In 2006, as part of my book research for Coaching Millions, I sent out a survey to 10K coaches on my email list. I received 700+ responses.
20 years later (this week), I sent out a survey to a similar size list and received 80 responses.
That’s not a small dip. That’s a completely different world.
And if you’re feeling like people aren’t responding, clicking, replying, or engaging the way they used to… you’re not imagining it.
Back then, having a list meant access to attention. People opened emails. They replied. They participated.
Today?
Even your best people are overwhelmed. Too many emails, too many tabs open, too many decisions to make.
So when they don’t respond… it’s not always about your content, your offer, or your value. It’s about bandwidth.
And this is where a lot of coaches quietly start doubting themselves:
- “Maybe I’m not interesting enough…”
- “Maybe my audience isn’t the right fit…”
- “Maybe email just doesn’t work anymore…”
But here’s a more grounded way to look at it:
Engagement didn’t disappear – it just became harder to earn.
Which means we have to adjust our expectations and our strategy. Not by doing more or shouting louder, but by being more intentional about when and how we invite people in. It’s no longer enough to have an audience or show up consistently.
In the full video and article, I share what this shift means for coaches and how to think differently about engagement in today’s attention economy.
You need a reason for people to lean in – a moment that feels relevant, timely, and worth their attention.
Because a 50-response survey today?
That might actually represent a more focused, qualified, and honest slice of your audience than 700 responses did back then.
If you’re seeing lower engagement right now, here are better questions to ask:
- Are the people who do respond the right people?
- Am I creating moments of focus… or adding to the noise?
- Where are people already engaging with me – and can I lean into that instead?
This isn’t about going back to how things used to work.
It’s about recognizing that attention is now earned in a different way, and building your business with that reality in mind.
Because the goal was never “more responses.”
It was always: the right people, paying attention, at the right moment.
And that kind of attention doesn’t happen randomly anymore. It happens when you create a clear, focused moment for people to engage and decide.
That’s exactly why I love launches.
Because a well-designed launch isn’t about hype or pressure. It’s about creating the right moment – on purpose. A moment where people can see the value, experience your work, and say yes if it’s right for them.
And it’s something I’ve been refining for years, and recently, I found a way to make it much simpler and more intuitive.
If you’ve been feeling like you’re doing “all the right things” but not seeing the engagement or response you want – this might be exactly what you’ve been missing.
Stay tuned.
Milana Leshinsky is the author of “Coaching Millions” and “Simplicity Entrepreneurship” and the originator of telesummit. She is also the creator of Coaching Genie, a coaching platform that allows you to deliver coaching programs and scale your business with simplicity. She’s passionate about helping coaches, authors, and speakers leverage their expertise through creating programs and overcoming fear of technology. Milana came to the US as a music teacher from Ukraine almost 30 years ago. When she’s not working on her business, Milana writes music and enjoys Latin ballroom dancing. To learn more, visit Milana’s website at https://CoachingGenie.com