always the same: "Who would pay me for what I already know?" And then there are the coaches I know who already started their business but are stuck in feast-or-famine mode. Great at what they do, but struggling to get clients consistently. Here's what I've learned after working with both groups: Your expertise isn't the problem. The challenge is that most of us were never taught how to package our knowledge or consistently find the people who need it. That's where LinkedIn comes in. I used to think LinkedIn was just for job hunting. Turns out, it's the best place to connect with people who have the exact problems you've been solving for years. It is THE best place to build a coaching business organically (no ads required). A few months ago, I teamed up with other successful 6/7-figure coaches Adam Broda, Daniel Botero and launched something called the LinkedIn Coaches Accelerator - a 12-week program to help people turn their expertise into a thriving coaching business using LinkedIn. Some highlights from our first cohort blew us away: -Someone landed 25 clients -Another client made $30K while in the program -Several people landed their first $5K-$25K clients within weeks One person 2x’d their followers and increased their LinkedIn reach by 18,279% (yes, this number is correct) On average, people in our first cohort got an average of 4 high-ticket clients while working with us. The common thread? They all started where you might be right now…either thinking about coaching or struggling to get consistent clients. We're now accepting applications for our second cohort. It's designed for two types of people: → Corporate professionals ready to monetize their expertise → Existing coaches who want consistent client flow (no more feast or famine) What we cover: → How to package your experience into something people will pay for  → LinkedIn strategies that feel authentic (no sales-y tactics)  → How to have sales conversations that don't make you cringe  → Building a business that works around your life, not the other way around Our promise: Help you land 3 clients in 12 weeks, or we keep working with you until you do. If you've been thinking about this transition or you're tired of the client rollercoaster, now might be the time. Application here → https://lnkd.in/gzY6-yYj P.S. I'm dropping my LinkedIn strategy guide below.  Use what helps, ignore what doesn't. Just wanted to share what's been working! ⬇️