Adopted from a brilliant article by Irina Alionte & Justin Devonshire – Marketing Experts for Consultants & Coaches

1. Be clear about who your ideal client/your target audience is = The Most Important Decision

You will get far more interest in your services if you are seen as a specialist. When you decide WHO you are going to help – specifically, and WHAT you will help that person do, you’ll be far more attractive as a business and will be seen as the ‘expert’ far more quickly.
So, before you even start writing ANY piece of communication (marketing) material you need to know WHO you are talking to.

2. Know The Result You Help Your Prospect Achieve

The second important decision for you to make is this: what can you actually help the client achieve?
What specific result do they even want?
Calling yourself a ‘life coach’ or ‘business coach’ is vague and not attractive.
There must be something more specific you want to help your client master, a result to help them achieve or a feeling you want to help them experience. What is it? Make sure your advertising tells them that is the result you offer, every time.

3. Talk about Their Problem Before Your Solution

A big reason most coaches’ adverts, business cards & websites don’t get them any clients is because the coach talks all about themselves.
For example, many coaches list the pages on their website such as ‘Coaching’, ‘About me’, ‘Blog’ or ‘Contact Me’. Headings like this aren’t going to give your reader any confidence or awareness of what results you can offer them, or why you are different. Remember that every other coach in your industry will likely have the same type of website layout. Position yourself differently!
Use your material to talk about the prospect & their problems – this is the KEY to engagement and interest.

4. Target Your Promotions With Social Media

Social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn & Google are among the most powerful ways to get clients for your coaching business today.
However, most consultants fail to get clients with these amazing tools because they don’t use targeting. All these platforms have features you can easily use to target the exact customers you want. If you want to target people who work in management, sales, business owners or even mums – you can specifically have your adverts & posts shown only to those people.

5. Use Your Current Database

You may already have a list of email addresses or phone number of prospects that you spoke to but never became paying clients. 
This is your easiest way of making some money this week.

Simply pick up the phone and call through each number. Say something similar to, “Hi, this is (your name). We spoke a while back about you wanting to achieve (result). I just wanted to know how you’ve been getting on since then and if there’s anything I can help you with…”

It’s more than likely that the prospects has not yet solved his problem, and maybe he realizes that he needs the help of a professional coach more than ever. Ask what he’s struggling with, and if you think you can help, offer something of value at the end of the call.

6. Create Educational Content That Gives Your Prospect ‘Results in Advance’

Articles, videos, blog posts and even free seminar events that can help your readers learn more about their problem and ways they can solve it will set you apart from the competition.
By reading or viewing your expert knowledge, they will see you as an expert authority on your subject, and will more likely trust you. Make sure you use simple language that the reader can understand (they are not experts like you).
Make it entertaining, show your personality & speak the words and phrases they use to talk about their problems. This will help them relate to you and increase their interest.

7. At the end of your educational content, offer the prospect MORE help.

This gives them the opportunity to work with you even further.
It could be an invitation to a workshop, a seminar or even a 1-1 consultation for more personal advice.
Make sure you offer something, as many readers will want to solve their biggest problem and have been looking for someone like you!

How to Turn Prospects into Paying Clients Without Being ‘Pushy’

Many coaches tell us that they are hesitant to offer their services because they don’t want to feel ‘pushy’. However, you must change this mindset – for your own benefit AND the benefit of your prospects. You have an incredible, life-changing service to offer – but what good is it if you are not going to let people get onto the program because of your own fears of possible rejection?
Most coaches who are new to the industry find this is a problem. The sooner you can change your mindset and really believe in the value you are offering, you’ll be able to go out there and tell the world about what you do, with confidence & authority.

8. How to Handle The Sales Consultation (Big Mistakes to Avoid)

The consultation with the prospect is where you should be making at least 80% of your sales, and turning them into paying clients.
However, we’ve found that a big mistake coaches make is being too reserved on the consultation and not making an offer for the prospect to become a paying client. By simply hoping the client will bring out their credit card and ask how much you want… you are losing expert authority, and hurting your own business.

Remember, your prospects need a leader! That’s likely why they have these issues. They want someone like you to recommend them what you honestly believe is the best course of action for them. That’s why you are a consultant, isn’t it?

Avoid falling into traps such as asking the prospect how many sessions per month she would like, or which program does she think is best for her needs…
YOU should know which is best because you are supposed to be the expert, right? Make your diagnosis during the consultation and do your duty of prescribing the solution YOU believe is right, based on your professional opinion.
By doing this, you’ll give the prospect much more confidence in you and your service, and dramatically increase the chances of them becoming a paying client. Only then you can really help them.

So here you have it.  When done right, these 8 steps will help you get more prospects in the next 4 weeks than you may have received in the last 4 months.