How to Work Your Black Book and Confidently Approach Past Contacts

If you’re a senior corporate manager, leader or executive who has recently made the leap from corporate leadership into coaching, you’re not alone, and you’re certainly not without resources.

One of the most powerful assets you bring with you is your Network.

Yet for many newly qualified executive coaches, that “black book” of trusted contacts, which have been built over years in the corporate world, sits unused. Why? Because reaching out to past colleagues or peers in your new identity as a coach can feel a bit awkward.

Why It’s Hard to Reconnect

The transition from senior corporate leader to coach involves more than just a change in job title. It often comes with a deep shift in identity.

You may find yourself hesitating to contact people from your previous world because:

• You're not 100% sure how to explain what you now do
• You're still refining your coaching offer or niche
• You're worried about being seen as "salesy" or pushy
• You feel unsure if they’ll take your new role seriously

These are normal concerns but if left unaddressed, they can stall the growth of your coaching business and leave valuable opportunities untapped.

Your Network Still Values You

All your past good contacts already know, like, and trust you. You’ve earned their respect in a different context, and that credibility doesn’t disappear just because you have made a move to retrain in something new.

The key is learning how to re-engage with your network in a way that feels genuine, professional, and non-salesy.

Making the Most of Your Black Book

Whether you’re newly qualified and looking to gain your first few clients, or you’re an experienced coach wanting to build your pipeline, it’s time to reframe how you see your past connections.

Your black book is a live source of new possibilities. And the chances are, it contains:

• Potential clients
• People who can refer you to clients
• Trusted voices who could help you shape your message

But before you start fixing up some conversations, there are a few things that would be useful to be clear about.

1. Who’s in Your Network That Could Help You?

Not every contact is a direct prospect. Some may be internal decision-makers or HR leaders. Others may be former colleagues who now run their own businesses. And many may simply be well-connected people happy to make introductions.

Map out the people in your network who:

• Understand the value of coaching
• Have influence in organisations or networks
• Know your strengths and track record

These people can be your first people to contact.

2. What Do You Need to Be Clear on First?

Before you make your approach, get clear and confident about how you are going to talk about what you do now.

• What kind of coaching do you offer?

• Who do you help specifically? With what specifically?
• What makes your approach credible and distinctive?

The clearer you are, the more natural the conversation will feel, and the more likely they’ll be to see how they can help (or engage) you.

3. How Can You Reach Out in a Non-Salesy Way?

Approaching your contacts does not require you to pitch or be pushy in anyway.  Instead, think about it as reconnecting, re-engaging, and reintroducing yourself in your new business/role as a coach.

Here’s a simple approach:

• Reach out with curiosity, not an agenda.
• Share what you’re doing now and why you’ve made the shift to coaching.
• Ask about what they’re working on.
• Explore if there’s a way to help or support each other, now or in the future.

It’s not about making a sale in the first message or meeting, it’s about starting a conversation and restarting a relationship.

Want More Help with This?

If you would like to get set up in the right way as an executive coach so you can make the most of your contacts and connections, book an initial Complimentary Clarity Call.

This isn’t about pushing or hard selling, it’s about reconnecting with a sense of renewed purpose, and building your coaching business through relationships that already exist.

Your past contacts may have known you as a leader. Now let them experience you as a coach.