If you’re a health or nutrition coach who’s tired of your DMs being filled with people asking for free advice but ghosting the second you mention your rates, let’s have an honest conversation.

You don’t need more “engagement.”

You don’t need another reel that gets 5,000 views.

And you definitely don’t need to lower your prices or hustle harder.

What you need is to stop attracting freebie seekers and start positioning your coaching offer for high-value clients who see your worth, respect your expertise, and are ready to pay for support.

So, let’s dig into why your current messaging might be attracting the wrong people, how to flip that dynamic, and exactly how to reposition your content and offer to pull in clients who are ready, willing, and able to invest.

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Why You’re Attracting Freebie Seekers (Even If You’re Doing “All the Right Things”)

I’ve worked with hundreds of coaches who are passionate, educated, and committed to delivering life-changing results.

However, they’re stuck having the same frustrating experience over and over again:

“People always say they love my content, but then ask if I offer free discovery calls or low-cost options. It’s like they just want handouts.”

Sound familiar?

This doesn’t mean your business is broken or that people are “cheap.”

It just means there’s a disconnect between the way you’re showing up and the type of client you want to attract.

Because here’s the truth: you train your audience how to treat you—and your content plays a huge role in that.

If your messaging is vague, your offer is unclear, and your presence is more friendly than expert, you’re going to draw in people who see you more as a wellness buddy than a paid professional.

So let’s change that.

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First, Get Clear on Who Your High-Value Clients Are

Before you can attract high-value clients, you need to define who they actually are.

A “high-value” client isn’t just someone with money. It’s someone who:

• Deeply values your expertise

• Respects your time, boundaries, and process

• Follows through on what they commit to

• Is emotionally and financially ready to invest in transformation

• Wants a solution, not just free tips

These clients aren’t unicorns. But they are selective.

They’re looking for someone who clearly understands their problem, has a proven solution, and can guide them with confidence.

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Why Freebie Seekers Feel Safe—but Don’t Convert

Most freebie seekers aren’t trying to take advantage of you. They’re just not your people yet.

They’re often:

• Still in the information-gathering phase

• Burned out from investing in programs that didn’t work

• Nervous about spending money without a guaranteed result

• Not fully aware of how deep their problem really goes

Your job is not to convince them.

Your job is to create content and offers that naturally filter them out, so you can create space for clients who are actually ready.

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The #1 Shift: From Friendly Content to Authority-Driven Messaging

Here’s where a lot of practitioners go wrong:

You’re trying to be helpful.

Showing up with tips, recipes, advice, maybe even Q&A sessions.

You’re making fun, relatable reels.

You’re engaging, consistent, and generous with your knowledge.

And that’s great—but it’s not enough.

Because that kind of content positions you as approachable, but not as the expert they should invest in.

If you’re always in “friend zone” content mode, you’re going to attract people who treat you like a friend, not an expert service provider.

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How to Shift Your Content to Attract High-Value Clients

1. Lead With the Pain and the Transformation

First thing to remember is that high-value clients are problem-aware. They’re not searching for free meal plans.

They’re searching for why their body feels broken—and who can help them fix it.

Stop centering your content on general wellness education and start speaking to the urgent, emotional, frustrating experiences they’re having right now.

Examples:

❌ “Here are 3 reasons to eat more protein.”

✅ “If you’re eating clean, working out, and still gaining weight, you’re not broken. Here’s what’s likely going on…”

Your audience doesn’t need another wellness tip. They need to feel seen.

2. Speak to Their Buying Triggers

Your high-value client is not driven by features. They’re driven by results and relief.

So your job is to answer the questions in their head:

• “Can she help me?”

• “Does she understand what I’m going through?”

• “Is this going to be worth the investment?”

• “Will this actually work for me?”

When your content answers those questions with clarity and confidence, objections start to melt away.

3. Create Content Around Your Paying Clients’ Experience, Not Just Your DMs

One mistake I see often is coaches creating content based on conversations with people who haven’t bought anything.

But freebie seekers don’t tell you what your best clients need. Your paying clients do.

So look back at your recent paying clients.

What were they struggling with when they came to you? The reasons that convinced them to buy? What language did they use?

Use that language in your content.

4. Drop the Free Advice, Tease the Transformation

If your content is jam-packed with how-to guidance, you’re training your audience to expect free value without paying for your time.

Instead, shift to this formula:

• Call out the problem

• Validate the frustration

• Explain why typical solutions don’t work

• Point to your process as the solution

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Example:

“If your hormones are out of whack and your doctor says everything looks normal, you’re not imagining it. Most tests miss the early signs. That’s why, in my 1:1 program, we use functional labs to uncover what’s really going on so you can feel like yourself again.”

See how we’re not giving away the protocol? We’re inviting them to take the next step.

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Reposition Your Offer: From Helpful to High-Ticket

Additionally, it’s not just your content that needs a shift. Your offer also needs to reflect the level of transformation you provide.

Here’s how to position your offer to attract serious buyers:

1. Clarify the Tangible Outcome

People don’t buy coaching. They buy results.

Instead of saying:

• “You’ll get a GI MAP, HTMA, and 6 coaching calls”

Say:

• “You’ll finally understand why your body won’t lose weight, and create a personalized plan that actually works, even if you’ve already tried everything else.”

Your clients are buying the result, not the roadmap.

2. Use Social Proof Strategically

Freebie seekers often don’t believe coaching really works. But a high-value client wants to know: Can you do this for someone like me?

This is where client results, testimonials, and transformation stories come in.

Talk about real client wins like:

• “My client had tried 5 programs and still wasn’t losing weight. We ran labs, found a parasite, and she lost 15 pounds in 6 weeks after treatment without even changing her diet.”

Stories like this prove your expertise and plant belief that your offer is worth the investment.

3. Include “Even If” Language in Your Offer Description

Just like in your content, using “even if” in your offer copy helps high-value clients feel seen.

Example:

“This program is for women over 45 who want to lose 30–50 pounds, even if your doctor said everything is normal, you’ve already tried every diet, or you feel like your body is broken.”

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Want to Stop Freebie Seekers? Set Boundaries with Your Free Content

It’s okay to be generous. But make sure your free content has boundaries.

Here’s how:

✅ Create content that inspires curiosity, not implementation.

Think what and why, not how.

Example:

“Why you’re exhausted by 3pm every day, and how it’s sabotaging your weight loss (and what we do about it in my program).”

Note that you’re not telling them what to eat or supplement. Instead, you’re making them curious enough to want to hire you.

✅ Stop offering endless “quick tips.”

Replace “here are 5 things to try” with “Here’s why your old approach isn’t working, and what to do instead (when you’re ready for real change).”

✅ Ditch “book a free call” language (unless you love tire-kickers)

Instead of inviting people to a vague discovery call, position your sales call as a step in a premium process.

Try:

“Apply to work with me, I have limited spots for women ready to solve their weight loss resistance once and for all.”

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How to Audit Your Own Content for Freebie-Seeker Energy

Ask yourself:

• Am I giving away too much “how” without inviting them to the “what now?

• Am I centering the client’s problem and transformation, or just sharing random tips?

• Do I sound like a trusted expert… or a really helpful friend?

And most importantly:

Am I creating content based on what my paying clients care about… or based on what random people are commenting in my DMs?

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Real Talk: You Don’t Have to “Fix” Freebie Seekers

You are not here to rescue people who “can’t afford” you. Not here to convince, cajole, or coach people into readiness.

You are here to serve the people who are already looking for someone like you and are ready to go.

And those people? They need you to show up as the expert you are.

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What to Say in the DMs (Without Getting Stuck Coaching for Free)

If someone messages you asking for a tip, a suggestion, or a quick fix, here’s what to say:

“That’s exactly what I help my clients with inside my [program name]. If you’re ready to dive in and actually solve this, I’d love to learn more about what’s going on and see if we’re a good fit. Want me to send you the application link?”

Simple. Respectful. Professional.

You don’t owe anyone free coaching just because they follow you.

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The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything

If you’re still holding back because you’re afraid to repel people, let me lovingly tell you:

You have to repel to attract.

Freebie seekers aren’t bad people. But they’re not who you built your business for.

You built your business to help people who are serious about change.

Who are tired of wasting time and ready to invest in results.

Who want someone who leads with confidence and clarity.

That’s you.

So stop watering down your message. Stop over-teaching. Stop hoping the tire-kickers suddenly convert.

And start showing up for the people who are already looking for you.

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Final Thoughts: Build Your Business on Aligned Clients, Not Volume

You don’t need a huge audience. No need to go viral. You don’t need to convince strangers that your offer is worth it.

You just need to speak directly to the right people, with the right message, at the right time.

And you do that by:

• Speaking to one clear problem

• Showing the outcome you help people achieve

• Sharing client wins and transformation stories

• Using your offer as the next logical step

• Holding strong boundaries with your free content

The truth is, the more you show up like the coach people want to invest in, the fewer freebie seekers you’ll attract.

Because high-value clients know a leader when they see one… and they’re just waiting for you to show them you’re it.

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Ready to Attract Clients Who Are Ready to Buy?

If you’re done attracting freebie seekers and want to consistently enroll premium clients, I’d love to help you refine your messaging, optimize your offer, and show up with strategic, intentional visibility.

DM me on Instagram @lauraschoenfeldrd or apply to work with me and let’s build a business that supports you and your dream clients.

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