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If you're a coach, you already know the problem: leads come in, you get busy, follow-up falls through the cracks, and money walks out the door.

The average coach loses 60–80% of potential clients simply because they didn't follow up fast enough or consistently enough. That's not a sales problem — it's a systems problem.

GoHighLevel (GHL) is the answer. It's a CRM built specifically for coaches, consultants, and service businesses, and when configured correctly, it can automate the entire journey from "I'm interested" to "I'm ready to buy" — without you lifting a finger.

Here are the 5 automations every coach should have running in their business right now.

Automation 1: Instant Lead Capture + SMS Welcome Sequence

What it does:
The moment someone fills out a form on your website, books a discovery call, or downloads a lead magnet, GHL captures their info and immediately sends a personalized SMS and email welcoming them.

Why it matters:
Speed to lead is everything. Research shows that responding within 5 minutes makes you 100x more likely to convert a lead than waiting an hour. This automation ensures you never miss that window.

How to set it up:

1. Create a form in GHL (or embed one on your website)

2. Build a workflow that triggers when the form is submitted

3. Add an SMS action: "Hey [First Name], thanks for reaching out! I'm excited to help you with [their goal]. Check your email for next steps — and feel free to reply here if you have questions."

4. Add an email action with a welcome message, brief intro to your coaching, and a CTA to book a call

Pro tip: Personalize the SMS with a custom field from the form (e.g., their biggest challenge). People respond to specificity.

Automation 2: Abandoned Booking Recovery

What it does:
If someone starts booking a call on your calendar but doesn't finish, GHL automatically follows up to nudge them back.

Why it matters:
40% of people who start a booking process don't complete it. They get distracted, second-guess themselves, or lose the tab. One text or email can recover that lost opportunity.

How to set it up:

1. In GHL, create a workflow triggered by "Calendar booking started but not completed"

2. Set a 30-minute delay

3. Send an SMS: "Hey [First Name], I noticed you were about to book a call — did something come up? If you have questions before booking, just reply here. Otherwise, here's the link again: [calendar link]"

4. Follow up with an email 24 hours later if they still haven't booked

Pro tip: Add social proof to the follow-up email — a quick testimonial or case study result to reinforce trust.

Automation 3: Pre-Call Prep Sequence

What it does:
After someone books a call, GHL sends a series of messages leading up to the appointment — confirming the time, sharing what to prepare, and delivering value in advance.

Why it matters:
Pre-framing the call increases show-up rates by 25–35% and primes prospects to say yes. You're also positioning yourself as organized and professional before you even get on Zoom.

How to set it up:

1. Trigger: Calendar appointment booked

2. Immediate confirmation SMS: "You're all set! Our call is on [Date] at [Time]. I'll send a Zoom link 10 minutes before. Looking forward to it!"

3. 48 hours before: Email with "3 Questions to Think About Before Our Call" (make them self-reflective — gets them bought into the outcome)

4. 1 hour before: SMS reminder with Zoom link and "See you in an hour!"

Pro tip: Include a short video (30–60 seconds) introducing yourself in the 48-hour email. It humanizes the interaction and builds rapport before the call.

Automation 4: Post-Call Follow-Up + Proposal Delivery

What it does:
After a sales call ends, GHL automatically sends a recap email, a proposal or pricing link, and schedules a follow-up sequence if they don't respond.

Why it matters:
Most coaches lose deals in the silence after the call. The prospect says "I'll think about it," you wait politely, and they ghost. This automation keeps the momentum going without being pushy.

How to set it up:

1. Manually trigger this workflow after each call (or use a Zapier integration if you're tracking call outcomes in another tool)

2. Immediate email: "Great talking with you today, [First Name]. Here's a quick recap of what we discussed and the next steps: [summary]. Here's the link to move forward: [proposal/payment link]"

3. 48 hours later (if no response): "Hey [First Name], just wanted to follow up on our call. Do you have any questions I can answer? Happy to jump on a quick 10-minute call if helpful."

4. 5 days later (if still no response): "I know you're busy — just wanted to make sure this didn't fall off your radar. If the timing isn't right, no worries. Let me know if I should circle back in a few weeks."

Pro tip: Use GHL's pipeline feature to visually track where each prospect is (interested → proposal sent → closed). Automation only works if you're also managing the human side strategically.

Automation 5: Long-Term Nurture for "Not Ready Yet" Leads

What it does:
Not everyone is ready to buy right now. This automation keeps you top-of-mind with valuable emails every 2–4 weeks until they are ready.

Why it matters:
The average buying cycle for coaching is 30–90 days. If you give up after one "no," you're leaving money on the table. A nurture sequence keeps you in their inbox without manual effort.

How to set it up:

1. Create a tag in GHL called "Nurture" and apply it to anyone who expressed interest but didn't buy

2. Build an email sequence (6–10 emails over 3–6 months):

   • Email 1: Quick case study or success story

   • Email 2: Educational content (blog post, YouTube video)

   • Email 3: Soft CTA — "Still thinking about [goal]? Let's chat."

   • Email 4: Objection-handling content (common myths, FAQs)

   • Email 5: Testimonial spotlight

   • Email 6: Limited-time offer or new program announcement

3. Space emails 10–14 days apart

4. If they reply or click a link, trigger a workflow to alert you to follow up personally

Pro tip: Don't make every email a pitch. 80% value, 20% selling. Build trust first.

Bonus: The "Referral Request" Automation

What it does:
30 days after someone becomes a client (or finishes working with you), GHL automatically asks for a referral or testimonial.

Why it matters:
Happy clients are your best marketing — but you have to ask. This automation does it for you at the exact right time (when results are fresh and excitement is high).

How to set it up:

1. Trigger: 30 days after a "Client Won" tag is applied in GHL

2. Send an email: "Hey [First Name], it's been a month since we started working together — how are things going? If you've seen results you're excited about, I'd love to feature your story. And if you know anyone else who could benefit, I'd be grateful for the intro."

3. Include a link to leave a video or written testimonial (Loom or Google Form)

Final Thoughts

These 5 automations are the foundation of a lead generation machine that works 24/7. You set them up once, and they run forever — capturing leads, booking calls, closing deals, and nurturing relationships without you spending hours in your inbox.

GoHighLevel is powerful, but only if you actually use it. If you're a coach sitting on a GHL account and not running these workflows, you're leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table every year.

Need help setting this up? At Farsight Studio, we build, configure, and optimize GoHighLevel systems for coaches who want to focus on coaching — not tech. Book a free strategy call, and let's build your automation engine.