The Lies That Are Killing Your Coaching Business
And How to Finally Start Converting
10X Conversions #39
Welcome to 10X Conversions—your weekly dose of insights and strategies helping coaches, course creators, consultants, and their teams consistently achieve higher conversions, maximize ROI, and close more sales.
You followed the advice.
You built the funnel, showed up consistently, and even invested in the tools and programs the experts swore by.
You did the work.
But you’re still stuck.
Leads trickle in.
Sales stay flat.
And the question that starts whispering in your head is the one that cuts the deepest: “Is it me?”
I’ve seen this play out too many times.
Smart, capable coaches start doubting their skills.
They burn time and money chasing broken systems.
They think they’re doing something wrong when in fact, they’re just following the wrong advice.
Not all marketing advice is harmful.
But the advice that gets repeated the most often?
The loudest stuff in your feed?
That’s what we need to question.
Because a lot of what’s sold to coaches as “proven strategy” is recycled, decontextualized, or copied from people who never built what they teach.
This post breaks down six lies that keep coaches stuck and kill conversions.
You’ve likely heard them. Maybe even followed them. I did too.
This isn’t a teardown. It’s a reckoning.
Let’s start with the one that looks the most polished on the surface and causes the most confusion underneath.
1. The Lie of the Perfect Funnel
It usually starts with a story.
A coach scales to ₹10 lakhs a month.
Their funnel runs on autopilot.
Their cold leads book calls like clockwork.
And then the pitch: “This funnel made me ₹50 lakhs in 6 months. Copy it exactly. It works.”
So you follow the steps.
The funnel’s in place.
The emails are written.
The ads are running.
But nothing’s clicking. Or worse, the leads that come in don’t convert at all.
You double-check everything.
It looks fine on the surface. So what’s going wrong?
Here’s what they didn’t tell you: Funnels aren’t plug-and-play.
They’re not templates.
They’re ecosystems.
And if your message, offer, or audience is even slightly different from theirs, the results won’t just vary.
They’ll collapse.
What Works Instead
The best funnels are grounded in real buyer behavior.
You can still use automation.
You can still build sequences and landing pages.
But they need to match how your audience actually moves from awareness to action.
For some, that starts with conversations.
For others, it might be a short workshop or a warm referral loop.
In some cases, high-trust, low-scale selling outperforms even the most polished funnel.
There’s no perfect funnel.
Only one that fits your offer, your voice, and your audience’s buying stage.
Try This:
Before tweaking your funnel, map out the exact steps your last three paying clients took before buying.
Notice what they needed, when they reached out, and how they decided.
Build from that.
2. The Lie That Constant Content = Clients
“Post value every day.” “Be visible.” “Stay consistent.”
You’ve heard this from every angle.
So you start posting.
You teach.
You give insights.
You share behind-the-scenes lessons.
You do everything you’re supposed to.
And for a while, it seems to be working.
People engage.
They comment.
They say, “This is so helpful.”
But when it’s time to sell, the silence sets in.
Because no one told you the whole truth.
Posting helpful content doesn’t guarantee demand.
It doesn’t mean people are ready to buy.
And it definitely doesn’t mean your offer is positioned to convert.
What Works Instead
Content should help people move, not just nod along.
That doesn’t mean every post needs to sell.
But it does mean you need a strategy that blends belief-shifting, objection-handling, and offer positioning into your regular flow.
That means telling stories where your audience sees themselves.
It means writing posts that surface objections and dissolve them gently.
It means offering a next step, clearly and consistently, not just once a month when you launch.
You don’t need to be everywhere.
You don’t need to create for hours a day.
You just need content that speaks to the right person at the right stage with the right message.
Information builds visibility. But conversions come from direction.
Try This
Write one post this week that speaks to a decision your ideal client is avoiding.
Not a tip.
Not a lesson.
A truth that makes them pause.
End it with a soft invitation, not a pitch.
3. The Lie of Copy-Paste Scripts
It feels like a relief at first.
You get access to a high-ticket program.
Inside, there’s a vault full of templates.
DM scripts. Sales call frameworks. Webinar outlines.
You’re told, “Just follow this. Say this. Send this.”
No need to figure it out. Just plug and play.
You follow the plan. You use the lines.
But something feels off.
You sound like someone else.
The responses don’t land.
You’re mid-way through a call, reading a sentence, wondering, “Is this really how I talk?”
What Works Instead
Study scripts to learn the structure.
Use them to understand flow, transitions, and objection handling.
But then, rebuild the language.
Base it on your experience. Use stories from your clients. Speak the way your buyers speak.
Drop the clever lines and choose honest ones.
Great copy doesn’t sound like copy.
It sounds like a conversation that couldn’t be ignored.
And that kind of writing doesn’t come from a vault.
It comes from listening, testing, and saying what you really mean.
Try This
Pick one DM or call script you've used.
Rewrite the first three lines using your natural voice and words your clients actually use. Say it out loud. If it feels like you, you're getting close.
4. The Lie That Selling Is Manipulative
You didn’t become a coach to pressure people.
You’re not here to push. You want to help.
And you’ve probably heard this line more than once: “Serve. Don’t sell.”
So you give.
You teach. You write helpful content. You show up with generosity.
You hope people will see your value.
That when they’re ready, they’ll reach out.
But time passes, and not much happens.
You’re visible. You’re consistent.
But conversions are still low. The advice felt safe. It also kept you stuck.
What Works Instead
If your offer can solve a real problem, the most generous thing you can do is help someone step into it.
That doesn’t require pressure. It requires clarity.
Tell people how you help.
Show them who it’s for and who it’s not for.
Let them see what life looks like on the other side.
And then invite them to take that step.
With respect. With certainty. With care.
The best sales don’t feel like persuasion. They feel like relief.
You don’t have to manipulate anyone. But you do have to lead.
Try This
Next time you write about your offer, focus on painting a clear picture of what life will be like after the transformation.
Don’t sell the process.
Describe the outcome your clients want but struggle to articulate.
5. The Lie That You Can Automate Trust
This one sounds smart. It feels efficient.
You set up your funnel. Write the emails. Build the lead magnet.
Plug it all into your email tool. And tell yourself, “Now I can focus on delivery.”
It all runs in the background.
The automation is working.
But the results don’t come. Leads don’t respond. Nobody clicks.
You check the funnel technically, and everything appears to be fine.
And yet it feels cold.
What Works Instead
Build connection manually before you try to scale it.
Talk to people. Ask what’s holding them back.
Run a live session and see what questions come up.
Send plain text emails that invite real replies.
Once you understand what resonates, then you can automate around it.
Then you can build a follow-up that feels personal.
Then your funnel reflects conversations you’ve already had, not messages you hope will work.
You don’t need to abandon automation.
You just need to stop expecting it to create something it cannot.
Trust doesn’t come from sequences. It comes from showing up in a way that feels real.
Try This
Send a short email to your list asking one question:
“What’s the biggest thing holding you back from [the result you help with]?”
Watch what comes in. That’s where trust begins.
6. The Lie That It’s a Mindset Problem
You’ve tried everything.
You built the funnel. You posted the content. You showed up.
You sold, even when it felt uncomfortable.
But it didn’t work. Not the way it was supposed to.
And the advice you get?
“Your mindset must be the issue.”
“You’re in scarcity.”
“You’re not aligned.”
“You need to believe harder.”
At first, it sounds encouraging.
It feels empowering to think the solution is within your control.
But over time, that message wears you down.
Because the more you try to shift your mindset, the more you feel like the failure must be you.
What Works Instead
Start by separating your effort from your approach.
Ask better questions:
Is this strategy suited for the stage I’m in?
Do I truly understand what my buyer is afraid of, hoping for, and ready to act on?
Am I trying to sell something that’s not positioned to be sold yet?
These are not mindset questions.
They are business questions. They won’t feel as inspiring.
But they will move you forward.
You can still do the mindset work.
You can still coach yourself through the resistance.
But do it with a clear view of what’s tactical and what’s emotional.
Mindset is not the whole problem.
It’s one part of a much larger picture.
When your strategy is sound, your confidence grows naturally.
Not because you forced a shift, but because you finally see progress.
Try This
Instead of journaling about abundance, spend 15 minutes reviewing your last 5 calls or inquiries.
What patterns do you see?
Fixing what’s real often quiets the mindset noise.
Conclusion: The Playbook Was the Problem
You didn’t fall short.
You followed advice that wasn’t built for your business.
The funnel didn’t match your buyer’s readiness.
The script wasn’t in your voice.
The strategy came from someone with a different context entirely.
But it was sold as universal.
So when it didn’t work, you turned inward and blamed yourself.
It’s time to shift that story.
You don’t need to create more content or learn another sales trick.
You don’t need to tweak your mindset until it bends.
You need clarity.
About who you help, how they make decisions, and how to build trust before asking for the sale.
You can grow a coaching business that converts without pretending, pushing, or burning out.
But only when your method fits your message, your offer, and your market.
That’s what we explore here inside 10XConversions.
And this is where your reset begins.