Coaching marketing
Discovery calls
that convert.
A discovery call (or fit call) is where most coaching sales happen, so small changes there move more than extra marketing. Two numbers decide it: how many booked calls turn up, and how many calls become clients. Confirm the booking with what the call covers, remind people the day before, make the call about their situation, and end with a clear next step and how fees work. Follow up everyone, including no-shows.
Written by Dan Picken, a marketer who checks the sources. Last checked 2 November 2026.Two numbers
decide it.
Booked calls that turn up, and calls that become clients. Most coaches watch neither. Both are easy to count from your calendar.
A coach booking 12 calls a month with 7 in 10 turning up and 1 in 4 signing gets about 2 clients. Small changes at either step move that more than doubling ad spend usually would. Put your own numbers in below.
Fit call leak finder
Where do your
fit calls leak?
Put in last month's numbers. It shows which step loses the most clients, and what no-shows cost you in time. The starting numbers are made up.
New clients a month
-
Fix this first
Getting people
to turn up.
People skip calls they're unsure about. A confirmation that says what the call covers, how long it is and that it isn't a hard sell removes most of the doubt.
A reminder the day before, by email or text, helps. A reminder about a call they booked usually isn't marketing. If it promotes anything, the Spam Act applies: consent, your details and an unsubscribe.
Ask one question when they book, like 'what made you look for a coach now?'. It gives you a head start on the call, and people who've said why they booked tend to take it more seriously.
Make it about
their situation.
The relationship matters early. One study found the working alliance tracked coaching effectiveness mostly at the start of coaching, and first impressions start before session one.
So spend most of the call on them: what's happening, what they've tried, what would be different if it worked. Then explain how you'd work together, in plain terms, and how fees work. Saying the price clearly is part of being trustworthy. The APS lists unclear fees as a red flag.
Saying the
price.
Cost is one of the main reasons people give for not using a coach: in the ICF's 2026 consumer research, no perceived need and cost were the top reasons. Dodging the question on the call doesn't make that worry go away. It makes it bigger.
Say how fees work plainly, near the end of the call, once you both know what would be involved. If you offer more than one option, keep it to two or three, and say which one you'd suggest for them and why. A clear recommendation is easier to say yes to than a menu.
If the price is the problem, say so kindly and point them somewhere useful: a book, a group program or a cheaper option. People remember who was straight with them.
Follow up
everyone.
Send a short summary after the call: what you heard, what you'd suggest, the next step and the fee. People decide later, often after talking to someone at home or at work.
No-shows get a friendly rebooking link the same day. Many weren't avoiding you; something came up.
Then count it. If a channel brings calls that never sign, that's worth knowing before you spend more on it.
What I see most often
Where fit calls
leak.
- 1
No confirmation
A calendar invite and nothing else, so people forget what they booked or why.
- 2
The pitch starts at minute five
Packages and prices before the coach knows what the person needs.
- 3
Fees dodged
'Let's talk about investment later', which reads as hiding something.
- 4
No follow-up
The call ends with 'have a think', and nobody hears anything again.
The honest bit. A great call can't rescue the wrong fit. Some calls should end with 'I'm not the right coach for this', and a referral. It costs a sale and earns a reputation.
Questions
people ask.
What is a discovery call?
A short, usually free call where a coach and a potential client work out whether coaching would help and whether they'd work well together.
Should discovery calls be free?
Most coaches offer them free, because the decision rests on how the conversation feels. Keep it short and focused so it doesn't become free coaching.
How long should a discovery call be?
Long enough to understand the situation and explain how you'd work: often 20 to 30 minutes. Tell people the length when they book.
How do I stop people not showing up?
Confirm the booking with what the call covers, send a reminder the day before, and ask one question when they book. Follow up no-shows the same day with a rebooking link.
Related
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going.
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