You graduated from coaching school. You have your certification, you've learned incredible skills, and you're excited to start helping people.
There's just one problem.
Where are the clients?
This is one of the biggest questions I hear from new coaches. And after building my own coaching practice and working with other coaches to build theirs, I've discovered something interesting.
Often, the biggest obstacle to getting clients isn't a lack of marketing skills. It's that new coaches don't recognize the opportunities already in front of them.
Let me walk you through what I believe actually works.
1. Start With the People Who Already Know You
When I first graduated from my six-month coaching certification program, I was excited to get started.
So I did something very simple.
I told people.
I reached out to friends, acquaintances, and people in my community. I shared that I had just graduated from coaching school and was excited to begin working with clients.
With close friends, these were personal conversations. With others, it was a general announcement.
I also posted on social media.
And here's what I discovered: Most of my clients came through relationships, not simply because I was posting content online.
That remains true in my business today.
Some clients have come directly from people I know. Others have come through people I'm connected with on social media.
But here's where I see new coaches make a huge mistake.
They tell me, "Nobody I know would hire me. They're my friends. They know me from synagogue, church, or the community."
And I challenge that thinking.
Why wouldn't someone who already knows you consider hiring you?
You have something that a stranger on the internet doesn't have.
You already have a foundation of trust.
Of course, not everyone you know will be an appropriate coaching client. But those relationships can also become a powerful source of referrals.
And that brings me to something else.
2. Stop Thinking Everyone You Contact Has to Become Your Client
When I help new coaches begin reaching out to people, I encourage them to take the pressure off.
You're not calling everyone you know to convince them to hire you.
You're letting people know what you do and who you help.
You can say something as simple as:
"I'm excited to share that I've recently completed my coaching certification. I'm now working with women who are struggling with [specific problem] and helping them [desired outcome]. This might not be something you need personally, but perhaps you know someone who would benefit from this kind of support."
That's it.
You're making people aware of what you offer.
And here's something important: People cannot refer someone to you if they don't understand what you do.
Which leads to the next step.
3. Get Clear on Who You Help and What You Help Them With
One of the first things I work on with new coaches is identifying their area of expertise.
But I don't begin by telling them what niche they should choose.
I start asking questions.
What problems have people naturally come to you for help with?
What difficult experiences have you navigated in your own life?
Where have you experienced a significant personal turnaround?
What have you studied? What courses have you taken? What books have shaped your knowledge?
I encourage coaches to put all of this on the table.
Your coaching certification is important. But it's not the only valuable experience you bring to your business.
Maybe you've navigated a difficult divorce.
Maybe you've worked through challenging relationships with your children.
Maybe you've overcome a major life transition, rebuilt your confidence, or learned to create healthier relationships.
Your life experience may give you insight into problems that other people are struggling with right now.
But here's where we need to be careful.
Just because you've experienced something doesn't automatically mean it should become your coaching niche.
We need to ask two additional questions:
Is this something you genuinely want to help people with?
Is this a problem people are actively looking for help solving and willing to invest in?
Both matter.
4. Find the Intersection Between Your Experience and a Real Market Need
I worked with a new coach who had personally navigated significant challenges in her relationships with her adult children.
Through her own personal growth and coaching skills, she had experienced a positive transformation in those relationships.
She also recognized something happening around her.
Other mothers in her community were struggling with strained or broken relationships with their adult children.
She wasn't simply choosing a coaching niche because it sounded interesting.
She understood the problem personally, had relevant coaching training, and recognized a real need.
We explored several potential areas she could coach in, evaluating both what she wanted to do and what could support a profitable business.
Ultimately, she chose to focus on helping mothers navigate difficult relationships with their adult children.
That's how I want new coaches to approach choosing a niche.
Not by picking something popular because everyone else is doing it.
And not by assuming every personal experience is a business opportunity.
Look for the intersection of your knowledge, your interests, and a problem people genuinely want help solving.
Then do some research. Talk to people who experience that problem. Learn what they're struggling with, what they've already tried, and what kind of help they're looking for.
5. Stop Selling Coaching. Start Understanding the Problem.
When I first started coaching, I often had to explain what coaching even was.
People didn't necessarily understand the difference between coaching and therapy.
Instead of launching into a long explanation about coaching, I started asking questions.
What are you struggling with?
What would you like to change?
How is this problem affecting your life?
What is it costing you to continue living with this situation?
Those conversations helped people recognize the significance of problems they had sometimes been tolerating for years.
And that's where a coaching conversation becomes meaningful.
You're not trying to convince someone to buy something they don't need.
You're exploring whether there's a problem you are qualified to help them work through.
When you understand who you help, the problem you address, and how your coaching works, something changes.
You begin to believe in what you offer.
And when you genuinely believe your work can help someone, talking about it becomes much more natural.
That doesn't mean you stop making offers or having sales conversations.
It means those conversations come from clarity and confidence instead of desperation.
And remember, coaching isn't a substitute for therapy or mental health treatment. Part of being an excellent coach is recognizing the boundaries of your expertise.
6. Don't Be Afraid to Charge for Your Coaching
I frequently see new coaches struggle with pricing.
They think that because they're new, they should coach people for free.
I generally discourage this.
In my experience, clients who are financially invested in their coaching are often more committed to showing up, doing the work, and taking the process seriously.
And there's another consideration.
When you consistently offer something for free, people may have difficulty recognizing its value.
Now, I'm not saying you need to start charging premium coaching rates the day you graduate.
There's nothing wrong with beginning with a more accessible price while you gain experience, refine your process, and build your confidence.
But I do encourage new coaches to charge for their actual coaching programs.
Your experience is growing, but your time and skills still have value.
7. Use Free Workshops to Let People Experience Your Work
Here's where I absolutely believe free can be beneficial.
Offer a free workshop, not necessarily free private coaching.
A free 60- or 90-minute workshop gives people an opportunity to experience you as a coach, hear your perspective, and begin understanding how you can help them.
Choose one specific problem your ideal client is struggling with.
Teach something useful.
Give them an opportunity to experience a shift in how they think about that problem.
And at the end, invite them to continue working with you.
You can simply say:
"If this is something you'd like to continue working on, I offer a private coaching program where we can go much deeper. I'd love to talk with you about whether it would be a good fit."
This is a strategy I've seen work in real life.
I worked with a new coach who was hesitant to put herself out there.
Her coaching niche felt very personal because she had experienced the same kind of struggle she wanted to help others overcome.
She was afraid to be seen.
She didn't initially recognize that her personal journey, including the progress she had made, could be an asset in her coaching business.
We worked through that fear.
She began recognizing the value of her experience and became more comfortable sharing the parts of her story that were relevant to her work.
Eventually, she created a workshop.
And some of the women who attended that workshop went on to become her private coaching clients.
That was a significant shift.
She didn't suddenly become a different person or acquire an entirely new set of coaching skills.
She began using the knowledge and experience she already had and became willing to let people see what she could offer.
You don't have to share every private detail of your life to be an effective coach. But sometimes, allowing people to understand why you care so deeply about the work can create a meaningful connection.
8. Give Yourself Time to Build a Coaching Business
Building a clientele takes time.
You might reach out to people and not hear back.
You might offer a workshop and have fewer attendees than you hoped.
You might have conversations with people who are interested but aren't ready to commit.
None of these things automatically means you're not a good coach.
But don't use patience as an excuse to avoid action.
If you're not getting clients, start asking yourself better questions.
Do people actually know I'm a coach?
Can I clearly explain who I help?
Do people understand the problem I help solve?
Have I personally reached out to people and asked for referrals?
Am I creating opportunities for people to experience my work?
And perhaps the most important question:
Am I willing to be seen as a coach?
Because you can have excellent training, powerful coaching skills, and a genuine desire to help people.
But if nobody knows what you do, they can't hire you.
Here's Where I'd Start If I Were a New Coach Today
I would keep things simple.
First, I'd make a list of my experiences, training, and the problems people have already come to me for help with.
Then I'd narrow that down to one specific group of people and one meaningful problem I wanted to help them address.
I'd talk with potential clients to make sure that problem was something they genuinely wanted help with.
I'd develop a clear coaching offer that explained what we would work on together and how.
Then I'd start reaching out to people I already knew, letting them know about my work and asking them to think of anyone who might benefit.
I'd also consider offering a workshop where people could experience my approach and learn something valuable.
And I'd continue having conversations, learning what potential clients need, and refining my offer.
I wouldn't wait until I had a perfect website, thousands of social media followers, or an elaborate marketing funnel.
I'd start with relationships, clarity, and real conversations.
Because here's what I want every new coach to understand:
You don't need everyone to know you're a coach. You need the right people to know who you help, what you help them with, and why that matters.
And that is something you can begin building today.
You don't have to figure out how to build your coaching business alone. If you're a new coach who's ready to turn your training into a business with paying clients, I'd love to help you get there. In my one-month private mentorship, we'll get clear on who you help, define an offer you feel confident selling, and create a practical strategy for finding your first clients. No more guessing what to do next. Let's build a coaching business around the work you love.
Ready to get started? Let's work together!
