If you've been trying to build your coaching practice and attract clients for a while now you've probably clicked onto a common downside. It can sometimes take a lot of time and effort to move people from prospects to clients in your practice can't it? However, there's a neat short cut I'd like to share with you that will speed up the process a little.

Remember a fundamental and very basic business principle is that people do business with people they know, like and trust. The challenge is that it can take a lot of time to develop the essential knowing, liking and trusting factors. Here's a neat way to shorten the curve...

Find Strategic Alliance Partners

Who?

Find people who are already in contact with prospective clients in your target market and are already well known, liked and trusted by them. Then look for ways that you can share something that benefits all parties - your prospective client, your 'strategic alliance partner' and of course your good self.

Here are 3 things to consider about your target market. Who else is in contact with your potential clients...

1. Before they work with you - Where do potential clients in your target market go before they come to work with you?

For example, before clients come to work with me, they've most probably been trained by a coach training organization. Who do your clients go to before they come to you?

2. When they work with you - Who else serves your prospective client during the time that they work with you?

For example, a health coach may find that their clients join a health club or gym during the same time that they receive health coaching.

3. After they work with you - Where do your clients go after they have worked with you? Are there businesses that your clients naturally move onto when they've finished working with you?

For example, a relationship coach may find that their clients move on to get married (or even divorced) after they've completed a series of coaching sessions with them.

So your task is simple. Find people who are already known, liked and trusted by prospective clients you want to work with and then find ways that you can present a win-win-win deal to them. What can you create that benefits your strategic alliance partner, their clients and you too?