The following is taken from David’s interview with Philip Cohen in 10 Super Coaches.

What method did you find most effective in getting your initial clients, and what advice would you give to coaches trying this method?

Use your database. However, one important lesson I had to learn was to not prejudge the people I contacted. People who I thought couldn’t afford coaching, found a way to pay for it. “Ask and ye shall receive.” If you don’t ask, you have said “no” for the other person.

Did you coach your friends and colleagues? If so, what invitation did you use that worked best and felt good for you?

I had no problem coaching colleagues. However, I made a distinction between friends and acquaintances. I don’t like coaching friends because it’s too easy to have the relationships blend into one. I didn’t want to take the chance of losing both a client and a friend. My current coach is a close friend, however, we’ve both been coaching for a lot of years and know how to set up the relationship so there’s no problem.