What Clients Actually Look for When Hiring a Wellness Coach
(And What New Coaches Should Learn First Instead of Another Certification)
If you’re a wellness coach with certifications under your belt but no consistent clients, this might feel uncomfortable…but I think also relieving to read:
Clients are not choosing you based on how many certifications you have.
Or expect you to know everything.
They’re choosing you based on whether they believe you can help them.
And that’s exactly where so many new coaches get stuck.
Why Certifications Feel Like the Missing Piece (But Aren’t)
Certifications are valuable. They build knowledge. They make you a better coach.
But they mostly provide internal validation, meaning they help you feel more confident.
Clients are looking for something different.
They’re subconsciously asking:
Do you understand my problem?
Can you explain how you help clearly?
Do I trust you enough to take the next step?
Certifications don’t answer those questions on their own.
Clarity does.
What Clients Actually Look For When Hiring a Coach
When someone lands on your website, your IG, or your sales page, they’re not counting credentials.
They’re responding to:
Clear messaging: Can they understand what you do in seconds?
Relevance: Do they feel like your work is specifically for them?
Specificity of outcome: Can they picture the result of working with you?
A clear next step: Clients want to be guided, not confused.
Most coaches don’t struggle because they’re underqualified.
They struggle because they’re unclear.
The Biggest Mistake New Wellness Coaches Make
When clients aren’t coming in, many new coaches assume:
“I need to know more.”
So they invest in another wellness certification…
and another…
and another…
But knowledge doesn’t create clients.
Business and marketing skills do.
Certification programs teach you how to coach.
They rarely teach you how to:
explain your work simply
package your support into an offer
talk about your services without feeling awkward
invite people into conversations that lead somewhere
What to Learn First as a New Wellness Coach
If your goal is to get paying clients, these are the skills that matter most early on:
How to clearly explain what you do
If you ramble when someone asks, “So what do you do?”, this is step one.How to package your support into a clear, easy-yes offer
Clients don’t buy ideas or “nice to haves.”. They buy clear solutions that solve their specific problem.How to talk about your work without feeling salesy
Selling isn’t optional if you want to have a business. Selling is a learnable skill.How to invite people into the next step
Marketing isn’t shouting. It’s guiding. It’s an invitation.
The Forever Skill
Certifications can be great additions later.
But business and marketing skills?
They compound.
Once you learn how to communicate clearly and confidently, those skills work:
across any niche
for any offer
at every stage of your business
FOREVER
You don’t need to become more qualified to get clients.
You need to learn how to help the people who need you understand why you’re the right fit.
That’s the foundation.
That’s exactly the work we do inside Make Money Now: teaching you the foundational business, marketing, and messaging skills that help you get clients now, and keep working as your business grows.
FAQs
Do clients care how many certifications a wellness coach has?
The vast majority of clients don’t choose a wellness coach based solely on certifications. Research and consumer behavior show that trust, clarity, and connection play a much larger role in the decision to hire a coach. Certifications can support credibility, but they are rarely the deciding factor.
Why do certified wellness coaches still struggle to get clients?
Many certified wellness coaches struggle because certifications teach coaching skills, not business or marketing skills. Without clear messaging, offers, and a way to invite people into conversations, even highly qualified coaches can remain invisible.
This is the exact gap Make Money Now fills: helping certified wellness coaches learn the business, marketing, and messaging skills needed to get clients.
What should a new wellness coach focus on instead of another certification?
New wellness coaches benefit most from learning how to explain what they do clearly, create simple offers, and communicate their value confidently. These business and marketing skills are foundational for getting paying clients.
Can I get clients before I feel confident?
Yes. Confidence often comes after taking action, not before. Many wellness coaches build confidence by practicing conversations, refining messaging, and working with real clients rather than waiting to feel “ready.”
If this resonated, you’re not missing another wellness certification.
You already know enough to help someone.
What’s been missing is learning how to turn that knowledge into clients.
That’s exactly what Make Money Now is designed to support - teaching the foundational business, marketing, and messaging skills that help your work reach the people who need it now, and continue working as your business grows.
