As a Coach for more than a decade, I felt obliged to share some of the high points and low realities of my coaching journey. This is intended to shine a light on the growing number of starry-eyed coaches who wish to change the world one client at a time. But have no set strategy about how they shall facilitate that change. Coaching in itself is a rewarding profession as there is no greater satisfaction than when you follow up with a client and they relay to you that they have successfully overcome the unresourceful state that they first came to your office to remove. This is beyond monetary satisfaction in my value system. It lets me know that my purpose and values are in alignment and fueled with sincere passion and the client’s willingness to accept my coaching they have achieved the desired results.
But what about those coaches just starting out? How will they find purpose and at the same time provide for themselves and their families? These are the questions many leadership academies and coaching certification bodies do not tell you up front. How much will your overall investment be to the certification body and if you wish to Coach on an international level will your certification be accepted?
- Here are some tips I would offer myself after my 12-year journey and advice any new coach to inquire about before investing in a certification program to become a Coach.
- How long has the Mentor or Coach been coaching? I would suggest doing a deep dive at LinkedIn not their website to see what was their former career was like. If they have less than a decade of experience, I might question whether this person has the capability to equip me with a skillset to make long term changes as in some regards they have yet to
master the craft of coaching - Is it a multi-tiered coaching platform? By this I mean do I have to complete multiple certification levels which equal more money to attract premium clients. I know of many reputable coaching bodies that offer basic coaching certification, and as soon as you complete this level, they then offer you another title of Coaching certification which they market as give you access to more clients, at an additional fee.
- Is the certification globally accepted in major markets. I have witnessed sadly coaches and trainers come to our organization with stories of paying outrageous fees and when they chose to teach aboard or secure a coaching position at a major corporation the certifcate was not deemed valid. Do your research, look at the company’s website and the board of
directors. Do they guarantee as your paying for this that the certification will be accepted on the global platform. - What type of additional support do they offer after the certification. After they shake your hand and now proclaim you a coach this is the beginning of the journey not the end. Inquire what type of support do they offer long term to ensure your success. Do they offer monthly internships to make sure the content is downloaded, and you can replicate it during your client sessions? Are there opportunities for discounted retakes of the same course? Are there partnership are job placement opportunities within the training body. All these questions should be asked during the initial consultation before you make any form of enrollment deposit.
- Does the Coaching body tell you the hard truth that the average coach now considered an entrepreneur will have to work between 40-50 hours for at lest 3-5 years to establish a successful client base. Do they advise you on how to market and sell your coaching sessions face to face and on social media? These are the questions that must be answered as I have missed many a family function as I have worked on creating content and worked 7 days a week to establish my business. It’s your business and no one is going to build it for you. And unless you have reserves that will support you in your transition into coaching some may suggest having a part/fulltime job as a primary source of income as you build your clients and establish yourself in the market. And not just to quit and foolishly say” I’m going to become a Coach and change the world.” You should have a sound plan which should be a minimum of a 1–3-year trajectory of how you will go about building your clients, who is your primary client base, what regions you will target, is the style of coaching in demand in the next 5-10 years. It must be thought out because this is your future we’re talking about. In conclusion, I hope these tips assist you and remember passion and conviction will get you through challenging times when you may doubt your ability to succeed in a competitive market.
