If you’re a health or life coach struggling to sell your coaching and you don’t currently have any clients, then that’s clearly a situation we want to change!

In this post, I’m sharing some practical tips, ideas and strategies you can use to start selling more coaching packages and attracting the right clients into your business.

Listen to this episode on The Wholehearted Business Show Podcast: Listen on Apple Podcasts / Listen on Spotify

A Quick Note on Seasonality

Before diving into the specific tips, it’s worth remembering that the time of year can make a difference to your sales.

As I write this towards the end of October, we’re moving into that funny period when selling coaching can feel harder for many coaches. Our work tends to revolve around personal development and setting new goals – but as the year draws to a close, it’s completely normal for sales to slow down. People are winding down, focusing on family, or simply taking a break from personal growth work until January.

If you’re finding things a little quiet right now, you’re not alone. It’s a seasonal pattern that happens every year.

There are things you can do to address this if you wish which I cover in How to Sell Coaching in December.

Don’t Sell Coaching

The first thing I want you to do if you’re struggling to sell your coaching is to get really clear on what you’re actually selling.
Spoiler alert: you’re not selling coaching.

I know that might sound a bit strange, and of course, there’s no hard and fast rule here. But for most health and life coaches, what you’re really selling isn’t the coaching itself – it’s the transformation.

This is such an important distinction, and it’s where many coaches get stuck. They focus too much on the nuts and bolts of the offer – the number of sessions, how long each one lasts, or the specific tools they use. But your potential clients usually aren’t that interested in the process itself. They come to you because they want an outcome, a change, a shift in how they feel or what they’re experiencing.

Think of it like booking a holiday. When you go to a travel agent, you might care that the plane is safe and comfortable, maybe even that you can upgrade to business class. But ultimately, what you’re really buying is the destination – not the flight itself.

The same is true for your coaching. You’re not selling the journey; you’re selling the transformation that happens at the end.

Now, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t talk about your process at all. The way you guide people through that transformation – your unique approach, your framework, your style – is still valuable and worth highlighting. But it’s not the main thing people are buying.

So often, coaches forget this and end up describing their offers in a way that focuses on the method rather than the result. What you’re really selling is that shift from where your clients are now to where they want to be. That’s the transformation that motivates someone to invest in coaching.

If you’re currently unsure how to communicate that transformation clearly, it might be time to do some more market research in your coaching business. You could speak directly to people in your audience about their goals, struggles and desired outcomes.

You might also want to take on a few more practice clients so you can gather better testimonials and case studies – which brings us nicely to the next tip.

Create More Trust with Social Proof and Testimonials

If you want to sell more coaching, you need to show more evidence that you can help people achieve the transformation they want. That’s where social proof and testimonials come in.

This isn’t about overselling or making big promises you can’t back up. If you’re part of my world, you’ll know that kind of approach doesn’t sit right with me – and it probably doesn’t sit well with you either! Instead, it’s about giving people real examples that build trust.

Social proof can take many forms. It might be:

• Screenshots of kind messages or emails from happy clients
• Feedback from Facebook groups
• Voice notes or messages from Voxer or WhatsApp
• Testimonials shared on your website or social media

All of these show that you’ve helped others and that you’re capable of delivering results. When potential clients see that other people have achieved transformations through your coaching, it helps them feel more confident about investing in you.

Of course, it’s important to be transparent and ethical. Coaching never comes with guarantees, but showing evidence of what’s possible helps people believe in your ability to guide them.

And social proof isn’t the only way to create trust. There are lots of subtle things that influence how trustworthy your business feels. For example, your branding and website can make a big difference.

Let’s be honest – if your website looks unprofessional or outdated, it won’t inspire much confidence. People will hesitate to invest, especially at higher price points. This is one of the reasons I’ve always loved branding and web design – because how your business looks plays a huge role in how people feel about working with you.

So, think about how you can build more trust overall – whether that’s through testimonials, social proof, or refining the way your brand is presented online. All of these pieces work together to help people feel confident choosing you as their coach.

Make Sure Your Messaging Is Clear

The next tip is to get super clear on your messaging.

If your messaging is off, if you’re not speaking to people in the right way, about the right things, with the right words, you’re going to find it hard to connect with potential clients – especially in today’s busy online space.

Your messaging needs to be on point. It should clearly communicate who you help, what you help them with, and why your approach is different. More importantly, it needs to resonate deeply with your audience so they feel seen, understood and inspired to take action.

When your messaging lands, everything else becomes easier – your content, your offers, your sales conversations. It all starts to click into place.

Numbers and Visibility

Another reason you might be struggling to sell your coaching is simply a numbers game. I know that can feel frustrating, but sometimes the reality is that you just need to reach more people or build connections with a larger audience to hit the “magic number” that starts to convert into clients.

Of course, this isn’t the only factor. Usually, it works in combination with other things we’ve already covered – your messaging, the trust you’re building, and making sure you’re actually selling the right thing. But increasing your visibility can make a big difference.

If you feel like everything else is in place and you’re still not selling, it could be that you simply need to connect with more people. This is where marketing comes into play. While it’s important to nurture the audience you already have, you also need to focus on reaching new people. If you’re not expanding your reach, your business isn’t growing.

So, if you’re struggling to sell coaching, take a look at your visibility and marketing efforts alongside the other tips we’ve discussed. Reaching more people often opens the door to more opportunities and, ultimately, more clients.

Mindset

Finally, a really big factor to consider is your mindset.

If you doubt your ability to get results for your clients, it will hold you back. If you don’t believe in yourself, feel like you’re not good enough, or are afraid to take up space in your business, that self-doubt will impact the way you show up – and ultimately, it will affect your sales.

It’s important to identify any negative beliefs you have about yourself or your work as a coach and actively work to overcome them. This might feel uncomfortable, but it’s essential if you want to sell confidently and consistently.

For me, a turning point came as I started working with more clients and seeing them achieve real results. That clarity about the transformation I provide – and confidence in my ability to deliver it – completely changed how I showed up in my business. I became honest and transparent about what I could deliver and where I could help, and that confidence made a massive difference in how I interacted with potential clients.

This doesn’t mean you’ll never experience self-doubt – everyone does at some point. But you need to feel confident enough in your abilities to show up fully and offer your services authentically. This is especially true if you’re highly sensitive or heart-centred. You can’t convince someone else of your value if you don’t believe it yourself.

The good news is that a lot of these tips are interconnected. Seeking social proof and testimonials not only shows potential clients that you can deliver results, it also reinforces your own confidence in what you do. Implementing these strategies together – clarifying your transformation, building trust, refining your messaging, increasing visibility, and strengthening your mindset – creates a powerful, reinforcing cycle that helps you sell your coaching more consistently.

Next Steps

Let’s quickly recap the key points.

• Sell the transformation, not just coaching – The outcome your clients will achieve is what they’re really investing in. You don’t need to ignore the coaching process, as it adds tangibility, but the focus should always be on the destination, not the journey.
• Use testimonials and social proof – If you’re new, this might mean working with clients pro bono or at a discounted rate to gather feedback. Testimonials not only build trust with potential clients, they also reinforce your own confidence in your abilities.
• Clarify your messaging – Your messaging needs to resonate deeply with your audience so they feel seen, understood, and inspired to take action.
• Increase your visibility – Sometimes, selling coaching really is a numbers game. Look at how many new people you’re connecting with, both online and offline, to open up opportunities for conversions.
• Work on your mindset – Identify any limiting beliefs or self-doubt that could be holding you back, especially if you’re a highly sensitive or heart-centred coach. Feeling confident in your ability to deliver results will naturally help you show up and sell.
• Consider your pricing – If you want to offer discounts, raise your rates, or refine your coaching packages, check out my Powerful Pricing Workshop. It guides you through everything you need to know to price your services confidently.

Finally, remember that timing can also play a role. If you’re listening or watching this towards the end of the year, from late October through December, it’s normal for sales to slow down, but it’s not inevitable.

I hope this has been helpful and given you plenty of ideas to think about if you’re struggling to sell your coaching!

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