In a recent LinkedIn post, jessie van breugel discusses a common misconception among coaches regarding lead generation, emphasizing the power of revitalizing existing networks over simply acquiring new contacts. Van Breugel shares the story of Nicola, a leadership coach with over a decade of experience, who initially believed her primary challenge was a lack of leads on LinkedIn.
However, as Van Breugel details, Nicola’s LinkedIn network was predominantly composed of fellow coaches – peers who were unlikely to become clients. This situation led Nicola to assume that the solution lay in simply increasing her follower count. Van Breugel frames this as only part of the problem.
“The other half? The people who already knew her — old colleagues, HR contacts, L&D leaders — had no idea she’d pivoted into leadership coaching. They still saw the old version of her.”
Repositioning Expertise Within Existing Connections
Van Breugel highlights that a significant portion of lead generation success hinges on how effectively one communicates their current offerings to people who already know and trust them. For Nicola, her long-standing network, comprised of individuals from her previous professional roles, was unaware of her transition into leadership coaching. This disconnect meant untapped potential clients were overlooking her services.
The Impact of a Structured Approach
According to jessie van breugel, Nicola’s participation in the Authority Figures Program addressed this gap by refining her positioning and implementing a systematic approach to her LinkedIn activity. This included optimizing her profile, packaging her services effectively, and adopting a content strategy beyond random posting.
“Within months, people she hadn’t heard from in years started reaching out. People already in her network. They’d been reading her posts quietly and something finally clicked — ‘oh wait, Nicola does THIS now.'”
Van Breugel emphasizes that this strategic repositioning within her established network proved highly effective. The result was not just new inquiries, but clients who were already familiar with Nicola’s professional background, making the sales process smoother.
Tangible Results and Client Testimonials
The success of this approach, as outlined by Van Breugel, is evident in Nicola’s tangible results. She secured four new clients: three for her group program and one for private coaching. Furthermore, HR and L&D teams from her existing network began engaging her services for leadership programs.
“She told me how simple the program was for her: ‘It’s almost like a do this, get that.'”
Van Breugel shares that Nicola described her experience with the program using three key words: structure, visibility, and wins. This testimonial underscores the value of a clear, actionable framework for professionals who possess expertise but struggle to translate it into effective lead generation on LinkedIn.
Bridging the Gap Between Expertise and Visibility
jessie van breugel concludes by inviting professionals who face similar challenges – having the expertise but not the LinkedIn performance to match – to connect. The post serves as a case study, illustrating that for many coaches and experts, the path to more clients involves effectively communicating their evolved value proposition to their existing network, rather than solely focusing on external acquisition.
“If you’ve got the expertise but your LinkedIn isn’t doing the heavy lifting — I’d love to chat about what that could look like for you.”
Van Breugel points out that a new group of experts will be starting in a few weeks, and interested individuals are encouraged to DM ‘info’ for more details, positioning this as an opportunity to gain structure, visibility, and achieve wins.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by jessie van breugel on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on April 13, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →