Is Being a Great Coach Enough Anymore?

Spoiler: It used to be. It isn’t now.

Why Being a Great Coach Is No Longer Enough in 2025

There’s still a common belief floating around the coaching world:

“If I’m great at what I do, the clients will come.”

Cute. But false.

That may have worked in 2010 when online coaching was new, and your only competition was Karen from yoga teacher training.

But fast-forward to 2025, and coaching is a US$7.3 billion global industry with over 167,000+ active coaches worldwide. And they’re all fighting for attention. Every. Single. Day.

So if you’re sitting there wondering:

“Why am I not signing more clients when I’m actually good?”
“Isn’t delivering great results enough?”
“Do I really need to do the marketing stuff?”

Being great is the starting point now, not the strategy.

To build a sustainable business, you need to be brilliant and visible. Results-driven and clear in your messaging. Ethical and consistent with your marketing.

Let’s dig into what’s changed and what to do instead.

The Coaching Industry by the Numbers (AKA: Why This Matters)

Just in case you’re still on the fence, here’s what the numbers say:

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Translation?
More money, more coaches, and a sharper spotlight on those who can market, scale, and deliver not just talk about it.

Coaching Then vs Now: What’s Actually Changed?

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Bottom line: being “good” isn’t special anymore. It’s assumed.

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The Two Coaches That Don’t Survive

1. The World’s Best-Kept Secret

This coach is incredible at what they do, but no one knows. Why?

Because their messaging is vague. Their content is forgettable. They assume people “just get it.” They rely on referrals instead of reach.

This is what Sarah Raanan calls the Expertise Paradox:

You’re so good at your thing, you forget how to explain it to someone who’s never heard of it before.

And if potential clients don’t understand what you do?
They’ll never pay you to do it.

No marketing = no visibility = no leads.

Which is why 81% of coaches fail in the first 2–3 years. Not because they’re bad at coaching, but because they’re invisible.

2. The Marketer With No Substance

This coach is the opposite. Slick branding. Viral content. Enquiries flying in.

But once the client signs up? Meh delivery. No structure. No accountability. No real transformation.

And in a review-heavy, trust-driven world, your rep tanks fast.

High churn. Bad word-of-mouth. And eventually, a house of cards collapses.

Marketing matters. But so does what happens after the sale.

So, What Does Work in 2025?

Let’s stop with the extremes. You don’t need to be Gary Vee or a silent genius.

Here’s what actually works now:

✅ Hyper-Specialisation

No more “I help people improve their lives.”
Your niche needs to be painfully specific.

“I help early-career PTs sign their first 10 clients without cold DMs.”

“I help busy mums rebuild their confidence through 3x/week strength training in 20-minute blocks.”

If your offer can be mistaken for 10,000 other coaches? Start over.

✅ Scalable Delivery

You’ll burn out trying to fill a calendar with 25+ 1:1 calls each week. And frankly, you won’t grow.

Shift to:

Group coaching
Memberships
Hybrid models
Digital products
Systems that work when you’re not working

Time freedom doesn’t come from raising prices. It comes from scaling delivery.

✅ Marketing as a Core Skill

If you’re still treating content as optional, your business will always rely on hope.

Marketing in 2025 isn’t about flashy hooks. It’s about trust.
It’s about being so clear and consistent that your ideal clients know you’re the coach for them before you even speak.

That means:

Clear POV
Strong storytelling
Problem-solving content
Smart nurturing systems (DMs, emails, automation)

✅ Outcome-Driven Coaching

You don’t need a fancy signature framework.
You do need results.

Clients want quick wins and certainty.

Do this by tracking outcomes and building systems around them.

Real-Life Proof: Josh Hill & Sophia Harris

Let’s bring this home with two real coaches who aren’t “hypotheticals” they’re inside the Strong Collective Mentoring community.

🔥 Josh Hill

Josh once sold his car to pay rent.
Now? He’s built a £20k+/month nutrition business using a group model and membership that helps hundreds of clients without burning out, relying on Reels, or DMing strangers every day.

He even brought family into the business.

What changed?
→ A scalable offer
→ Consistent lead flow
→ Clear messaging

Hear what Josh says here

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⚡ Sophia Harris

Sophia had a 1:1 model and inconsistent enquiries. Since SCM?

She launched a community programme that sold out in 2 minutes.
Built a team of coaches to deliver with her.
Filled the next round within two weeks.

She's not hustling anymore. She’s leading a system that scales.

What changed?
→ Lead ecosystem
→ Offer positioning
→ Belief in doing it her way

Hear more from Sophia here

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