I remember when I was just starting in my coaching business the only thing I knew was that I wanted to help people to get a job of their dreams. I didn’t know how to get clients, how to market myself and create irresistible programmes. However, I put some structures in place which helped me to get my first paying clients. I am not a marketing guru and don’t want to become one. I want to share with you what was successful for me at the beginning of my journey so you can attract your ideal clients.
Here are 5 steps to attract paying clients when you are just starting:
1. Who is your ideal client? Create your client avatar. Describe your ideal client, what are her/his challenges and how you can help them. Go and write down a profile of your ideal client. I knew that I wanted to work with expats, expats partners looking for a new career challenge, and/or creating a new lifestyle abroad.
2. Choose your social media channel. Social media are great to connect with your potential clients, get visible and build rapport with people. Which social media your ideal client is using? LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter…? For me, LinkedIn and Facebook are very effective. I got my first €700 client via LinkedIn, I created a strong profile description and clear job title to attract my client. What is your social media tool?
3. Network offline. Social media are great however remember about face to face contact. People like to see you and speak to you in person. At the beginning of my coaching career, I joined some networking groups to build my network with other business owners and potential clients. As a result of that, I got invited to various events as a guest speaker and had an opportunity to speak in front of my ideal audience. What networking groups can you join today? What groups your ideal client is part off?
4. Deliver workshops. It can be a free speaking event or workshop. At the end of the workshop, you can offer a free consultation so people can know better your services and you can understand their needs. As a result of running a free workshop to a very small group of people, I attracted a €300 client. It can be a small number for some of you but it was a big success for me at the beginning.
5. Get support. Start working with someone who is even one step ahead of you, a mentor or a coach. I didn’t know what I was doing apart from creating a LinkedIn profile and attending networking meetings, my marketing knowledge was basic. That’s why I invested in a one-year mentoring program to improve my knowledge and put solid structures in place. After almost one year I finished the program I am still getting benefits from it and I am grateful for my investment.
Now I want to hear from you what are/were your challenges when you were just starting in business and how did you get your clients?
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Currently, she is enjoying a laptop lifestyle while travelling across Europe.
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