10 years ago, Steve Chandler and I wrote The Prosperous Coach because we were tired of seeing coaches fall into the trap of thinking they need a complex marketing funnel, SEO optimization and a social media strategy to get clients.

There’s nothing wrong with using internet marketing for your business. There’s nothing wrong with social media. And if you love SEO, eat your heart out!

But most coaches are people-people. They are not natural internet marketers or social media mavens. In fact, most coaches are exhausted by the feeling of a constant need to be online, in order to get clients.

I’m not anti-marketing but I have spent a decade being an antidote to the feeling of pressure that you need to be constantly online, in order to create clients.

The problem is that marketers are so good at what they do that it’s hard to see ads like the ones that follow, without wondering if you’re doing something wrong. 

(I’ve intentionally blurred out the images because I’m not trying to single out an individual but rather to draw your attention to important principles).

If this dude can make $5 million a year in revenue in five hours a week, why can’t I?!

If AI software can book 10 calls a day with potential clients, why can’t I?

This guy’s working only five hours a week, too?!

You mean I can learn how to build a $10 million business for just $4.95… That’s a 2,000,000X ROI. I’m in!

This one has a $10K promise (not sure what that means!) but I should check it out, right? After all, high-ticket clients are “guaranteed…” (By the way, I hate the phrase “high-ticket clients.”)

Got to be honest, this one made me laugh. It was on my Facebook feed. “I’ll teach you how to get clients without using social media… By using social media!”

Buyer beware

Coaches, like all good business owners, need to understand how and when to use persuasion. But they also need to be armed against techniques of unethical persuasion.

Beware the ads you see online that tap into the following:

1. Clickbait: when marketers use misleading or sensational headlines that encourage you to click on a link, only to find that the content is not as advertised.
2. Fearmongering: when marketers increase your sense of fear or exaggerate risks, to manipulate your emotions and encourage you to buy a product.
3. Emotional manipulation: when marketers exploit your emotions – such as fear, guilt, or envy – to compel you to take a specific action.
4. Misleading visuals: when marketers use images or graphics that exaggerate a product’s features, benefits, or results, in order to create unrealistic expectations.
5. Ambiguity or omission: when marketers intentionally leave out important information, or use vague language, to create confusion or to mislead you. 

The good news for coaches building a business one relationship at a time is that unethical persuasion might help people achieve short-term goals but it’s often detrimental to long-term relationships and brand reputation, as it leads to mistrust and dissatisfaction.

People work with people they like, admire and trust. Be someone who others can like, admire and trust and you’ll have all the clients you ever need. 

Love. Rich