A coach spends every Friday on discovery calls. Half are with people who are curious but not ready, or who need something different, such as therapy or a course. The coach enjoys the conversations but ends the week with few new clients and a tired voice.
Qualifying helps coaches focus on prospects they can help. Done gently, it feels like care, not sales.
Step 1: define who you help best
Write down the kind of client you help most: their situation, goals and readiness. This is the basis for every qualifying question.
Step 2: publish it
Say on your website who you work with and who you do not. Prospects who do not fit often self-select out. Programme explanations help here, as described in how coaches explain programmes and prices online.
Step 3: ask curious questions
Good qualifying questions feel like interest, not screening:
- What would you like to change?
- What made you look for a coach now?
- What have you tried so far?
- When would you like to see a difference?
- How are you feeling about investing in coaching?
Step 4: let prices do the work
Sharing published prices before asking about budget avoids awkwardness. Prospects can see whether the investment fits. The approach is described in qualifying by budget without being pushy.
Step 5: capture in conversation
Forms can feel like applications. A conversation that asks one question at a time feels natural. SpideyChat for coaches answers programme questions from your own pages at any hour and captures the prospect's answers for you. The capture options are described on the forms page.
Prospect: I'm thinking about getting a career coach. Assistant: That's a great step. So the coach can see how best to help, could you share what you'd like to change in your career, and what made you start looking now?
Step 6: recognise when coaching is not right
Some prospects need something else, such as therapy, medical support or legal advice. A kind response that suggests where they might find help protects them and the coach. Other professions draw similar lines, as described in qualifying legal enquiries without giving advice.
Step 7: prepare for the call
Use the captured answers to prepare. A discovery call that starts with "I read that you'd like to move into management" feels personal. More on keeping calls on track is in discovery call requests that never get booked.
Step 7b: follow up with prospects who are not ready yet
Some prospects are a good fit but not ready to start. They may be waiting for a new job, a quieter period or a budget decision. These prospects are worth keeping in touch with. A short, friendly message a month or two later, perhaps sharing a useful article, keeps the coach in mind without pressure. Many coaching clients start working with a coach months after their first enquiry, once the timing is right.
Why gentle qualifying works
Prospects can tell when they are being screened. Questions that feel like a form or an interrogation make them defensive. Questions that show genuine interest in their situation make them feel understood, which is exactly the feeling that leads people to hire a coach in the first place.
Step 8: track what works
Note which qualified prospects became clients and why. Refine your questions over time.
Setting up qualifying questions
Write your ideal client description, turn it into five gentle questions and set the assistant to ask them. The guides to installing the widget and training your bot explain the setup.