Strategic Marketing for Coaches: How to Help Clients Attract More Leads Without Discounts or Gimmicks

If you’re coaching small business owners and they’re struggling to get leads, there’s a good chance their offer is the real problem.

Most businesses rely on outdated tactics like “Call us,” “Get a free estimate,” or “Book a free consultation.” These were effective—30 years ago. But in today’s market, those incentive-based offers don’t grab attention… they trigger resistance.

So what works now? Information-based marketing. And as a coach, it’s your job to help clients shift from chasing customers to attracting them—by offering value first.

Let’s break down the strategy and how to help your clients implement it.

Why Most Small Business Offers Fail Today

Take a look at the average business website, ad, or flyer. What do you see?

“Schedule your free consultation.”

“Call now for a quote.”

These types of offers put the pressure on the prospect to engage before they’re ready. They’re sales-focused, not value-driven.

Before the internet, these worked because people had no choice. If they wanted information, they had to talk to a salesperson. Now? A prospect can research 10 competitors before they ever call. And they do.

Understand the Modern Buying Process

Here’s how most customers make buying decisions today:

1. Awareness of the Problem: They recognize a need or desire.
2. Information Gathering: They look for educational content—what are the options, benefits, and pitfalls?
3. Evaluation of Objections: Is the price, timing, or process going to be a problem?
4. Vendor Selection: If they decide to buy, who will they buy from?

This is why “free consults” fall flat—they skip to Step 4 before earning trust in Step 2.

What Coaches Should Recommend Instead

As a coach, your job is to help clients create offers that match their buyer’s journey.

Here’s how:

Lead with Education, Not Sales

Swap “Free Consult” for a valuable, low-risk offer like:

• Idea Guides – Perfect for industries like home remodeling, interior design, or landscaping

• Consumer Reports – Great for service professionals like chiropractors, dentists, and financial planners

• Standards Comparison Checklists – Ideal for saturated markets with lots of vendors (plumbers, contractors, coaches)

These build trust and establish authority—without triggering sales resistance.

Use Strategic Drip Campaigns

Your clients can’t rely on one touchpoint to seal the deal. Prospects need to see consistent messaging across multiple channels, 5 to 12 times or more.

Each message should reinforce:

• The benefits of the product or service

• The objections (and how to overcome them)

• The reasons to choose your client over their competitors

This could include:

• Email series

• Retargeting ads

• Video explainers

• Case studies or testimonials

Done right, this “marketing runway” makes selling almost unnecessary. The prospect will already see your client as the logical choice.

Why This Works (and Why Coaches Must Teach It)

Helping clients improve their offer and marketing process isn’t optional—it’s essential if you want to deliver real results.

Teaching business owners to lead with educational value positions them as experts, builds trust, and gives them a competitive edge.

The end result? More qualified leads, better conversions, and no more need for discounting just to stay afloat.

Next Steps for Coaches

If you want to master this strategy and show clients the actual financial impact of making these changes, tools like the Profit Acceleration Software™ make it simple.

In just 45 minutes, you can show clients how changing their front-end offer and messaging can add tens of thousands in additional revenue—without spending more on ads.

Want to help your clients attract better leads and grow their revenue without gimmicks or discounts?
🎯 Book a strategy call and get a walkthrough of how coaches are using data-backed marketing to win more clients—without the guesswork.

Adrian Ulsh