How Autonomy Bias Changed the Coaching Market

Here’s what no one in coaching saw coming.

You’ve probably seen it, right?

When your calendar looks full, but then suddenly half the people who booked end up no-showing or canceling at the last minute.

It’s frustrating. It almost feels like you’re just wasting your time.

And it’s not that people don’t want your coaching. It’s just that they don’t want to hop on another sales call.

Most buyers already know how that story ends. They’ve been through too many “breakthrough,” “clarity,” or “discovery” calls. And deep down, they know it’s a pitch.

People just want to know the pricing, the process, and the outcome they can expect…and the space to think it through on their own.

The psychology of buying has shifted.

Think about it, we used to run webinars, collect applications, and close over the phone. That was the only way to build “trust” back then.

But now buyers are too informed to be convinced.

They don’t want to be guided or influenced into a decision. 

Buyers don’t want to be sold to anymore.

Most people have been burned before.

You’ve probably been on one of those calls, too. You know…where the sales rep is either way too pushy or just too new (haha, they’re clearly reading off a script they barely believe in, and you can feel it),

What should’ve been a real conversation turns into a call you just want to end.

A sales call should feel genuine. It should just be two people figuring out if there’s a fit. But we tend to overthink it.

So now buyers come in heavily guarded. They’ve heard the old tactics. They’ve been promised “life-changing results” that never showed up.

That’s why they don’t want to be convinced anymore.

People want to take their time, do their own research, and read the testimonials.

They just want to make sure investing actually makes sense for them.

People want to feel confident before they decide. They don’t want to be cornered into saying yes, especially on a call where they already know you’re ready to overcome their objections.

Today’s buyers crave control.

They’re not rejecting coaching, they’re rejecting pressure.

Your once-reliable sales call funnel isn’t broken… it’s just being rejected.

You might remember a few years ago when business owners would run webinars. People would stay to the end and then book a call with you or your closer.

But slowly, people started catching on.

They quickly realized those “live” webinars were often pre-recorded, filled with bots pretending to engage in the chats. Not only that, but the sales calls all started to sound the same with closers promising a fast-action incentive discount if they decided right then and there.

Now, things are different.

Instead of booking calls, people open three to five tabs comparing you to other coaches promising the same result.

If your message sounds stiff, robotic, or just like everyone else’s, they leave.

The reality is, it’s NOT that your funnel isn’t working. It’s simply that buyers don’t want to feel like they’re stepping into one.

People can sense when there’s an agenda, even if your intentions are good. Once they feel that subtle pressure, they pull back.

That’s why the same sales calls that used to build connection now make people tighten up and put a mental wall in front of you.

Coaches who stopped taking calls found something surprising, and their sales went up.

What’s funny is that some coaches just got tired of taking sales calls and hiring closers.

Honestly, I don’t blame them.

When I was closing, people would book calls, then no-show or show up half-interested. And of course, you’d have to overcome objections, which, sure, is a skill in itself. But after a while, it starts to feel like you’re spending hours trying to convince people who aren’t ready.

Most of the time, people are just tire kickers or window shoppers.

Here’s what’s crazy, though, about the coaches who stopped taking calls…they surprisingly saw their numbers go up!?!

It wasn’t because they found a trick. It was because their messaging got clear.

They stopped chasing quantity and focused on the quality of what they were saying. They focused on their offer and what it actually meant for the right person.

Buyers didn’t need convincing anymore. They already knew what they wanted. They were just doing their homework.

When people have the pricing, the process, and a clear picture of the results they can get, they sell themselves.

You just have to give them some time and space to do it.

Autonomy bias rewired how people make decisions.

I’m sure you know, people like being in control. There’s actually a name for it: it’s called autonomy bias.

Autonomy bias is the human need to protect our freedom of choice.

When someone feels in control, they move toward a decision.

But when they feel pushed, they pull away.

Old-school sales funnels were built on guiding people down a path of getting them on a call, steering the conversation, and walking them to a “yes.”

It might’ve sounded personal, but underneath, it was always about leading someone toward your goal.

Now, don’t get me wrong, that used to work. But not anymore.

Today, people want something different.

People want the freedom to decide on their own terms, and the confidence that they’re making the right call.

When you give them what they need to make that decision (the pricing, the process, what the commitment looks like), you don’t have to close them.

They close themselves.

So if you want to keep selling, rebuild your funnel around freedom, not persuasion.

You don’t have to stop taking sales calls; you just have to stop depending on them.

If you’re the one taking sales calls, I’m not telling you to stop.

And if you’ve got a sales team, don’t cut them out either.

This isn’t about removing calls or firing closers; it’s about increasing your sales by getting better-quality leads.

When your messaging does more of the heavy lifting, the calls that do happen are more concise and easier to close. 

And if you’re doing everything yourself, you now have the option of taking on calls or just letting your messaging do the selling for you.

Because when people trust your messaging, they don’t need your pitch.

In 2026, your messaging IS the new sales call.

The death of the sales call isn’t the death of selling; it’s simply the death of pressure.

After taking and closing hundreds of calls myself, I can tell you, people don’t want to be convinced; they want to feel understood. 

Your prospects want to see their own reasons for saying yes reflected back to them. They want someone who can take what they already feel and put it into words.

Your messaging is the conversation now.

And if you ever want help improving your messaging, I can easily help you with that.

No pressure. You can find me right here!