The following is taken from David’s interview with Rachel Pryor in 10 Super Coaches.

What top three methods, in order, did you use to get your clients in the first 2 years?

In the first 2 years, I committed to never getting a client through my network – I wanted to start again. So I attracted media attention, and clients came through articles. It took around 3 years to have a totally self-sufficient, referral-based practice.

However, coaching is no longer ‘news’ so I would recommend that coaches get clients through doing what they enjoy – if it is speaking, writing (internet-based publications are always looking for new material), or finding more original ways to enjoy themselves and become known.

I also mentored other coaches for 5 years or so, though I made sure that I never had more than 1/3 of my practice made up of coaches, because I felt that would become unreal.