Why You’re Not Getting Coaching Clients (and How to Fix It)

Do it sometimes feel like you’re posting into the void?

You show up on Instagram, maybe send the occasional email, even host a live once in a while and yet…

… your calendar sits empty, devoid of calls with ideal clients.

If this sounds familiar, do not worry. You're not alone.

Most coaches find themselves in this situation. Partly because they focus on the wrong things, but also because they struggle to break through (usually because they’re doing what every other coach is doing).

Most coaches do what marketing and social “experts" tell them to do. They churn out generic ‘value’ content, they scramble to be everywhere and - despite knowing they need to focus on a target client - they are still trying to serve everybody.

Despite expending all that energy and effort - and despite getting great results for the clients you do have - you’re left wondering why your bank account doesn't reflect your expertise or your efforts.

Here's the truth: if you're blending in, you're invisible. Nearly half of consumers can't tell the difference between brands because everyone uses the same safe messaging.

You can't attract clients if they don't know what makes you different. You can't charge premium fees if your offer sounds like every other offer that every other coach is making. And you can't build momentum if your marketing is a scatter‑shot flurry of random posts.

But don’t worry. In this article, I’ll break down exactly why you’re not getting clients and what to do about it.

There are three core reasons your coaching business is stuck in first gear:

1. You don't stand for anything. Your content is all tips and no teeth. You're afraid to ruffle feathers, so your voice gets lost in the noiseIf you don't choose a side and define what you oppose, you become the vanilla option. Clients want leaders who challenge them; bland brands repel no one because they attract no one.

2. You sound like everyone else. You repeat the same inspirational quotes and fluffy affirmations that flood social feeds. There's no personality, no story, no humour. Research shows a personable, conversational tone builds deeper trust, humour and honesty cut through the noise.

3. You have no system. You post randomly across platforms without a plan to move people from awareness to action. There's no clear path from content to discovery call to paid program. Visibility without strategy is just a vanity metric.

Every coach business needs three systems to find and onboard more coaching clients.

Whenever I consult or advise coaches who are struggling with lead generation and client attraction, it is shocking - but not particularly surprising - that they lack one or more of these system.

And each of the components overcomes each of the challenges above. Here are the three step:

Step 1 - Attracting The Right Targets

Step 2 - Becoming Oversubscribed - Building Trust and Desire

Step 3 - Selecting Your Best-Fit Clients

That final step may be a little surprising, right now. ‘Selecting’ switches the relationship in your favour. When you build have a list of highly motivated potential clients who are clamouring to work with you, you are in control. You can handpick who is a good match for you and who you can deliver strong results for.

This is a product of both attracting the right target and building trust and desire the right way.

But nothing happens until you can gain the eyeballs of your audience. So let’s focus on how to become devastatingly attractive to your ideal future clients.

And you can do it without putting in even more effort.

Many coaches think the solution is to be everywhere - TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter, podcasts, YouTube - whatever the next big platform is, that’s where you need to go.

It feels like common sense. In reality, it may simply be burning you out.

Because diluting your presence, energy and effort across ten platforms is a recipe for killing your business and leaving you overwhelmed. By doing it this way, you have the illusion of visibility, but it’s not reflecting in your bank balance.

You need to focus should be on connecting with the right people so you move them to the next stage of the relationship. To do that, you need to think differently than splurging your brand across lots of channels.

The goal is not to accumulate followers, get likes or go viral - despite what social media experts want you to believe.

The goal is to start conversations that lead to clients. And you won’t do that unless you fix this one specific thing…

If you’re gaining visibility, but no one is taking action, you have one of two potential issues.

The first is you’re either not getting in front of the right audience, although if you are using most social media channels, including LinkedIn, your audience is likely to be on those channels. So let’s assume that’s not a factor.

Which leaves the second issue - your message is not resonating in the right way with your audience. Sure, they may be reading your ‘value’ posts and nodding along to your advice. They may even grace you with a like or comment to show their appreciation.

But appreciation does not pay the bills. Quite simply, if you are posting in the right place ot the right audience and they are not taking action, your message is the problem.

It’s not enough to simply state what you do and why you’re better at doing it than other coaches. You need a compelling message that slices right through all the noise to grab your ideal client by the lapels and slap them around the face.

You have to work hard to get attention. And your message is your primary weapon.

A compelling message is one of the key pillars of the Oversubscribed Coach Client Attract System.

It's time to ditch the generic marketing advice and design a strategy that actually converts.

Here's a proven blueprint:

1. Define your ideal client and their nightmare

Who do you help? Get specific. "Women who want to change careers" isn't clear; "burnt‑out corporate executives ready to start a consultancy" is. Identify their deepest pains and the price of staying stuck. Try to listen to how they describe this because your goal is to meet them where they are.

2. Develop your compelling message

There are a few ways to start building a compelling message you can test with your audience. One idea to get attention is to pick an enemy, for example, a widely accepted industry myth you despise. For example, a bad myth for coaches may be to "stop charging by the hour" or "ditch the six‑figure hustle culture". Standing up in this way allows you to declare what you stand for and against. You can make it personal, punchy and memorable - and when you do it this way, you not only attract the right people more strongly, you repel the wrong clients. And that’s almost as important. Make your message a magnet.

3. Focus on the 2nd most important metric

Think that the most important number to focus on in your business is your number of followers? No, I’m sure you didn’t. But lots of coaches put far too much focus on vanity metrics. The most important metric in your business is revenue. That tells the story of your business growth. But the second most important metrics is conversations and the number of sales conversations you’re having each week. Quite simply, if your process is not generating sales conversations, you will never increase your revenue. Focus on this like mad.

4. Create a low threshold starting point

Funnily enough, not everyone who just meets you or discovers you online wants to jump on a sales call. When was the last time you did? Exactly. That’s why it’s important to offer a low threshold way of starting a relationship with them. This could be inviting to a workshop, downloading a guide or offering a free course.

5. Don’t sell, start conversations

You don’t have to hard sell (unless you want to!), but you will 10x your business when you start having more conversations with your audience. Of course, I don’t mean sales conversation - as above - I mean dropping a short note to acknowledge if they have commented or liked a post of your or sending a short follow-up note if they have downloaded a guide of yours. Starting small conversations in a friendly, informal way is the No.1 way to start building trust and becoming oversubscribed.

I'm new — can I still stand out? Absolutely. Being new means you haven't been conditioned to play by outdated rules. Use your beginner's perspective to question industry norms and create fresh angles.

Should I run ads? I would suggest not. At least, not until your message, offer and client journey are dialled in. Ads amplify what already works. If it’s not working with your social media content, it won’t work with ads (and you’ll lose a LOT of money). Start with organic content and relationships. Once you have proof of concept, ads can scale your reach.

How long will it take to see results? When you put this in place, you can see results almost right away. I’ve helped coaches shift their message and start booking more client conversations within days. Just image what you could do when you apply this consistently throughout your coaching business.

If you're tired of throwing spaghetti at the wall, then it’s time to commit to a real strategy.

Being a Rebel Coach is about more than catchy quotes — it's about taking a stand, your personality, and building a business that serves you and your clients. Start by defining who you help, crafting a polarising message, designing a compelling program, creating a simple funnel and selling with confidence.

Download the Get Coaching Client Leads Playbook to diagnose the gaps in your current marketing and sales process.

Register for my How To Grow Your Coaching Business In 2026 workshop taking place soon. I’ll cover exactly what you need to put in place to take you from where you are to consistent $10k/months

Join my Oversubscribed Coach Accelerator where we'll help you build and implement your client attraction machine. No more guesswork. No more playing small. It's time to become the coach everyone is talking about