Consistent, value-driven follow up wins clients. This episode breaks down a practical 7 to 12 touchpoint plan, how to treat silence as busyness, and ways to add value in every step without pressure.
Welcome back to the Deep Dive. If you’re a coach, maybe, an executive mindset, ICF accredited, you know, transformation. You guide clients. Yeah. But, uh, are you applying that same focus to getting clients in the first place? Yeah, that’s the core question. Today we’re looking at one specific habit, something coaches often well, let’s say, slide on.
That really separates the practices that thrive from those just sort of treading water. Okay. So our mission today is pretty clear: we’re tackling what might be the silent killer of coaching growth, not following up enough. And we’ve got a number—kind of a shocking one, actually—that could totally redefine follow-up for you.
Mm-hmm. And this insight, it comes from Don Markland, he’s the CEO of Noomii. That’s N-O-O-M-I-I, pronounced Noomii. They’re a platform, you know, deep in the coaching world. Tons of data, right? They see what works. So let’s kick things off with the hard truth: the cost of inaction. The message here isn’t subtle.
If you let potential clients drift away after initial contact, you’re basically wasting money. Right. Every day. It’s so true, and a lot of really good coaches get caught in this, uh, what the source calls the myth of scarcity thinking. They constantly need new leads, new marketing, always chasing when the reality is opportunities are probably already there.
Exactly. Even without massive marketing spends. If you’re decent at what you do, you’ll get organic leads. Word-of-mouth referrals, maybe one a month, maybe every couple of months, they happen. Okay, but here’s the crucial bit, right? Even those warm leads, the referrals from happy clients, they aren’t automatic wins.
Not at all. That initial chat, the discovery call, that’s just interest. It’s valuable. Sure, but it needs follow-up: specific, dedicated follow-up. That’s where the ball gets dropped, not usually in getting the initial interest. So let’s make this real for everyone listening. That warm lead, they seem keen.
Maybe you have a great first call, and then silence. Or they book a discovery call and just don’t show. What does follow-up look like for you then? Be honest with yourself. Yeah. Yeah. Is it like one polite email, maybe a second one a week later, and then you kind of mentally write them off as not interested?
If that’s resonating, well, according to the data we’re looking at today, you’re stopping just when the real work, the persistence, actually starts to yield results. You’re leaving too early. Okay, this is the perfect spot to transition. Then section two: redefining follow-up, because this is where things get, uh, maybe a bit radical compared to what most coaches do.
We need to talk about the number, the commitment level that seems to mark the difference. If you’re doing two, maybe three follow-ups, now you’re way off the mark. According to this insight, way off the benchmark. Based on Noomii’s data, especially for higher-ticket services, like executive coaching, it’s somewhere between seven and 12 follow-up activities.
Seven to 12. Okay, hold on. Hmm. I can literally hear some coaches thinking, Seriously? 12 times? Will I seem desperate, especially with like C-Suite clients? That’s the immediate reaction, isn’t it? And it’s a valid concern. Look, this isn’t about spamming someone 12 times, it’s not harassment, right? It’s about understanding that hitting that volume requires strategy.
It’s about breaking through the noise, the sheer busyness of these clients. But the way you do it has to be professional, value-driven, high-touch, not high-pressure. So it’s less about annoying them and more about finding the right moment when they actually have the bandwidth to consider it. Precisely. And that number, seven to 12, it actually aligns with established practices in complex B2B sales.
Big decisions take time, multiple reminders, multiple angles, and choosing a coach, especially an executive coach, that’s a high-stakes decision. It requires trust, commitment. Mm. It’s significant. So multiple touchpoints make sense in that context. They do, but you need a smart plan, a cadence. It can’t just be 12 emails saying, “Checking in.”
That would be annoying. Okay, so let’s break down the tactics. What kinds of activities make up these seven and 12 touches? It has to be varied, right? Absolutely. Variety is key. Think email first. That’s often your main channel for delivering substance. Touch one might be a summary of your call. Touch three could be, uh, a relevant article or a case study addressing their specific challenge.
Touch seven, maybe an invite to something low-commitment, like a relevant webinar. Okay, so value, value, value through email. What else? Then you have quicker channels: text messages or maybe brief voicemails. These aren’t long pitches. They’re for logistics, speed, quick friction-reducers, like, “Hey, just sent that document over. Let me know if any questions.” Something simple, exactly. Or circling back on scheduling. “Does Tuesday still work?” It just keeps things moving. Grabs a moment of attention without demanding a lot. And for executive coaches, social media has to play a role. Yes, definitely. Specifically LinkedIn. But again, not for a hard sell.
Touch five might be a thoughtful comment on their latest article or sharing something you think they’d find genuinely useful based on your earlier conversation. It keeps you top of mind professionally. So it’s about being present, relevant, not just asking for the sale repeatedly. That’s the essence. The source, Don Markland, really emphasizes getting in the habit of this, systematize it. Otherwise, you’ll just default back to the easy one or two touches that feel safer but don’t work as well, right? So you might map it out: Email, Email, LinkedIn comment, Voicemail, Value email, Text reminder, Another value email.
Playing the long game. Yeah, increasing the odds you hit them at that one moment they actually have the mental space to engage, which brings us perfectly to section three: the mindset shift, because doing seven to 12 touches feels unnatural. If you believe the standard reason for silence, which is that they’re just not interested.
You know, I guess they didn’t like me or the price was too high, right? We internalize the silence as rejection, and that assumption—that silence means no—that’s probably the biggest thing holding coaches back. It gives us permission to stop trying after two or three attempts; it protects our ego, maybe.
The data suggests that interpretation is often wrong, especially for these busy, high-achieving clients. Absolutely. So the core reframe from Noomii’s work is critical: Potential clients usually go quiet, not because they aren't interested, but because they're incredibly busy. Okay, let’s unpack that. We all know executives are busy, but this sounds deeper.
It is. It’s about cognitive load. They’re juggling constant priorities, urgent fires. Their attention is completely consumed by the immediate demands of their role. Coaching, even if they see its long-term value, often falls into that important but not urgent category for them day to day. Exactly. It gets buried under the urgent stuff.
It gets lost. So the seven to 12 touches aren’t nagging, if done right. They’re necessary attempts to surface the important task during a brief lull in the urgent. Ah. So persistence becomes okay, even welcomed, if the message is helpful, not demanding. Precisely. If silence means busyness, then every follow-up needs to make it easier for them, not harder.
Reduce their mental effort, offer value, remind them gently of the solution you discussed. So the core principle, the ultimate mandate really is keep the focus laser sharp on their agenda, their problems, their priorities, not your need to close the deal. Yes. That’s what justifies the persistence. It’s not, “Are you ready to buy yet?” it’s, “Here’s that resource we discussed,” or “Thinking about your challenge with X, this might be helpful.” You shift from chasing to serving consistently, and that’s how you earn the right to make seven to 12 professional touches. It’s a fundamental shift. It gives you the permission structure psychologically and professionally to keep going until they have the bandwidth. Okay. Let’s talk payoff, section four, because this isn’t just about being persistent for its own sake. There’s a significant upside promised here, right? The promise is pretty bold. If you embrace this higher bar for follow-up, the seven-to-12 rule, and you make that mindset shift to focus relentlessly on their agenda and adding value, then the outcome isn’t just more clients eventually.
It’s about building a predictable coaching business. You move away from just hoping the timing is right, and you start using a system designed to work despite the chaotic timing of your ideal clients. It puts more control back in your hands. More methodology, less luck. Exactly. Conversion becomes less about a single magic conversation and more about consistent strategic execution over time.
Okay, so for all the coaches listening, ICF accredited executives, business leaders, let’s distill this down. What are the immediate actions? Two main things. First, reset your definition of follow-up. Accept that for the kind of high-value service you offer, seven to 12 sophisticated multi-channel touches is likely the real standard required. Two emails isn’t really trying in this context. Harsh but clear. Okay. What’s the second takeaway? The mindset shift. Actively reframe silence. Assume busyness and overwhelm, not rejection. This gives you the fuel and the professional standing to persist as long as every single touchpoint aims to add value or reduce friction for them, which in turn forces you to be more creative and genuinely helpful in your follow-up, doesn’t it?
Touch number nine needs to be just as thoughtful as touch number two. That’s the sign of a truly professional, sophisticated practice. All right, let’s wrap with a final thought to chew on. Consider the value of your coaching. Maybe it’s a thousand dollars an hour, maybe 10,000 for an engagement. If it’s truly that valuable, then how much effort, how much professional persistence is that potential client worth before they even sign?
Thinking about those seven to 12 touches as an investment, improving your value and your belief in their potential outcome, it reframes follow-up completely. It’s not a chore. It’s the first stage of delivering value. It really raises the bar on what trying means. It does. Moving from hoping to executing. Great stuff.
Really practical insights today based on Don Markland’s work at Noomii, and if this deep dive has sparked something for you. If you want more details on implementing this seven-to-12 strategy, our source does invite coaches to explore their resources further. Yeah, the information’s out there. The success, as always, comes down to doing the work consistently.
Absolutely. Well, thanks for joining us for this deep dive. We’ll catch you next time.
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