Shownotes
Have you ever wondered why some coaches attract clients with ease while others, doing all the same things, struggle to gain traction? Today, Jo shares the seven powerful influence levers that completely changed how she markets her business – ethically and effectively. If you’ve ever felt awkward promoting your coaching or worried about being “salesy,” this episode will show you a better way.
Timestamps
[00:00:00] Why some coaches attract clients effortlessly
[00:03:00] The intention behind ethical influence
[00:04:00] Lever 1 – Reciprocity
[00:05:00] Lever 2 – Commitment & Consistency
[00:06:00] Lever 3 – Social Proof
[00:07:00] Lever 4 – Authority
[00:08:00] Lever 5 – Liking
[00:09:00] Lever 6 – Scarcity
[00:11:00] Lever 7 – Unity
[00:12:00] Bringing it all together – influence with integrity
When you use influence with good intention, you don’t just grow your business – you create genuine connection, trust, and long-term impact.
Useful Links
Dare Greatly in The Coaching Arena, in-person and online.
Learn about The Business of Coaching programme
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Grow Your Business Without the Tech Overwhelm - One Stop Coach Shop
Free Essential AI Toolkit – 2 Must-Have Prompts for Coaches
How to secure more coaching clients' free training
Download the 12 ways to get clients now
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Transcripts
Have you ever wondered why some
coaches seem to attract clients
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:really effortlessly while others
are doing all the same things,
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:seemingly, but not getting clients?
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:Sometimes it's not magic, it's not luck.
5
:It is influence and the psychology
behind why people say, yes.
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:I'm currently away in Spain with
some wonderful people, and we're
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:having a kind of working retreat.
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:We are retreating more than working,
I must say, but we have had the
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:most amazing conversations at night
because we've been using a card deck
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:to create conversations that will
deepen our thinking in our business.
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:Last night, a particular card reminded
me of these seven timeless principles.
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:They are from Robert
Caldini's book Influence.
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:It's, an absolute classic, and I read it
years ago when I started my business and
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:some of the stories inside were shocking.
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:If you haven't read it
already, do read it.
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:These influence techniques can
be used for good or for bad.
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:As I mentioned, some stories in
the book were quite shocking,
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:and I chose to use them
ethically in my business.
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:So I'm really excited to share with
you today why people buy and how you
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:can communicate with confidence without
ever feeling salesy, pushy, or sleazy.
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:If you've ever felt awkward promoting
your coaching or second guess
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:yourself when inviting someone to
work with you, you are not alone.
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:Most coaches were never taught
how influence really works.
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:So you can either over give
and burn out or copy marketing
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:tactics that make you cringe.
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:When you get things right, things can
start to flow as has happened to me.
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:I recently looked at lots of my
marketing from a couple of years ago and.
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:I can really see now why I'm gaining
so many more clients and so much more
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:authority than I had back then, But always
have compassion for your former self.
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:We only learn the skills by being
prepared to be bad when we start.
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:Just like marketing and influence,
just like any other skill is
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:something that we learn through doing.
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:So I hope today's
episode will spur you on.
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:Most people use influence unconsciously
or even worse, manipulatively.
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:They use scarcity pressure
instead of empathy and trust.
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:But influence at its core
isn't about manipulation.
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:It is about understanding human nature
and communicating in a way that feels
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:honest, not hype, but also keeps
your ideal client at the center.
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:I always think it's all
about your intention.
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:It's the same with feedback or
anything else that happens in life.
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:If you have a good intention, then
usually you have a way better outcome.
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:And I know you have the most amazing
intentions to change people's lives.
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:So really excited to share these
seven ways with you today to help your
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:ideal client feel safe, understood,
and respected so they say yes faster
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:and stay longer for them and for you.
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:By the end of this episode, you
will know the seven universal
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:principles behind every Yes.
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:How to use them in your coaching
business ethically, what to avoid
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:so you never feel manipulative, and
one simple reflection you can use to
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:strengthen your influence this week.
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:So our first influence
lever is reciprocity.
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:We are wired to give back
when someone gives to us.
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:We were reflecting last night in the
restaurant that that's why they'll give
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:you a free Bailey's at the end of the
meal because then you feel so grateful you
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:might give them a bigger tip and go back.
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:That is why sharing value works
in marketing, whether that's a
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:podcast, a tip on LinkedIn, or
a thoughtful note to a client.
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:But here is the catch.
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:It only works when it's genuine and you
are not expecting anything in return.
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:If you are only giving to get, people
will really start to feel that.
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:So use this one.
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:Reciprocity because you want to serve,
not because you are hoping for a sale.
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:Lever two is commitment and consistency.
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:Humans like to act consistently with what
they've already said or done in the past.
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:That means small
commitments, build big trust.
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:If someone joins your email list, comments
on your post, signs up for a workshop,
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:they're already saying yes in small ways.
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:So each of those tiny, tiny yeses will
build the confidence they need to say
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:yes after that discovery call, if you
do sales training, you'll know that they
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:straight away start by asking questions.
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:Is it okay that I ask you some questions
so the person immediately starts
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:saying yes, so it becomes natural to
say yes throughout that conversation.
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:So focus on inviting those
small steps up your staircase.
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:Not one giant leap, one step
from your social to say, would
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:you like to join my email list?
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:Maybe from your email list, would
you like to come to a workshop?
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:Maybe from the workshop?
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:Would you like to do a discovery call?
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:So those small steps where you get
yeses more often will mean that
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:one giant, yes, in the long term.
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:Our third lever is social proof.
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:When we are certain we look to others.
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:That is why case studies are so powerful.
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:They are about others sharing about
their experience of you rather
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:than you saying you are brilliant.
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:They also show your audience that
people like you have had success.
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:I've had tons of clients message
me saying something like,
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:I'm just the same as Natasha.
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:I'm working three days a week
and I've got two young kids.
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:If she made it work,
maybe I can make it work.
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:So that's why it's great to
have loads of these case studies
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:and start building them up.
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:So your ideal client will find
someone that they resonate with
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:in their circumstance and start
seeing what is possible for them.
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:So don't be afraid to ask for
clients to share their stories.
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:It's not bragging.
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:It's about sharing their experience
of working with you, not what an
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:amazing coach you are necessarily,
but where they were before, what they
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:found helpful and where they are now.
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:Lever four is authority.
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:We trust people who demonstrate
credibility, but authority isn't
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:about shouting or name dropping.
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:It's quiet confidence.
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:It's saying, after coaching 150
coaches, here's what I've learned and
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:showing up with experience and not ego.
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:Your authority will grow from that
repetition, that consistency, and
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:that honest truth rather than volume.
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:Lever five is liking.
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:So people buy from people that they like.
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:And liking isn't about
being everyone's friend.
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:It is about connection with that
person you want to buy from.
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:So show your personality.
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:Share the real you,
your values, your humor.
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:All of your quirks especially are amazing.
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:How can you get people to understand
who you are and then your message
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:will land deeper with them?
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:Ask yourself, am I showing up as a
whole person or just professional?
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:Leaver six is scarcity.
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:Scarcity works because
we value what's limited.
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:Used poorly this can be manipulative.
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:So honesty is the key.
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:If you have limited places, then say.
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:So if your program starts
next term, make that clear.
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:It's not pressure, it's clarity.
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:So for example, I take a maximum
of five clients each month.
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:So I share on my page five spaces, left,
four spaces left, three spaces left.
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:Because that is the honest truth.
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:Last month I had to change my page to
say it was full, and change for the
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:next date, and that's a genuine thing.
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:There were more people wanting to
join and I had to say, you're gonna
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:have to wait a month to November
to start the accelerator then.
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:So if there is scarcity in any
which way, then do share that.
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:And this can also be done
in one-on-one coaching.
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:We talked about this last night
because one of the people here
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:was saying, I've actually only got
availability for two clients a month.
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:And so we were like, we've
never heard you say that.
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:You are so busy, you could easily share.
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:This is my availability.
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:And honestly, those places will be
snapped up like a shot if they heard
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:that there were limited places.
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:So you are helping people to
make a decision, not forcing one.
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:I think it's such a powerful thing to
help people decide one way or another.
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:I know a client was thinking
about joining my program.
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:And then said I might wait till January
and I was just gutted, like three
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:months wasted, and not just wasted,
but actually usually going downhill.
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:So by the time I get to work
with her, so I'm being quite
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:selfish here in my reasoning.
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:I've actually got more work to do to
bring her back up to the confidence
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:level she's probably at today.
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:Versus the confidence level she will
be at in three months time when she's
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:maybe made no progress by herself.
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:So it is all about the intention
for you and your ideal client.
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:You want them to have the best result,
and the best result usually means
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:them actually taking action now versus
losing time, losing energy, losing
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:confidence, and losing momentum.
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:Okay, lever seven.
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:Our final one is Unity.
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:This was a last minute principle
added, so this one is about a
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:shared identity and belonging.
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:When you speak directly to your
people, they instantly feel it.
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:For me, that is qualified coaches or
consultants who want to grow their
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:business with honesty, not hype, and they
hear that and they think, yes, that's me.
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:And that sense of us is powerful and it
turns your audience into a community.
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:Influence isn't about persuasion
tricks, it is about empathy, connection,
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:and understanding human behavior.
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:Like I said, use these steps wisely.
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:Use it with great intention and
they can transform your business.
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:This week, notice where you are already
using these principles naturally.
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:Maybe you are naturally generous.
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:Maybe it's consistency.
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:Maybe it's simply the
way you are connecting.
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:Start there and build from it.
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:I hope you enjoyed this episode.
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:I would love you to share
it with another coach who is
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:building their business honestly.
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:Please do share it with your coach,
training group or any other coaches.
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:You know, it makes a huge difference
to me to know that I am helping the
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:community become more successful.
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:And if you would like my help in
weaving these naturally into your
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:marketing and client attraction,
then do join me inside my mentorship
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:program, the business of coaching.
182
:I have three spaces left to start
on the 11th of November, so I am
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:modeling scarcity right there with
three spaces left and the date
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:that you need to make a decision
by to join and be set up for:
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:Thank you so much for joining me today.
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:And remember, influence isn't about
manipulation or changing people's minds.
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:It's about helping them to make
the right decision for them.
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:Like I say at the end of every
episode, trust yourself, believe in
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:yourself, and be the wise gardener
who keeps on watering the seed.
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:Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone):
Thank you so much for listening to this
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:episode of Women in the Coaching Arena.
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:I have a mess of free resources on
my website joannalottcoaching.com.
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:That's Joanna with an A
and Lott with two T's.
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:joannalottcoaching.com.
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:And I'll also put links in the show notes.
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:Let me know if you found
this episode useful.
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:Share it with a friend and
leave me a review, and I will
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:personally thank you for that.
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:Remember to trust yourself, believe
in yourself and be the wise Gardner
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:who keeps on watering the seed.
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:Get into the arena dare, greatly and try.
