In the world of online coaching, visibility is often celebrated as victory. Coaches spend hours perfecting their content calendars, editing reels, and crafting carousels, all in the name of building their brand and attracting new clients. It’s a strategy rooted in good intentions after all, people can’t buy from you if they don’t know you exist. But there’s a critical flaw in this thinking that silently sabotages growth: too many coaches treat engagement as the end goal instead of the beginning.
Brian Mark, a multi-seven-figure entrepreneur and the author of $10 Million Instagram Funnel: The Blueprint for Online Coaches, believes that this misstep is what keeps many talented coaches stuck. According to Mark, likes, story votes, and comments should not be the finish line. Instead, they are conversion signals quiet but powerful indicators of curiosity that, if acted on correctly, can lead to meaningful conversations and ultimately, high-ticket coaching clients.
At the core of Mark’s philosophy is a simple truth: attention is not the same as intention. Just because someone double-tapped your post doesn’t mean they’re ready to buy, but it does mean they noticed you. And that awareness, when nurtured properly, can become the foundation of trust, rapport, and sales. Where most coaches stop, rejoicing over engagement stats or moving on to the next content piece, Mark sees the perfect place to start.
Imagine a follower who votes on a poll about struggling with consistency at the gym. Most coaches might appreciate the interaction and move on, unaware that this person just raised their hand. Brian Mark teaches that this kind of micro-engagement is not random. It’s a signal. A window of opportunity. And ignoring it is like walking away from a warm lead without saying a word.
What Mark recommends instead is deceptively simple. A message like, “Hey, I saw you voted on my story, what stood out to you?” opens the door to a real conversation. It shifts the dynamic from performer and audience to human and human. It allows the coach to step off the stage and into a dialogue, where connection, understanding, and trust can actually take root.
This is where Mark’s strategy becomes more than just a sales technique; it becomes a service. Rather than rushing to pitch or send a scheduling link, Mark emphasizes the importance of learning first. He calls it the “discovery phase,” where the coach asks thoughtful questions to understand the follower’s challenges, desires, and goals. Questions like “What are you currently working on in your fitness journey?” or “What’s been the hardest part about staying consistent?” aren’t just lead qualifiers; they’re bridges to empathy.
Too many coaches make the mistake of treating the DM inbox like a sales floor, when it should function more like a consultation room. Mark’s principle is clear: don’t pitch before you understand. Doing so not only weakens the trust you’re trying to build, but it also misses the mark completely. If you don’t know what a person truly wants or struggles with, how can you possibly tailor your offer in a way that resonates?
By taking time to understand the person behind the engagement, coaches can craft responses that speak directly to their needs. This approach flips the script from pushing a program to offering a solution. Instead of blasting out “Let me tell you about my coaching package,” a coach might say, “It sounds like you’ve been stuck tracking macros. A few of my clients were in the same boat—we simplified their nutrition using a daily 10-minute routine. Would it help if I showed you what that looks like?”
The brilliance of this kind of interaction lies in its personalization. It doesn’t feel like a pitch because it isn’t one. It’s a genuine response, rooted in understanding, with the intention of helping rather than closing. That authenticity is what makes people respond. It’s also what makes them trust you.
Mark’s method takes what most coaches overlook—small engagement signals—and transforms them into high-leverage opportunities. But it also demands consistency and intentionality. This isn’t a “spray and pray” tactic or a one-time message blast. It’s a habit. A practice. A system of recognizing and nurturing the human interactions that are already happening, often unnoticed, right inside your inbox.
The beauty of this strategy is that it doesn’t require a huge following or viral content. Coaches with a few hundred engaged followers can use it to build profitable businesses because it focuses on quality over quantity. Mark’s $10 million wasn’t built on algorithms—it was built on attention to detail, follow-through, and real conversations that turned strangers into clients, and clients into loyal advocates.
For those who doubt the scalability of DM-based selling, Mark addresses this directly in his book. He outlines how to manage engagement efficiently by tracking leads, time-blocking for follow-ups, and using customizable scripts that maintain voice and personality. The goal isn’t to turn DMs into a grind, it’s to systematize them in a way that feels both sustainable and sincere.
More importantly, this approach redefines what success on social media looks like for coaches. Instead of obsessing over vanity metrics, likes, followers, reach, Mark invites coaches to shift their focus to what really matters: relationships. Because at the end of the day, your next client isn’t necessarily the person who liked your reel five times. It’s the one who’s quietly watching your stories, who replied to your poll, and who’s waiting for someone to reach out and start a conversation.
The gap between content and clients isn’t filled with better branding or more hashtags. It’s filled with intention. With coaches who are willing to go one step further. With those who see engagement not as a pat on the back, but as an invitation to connect.
Brian Mark’s $10 Million Instagram Funnel offers a roadmap for turning casual interactions into life-changing transformations. It proves that the missing step in most coaching businesses isn’t another post or a new funnel, it’s a message. A simple, thoughtful message that says, “I see you. Let’s talk.”
You can pre-order your copy of The $10 Million Instagram Funnel now!
To connect with Brian Mark and learn more about his strategies for online coaching success, you can follow him on Instagram at @therealbrianmark. You can also tune into his podcast, The Change Lives Make Money Online Trainer, or check out his YouTube channel, where he shares valuable insights and tips.
