There are a million coaches out there. Scroll LinkedIn for 30 seconds and you'll see ten of them posting about morning routines and "mindset shifts."
The coaching space is saturated. Standing out feels impossible. Everyone has the same certifications, the same testimonials, the same "transform your life" promises.
And yet. Some coaches have full practices with waitlists. They don't chase clients. Clients come to them.
What's different? The clients find them before they even start looking.
The new way clients discover coaches
Here's what's happening right now. Someone is sitting at their desk, frustrated with their career, their business, their life direction. They open ChatGPT.
"I'm a tech executive thinking about leaving corporate to start my own thing. I need a coach who's helped people through this transition. Who should I talk to?"
ChatGPT gives them two or three names. With reasons. "You might want to consider [coach name] because they specialize in helping tech executives transition to entrepreneurship and have guided several founders through that exact move."
That person doesn't open Google. They don't scroll through marketplace listings. They don't compare 47 coach profiles. They reach out to the names AI gave them.
Are you one of those names?
Why most coaches are invisible
AI can only recommend coaches it knows about and can differentiate. Most coaches make both of those impossible.
Your website says "I'm a life coach who helps people achieve their goals and live their best lives." That describes literally every coach. AI has no reason to recommend you specifically over any of the thousands of others saying the same thing.
You haven't created content that explains your actual methodology. AI doesn't know what you do differently or why it works.
You look identical to everyone else. And when everyone looks the same, no one gets recommended.
The specialization game
Generic coaches don't get recommended. Specialized coaches do.
"Life coach" is a category with a million people in it. "Coach who helps tech executives transition from corporate roles to entrepreneurship" is a specific answer to a specific question.
When someone asks that exact question, the specialized coach matches. The generic life coach doesn't.
This feels limiting. You might think "but I can help lots of different people!" Sure. But when you try to appeal to everyone, you appeal to no one. AI can't recommend you for a specific situation because you haven't claimed one.
Pick your niche. The coaches with full practices didn't get there by being everything to everyone.
What makes AI actually recommend a coach
A documented methodology AI can understand and cite.
"I help people achieve transformation" is vague. "My framework takes clients through four stages: clarity, strategy, execution, and integration. In the clarity phase, we..." is specific.
When you document your approach, AI can explain why someone might want to work with you. Without that, it has nothing to say beyond your generic positioning.
Proof that you're real and good at this.
Client testimonials with specific results. "Before working with Sarah, I was stuck. Now I've launched my business and hit $10k months." That's proof AI can cite.
Podcast appearances where you discuss your approach. Guest posts. Speaking engagements. Media features. Book or course credentials. Every piece of proof strengthens AI's confidence that you're worth recommending.
Clarity everywhere AI looks.
Your website, LinkedIn, bios, anywhere you appear online. Is your positioning consistent? If your website says "executive coach" but your LinkedIn says "helping entrepreneurs thrive," AI gets confused about what to recommend you for.
Pick your positioning. Use it everywhere. Make it impossible for AI to misunderstand what you do.
The prompts that actually bring clients
Focus on prompts where someone is ready to hire a coach, not just curious about coaching.
"Best coach for [your specific specialty]" is someone shopping. "[Your specialty] coach recommendations" is someone looking for names. "I need a coach who specializes in [your niche]" is someone with intent to hire.
These matter. "What is life coaching" doesn't matter. Someone asking that isn't hiring anyone.
Track the prompts where a recommendation turns into a discovery call.
Standing out in the crowded coaching market
The coaching marketplace platforms aggregate coaches and compete on price. You're one of 500 profiles. Clients sort by rate and availability.
But those platforms don't control AI recommendations. A coach with strong personal AI visibility bypasses them entirely. When AI recommends you directly by name, the marketplace is irrelevant.
You don't have to compete with 500 other profiles. You just have to be the specific answer to a specific question.
Building this without becoming a content machine
You became a coach to coach, not to create content full-time. I get it.
Start with your positioning. Get crystal clear on who you help and with what specific transformation. This is the foundation everything else builds on.
Then create one cornerstone piece. Your methodology explained. The framework you use. The stages of transformation you guide clients through. Make it comprehensive enough that AI would want to reference it.
Get testimonials on your website. Ask past clients to speak specifically about results. "Sarah changed my life" is nice. "Before working with Sarah, I was stuck in a VP role I hated. Six months later, I'd launched my business and signed my first three clients" is something AI can cite.
Track where you stand. Use Mentionable to see which prompts mention you and which ones don't. Know where to focus.
That's it. You don't need to post daily. You need a clear position, one definitive piece of content, and proof you deliver results.
The opportunity nobody's talking about
While other coaches fight for attention on social media algorithms and compete for marketplace visibility, a different channel is opening up.
People are increasingly asking AI for recommendations. They're getting names. They're reaching out directly.
The coaches who build AI visibility now will capture clients that competitors never see. Not because they market harder. Because they're the answer when someone asks the right question.
That could be you. But only if AI knows to recommend you.
Start with a 7-day free trial. See where you stand on the prompts that matter. Then build from there.