Don't offer free discovery calls—charge between $97 and $297 instead. Here's why: free calls attract tire-kickers who ghost you or can't afford your services anyway. When someone pays even $197, they show up prepared, take it seriously, and are already qualified as potential clients.

The sweet spot for most coaches is $197 for a 60-90 minute session that includes real value—not just a sales pitch. Give them a personalized roadmap, a framework they can actually use, and follow-up support. If they love the experience, selling your full coaching package becomes natural because you've already proven your worth.

Think of it this way: if someone won't invest $197 to test-drive working with you, they definitely won't invest $3,000+ for your full program.

LinkedIn beats Facebook and Instagram for most life coaches, especially if you work with professionals, executives, or people in career transitions. Here's the deal: people scroll Facebook for entertainment and Instagram for inspiration, but they go to LinkedIn thinking about their career, growth, and next steps.

LinkedIn lets you target by job title, career changes, and industry. You can reach "people who changed jobs in the last 90 days" or "VPs at tech companies"—that's gold for coaches who specialize in professional transitions or executive coaching.

That said, if you coach stay-at-home moms or creative entrepreneurs, Facebook groups and targeted ads might work better. The real answer? Go where your specific ideal client hangs out, not where someone told you to be.

Expect 30-60 days before you see consistent results, and that's if you're doing everything right. Facebook's AI needs time to learn who your ideal client is and where to find them.

Here's a realistic timeline: Week 1-2, you're spending money and getting data but probably no sales. Week 3-4, you might get your first few clients. By week 6-8, if your ads and offer are good, you should see a steady flow.

The biggest mistake? Coaches spend $500, get discouraged after two weeks, and quit right before things would've worked. Set aside at least $1,500-$2,000 for your first 60 days of testing. That's $25-35/day, which is the minimum Facebook needs to gather useful data.

Also, your first round of ads probably won't be winners. You'll need to test different images, headlines, and pain points before you find what clicks with your audience.

Stop talking about yourself and start talking about their 3 AM thoughts. The ads that work don't say "I'm a certified life coach with 15 years of experience." They say things like "If you're lying awake wondering 'Is this really it?'—read this."

Here's the formula: Start with a specific feeling they're having right now. Something like:

"You've checked all the boxes. Good job. Nice income. Doing what you're supposed to do. So why does Sunday night fill you with dread?"

Then acknowledge what they're going through isn't just stress—it's a signal. Don't promise to "transform their life" (too vague). Instead, promise something concrete: "I'll help you make the one decision you've been avoiding for six months."

The best-performing ads for coaches use real emotions (anxiety, frustration, feeling stuck) paired with specific outcomes (clear next step, 90-day plan, one big decision made). Skip the inspirational quotes and stock photos of people jumping on beaches. Get real.

You can send them straight to a calendar, but you'll waste money and get flaky bookings. Here's what happens: someone clicks your ad in a moment of emotion, books a call, then by the time the call comes around three days later, they've talked themselves out of it or forgotten why they cared.

A simple funnel solves this. At minimum, you need:

• A short video (5-8 minutes) that tells your story and explains your approach

• An application form that makes them write out their problem

• A confirmation page that addresses what they wrote

That's it. You don't need complicated software or 47 different pages. This simple three-step process does two things: it pre-sells them on you, and it makes them invest mental energy (filling out the application) so they don't ghost.

Think of the funnel as the bouncer at a club. It lets the right people in and keeps the wrong people out. You want clients who show up ready to work, not people who are "just looking.

If you can't describe your ideal client's exact problem in one sentence, you're too broad. If you've run ads for 30 days with decent budget ($30+/day) and gotten zero leads, you might be too narrow.

Here's the test: Can you finish this sentence in 10 words or less? "I help [specific person] who [specific problem] get [specific outcome]."

Too broad: "I help people find clarity and reach their goals." Too narrow: "I help top-tier accountants over 50 living in Denver bolster their career choices." Just right: "I help burned-out executives making $150K+ who feel successful but unfulfilled."

Another way to check: Go to Facebook ad manager and type in your targeting criteria. If it says your potential audience is under 50,000 people, you might be too narrow (unless you're in a small country). If it says 5 million+, you're definitely too broad.

Start narrow. You can always expand later. But starting broad means you're trying to talk to everyone, which means you're connecting with no one.

Andromeda is Facebook's new AI system that changed how ads work starting in late 2024. The old way was testing tiny variations—like the same ad with three different headlines. That doesn't work anymore.

Now Facebook's AI wants variety. It learns faster when you give it completely different ads—different images, different emotional hooks, different pain points.

Think of it like this: the AI is trying to figure out what makes your people click. If you show it five almost-identical ads, it can't learn much. But five totally different approaches? Now it can spot patterns.

What this means for you: Create 5 different ads that each target a different emotion your ideal client feels. One ad about anxiety (lying awake at 3 AM), another about regret (remember when you used to dream bigger?), another about time pressure (you've been saying "next year" for how long?).

Run them all in one campaign and let Facebook figure out which emotional trigger works best for your specific audience. Stop making tiny tweaks. Start making bold, different versions.

Run 5 completely different ads in one campaign. Not 5 similar ads—5 ads that look and sound totally different from each other.

Give it 7-10 days before you check results. I know that's hard when you're spending money, but Facebook's AI needs time to test your ads with different people at different times of day. Checking every day and making changes just confuses the system.

After 10 days, look at these numbers (not just clicks):

• Cost per landing page view

• Cost per application started

• Cost per purchase

Turn off any ad that's performing 50% worse than your best one. Keep the winners running and add 2-3 new ads every two weeks to fight "ad fatigue" (when your audience gets tired of seeing the same ad).

Budget-wise, you need at least $50/day total for all 5 ads combined. Less than that and Facebook doesn't have enough money to properly test. If you can't afford $50/day, start with 3 ads at $30/day instead of 5.

If your budget is still tight, use Facebook's built-in instant forms feature to generate leads. This will help you slash costs while still capturing leads. Make sure you use qualifying questions to eliminate tire kickers.

Start with $5 per day. Gradually scale your ad spend with winning ads.

This is super common and fixable. No-shows usually mean people aren't invested enough between paying and showing up.

Here's what to do: Send three emails before their session.

Day 1 (right after purchase): Welcome video plus the pre-work assessment. Make them fill something out. When they do work before the session, they show up.

Day 2: Send success stories of people just like them. This reminds them why they bought and gets them excited.

Day 3 (day before session): "How to prepare" email. Tell them what to have ready, what to expect, even what not to do (like don't drink three coffees right before—you want them calm and focused).

Also, make them book their session time slot immediately after paying. Don't let them pay and then "book later." Later never happens.

If you do all this and still get no-shows, add a $50 no-show fee to your terms. When people know they lose money for not showing up, they magically find a way to make it.

Don't ask for referrals. Give them an excuse to refer.

After someone finishes your full coaching program (not the $197 audit—your main package), offer this: "I'll give three of your friends a free 72-Hour Life Audit. You pick who gets it. All they need to do is mention you sent them."

This works because:

• Your client looks generous, not salesy

• Their friends get something valuable (your $197 audit for free)

• You still get paid $197—their friend doesn't pay, but the referral credit covers it

• Everyone wins

The key word is "give." Don't say "Do you know anyone who needs coaching?" That puts pressure on them and makes it weird. Instead, you're giving them three gifts to hand out to people they care about.

One happy client with three referrals who each convert and refer three more? That's nine new clients from one person. That's how coaches fill their practice without spending a fortune on ads.

The only rule: only offer this to clients who got amazing results. If someone didn't implement or wasn't happy, don't ask them to refer. You want referrals from raving fans, not people who are just being polite.