How to Find Coaching Clients Without Selling Coaching
by: Sarah O’Keefe
Owner & Creative Director
SO Digital
You’re showing up. You’re posting. You’ve refreshed your “Work With Me” page twice this week. But still—it’s all quiet in your inbox and DMs.
Here’s the thing that no one tells you: coaching is hard to sell if you’re just… selling coaching.
People aren’t out there searching for “6-week mindset container with Voxer access.” They’re searching for solutions. Specific ones. Like “how to stop overthinking everything I say on Zoom” or “how to stop dating men who ghost after 3 weeks.”
People don’t buy coaching—they buy outcomes! And when you start positioning your offer around the problem you solve instead of the process you use, everything changes.
Coaching is the Tool—Not the Actual Product
Let me say the quiet part louder: you need to fix your mindset and your messaging when it comes to your coaching offer. Coaching is not the product people are desperate to buy—they’re looking for relief, clarity, and transformation.
I learned this the hard way when I first started offering my all-inclusive web design packages. I talked about design options, positioning and copy, strategy, and timeframes (rookie mistake). No one cared about my website design packages until I started saying: “I build websites that sell for you while you sleep. Websites that set appointments for you while you’re at the beach or with your kids!” That’s when the DMs started.
The same rule applies to coaching. Lead with the transformation, not the tool.
Why your Coaching Offer isn’t Converting
1. You’re marketing the experience and specific offerings, not the end result (transformation)
You’re saying:
“I help you reconnect with your inner voice”
“We’ll uncover limiting beliefs and step into alignment”
They’re hearing:
“??? What am I actually paying for?”
Try:
“I help first-time managers stop second-guessing themselves so they can lead with confidence”
“I help overwhelmed moms create a calm routine they can actually stick to”
When people understand what they’re getting, they’re way more likely to say yes.
2. You’re not solving a specific problem
“Feeling stuck” isn’t a problem. It’s a symptom. Get closer to the actual issue they’re dealing with.
Ask yourself:
What does your ideal client complain about in the group chat?
What are they Googling at 2am?
What are they afraid will happen if nothing changes?
Then build your offer around that.
3. You’re not being clear (you’re being cute)
There’s a time and place for poetic language (and trust me- it’s one of my favorite parts of my job!), but your sales page isn’t it. If your niche is “helping women embody their full self-expression,” cool. But what does that actually mean for their day-to-day life?
Clear > clever, every time.
How to Get Coaching Clients (Without Feeling Salesy)
1. Get ultra-specific about the problem you solve
This is the simple sentence I start with when I’m building brand stories and copy for my clients:
I help [specific person] go from [struggle] to [result].
Some examples:
I help first-time business owners stop spinning in decision fatigue so they can actually launch
I help burned-out therapists set better boundaries and get their evenings back
I help newly single women rebuild confidence and stop texting their ex (again)
You’re not niching down, you’re just getting clear enough for people to raise their hands and say hey, that sounds like me!
2. Say it like a human would
Skip the coach-speak. Drop the “quantum shifts.” Just say what you do in regular language.
Not:
“Step into your next-level embodiment.”
Instead:
“You’ll stop ghosting your to-do list and finally launch the thing you’ve been sitting on for months.”
If it sounds like something your client would say after one glass of wine, you’re on the right track.
3. Make your offer ridiculously obvious
Your dream client should land on your Instagram, website, or email and immediately know:
Who you help
What you help with
How to work with you
Not: “DM me to learn more”
Instead: “I help [people] with [problem]. Book your free clarity call here.”
Make it easy.
Real Life Coaching Niches that Sell Themselves
Here are a few clear, magnetic offers that focus on problems real people actually have:
Dating Coach for High-Achieving Women
I help ambitious women attract healthy relationships without losing themselves.Mindset Coach for Entrepreneurs
I help solopreneurs stop overthinking and finally hit ‘publish’ on their offers.Career Coach for Women in STEM
I help women in male-dominated industries get promoted without working twice as hard.
Notice how every one of these speaks to a clear identity and a specific problem.
When I first started my design business, I didn’t get clients by talking about pixels or brand strategy. I got them by saying, “We build websites that book your dream clients for you—without you needing to babysit it.” It wasn’t fancy. But it worked. People don’t want processes—they want results.
FAQ
Q1: Do I really need a niche?
A1: Yes. General offers get general results. You can still be multi-passionate, but speak to one person at a time.
Q2: How do I know if my coaching website needs a redesign?
A2: Ask yourself these questions: is it booking clients for you on autopilot? Are you proud to send it to potential clients? Has it been updated in the last 3-5 years? Remember: 75% of people judge your credibility based on your website, and they judge you within 3 seconds of landing on your homepage. Here’s exactly how to tell if you need a redesign!
Q1: Isn’t “coaching” enough of a description?
A1: Not unless your ideal client is already looking for coaching. Most aren’t. They’re looking for a fix to a problem they do know they have.
Q2: How do I get people to trust me if I’m newer?
A2: Be consistent. Be clear. Show up with value. And keep repeating the problem you solve until your dream client starts saying, “I feel like you’re in my head.” And be sure you’re not making any of the 10 most common coaching website mistakes that are driving clients away!
Final Thoughts
You don’t need a better brand shoot, to tweak your color palette again, or second guess your logo. You don’t need more certifications. You need to get radically clear on what problem you solve—and how you help people solve it.
That’s what sells. That’s what books clients.
Clarity > content calendars. Every time.
Need a coaching website that actually converts clicks into clients?
That’s literally what we do. At SO Digital, we build bold, strategic websites for life coaches, business coaches, dating coaches, career coaches, and wellness coaches that make your offer feel obvious and irresistible.
Ready to go from invisible to irresistible to your dream clients? Let’s chat.
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