You love coaching, but you don’t love spending hours in your inbox writing the same emails over and over again.

Most coaches don’t. Yet, these “repetitive” emails are essential for running a smooth coaching business. But writing them manually for every single client? That’s a recipe for burnout.

The good news is that you can automate most of your coaching emails without sounding like a robot. And when done right, automation actually improves your client experience because people get the right information at exactly the right time.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to automate emails for coaches, including:

• Types of emails coaches send (and should automate)
• How to automate emails for coaches
• How to use Paperbell to automate all your coaching emails
• Best practices for automating emails

10 Types of Emails Coaches Send (And Should Automate)

Before we get into the how, let’s talk about the what. Here are the essential emails every coach should have running on autopilot.

1. Client onboarding emails

Your onboarding email sets the tone for your entire coaching relationship. 

It’s the first thing clients see after they’ve paid for coaching programs. As such, it should make them feel excited and confident about their decision to work with you.

A great onboarding email includes:

• A warm welcome
• Clear next steps
• Any important information they need to get started

Maybe you want them to complete an intake form, or maybe you need them to book their first session. 

Whatever it is, spell it out clearly. In the sample email below, I specify how to book a first session, get their first resource, and get additional support.

2. Appointment confirmation emails

Once someone books a session with you, they should get an immediate confirmation. This reassures them that everything went through correctly and gives them all the details they need.

Your confirmation email should include:

• The date and time of the appointment
• The video call link
• Any prep work you want them to do beforehand
• What to do if they need to reschedule

Make it obvious in your subject line that this email is a confirmation of an appointment, like in this example below:

3. Appointment reminder emails

Even the most organized clients forget about appointments sometimes. A reminder email sent a day or two before your session helps reduce no-shows and keeps your calendar running smoothly.

Keep these short and sweet. Include the basics: 

• When you’re meeting
• Where (the video link)
• Optional: one sentence about what you’ll be covering

If there’s any homework they should complete before the call, mention that too.

4. Appointment cancellation emails

Life happens. Clients get sick, emergencies come up, and sometimes they just need to reschedule. 

Having an automated cancellation email takes the awkwardness out of the situation.

This email should:

• Acknowledge the cancellation
• Remind them how to rebook
• Let them know you’re looking forward to connecting when the time is right

5. Appointment rescheduling emails

Similar to cancellations, rescheduling should be frictionless. 

When a client moves their appointment, they should get an automated email confirming the new time and date.

This eliminates the back-and-forth confusion of “Wait, did we land on Tuesday or Wednesday?”

6. Reminder to book the next appointment

Let’s say a client finishes a coaching session. You both agree to meet again in two weeks, and then… crickets. 

They get busy, you get busy, and suddenly it’s been a month.

An automated reminder that goes out when a client hasn’t booked in 30 days can save these relationships. Keep it friendly and low-pressure, like a gentle nudge rather than a scolding.

7. Final appointment notification

When a client is on their last session in a coaching package, they should know it. 

This email gives them a heads-up that they’re approaching the end. But it also opens the door for them to purchase more sessions if they want to continue.

8. Post-package debrief emails

After you’ve completed a coaching package with someone, send a debrief email that celebrates their progress. This is your chance to find out:

• What worked
• What didn’t work
• How you can improve

It also plants the seed for continuing to work together or trying another one of your offerings.

9. Asking for testimonials

If you’ve done great work with a client and they’ve had amazing results, ask them for a testimonial! 

But don’t just send this request randomly. Time it strategically, either right after a big win or at the end of a successful package.

Make it easy for them by asking specific questions about their experience. For example: 

“What was your biggest challenge before we worked together?” 

Or: 

“What would you tell someone considering coaching with me?”

10. Upsell and cross-sell emails

Once existing clients have completed a program with you, they’re your best target audience for your next coaching services.

An automated email sequence that introduces them to other ways you can work together can turn one-time clients into long-term relationships. Feel free to share success stories for those upsell opportunities to properly showcase the opportunity.

How to Automate Emails for Coaches

Okay, so you know what emails you need. Now let’s talk about how to actually set up email automation without pulling your hair out.

There are a few different approaches. The right one depends on your current tech stack and how much complexity you want to deal with.

Option 1: Use an email marketing platform with automation

If you’re already using an email marketing platform, you might be able to set up basic automated email triggers there.

Dedicated tools like ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign, or Mailerlite let you create automated sequences based on tags or actions. 

For example, when someone fills out a form or makes a purchase, they get added to a specific sequence.

The challenge with this approach is that you’ll need to connect your email platform to:

• Your scheduling software
• Your payment processor
• Whatever else you use to manage clients. 

Every integration is one more thing that can break. And not all platforms integrate with everything else natively.

Option 2: Connect tools with Zapier

Zapier is a powerful automation tool that lets you connect different apps without knowing how to code.

You can create “Zaps” that say things like:

“When someone books an appointment in Calendly, send them an email through Gmail.”

This works, but it gets complicated fast. You’ll be managing multiple Zaps for different scenarios, and troubleshooting when something goes wrong can be a nightmare. 

Plus, the more Zaps you need, the more expensive it gets.

Option 3: Use an all-in-one platform built for coaches

This is where things get a lot simpler. When you use a platform designed specifically for coaches, the email automation is already built in. It’s also already connected to everything else you need to run your business.

This means:

• No duct-taping multiple integrations together
• No paying for Zapier
• No hoping that your scheduling tool plays nice with your email platform

Paperbell is the best all-in-one platform to automate your emails along with the rest of your coaching business. Let’s get into the step-by-step.

How to Use Paperbell to Automate All Your Coaching Emails

Paperbell was built specifically to make life easier for coaches. That includes automating every email you need to send.

When you create a coaching package, you can set up all the automated emails right there in the same place. No integrations needed.

You can trigger automated emails based on:

• Purchase triggers: Send emails immediately after someone buys or at any point up to 12 weeks after purchase. This is huge for creating nurture sequences that keep coaching clients engaged for a full three months after they start working with you.
• Appointment triggers: Send emails from three days before an appointment up to 12 weeks after. Perfect for reminders, follow-ups, and checking in on how they’re implementing what you covered.
• Group session triggers: Same as appointment triggers, but specifically for group coaching sessions or live classes.
• Reminder to book: This email automatically goes out if a client hasn’t booked an appointment in the last 30 days. No more manually tracking who’s gone quiet.
• Final appointment trigger: Automatically send an email after the final appointment of a package. Great for asking for testimonials, offering an upsell, or just celebrating what you accomplished together.

The fact that Paperbell now lets you set automated email triggers for up to 12 weeks after purchase makes all of this so much easier. You can create a comprehensive onboarding and nurture sequence that guides coaching clients through their entire journey with you.

For example, you could set up:

• An upsell email for potential clients following a discovery call
• A welcome email immediately after purchase
• A “how to prepare for your first session” email one week after purchase, including helpful free resources such as blog posts or social media posts
• A progress check-in at week 4
• A mid-program encouragement email at week 6
• A “you’re halfway through!” celebration at week 8
• A reminder about the final sessions at week 10
• A package completion and next steps email at week 12

All of this marketing automation runs in the background while you focus on actually coaching your clients. And because it’s all in one platform, you don’t have to worry about whether your calendar syncs with your email tool or if Zapier is going to randomly stop working.

Here’s how to automate any email inside Paperbell for your coaching practice:

First, create your free Paperbell account.

Next, create your first coaching package. You’ll manage EVERYTHING from your packages, including:

• Number of appointments (and appointment length)
• Payments (processed through Stripe or PayPal, no invoices needed) and payment plan options
• Contracts
• Intake forms
• Digital downloads and other resources

And, of course, your automated emails.

Once you’ve got your package, navigate to the Emails tab:

That’s where you’ll add your automated emails.

Simply click the + Add button, pick from the triggers, and draft the email you want to add.

That’s it! Now, every time a client hits the trigger you picked, they’ll receive your email. And you get to spend fewer hours in your inbox.

Oh, and did you know that your brand-new coaching package gets displayed on a beautiful, branded coaching site? You can even add:

• Testimonials and success stories
• FAQs
• Opt-in forms and lead magnets
• A call to action to book a free discovery session
• Additional offers, such as online courses or coaching memberships

This gives you an additional marketing channel to find more clients.

Best Practices for Automating Emails

Automation is a powerful piece of email marketing for coaches. However, it’s not a “set it and forget it” situation. 

Here’s how to make sure your automated emails actually help your coaching clients instead of annoying them.

1. Write like a human, not a robot

Just because an email is automated doesn’t mean it should sound automated. Write your emails the way you’d write to a friend:

• Use contractions
• Tell stories (if relevant)
• Let your personality shine through

Avoid phrases like “Dear new client” or “We hope this email finds you well.” Instead, try “Hey Sarah!” or “I’m so excited to work with you!”

2. Personalize whenever possible

Most email automation tools, including Paperbell, let you insert personalization tokens like first names or package names. Use them! 

An email that says, “Hey Vicky, looking forward to our session tomorrow” feels infinitely more personal than “Looking forward to our session tomorrow.”

3. Test your emails before they go live

Send yourself test emails to make sure they look good and all the links work. Check them on both desktop and mobile. 

Nothing kills trust faster than a broken Zoom link or a button that doesn’t do anything.

4. Don’t overdo it

Yes, automation is great. No, you shouldn’t send 47 emails in the first week someone works with you. 

Be strategic about what actually needs to be automated and what can wait.

A good rule of thumb: 

Only send an email if it provides real value or necessary information. If you’re just emailing for the sake of staying top of mind, reconsider.

5. Review and update regularly

Your automated emails shouldn’t stay the same forever. As you learn what works and what doesn’t, update your templates. 

Maybe you notice everyone asks the same question that you forgot to address in your onboarding email. Add it!

Set a reminder to review your automated emails every few months. Then, make improvements based on what you’re learning from your coaching clients.

6. Keep the important stuff non-automated

Some emails should always be personal. Big celebrations, handling sensitive situations, or addressing specific client concerns shouldn’t come from an automated sequence. 

Know when to step in and write something from scratch.

Stop Spending All Day in Your Inbox

Email automation, when done right, can keep your clients informed, engaged, and excited about working with you. This can allow you to focus on being the best coach you can be and spend more time on relationship building where it counts.

Ready to simplify your entire client workflow? Get started with Paperbell to launch your coaching website and automate your online coaching business.

FAQs About Automating Emails for Coaches

How do I automate my coaching business?

Start by identifying repetitive admin tasks like scheduling, invoicing, and client communication. Use tools like Paperbell to automate emails, payments, and bookings in one platform without needing multiple integrations.

What is the 60-40 rule in email?

The 60-40 rule suggests your email marketing strategy should be 60% value and 40% promotion. Focus more on helping your audience than selling to them, which builds trust and keeps people engaged with your email marketing.

Is there a way to automate emails?

Yes! You can automate your email marketing efforts using email marketing software, Zapier integrations, or all-in-one coaching platforms like Paperbell that have email automation built in and connected to your scheduling and payments.