201: What New Consultants Need to Know to Get Their Consulting Business Off the Ground with Joanna Lott

In this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Consultant Podcast, I spoke to Joanna Lott about the realities of building a coaching or consulting business from the ground up.

We explored the challenges new entrepreneurs face, from defining a niche and mastering marketing to overcoming visibility fears and developing a strong money mindset. Joanna also shared practical advice on leveraging personal connections, adapting to client needs, and embracing the messy, rewarding journey of entrepreneurship. 

Whether you’re just starting out or refining your approach, this episode offers actionable insights for growing a thriving consulting business.

In This Episode: 

[00:00:00] Joanna shares her background and motivation for helping coaches.

[00:01:17] Discussion about the gap between coach training and actually building a business, and the misleading promises from training organizations.

[00:03:21] Joanna describes the shock new coaches face regarding marketing, sales, and the importance of niching.

[00:05:20] Clarifying the focus on executive and corporate-facing coaching, and the dual audience of organizations and individuals.

[00:09:15] Advice on aligning marketing messages to organizational pain points and the importance of targeting decision-makers.

[00:11:45] Joanna’s advice on choosing a specialism, researching organizational needs, and being open in client conversations.

[00:15:10] Discussing the discomfort around sales, visibility, and the money mindset issues new coaches face.

[00:17:17] The value of reaching out to existing contacts for leads, and the vulnerability involved in doing so.

[00:21:00] Stories about landing first contracts, learning to ask about budgets, and the evolution of pricing confidence.

[00:23:58] The importance of being willing to fail, adapt, and learn from missed opportunities in proposal and offer development.

[00:25:16] Encouragement to embrace high-ticket pricing and the reality that there’s no single “right” answer in new service creation.

[00:28:36] The role of resilience in entrepreneurship, celebrating growth milestones, and the emotional rollercoaster of early business.

[00:31:58] Recognizing that business growth takes time, and the need to persist through uncertainty and discomfort.

[00:34:40] Stories of how both hosts’ businesses changed over time, and the importance of letting your brand and offers evolve.

[00:38:38] Practical advice for new coaches.

Key Takeaways:

• Visibility, sales resistance, and money mindset are the biggest hurdles. Getting over the fear of being seen and learning to confidently price your services are non-negotiables if you want to grow.
• Many high-value corporate contracts begin with a simple message to a past colleague. Be clear, be specific and always end with a question, not a full stop.
• Successful proposals start with curiosity. Don’t cling too tightly to a pre-planned offer - let conversations with organizations shape what you deliver and how you position it.

Quotes: 

“The heartbreaking thing is that people just don’t buy freedom or having a great life. They don’t buy coaching. They buy the result that they want.” - Joanna Lott

“I find clients get very attached to their offer. … If they just take a step back and really, really listen in those conversations, they could gain more opportunities. Because if you're trying to only pitch your one little offer that you've got in your head that you want to sell, it's really tricky. Get the other person talking as much as possible as to what their challenges are, and then essentially use your coaching skills to reflect everything you heard and decide at that point, if that's something that you want to offer or not.” - Joanna Lott

“So I think it is being willing to learn and fail in public in front of people that perhaps you used to know. And yeah, not always knowing the right answers… There is no one right figure that’s going to mean you are 100% guaranteed to get this contract.” - Joanna Lott

“We can only learn in the trenches, in the sandbox, by getting our hands and feet dirty. That’s the way it has to be.” - Jessica Fearnley

“I often find those conversations that I get my clients having have a really fruitful outcome in terms of leads and sales. Even this year, I’ve got several clients who’ve made multi six-figure deals just by phoning up people that they’ve known for 20 or 30 years. It’s such a quick win, but that can be such an uncomfortable thing to do because all of these things come up, like, ‘who am I to ask for this?’” - Jessica Fearnley

 

Useful Links

Joanna: 

JoannaLottCoaching.com

2025 Success Planner for Coaches

Women in the Coaching Arena Podcast

Jessica:

Buy Jessica’s book, Too Much, on Amazon

Get in touch with Jessica to discuss your consulting business

Leave a rating and review for the Seven Figure Consultant Podcast

Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn

 

Guest Bio

Joanna Lott is a business coach who helps qualified coaches attract clients with honesty, not hype.

As the host of The Women in the Coaching Arena, a top 2.5% globally ranked show, she provides practical strategies to help coaches grow thriving, sustainable businesses.

With a track record of successfully selling executive, career and business coaching services to both organisations and individuals, Joanna has now supported hundreds of coaches in building profitable, integrity-driven businesses through strategic marketing.

She is an ICF Associate Certified Coach and holds an ILM Level 7 Certificate in Executive Coaching & Mentoring, bringing a wealth of practical experience and professional expertise to her work.