8 Ways to Get Life Coaching Leads (+ Top Platforms)

What’s the most effective way to get coaching leads?

Maybe you’ve heard “advice” like…

“Send 100 cold emails a day!” or “Run a bunch of ads and eventually you’ll get leads!”

You probably already know it, but… none of that is a good use of your time. Ready to find out what is?

Today, you’ll learn:

• How to fill up your calendar without overwhelm or constant hustle
• Get a steady stream of high-paying and high-quality coaching leads
• The top platforms for finding those leads

Read on!

Key takeaways:

• Some of the most effective lead generation strategies include referrals, podcasts, and social media
• Coaching lead generation platforms like Thumbtack and Noomii can help you get started, but focus on building up your own audience to create a sustainable and profitable business

How to get coaching leads

Here’s exactly how you can get coaching leads for your business in 8 different ways. However, remember that consistency is key. Choose one strategy and use it to generate a steady stream of coaching leads and clients.

1. Referrals 

A referral is when someone in your network recommends you to people they know. You can encourage satisfied clients to refer new clients to you by:

• Offering incentives: Give discounts or rewards to clients who refer new people.
• Asking for testimonials: Share these on your website and social media.

If someone refers you, it means they trust you and believe others can benefit from working with you. And this ultimately leads to you gaining more clients.

The thing is, referrals are ALSO valuable for the people you get referred to. 

Think of it this way…

If you’re renovating your kitchen, would you rather work with a complete stranger or someone your best friend raves about?

Chances are, you’d go with the referral. And you’re not alone: 92% of consumers trust referrals more than other types of advertising.

The downside to referrals? They’re not very scalable. BUT they can help you expand your client pool. 

So, how exactly should you ask for a referral?

If you’re a new coach, you can tap your network first.  In that case, you could reach out to people in your network who might like to recommend you to others.

Important: Tailor your message to the recipient, and don’t send a generic mass email.

So, you could say, “I’ve started a business to help people with [blank] and thought of you because [blank]. If you think my coaching could help you, I’d be happy to share more!”

Instead of:

“I’m starting a business. Could you please tell people about me?”

I talk more about referrals in this video:

2. Speaking

Speaking gigs can also help you get high-quality leads. You get direct access to people and build trust by being in front of them and talking about your expertise.

You don’t need to speak at huge events to get traction, though – relevance is more important. It’s better to speak to 100 people who are interested in what you have to say than 10,000 people who aren’t. 

So how can you get speaking engagements?

One option is to search for local events you could join. Like this: “[Your niche] conference [location].”

For example, if you’re a career coach in Atlanta, you could search, “Career conference Altanta” or something broader like “Business conference Atlanta.”

Pitch the event organizers once you’ve made a list of events you could join. And again, make it about THEM. Talk about why they should have you as a speaker so that it’s easy for them to say “yes.”

Grant Baldwin, founder of The Speaker Lab, uses this strategy, and he’s earned over $2 million from various speaking engagements. 

The downside? 

In-person events involve travel, which isn’t very scalable. But there are also online events you could speak at, which broadens your options.

3. Repeat business 

Repeat business is when people come back and buy from you again after an initial purchase. This can also include upselling.

So, for example, let’s say you have a client who buys a small course from you. At the end of the course, they’ve gotten so much value from it that you offer them a more comprehensive coaching to help them get even bigger results. 

That’s what I did early on in my business. I helped people get results with a smaller offer and then upsold them on a bigger one.

Okay, so how can you incentivize repeat business? You can:

• Overdeliver. If people are happy with your offer, they won’t have to be convinced to keep buying from you. They’ll WANT to. The value will be obvious. 
• Reward loyalty. For example, consider offering exclusive perks to clients who keep buying from you. 
• Use client feedback. Listen to your clients’ needs and adjust your offer accordingly. If your clients feel that you care about helping them, they’ll be more likely to stick around.

The downside to repeat business? It’s not scalable, but it’s STILL valuable. 

In fact, getting new customers can cost 5x more than keeping the ones you have! So it’s really worth aiming for repeat business.

4. Partnerships

Partnerships involve at least two people joining forces to promote each other’s businesses. So, they leverage their audiences, cross-promote each others offers, and share profits.

How can you find the best partner for you?

Think about your business and what kind of partner could help you get more relevant leads.  That will narrow your options. 

Once you find someone you want to partner with, send them a short message explaining:

• Who you are
• What you do
• Why partnering with you would benefit them

Here’s a sample message you can tweak:

Hi [Name],

I recently discovered your work and love how you approach [blank]. 

I’m [Your name], and I [briefly cover who you are/what you do]. Would you be interested in partnering with me? I’m offering [your value proposition, like a percentage of the profits]. 

Please let me know if you’re interested, and we can discuss the details!

Warmly,

[Your name]

One advantage of partnerships? If your partner is well-established, you’ll get higher-quality leads.

On the other hand, partnerships aren’t exactly beginner-friendly because you typically need an existing audience, and they’re not really scalable. 

5. Podcasts and guest blogs 

As a guest on blogs or podcasts, you leverage someone else’s audience and get great exposure to a targeted audience. You get access to high-quality leads because the people who find you through podcasts or a sites they trust will be much more likely to trust you, too. 

This gives you an advantage over your competition. Plus, it can be a semi-scalable option with the right strategy. 

I’ve done this successfully myself. For example, my guest post on Forbes drove a lot of valuable traffic to my offer:

But how exactly can you get guest posting opportunities or media features?

One option is to join platforms that connect subject matter experts (you!) with journalists looking for input for a story.

A few options I use:

• Connectively
• Qwoted
• Featured 

Just remember: When you’re pitching media requests, keep them short and direct. 

For example, here’s a pitch that got me a feature:

6. Social media (organic) 

You can land dream clients on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube IF you use them the right way.

So how can you do that? Use one platform where your audience hangs out and post consistent content. This content needs to help people connect, teach them something new, and entertain.

You can also use social media platforms to proactively find your clients.

Let’s take Twitter/X as an example. Instead of posting on the platform, search for relevant keywords to find people who are looking for what you offer.

Example: If you’re a health coach, you could search for terms like “health coach services” or “weight loss support.” 

Do this regularly, and pitch yourself to anyone who asks for what you offer. And for more, read my guide on how to use social media to build your coaching business.

7. Search engine optimization 

Search engine optimization (SEO) is all about ranking higher in search engines so more people discover your content. To do that, use keywords to rank for relevant search queries and get in front of people.

You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find relevant keywords. Search for relevant phrases and see how often people search for those and how competitive the keyword is. I talk more about SEO for coaches here!

SEO is highly scalable, but it takes time to rank high in search engines, so it’s not the quickest strategy.

I know firsthand the impact that great SEO can have on your business, like giving you the best leads. In fact, I even co-founded Zalstrom, a lead generation agency for coaches.

8. Paid leads 

Another option is to pay for leads. You pay for ads on platforms like Facebook, YouTube, or Google and get in front of your target audience.

The pros of paid leads are:

• Scalable
• Attract your specific target audience
• Estimate your expected ROI

And the cons are:

• Ads are getting more expensive and reduce your profits
• You have to keep finding creative ways to use them
• Leads are less qualified compared to organic methods like SEO

So, given those pros and cons, how can you use ads successfully?  

Here are three key steps to remember:

1. Know who you’re trying to sell to and what their problems are
2. Create copy that makes those specific people stop and pay attention
3. Use attractive visuals

I go into more detail here.

Where to get coaching leads (top platforms) 

You now know how to proactively get coaching leads. But what if you want to use a platform to generate them?

While there are platforms (and we’ll look at the best ones below), I strongly recommend that you don’t focus exclusively on them. Coaches often become a commodity on platforms and, more importantly, you don’t own your audience. Instead, use one of the lead generation strategies I outlined above to get consistent leads and clients.

That said, here are the best platforms for coaching leads:

Noomii

Noomii offers a huge directory of coaches from all over the US and abroad. 

One benefit? 

Instead of having to set up your own website and drive traffic to it, Noomii helps you go where your ideal clients are already looking for a coach like you. 

Cost: Access to the directory is free, but the comprehensive yearly plan is $447. 

Coaching.com

Coaching.com is a streamlined platform designed to help you become a better coach and grow your business – all in one place. 

As a member, you gain access to programs and events offered by experts in the field, as well as tools like integrated video calls, a client dashboard, templates, and more.

Cost: $0-$97+/month, depending on the plan.

LifeCoachHub 

LifeCoachHub offers coaching software and tools to help you automate your coaching business – so you can spend less time worrying about lead generation and more time actually coaching. 

Cost: $0-$57/month, depending on the plan.

Thumbtack 

Thumbtack is a platform that helps connect service providers (including coaches!) with the people who need them. 

Thanks to its directory, people can find pros like you and leave feedback to help you land more work. 

Cost: Varies depending on your budget and needs.

What’s next? 

So, there you have it! As you can see, lead generation for coaches doesn’t have to be complicated. 

With the right strategies, you can get leads that will help you…

• Grow your business sustainably
• Increase your revenue
• Work less

That’s not just talk, either. I’ve done all of these things myself – and I’ve helped thousands of my coaching clients do the same. 

However, there is only so much I can include in a blog post. Getting consistent leads for your coaching business comes down to more than just the strategies you use.

Want to learn more? Get my FREE PDF that shows you how to get coaching clients on autopilot, so that you can build a profitable, scalable, and sustainable coaching business.

Read more:

How to Create Converting Coaching Copy

How to Market Your Services

Use Blogging for Coaches