Building Trust and Value in Coaching: The Key to Long-Term Client Retention

Building Trust and Value in Coaching: The Key to Long-Term Client Retention

Online coaching is growing rapidly, offering more opportunities for clients and greater accessibility for coaches than ever before. However, while the medium has changed, many of the core challenges remain the same: namely, client acquisition, retention, and pricing. In fact, these issues can be even more difficult to manage in an online setting, where coaches do not benefit from the direct feedback and personal interaction that come with in-person sessions.

What sets successful online coaching businesses apart is not just marketing strategy or tech. It is relationships. Those built on trust, integrity, and a sincere commitment to helping clients achieve their goals consistently outperform the rest.

Andrew Jackson, professional barbell coach and Chief Operations Officer at Barbell Logic, shares his principles that drive long-term coaching success. His insights apply not only to fitness professionals but to any coach, regardless of their niche or service model.

The Most Important Growth Factor

Andrew highlights three critical levers that drive business growth:

1. Client Acquisition: Bringing in new clients.
2. Client Retention: Keeping clients engaged and satisfied.
3. Revenue Expansion: Offering additional services or gradually increasing rates.

What sets Andrew apart is his focus on value over volume. While most coaching business advice centers on marketing tactics to boost client acquisition, Andrew takes a different path. Instead of relying on constant outreach to make up for poor retention, he prioritizes retaining the clients he already has.

This shift in mindset is powerful. If you focus on retention, you do not need cutting-edge marketing strategies. More importantly, you will always be a better coach than you are a marketer. So, rather than investing time and energy into mastering sales funnels or paid ads, you can lean into your existing coaching strengths: delivering great results and building trust. Over time, this approach leads to a steadily growing roster, built organically and sustainably.

Online coaching, in Andrew’s model, goes far beyond just delivering workouts. He builds meaningful, long-term relationships where clients find value not only in their training plans but in the ongoing support and guidance they receive. Managing a client load of 40–50 people, his clients stay with him for an average of four years, and his personal churn rate is a remarkable 1.3%.

As COO at Barbell Logic, Andrew is responsible for ensuring operational success across a large coaching staff serving over 800 clients. The company boasts equally impressive metrics: 99.8% on-time delivery, 82.2% client consistency, and a 3.4% churn rate.

Time Management

Many coaches avoid deeply investing in each client experience because it seems too time-consuming. Instead, they opt for higher client volume. But with the right systems and time management, it is entirely possible to deliver high-touch service without burning out.

As one of the creators of Turnkey Coach, Andrew naturally leans on the platform to streamline his workflow. He tracks his time carefully and averages just four and a half hours of coaching per week. This efficiency enables him to earn over $300 per hour—all while keeping his client load manageable and his prices reasonable.

Effective time management is not about cutting corners or rushing through feedback. Andrew focused on eliminating the parts of his workflow that did not directly contribute to the client experience. By zeroing in on the most impactful tasks, he uncovered inefficiencies that were slowing him down, many of which have since been addressed within Turnkey Coach.

This focus on simplification is what allows him to deliver a deeply personalized coaching experience in far less time, without sacrificing quality.

Trust: The Heart of the Coaching Relationship

At the heart of Andrew’s coaching philosophy is trust. He believes clients do not just stay with a coach because they get results. They stay because they trust the person guiding them. That trust hinges on three key qualities: integrity, competence, and genuine care. When someone chooses to work with a coach, they are putting themselves in a vulnerable position. They are not just relying on the coach’s expertise. They are placing faith in the coach’s character and commitment to their well-being.

Andrew views trust as something fluid. It is either being built, maintained, or eroded in every interaction. Even seemingly minor actions—like showing up late to a session or overlooking a small detail in a program—can chip away at trust. On the other hand, consistency, professionalism, and sincere attention to the person behind the client strengthen trust. Taking a moment to ask about a client’s family, career, or hobbies shows that the relationship is not purely transactional. It is personal.

While some advise coaches to keep strict professional boundaries, Andrew challenges that idea. He believes that without a real relationship, coaching becomes cold and mechanical, no different from following a template or an AI-driven program.

By prioritizing meaningful connection, Andrew creates an environment where clients feel seen, supported, and valued—not just as athletes, but as people. That emotional bond is a key reason they stick around. They stay not only for the results, but because they are part of a supportive relationship that extends well beyond the training floor.

Building a Coaching Business on Trust

Trust is a long-term investment. It is the foundation of everything a coach does, requiring regular attention and care. Just like any investment, trust grows when nurtured, and the payoff is a loyal, satisfied client base.

Andrew’s model goes beyond just building a sustainable business. It grounds your work in core values like trust, integrity, and genuine human connection. These are not just ideals. They are powerful drivers of long-term success. When clients feel truly seen and supported, they stay loyal, return year after year, and actively refer others.

If your goal is long-term client retention, remember that coaching is more than just delivering a service. It means showing up as a dependable, trustworthy presence in your clients’ lives. When you prioritize meaningful relationships, you guarantee the long-term health of your business.

This material was recently covered in the Business of Coaching Workshop, a series designed to help coaches grow their businesses by mastering key principles like trust, pricing, and delivering value. Each session dives into actionable strategies to build better client relationships and drive success. Want to take your coaching practice to the next level? Join us for the next workshop—it’s free.