By: Sabrina Schleicher, PhD, PCC, BCC

When I quit my full-time job and committed to growing my coaching business, I needed clients. I was willing to do whatever it took to get clients so I would not have to go back to my J-O-B. I also was pumped about coaching. I believed everyone could benefit from coaching!

So, I spent a lot of time trying to get the word out about coaching and all the benefits. In some respects, this was good. It generated a lot of interest in what I was offering. Opportunities started coming my way. However, so did a lot of distractions that were disguised as opportunities.

I wasn’t sure who I wanted to coach. I just knew I wanted to be coaching. I also did not want to pass up any opportunities. I was putting myself out there as a generalist, as a life coach with no clear specialty. Essentially, I was one big Rorschach inkblot, letting others project onto me what they needed to see.

I had people seeking me out for coaching for all kinds of different reasons...work-life balance, career transition, leadership coaching, growing their small business, etc. I’d get requests from parents to coach their college-age children. I’d get requests from couples for couples coaching. I’d get requests from my clients to coach their spouse to discover their spouse’s life purpose. I was all over the place and so was my energy.

I’d get calls from different organizations asking, “Can you do a speech on leadership for our college students?” “Can you do a speech on time management for business owners?” “Can you do a speech on work-life balance to our women’s group?” My response: “Sure! I’m there. Thank you for this opportunity!”

Meanwhile, here’s what was going on behind the scenes...

I was hoping I could figure out a way to generate some interest in coaching from those speaking engagements. So, I’d get really focused on creating a good speech and a powerful experience for those in the audience. I also should mention...these were not paid speaking engagements. I was pouring hours and hours into “opportunities” with no clear way to turn those “opportunities” into paying clients.

What’s worse? The time and attention I was putting into fulfilling others’ requests of me diverted my attention from discovering who my Ideal Clients are and creating offerings that would be attractive to them.

Having a clear Ideal Client in mind is key to narrowing your focus and conserving your energy. When you have a clear Ideal Client in mind, you can put systems in place to maximize opportunities that come your way to get in front of your Ideal Clients. But, without having an Ideal Client in mind, you won’t even know if an opportunity is an opportunity or a distraction. When you have a clear Ideal Client in mind, you know right away if an opportunity is an opportunity or a distraction.

Hint: Say “no” to distractions. You only have so much energy. Use it wisely!

Commit today to getting clear on who your Ideal Clients are and what they want most from you. This will totally transform your practice!

Dr. Sabrina Schleicher specializes in training coaches and therapists to double their Ideal Clients so they can build thriving, lucrative practices working part-time. Get her free audio training, "3 Secrets to Doubling Your Ideal Clients in 90 Days," plus script to discover exactly what your Ideal Clients want from you at www.tapthepotentialcoaching.com

Do you have a burning question about marketing or growing your coaching practice? Send it to me at admin@tapthepotential.comwith “ILCT Blog” in the Subject Line and I may answer it in an upcoming blog post.