Coaching people is an amazing calling, and very rewarding. Helping others experience more of their potential is purposeful work.
It’s true, coaching is not always easy, because people are complicated, but the moment you get to experience breakthrough with a client it’s worth all the effort.
One of the things we always take time to do during our coaching team meetings is share about our successes with our clients. That enthusiasm is contagious and is helpful for reminding everyone why we do what we do.
But on the same call we usually have to address the frustrating subject of one of our coaches looking for more clients to coach. A painful subject.
When I meet an aspiring coach who has sought me out at a workshop or through our website asking for advice on how to get clients, I do my best to be encouraging as I introduce them to what I call the “back side” of coaching.
Unfortunately, many of them have spent a good deal of money through one of the coaching certification agencies that spent very little time training them on how to build a coaching business.
Now they are officially “certified” and have their availability plastered all over social media. But other than friends (and their mother) telling them how awesome they will be, no one ever hires them to coach.
Building a coaching business is just like building any other business.
There are certain fundamentals that are required for a business to experience success. In our certification training, we spend the last third of the training focusing on a business plan, a business launch, and a 9 month marketing plan. There is nothing exciting about the “back side” of coaching but through diligence and hard work a steady increase in clients begins to occur.
Learn about our annual Coaching Skills Workshop here.
Below is a sample of questions that every new coach should answer before they plop down their credit card for coaching certification training:
- What’s your number? (How much money do you want to make each month coaching people?)
- What’s your “why“? (Why do you want that amount?)
- What are your power messages? (What from your story can become your key messages that you use to market yourself as a coach?)
- Besides social media, what is your marketing strategy? (The answer should include marketing budget, communication strategy, timeline, and strategic use of your data base)
- Who are your best clients? (Meaning, who do you best relate to, and already know the questions they will be asking because you have been there, done that)
- Do you have a historical pattern of seeking out people one-on-one — and people seeking you out? (We are looking for natural coaching tendencies and intellect. Although not mandatory, it does give us a good predictor of your success as you grind through the “back side” of coaching.)
In summary, let me say that I am passionate about helping more coaches launch their businesses. We need more coaches who are excellent, gifted, trained, and successful.
But part of what produces excellence in coaching is the hidden work we have to do just to get an opportunity to coach someone.
If you are frustrated at times at the lack of coaching clients, use the frustration to remind you that you are on the right track. But you might need to up your game working the “back side” of your coaching business.
Questions? Please contact us.