The Business of Coaching

Strategies and tips 
for building a successful coaching practice

This month we will shift from coaching skills to the business side of coaching. This pertains to coaching practitioners both external (Solopreneur) and internal (working within an organization) as well as those who blend the two.

As we’ve discussed in previous newsletters and webinars – there is a lot more to success in coaching than excellent coaching skills. This month we will pull back the curtain on The Business of Coaching and take a closer look at what it takes to build a successful coaching practice.

When starting your own coaching business or adding coaching to your leadership skills, you are likely to run up against both industry-wide and individual challenges. Regardless of the types of challenges, you’ll want to make sure you have a plan in place to address them. Let’s look at a few challenges you’re likely to encounter and then some tips for tackling them.

A key industry-wide challenge that many new as well as experienced coaches run into is ‘untrained individuals who call themselves coaches’. This was a key finding from the 2015 ICF survey. Nearly half of the respondents indicated this was the biggest obstacle for coaching over the next 12 months. Your strategy to address this challenge could include accredited courses, certifications and credentials as well as building a strong personal brand.

Individual challenges will vary from coach to coach but often include;

• Lack of confidence
• Vague or unrealistic goals
• Trying to do it all /doing too much at once
• Lack of systems and procedures
• Getting stuck, not able to start or move forward
• Lack of a peer to peer support network
• Lack of business/marketing expertise

Don’t let this list discourage you. These challenges can be tackled and there are tools to help. One effective tool that is often underutilized is a business/career plan. Before your eyes start to glaze over and I lose you, consider this. You don’t have to make this too complicated or time consuming. What is important is that in the process of developing your plan you think through all the potential challenges and opportunities. Creating your plan will help you gain a clear picture of your goals, expected outcomes and the requirements to get there. If you are coaching within an organization this will look differently but the process is the same. Ask yourself the hard questions and then develop your plan. For example;

• What is your vision for your business/coaching career?
• What are your objectives? Financial, lifestyle, other?
• Where do you want to see your business/coaching career in 3, 5, 10 years?
• What will it take to achieve your objectives? Financial resources, human resources, time, training etc.

The business plan should have a detailed marketing plan; another excellent tool. Again, you don’t need to make this complicated, but it should detail out at least 12 months of marketing activity. And remember, marketing still applies even if you are coaching within an organization; you still must market yourself. Here are a few questions you’ll want to answer in your marketing plan.

• What is your business/personal brand?
• What is your unique advantage?
• Who are you competing against?
• How will you differentiate yourself and services from your competition?
• Who are your ideal clients? (Tip: identify a niche and focus – don’t spread yourself too thin)
• What will it cost to acquire new clients and retain them? (Tip – be willing to test the waters. Launch at a pace and scale you can handle)

For more on building a successful coaching business/practice, attend our next webinar. The Business of Coaching: Strategies and Tips for Building a Successful Coaching Practice

Read more about the webinar and register here.

Educational Webinars

The Business of Coaching

Building a thriving coaching business takes more than just great coaching skills. You also must know how to build a business. For many, this is the hardest part of going out on your own. If you are starting your own coaching business, check out our guide – Making it as a Coach or view our recent webinar Making it as a Coach: Strategies for Success.

Education and Training Courses

Build Core Competencies

Coaching Fundamentals Program™

Coaching is catching on. More and more people are turning to coaching because coaching produces results. The performance of individuals, teams and organizations are being transformed when coaching skills are developed, used and become part of the culture.

If you are intrigued by what is happening with coaching and want to learn core coaching skills, this fundamentals class is for you.

This is a hands-on class that includes practical techniques for trust building, focused listening, evocative questioning, planning and goal setting. The course includes practice sessions that are reviewed by a professional coach who provides feedback on coaching skills and comprehension of the competencies. You will learn the skills and gain the confidence needed to use them. Click on the course name to learn more and register.

Coaching Fundamentals Program™ - Starts April 5

Advance Your Skills

If any of these apply, check out our Advanced Coaching Skills Practicum - starts April 17.

Participants of this program will refine their coaching skills by coaching others and hearing others coach in a virtual classroom overseen and critiqued by an ICF certified professional coach. The environment fosters real-time learning for those doing the coaching and for those observing. Participants in this course;

• Gain confidence in their ability to coach
• Hear a variety of styles and methods by hearing others coach
• Get immediate feedback on their coaching and use of the core coaching skills by an ICF Certified Coach
• Are challenged to coach at a whole new and higher level in a fun and supportive way
• Receive coaching tips, techniques and demonstrations from an ICF Certified Coach

Click on the course name to learn more and register.

Advanced Coaching Skills Practicum - starts April 17.

Become a Coaching Educator

Train the Trainer for 5/5/5 Coaching Skills Training Program™

You've done the training, developed your coaching skills and now you are ready to leverage your expertise. But where do you go from here? If you want to expand your reach, add a new tool to your toolkit and a new source of revenue, this course may be just what you are looking for.

This course prepares you to become licensed to deliver the 5/5/5 Coaching Skills Training Program™. As you go through the course you will gain in-depth knowledge of advanced coaching skills and learn to use your skills in a new and expanded role.

Train the Trainer for 5/5/5 Coaching Skills Program™ – Starts May 2

Take the Fast Track to Your ICF Credential

Fast Track to ICF Credential

Develop the skills and set yourself apart by jumping on the Fast Track. Coaching is becoming more and more competitive and yet many coaches have no credential and minimal training. One of the best ways to set yourself apart is to complete the training and earn a coaching credential.

But pursuing your ICF Credential is a big step and commitment. That is why we created the Fast Track to ICF Credential - to streamline the process and make it as convenient as possible.

Benefits of the Fast Track to ICF Credential include;

● FAST TRACK: Takes only 6 months to complete (other programs may take as long as 18 months).

● ROBUST, DISTANCE-BASED LEARNING: We use cutting-edge technology to create an in-person, interactive classroom experience while you participate remotely.

● TOP-NOTCH EDUCATION AND TRAINING: You get world-class instruction from expert coaches with experience in both coaching and teaching.

● FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE: We offer day and evening classes for your convenience, and new classes start throughout the year.

● AFFORDABLE: This program is priced to fit into your budget. Save $495 US / $595 Canada when you register for the package option. Don’t need the package option? You also have the choice of taking separate modules a la carte. We even have a payment plan.

Our next evening program starts May 7. Click here to view the schedule

Coaching Resources

We offer many resources on a wide variety of topics to support coaches at all levels. On our website, you can find blog articles, educational videos, webinar recordings and more under Coaching Resources. We are continually updating this section so check back often.

Our coaching guides continue to be very popular and we will be adding to these in 2018. If you haven’t taken advantage of these free resources, you can find them here.

We have several coaching resources to support you in developing your skills and building confidence. Learn more about these resources by clicking on the links below.

Live Coaching Webinars. Visit our webinars page and then scroll down until you find the webinar titles;

• The Business of Coaching: Overcoming the Biggest Challenges
• Making It as a Coach: Strategies for Success

HOME | ABOUT US | COACHING EDUCATION PROGRAMS | CONTACT

We would love to connect with you! Reach out to our team here or call Toll Free, 
1-888-4A-COACH (1-888-422-6224).

Practice Your Coaching Skills

Tips to Build Coaching Skills and Confidence

With the Winter Olympics dominating much of the news, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the importance of practice to sharpen one’s skill and how that translates to coaching, or any endeavor, for that matter. I admire and am inspired by the Olympic athletes. I enjoy watching them but even more I am intrigued and inspired by their stories. You hear so much about the training and practice and time that these athletes put in to improve their skills. It makes me think of the saying, Practice Makes Perfect. But I don’t really like that saying as in reality we rarely, if ever, reach perfection.

Just look at the Olympic competitions. I doubt many people put as much time and effort into practice as these athletes do. And they are at the top of their game, but as we see, not perfect. What is my point? Practice is important but striving for perfection can be counterproductive. To often I’ve seen coaches wanting to perfect their skills before putting them to use. If you wait until you’ve perfected a coaching skill you will have wasted time and people will have missed the opportunity to be coached by you. Instead of waiting until we perfect our skills, we need to aim high and continue to grow and improve. And practice. Every hour of practice leads to improved skill and greater confidence to put those skills to work.

So hopefully I’ve convinced you that practice is important. The obvious next question is how to go about practicing your coaching skills. Here are a few approaches that we’ve seen work well for many coaches.

• Develop your coaching style. We all develop our own styles. No one style of coaching is best or right. So, observe as many coaches as you can to learn about different styles and then start to experiment with your own. Your style must feel natural to you. Don’t try to force a style that feels uncomfortable to you just because another coach has used it successfully.
  
  
• Start with a safe place. Many coaching courses offer practice / feedback sessions as part of the curriculum. This is an excellent place to start.
  
  
• Begin with simple coaching situations. You might ask your friends, co-workers (who are friendly), or others to let you practice your coaching skills with them.
  
  
• Ask for feedback. Feedback can be an incredible tool. It can also be difficult to hear and, for the one giving the critique, it can be uncomfortable to give open, honest and real feedback. So, make sure you are prepared to hear the feedback and make sure the person evaluating is prepared to give you an honest critique.

• Observe experienced coaches in action. We often hear that when coaches can see how others are coaching it can lead to an aha moment. When watching others coach, they can see the skills being used and start to really 'get' the power of coaching.

If you are interested in observing real coaches utilize their coaching skills in real coaching situations, you’ll want to attend our next free webinar. During this webinar we will have experienced coaches tackle real challenges. No scripting, no rehearsals. Sort of like the improv of coaching. You will observe coaches using their coaching skills in the moment; figuring out what the next question is and where to support the coachee as the dialog unfolds. Don’t miss this unique learning opportunity. Read more about the webinar and register here.

Educational Webinars

The Business of Coaching

Building a thriving coaching business takes more than just great coaching skills. You also must know how to build a business. For many, this is the hardest part of going out on your own. If you are starting your own coaching business, check out our guide – Making it as a Coach or view our recent webinar Making it as a Coach: Strategies for Success.

Education and Training Courses

Build Core Competencies

5/5/5 Coaching Skills Training Program™

If your 2018 goals include starting a coaching business or using coaching to lead within an organization, you won't want to miss our 5/5/5 Coaching Skills Training Program™.

This course is designed for coaches, managers/leaders who want to use the tool of coaching to improve individual, team and organizational performance. This is for anyone looking for a simple, intuitive and highly transferable coaching model.

During this course participants learn questioning, listening and framing skills designed to guide coachees to new insights, discoveries and breakthroughs that will help them become self-reliant problem solvers and achieve their goals. This course provides in-depth learning of core coaching competencies including multiple practice and feedback sessions. Click on the course name to learn more and register.

5/5/5 Coaching Skills Training Program™ - Starts March 6

Advance Your Skills

Personal Groundwork for Coaching Program™

Are you looking to enhance your coaching skills? Take your coaching to the next level? Or maybe you are looking for tools to help you with your biggest coaching challenges.

Ace the ICF CKA Exam

ICF Coach Knowledge Assessment

This course is designed to prepare coaches for the ICF Coach Knowledge Assessment exam which must be successfully completed prior to receiving the International Coach Federation (ICF) ACC Credential. The course covers ICF Core Competencies and Ethics and Standards plus test taking strategies. This prep class will present several questions each week that mimic the multiple-choice questions you will be asked to answer in the CKA exam.

ICF Coach Knowledge Assessment – Starts February 28

Take the Fast Track to Your ICF Credential

Fast Track to ICF Credential

There has never been a better time to obtain your ICF ACC Credential. More and more coaches are getting credentialed and many clients expect it. But pursuing your ICF Credential is a big step and commitment. That is why we created the Fast Track to ICF Credential - to streamline the process and make it as convenient as possible.

New for 2018;

• we've added more class start dates
• day and evening classes
• the ability to build your own schedule

Benefits of the Fast Track to ICF Credential include;

● FAST TRACK: Takes only 6 months to complete (other programs may take as long as 18 months).

● ROBUST, DISTANCE-BASED LEARNING: We use cutting-edge technology to create an in-person, interactive classroom experience while you participate remotely.

● TOP-NOTCH EDUCATION AND TRAINING: You get world-class instruction from expert coaches with experience in both coaching and teaching.

● FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE: We offer day and evening classes for your convenience, and new classes start throughout the year.

● AFFORDABLE: This program is priced to fit into your budget. Save $495 US / $595 Canada when you register for the package option. Don’t need the package option? You also have the choice of taking separate modules a la carte. We even have a payment plan.

Our next evening program starts March 6. Click here to view the schedule

Coaching Resources

We offer many resources on a wide variety of topics to support coaches at all levels. On our website, you can find blog articles, educational videos, webinar recordings and more under Coaching Resources. We are continually updating this section so check back often.

Our coaching guides continue to be very popular and we will be adding to these in 2018. If you haven’t taken advantage of these free resources, you can find them here.

We have several coaching resources to support you in developing your skills and building confidence. Learn more about these resources by clicking on the links below.

365 Coaching Questions. This tool provides provocative questions in 21 different topic areas.

Live Coaching Webinars. Visit our webinars page and then scroll down until you find the webinar titles;

• Sharpen Your Questioning and Listening Skills
• The 5/5/5 Live Coaching Demos
• The 5/5/5 Live Coaching Demos Part 2

HOME | ABOUT US | COACHING EDUCATION PROGRAMS | CONTACT

We would love to connect with you! Reach out to our team here or call Toll Free, 
1-888-4A-COACH (1-888-422-6224).

The end of 2017 is upon us (already!). This time of year can be so busy but it is also a great time to pause, reflect and regenerate. Whether you use coaching skills in a formal capacity or more informally as part of your leadership skills, I hope your 2017 was full of accomplishments, growth and progress.  I know that for coaching as an industry, 2017 was a positive year and I believe 2018 will only be brighter. I see so many possibilities for coaching in 2018. As I talk with both experienced coaches and those new to coaching I can feel a real and vibrant energy. Coaching is catching on as more and more people experience the results and this is creating a groundswell of interest and excitement. We are here to help you leverage this energy.

So, what can you do to set yourself up for success in 2018? If you haven’t already done so, now is the perfect time to reflect on your accomplishments as well as lessons learned in 2017. Look at your journey and where you are today. The start of a new year is such a great time for coaching. Everyone is full of hope and enthusiasm for what is possible. This creates so many opportunities. Opportunities for you to add new skills or tools to your coaching toolkit. And opportunities to help your coachees identify their goals and lay the foundation that will guide them along the path to success.

Moving forward and doing our best work. That is what we want for our coachees and ourselves. We are here to support you in that process through our courses, webinars, coaching guides and coaching tools. If you haven’t taken advantage of these I hope you will in 2018.

And speaking of 2018, we aren’t wasting a minute to get things going and I hope you won’t either. We have three courses starting in January, the first on January 3. Read below to see more of what’s happening and how you can take advantage of these learning opportunities.

Education and Training Courses

For experienced coaches

Are you looking to enhance your coaching skills? Take your coaching to the next level? Or maybe you are looking for tools to help you with your biggest coaching challenges. If any of these sound like what you are looking for, we've got two classes starting in January that may be just what you’re looking for. These two courses are designed to give coaches enhanced skills and increased confidence.

Personal Groundwork for Coaching Program™- Starts January 3

Advanced Coaching Skills Practicum – Starts January 8

Click on the course name to learn more and register.

For coaches ready to obtain the ICF ACC credential

Fast Track to ICF Credential

We have added more class start dates as well as day and evening classes to make pursuing your ICF ACC credential as easy and convenient as possible. Our first start date for 2018 is January 25. View class schedules here.

As a reminder, included in the Fast Track package are all the programs you will need to achieve the required 60 hours of Approved Coach Specific Training Hours for ACC accreditation plus 7 hours of group mentor coaching. Click on the course name below to learn more and register.

Fast Track to ICF Credential – Starts January 25

Register by January 5 to take advantage of our Early Bird $200 Discount Offer. 
Use the following Coupon Code at checkout: FTEarlyBird200

For coaches who want to build Core Competencies

If your 2018 goals include starting a coaching business or using coaching to lead within an organization, you won't want to miss our 5/5/5 Coaching Skills Training Program™. Click on the course name to learn more and register. Take advantage of the Early Bird Discount now before it’s too late - Ends January 5!

Receive $100 off the registration price when you use Coupon Code: 555EarlyBird100

5/5/5 Coaching Skills Training Program™- Starts January 25

Educational Webinars

HOME | ABOUT US | COACHING EDUCATION PROGRAMS | CONTACT

We would love to connect with you! Reach out to our team here or call Toll Free, 
1-888-4A-COACH (1-888-422-6224).