Get Clients With Better Conversations

Key Points:

0:00 – Opening and Check-Ins
Karl opens the call with a casual welcome and checks in with BJ, John, Jim, Walt, and other coaches.

1:18 – Jim’s Storm Update
Jim shares that his area received nine inches of rain from a storm, and Karl highlights his ability to look for opportunity even in difficult situations.

2:47 – Walt’s Longtime Membership
Walt shares in the chat that he has been part of the community since 2012, marking 14 years in the Focused.com world.

3:17 – Lori’s Live Event Win
Lori shares that she hosted her second event, had 10 people signed up, 13 people attend, received four referrals, and booked three PAS appointments.

3:58 – Confidence Comes From Repetition
Lori explains that her second event felt much more relaxed than the first because she had already presented the slide deck once before.

4:23 – Second Event Space Confirmed
Lori shares that she confirmed a second event location and plans to start using it next month.

5:12 – Karl’s Live Event Story
Karl tells a story about inviting his future wife to help at one of his early workshops, where more attendees showed up than expected.

7:29 – Live Events Build More Than Leads
Karl jokes that live events may also be a good way for single coaches to meet business-minded people.

8:00 – Call Theme: First or Next Client
Karl frames the call around getting your first client, next client, or next few clients.

8:39 – Getting Clients Is Easy and Fun
Karl shares the phrase “getting clients is easy, getting clients is fun” and encourages coaches to adopt it as a mindset.

8:51 – Allan Hirsh Networking Example
Karl talks about Allan Hirsh, who went to networking events at 77 years old because he enjoyed helping business owners and having conversations.

9:35 – Double the Energy, Triple the Sales
Karl explains that coaches should bring a higher level of energy into networking conversations without breaking rapport.

10:06 – You Cannot Transfer What You Do Not Own
Karl reminds coaches that they need to reconnect with their own belief, energy, and confidence before they can transfer it to prospects.

10:57 – Networking as Enjoyable Service
Karl explains that Allan’s grounded, authentic energy made him attractive in networking rooms because people sensed he was there to help.

11:20 – Daily Mindset Homework
Karl suggests repeating “getting clients is easy, getting clients is fun” each morning to set the tone for client acquisition activity.

12:00 – Danny Debye Joins the Call
John points out that Danny Debye is on the call, and Karl introduces her as a longtime Focused.com team member.

13:17 – Open Door Support Reminder
Danny reminds coaches that Focused.com has an open-door support approach and that coaches can reach out when they need help.

14:16 – BJ Sets Up the Training
BJ explains that the call will include tools and concepts designed to help coaches get their first three clients.

15:31 – Value First, Clients Second
BJ explains that if coaches enter conversations only trying to get clients, prospects can sense it. The better frame is to add value and bring transformation.

16:41 – Repetition by Design
BJ explains that this call will repeat key ideas often because new coaches join regularly and the goal is to reinforce the basics.

18:10 – Business Coaching Roadmap Preview
BJ introduces the Business Coaching Roadmap, a visual roadmap that will live inside PAS and help coaches understand the path from stuck business owner to profitable, sellable business.

19:06 – Stage One: Stuck
The roadmap begins with business owners who feel stuck, whether they are just starting or have been operating for years without clear forward momentum.

19:42 – Stage Two: Awareness
The coach helps the owner understand profit acceleration, often through the Profit Acceleration Simulator.

20:24 – Stage Three: Discovery
The PAS assessment exposes reality by showing hidden profit opportunities already sitting inside the business.

20:51 – Stage Four: Roadmap
The 17-page roadmap helps the owner see the strategies in order of importance and understand what needs to happen next.

21:00 – Stage Five: Install
Once the owner becomes a client, the coach begins installing the Jumpstart 12 operating system.

21:12 – Stage Six: Prosperity
Month after month, the business begins to grow through the operating strategies in the system.

21:23 – Stage Seven: Freedom
The end goal is to help the owner build a profitable business that gives them choices, whether they want to operate outside the business or prepare to exit.

21:42 – Build a Sellable Business
BJ explains that the goal is to help owners build a business they could sell, even if they do not want to.

22:10 – Silver Tsunami Opportunity
BJ references the large wave of Boomer business owners who want to exit but may not have businesses that are profitable or transferable enough to sell.

23:56 – Onboarding and Certification
BJ reminds coaches to stay in lockstep with their advisor, complete onboarding efficiently, and move toward certification.

24:18 – Master the Simulator
BJ stresses that the Profit Acceleration Simulator should be mastered because it explains the core theory quickly and simply.

24:55 – Guidance Over Convincing
BJ explains that coaches should not rely on convincing people with advice alone. The tools and system provide guidance and do the heavy lifting.

25:44 – Focus Myopically on Client One
BJ reminds newer coaches that the first goal is client number one, then client number two, then client number three.

26:19 – Imperfect Action Creates Momentum
BJ references Tom’s event and reminds coaches that they do not need to have everything perfect before creating conversations.

26:32 – First Client Within 90 Days
BJ frames the first client within 90 days as the goal, while acknowledging that every coach’s timing and needs may vary.

27:06 – Explaining What You Do With Eloquence
BJ previews training around explaining what you do clearly and reminds coaches that prospects will check LinkedIn, Alignable, Facebook, or other social profiles.

28:00 – Social Presence Supports Trust
BJ explains that coaches do not need to become influencers, but they do need enough content to support what they are saying in conversations.

29:04 – Educate, Don’t Promote
BJ reminds coaches that the goal of social media and content is to educate and provide value, not simply promote.

29:45 – Revenue Model Tool Preview
BJ introduces a simple revenue model tool to help coaches understand activity numbers, pricing, client goals, conversion rates, and weekly targets.

30:43 – The 30/30 Funnel
BJ explains the 30/30 model: roughly 30% of conversations become real prospects, and roughly 30% of PAS demonstrations become clients.

31:51 – Activity Math Example
Using a $2,000 monthly coaching fee and a goal of five clients in six months, BJ shows that a coach may need about eight conversations per week, three real prospects, and one PAS per week.

32:10 – One PAS Per Week Feels Doable
BJ asks the group if one assessment per week feels overwhelming, and most agree that it does not.

33:04 – Track the Numbers Somewhere
BJ encourages coaches to track their conversations, prospects, and assessments using FBS, a pipeline, opportunities, or even a simple napkin if needed.

34:29 – Structure Reduces Overwhelm
BJ explains that mapping activity creates freedom because coaches know what to do each week instead of guessing.

35:13 – Low Activity Is Often the Problem
BJ and Karl agree that when coaches are struggling, the issue is usually an anemic activity level.

35:22 – Momentum Is a Force Multiplier
Karl explains that momentum compounds, and that training means repeating the activity until it becomes instinctive.

36:07 – Repetition Improves Results
Karl uses Lori’s second event as an example of how presentations improve dramatically with repetition.

37:32 – Three Conversations Per Day
Karl encourages coaches to aim for three business-owner conversations per day, explaining how powerful that becomes after 90 days.

38:12 – Find Where the Funnel Is Broken
BJ explains that tracking activity helps identify whether the issue is conversations, assessments, closing, or another specific part of the process.

39:13 – Focus on the Right Number
BJ explains that the right tracking number reduces overwhelm because coaches can focus on the activity that actually drives results.

41:37 – Buyer’s Journey Reminder
Karl revisits the buyer’s journey and asks how coaches move future buyers into the now-buyer category.

42:23 – Education Moves Buyers Forward
Karl explains that education turns future buyers into now buyers because it helps them see problems and opportunities they did not previously understand.

42:56 – Don’t Think of It as Cold Calling
Karl encourages coaches to stop framing outreach as cold calling and instead frame it as having helpful conversations with business owners.

43:03 – Who to Call
Karl lists people to contact, including advertisers, businesses for sale, BNI members, chamber members, sports sponsors, golf course advertisers, and people with business cards in local cafes.

44:12 – Authenticity Matters
BJ describes Allan Hirsh as deeply authentic and explains that authenticity stands out in a world where everyone is trying to sell something.

45:03 – Imagine a Laminated Card
BJ asks coaches to imagine having a simple laminated card that guides every conversation based on where the prospect is in the relationship.

47:08 – Skill One: Ask Better Questions
BJ explains that the first skill is asking great probing questions that surface real problems.

47:35 – Three Invitations
BJ explains that coaches should always have three invitations ready, one for each readiness level.

48:14 – Every Conversation Needs a Next Step
BJ reminds coaches that client acquisition conversations need an invitation or next step, otherwise the coach is just kicking the ball down the field.

48:45 – Start With Questions
BJ emphasizes that questions should be genuine and focused on understanding the person, the business, and what is really going on.

49:26 – Stop Talking About Yourself
BJ warns that coaches often talk too much about themselves because they are eager to get the client.

50:10 – Three Readiness Levels
BJ introduces three prospect readiness levels: curious but cautious, casual but low commitment, and engaged and ready.

50:41 – Cautious Prospects Are Normal
BJ explains that business owners are constantly being sold to, so skepticism and caution are normal.

51:21 – Surface Pain vs. Urgency
BJ explains that casual prospects may only have surface pain, while engaged prospects feel urgency and need to see the cost of waiting.

52:24 – Questions for the Curious and Cautious
BJ gives examples such as, “What made you start the business in the first place?” and “If nothing changes in 12 months, are you okay with that?”

53:27 – Questions for Low Commitment Prospects
BJ suggests asking what one fix would change the business or where they feel they are leaving money on the table.

54:16 – Listening Creates Connection
BJ explains that when prospects talk and the coach listens, they start to feel that the coach cares and is a good listener.

54:57 – Questions for Engaged Prospects
BJ suggests questions like, “What is this costing you?” “What would fixing this be worth?” and “What has stopped you from solving it already?”

55:40 – Don’t Rescue the Silence
BJ explains that when a prospect pauses after a question, the coach should not jump in too quickly because the pause may be where the truth lands.

56:21 – The Prospect Must Feel the Need
BJ explains that coaches cannot simply tell prospects they need help. The prospect has to feel and believe it themselves.

57:17 – Three Invitations Revealed
BJ explains the three invitation options: a simple conversation, a simulator conversation, or a full assessment.

57:46 – Door One: Simple Conversation
For prospects who are not ready for tools yet, coaches can invite them into a deeper conversation about profitability.

58:05 – Door Two: Simulator
The simulator is used to teach the theory of profit acceleration and the compound effect before the full assessment.

58:32 – Door Three: Assessment
When the prospect is ready, the coach can invite them into the PAS assessment.

59:03 – Stop Forcing Everyone Through One Door
BJ warns that many coaches try to shove every prospect through the same process instead of matching the invitation to readiness.

1:00:07 – Profitability and Compound Effect Framing
BJ encourages coaches to talk about profitability, the compound effect, and acceleration because these ideas create curiosity.

1:01:43 – The $100,000 in 45 Minutes Hook
Karl repeats the hook: “I can find any business owner $100,000 in 45 minutes without spending an extra dollar on marketing or advertising.”

1:02:13 – Open Loops
Karl explains that open loops help coaches avoid giving too much advice too soon and create curiosity for a follow-up conversation.

1:03:51 – Get Ahead of Skepticism
Karl explains that coaches can sometimes disarm objections by naming what prospects may be thinking before they say it.

1:04:19 – Hard Decisions Quickly
Karl gives a closing example around elite entrepreneurs making hard decisions quickly and using that frame when asking for a decision.

1:06:09 – Part Two Next Week
BJ confirms that the training will continue next week with more detail.

1:06:34 – Thought Leadership and Curiosity
BJ explains that long-term successful coaches make people think, which creates curiosity and positions them as thought leaders.

1:07:52 – Wow Moments and Bombs
Karl closes by explaining that the goal is to create “wow” moments using educational bombs that make prospects think differently.

Five Key Takeaways

• Getting clients becomes easier when coaches stop framing outreach as cold calling and start framing it as helpful conversations.
• Coaches should focus first on getting clients one, two, and three, because early momentum changes confidence, delivery, and belief.
• The Business Coaching Roadmap helps coaches explain how a business owner moves from stuck to aware, diagnosed, roadmapped, implemented, profitable, and eventually sellable.
• Asking better questions is more powerful than pitching because it helps the prospect feel heard and discover the problem for themselves.
• Every prospect does not need the same invitation. Some need a simple conversation, some need the simulator, and some are ready for the full PAS assessment.

Notable Quotes

“Getting clients is easy. Getting clients is fun.”

“Double the energy, triple the sales.”

“You can’t transfer that which you don’t own.”

“The result is getting clients, but the frame is adding value.”

“Think myopically all about client number one.”

“The tools do the heavy lifting.”

“Momentum is a force multiplier.”

“Studying is doing what we’re doing now. Training is doing it over and over again until it becomes instinctual.”

“Three conversations a day.”

“Future buyers become now buyers through education.”

“Don’t think of them as cold calls.”

“Every conversation needs a next step and an invitation.”

“Don’t rescue a prospect from silence.”

“I can find any business owner $100,000 in 45 minutes without them spending an extra dollar on marketing or advertising.”

Action Steps from the Call

1. Repeat “getting clients is easy, getting clients is fun” daily to reinforce the right mindset.
2. Reconnect with your belief in the Focused.com system and the results it can create.
3. Focus on landing your first three clients before overbuilding the rest of your coaching business.
4. Master the Profit Acceleration Simulator so you can explain the compound effect simply.
5. Use the Business Coaching Roadmap to understand and explain the owner’s journey from stuck to sellable.
6. Stay in close contact with your advisor during onboarding and certification.
7. Keep enough content on LinkedIn, Alignable, Facebook, or other relevant platforms to support your credibility.
8. Track your conversations, prospects, PAS assessments, and clients.
9. Use the revenue model tool to identify your weekly activity targets.
10. Aim for three business-owner conversations per day where possible.
11. Call people who are already visible in the market, including advertisers, chamber members, BNI members, sponsors, and local business owners.
12. Ask better questions before giving advice.
13. Identify each prospect’s readiness level: cautious, casual, or ready.
14. Use silence after a strong question instead of jumping in too soon.
15. Prepare three invitations: simple conversation, simulator walkthrough, and full assessment.
16. Match the invitation to the prospect’s readiness.
17. Use open loops instead of giving away every solution during the first conversation.
18. Practice creating “wow” moments through short educational insights.

Resources & Tools Mentioned

• Get Your First Client call
• Business Coaching Roadmap
• PAS / Profit Acceleration Software
• Profit Acceleration Simulator
• Jumpstart 12 Operating System
• 17-Page Roadmap
• Ground Zero Onboarding
• Advisor Support
• Revenue Model Tool
• 30/30 Funnel
• FBS / Focused Business Suite
• Pipeline / Opportunities
• LinkedIn
• Alignable
• Facebook
• Part Bench Theory
• Silver Tsunami
• Business Exit Planning
• Business Coaching Roadmap Download
• PAS Assessment
• Live Events
• Networking Events
• BNI
• Chamber of Commerce
• Buyer’s Journey
• Open Loops
• $100,000 in 45 Minutes Hook
• Ask the Expert
• Workshop Wednesday
• LeadHER Circle
• Allan Hirsh
• Virtual Business Coaching Mastery