The number of professional coaches is growing rapidly. They have passed professional training programmes and certifications and look forward to applying their knowledge and skills in their own coaching practice. Starting a business is, however, not easy and most new coaches feel a legitimate fear of failure.
The good news is that numerous other coaches have managed to build their own coaching businesses and you can learn from their experience. The following recommendations were published on the International Coach Federation (ICF) blog in an article aptly entitled "5 Things They Didn’t Tell You in Coaching School".
Coaching skills alone are too little
Coaching skills are necessary but today graduates from coaching programmes are everywhere. To make a living as a coach, you have to invest in the basics of sales and marketing or at least hire a trusted advisor to help start you off with promotion and acquiring new contacts. You will soon see how running your own business requires much more than just coaching clients and you need to be ready for that.
Find a specific market segment
Marketers know very well it is impossible to offer services to everybody. You have to know who your target customers are, what they are interested in, where they can be reached and how you should communicate with them. Trying to present your excellent services to people who don't care or can't afford them is pointless. Start by mapping your competition. Then specify which group of customers you are interested in and find out what problems these people face. Look for where they meet (both online and offline) and what language they speak. Finally, address them.
Offer solutions
Do not try to sell coaching: this is one of the most common mistakes. Many potential clients may have no experience of coaching or even no knowledge of what coaching is. So promote your services as a practical solution to the problems faced by your target audience. Help them understand how, in a certain field, they are not developing as they would like and need. Then offer help - including, for example, a free first session.
Coach entire groups
Many people can't afford a personal coach. So if you are just starting out, you might succeed by offering coaching for groups where you can afford to lower the price. You will ensure an initial income and have many clients who can recommend you to other people. This is a perfect solution when your target client group includes people with the same interests and activities who will be interested in the same topics.
Believe in yourself
Even the best coaching and marketing skills won't help if you have doubts about yourself. Although coaches are well trained in how to help others, they often can't help themselves. You have to believe in yourself and know that you want to succeed. Then you can overcome your fear.
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