Attracting new clients is a lot like going into the jungle to hunt where the herds are and find specific species of animals. In a coaching practice, rather than trapping and removing animals out of the jungle, we chat with prospective clients with the objective of closing coaching engagements when there is a mutual fit.

Using the metaphor of the jungle, your process begins by clearly identifying the types of animals (aka clients) you want to target. Bears? Wild boars? However, if you’re not specific you might end up with a turkey when you first enter the jungle, and no one wants a turkey for a coaching client.

What types of ideal clients do you want to serve? As a coach, you get to choose. Coaches do not need more than a handful of clients for a robust practice. Therefore, you don’t have to go on the hunt thinking that anybody and everyone can benefit from what you do. 

Initially, one, two or three targeted types of clients should suffice. Be specific because you can, and because it makes your business development easier.

Let’s say that one of your ideal animals/clients are CPAs, in private practice, who are ready to expand their practices with more clients and need better staffing management.

Here are three ways to accomplish the capture of this species.

First, you can go to the parts of the jungle where your species tends to congregate.

Of course, your targeted ideal clients don’t hang out in the jungle. But they do hang together in other places. For example, Chambers of Commerce offer programs targeted to specific professions. Check their websites and local community calendars for events that are scheduled that will draw in your ideal clients and make plans for you to attend those events.

Better yet, research the professional or trade associations that cater to your ideal clients. Most associations are national organizations with local chapters and run regular meetings for dinners, networking, and education. Many will allow visitors to attend who are not in that profession but serve that profession. 

Let’s say you do some research and discover a local CPA association is having its annual social banquet and you are allowed to attend. You arrive and there you find a lively herd of perhaps fifty CPAs. You get a drink and start chatting with members to find the CPAs who are in private practice and are striving to expand their practice with more clients and better staffing. Let those chats drift into coaching conversations.

This is a productive, low cost and effective way to conduct the hunt but not the most productive.

A second and more productive way is to develop relationships with several referral partners.

Referral partners are people who already go into the jungle and know where to find your target species. They know where the herds hang out. In other words, they are already working with people in your target market and can refer prospective ideal clients to you for coaching conversations.  

Referral partnerships are for mutual benefit where both partners help each other with introductions and referrals to help and each grows their businesses. 

A good starting point is creating at least a dozen referral partner relationships. You meet once per quarter and each shares information about their businesses and who they need to meet. Each partner reviews their own contact bases to identify appropriate people to introduce to their partner and also stays on the lookout for referral opportunities.

The third and most productive method to get business is to bring the herd to you.

Professional and trade associations need to offer lots of services, education, and value to retain their members.

Do a Google search for a few professional and trade associations that serve your target market. Contact the person in charge of education programs. Using our example of targeting CPAs, offer to conduct a presentation for their members, perhaps entitled, “The Five Steps to Successfully grow Your CPA Practice”. If your offer is accepted the association typically will arrange the location, register the participants, and promote this with you as the focal point and the expert on this topic. Your credibility is pre-sold and established. With this strategy, the herd comes to you!

People who will attend already have an interest in the topic and you have been identified as being knowledgeable on the topic.  The attendees will match the type of client you want to engage. Do an informative, quality presentation and inevitably some participants will want to speak with you when you have finished and that will create paths for coaching conversations.

Choose the species that will be your best client. Avoid the turkeys. Enjoy the hunt. Grow your coaching practice!