Become A Certified Coach » Coach Training

How to Coach a Client on Personal Vision

Barbra — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 21:11:30 +0000

I was typing out some notes today for a mentee preparing for the IAC certification exam, and when I finished I realized that others might find this useful as well. It’s by no means “the right” way to coach a client on personal vision, it’s simply the framework I use.

The idea is to have the client describe where they are at now, and where they would like to be. Then identify the gaps and make a plan.

1. Start by asking them where they are now. Draw out their strengths and achievements, as most clients tend to overlook what they’ve already achieved.

2. Ask them to close their eyes and describe what they are ideally doing in five years. Prompt them to describe details about what they are doing, with whom, what the environment looks like, how they feel, etc. If time allows, it’s nice to do a short guided visualization

3. Debrief with them about the vision. Depending on what they have visualized, you may need to do a reality check or more likely, help them think bigger:

what would be the ultimate thrill?
where are you stopping short of all you could be?
what is a big enough game?
why bother? what makes it worth it?
what have you wanted to do but haven’t?

4. This is the point where you will hear the client’s energy shift, if they are working on their true vision. If the energy seems either hesitant or over-the-top excited, the visioning needs more work.

5. Now you want to tie the vision into their values. If you’ve already worked on values together, you can remind them of their values and ask how this vision aligns with their values. (note: this is Mastery #9, Supportive Environments because aligning vision with values makes the vision intrinsically sustainable). At this point I like to ask some version of:

how does this tie in with your top three values?
who will you be when you do this?
what impact will you have?
how could you make this align with your values even more?

6. Summarize, and move on to identifying the gaps between where they are now and where they want to be.

7. Help client identify what they will need to move forward on vision. Help them see strengths and resources they already have.

what resources do you already have?
what successes have you had in the past with ________?
what do you need to do or get?
who could help you?

8. This is usually where I stop with a session on vision. There’s a lot for the client to process, and moving immediately on to action plan robs them of the time needed to sit with the learning from the visioning process.

I hope this has been helpful. What framework do you use? Would you be willing to share it with us?

Pilot Program Diary: My First Doubts

Barbra — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 08:21:09 +0000

I’m feeling a bit discouraged about the habit change coaching pilot program today. On the one hand, the seven coaches have accomplished a tremendous amount in these first three weeks:

selected a coaching business name and domain name
got website hosting
obtained a business address
ordered business cards
got a professional photo taken
wrote 5 pages of content for website, based on writing templates I provided
developed answers to the eight most common marketing questions that a coach encounters
joined their local Chamber of Commerce
made a master list of local places to promote their services

And my Virtual Assistant and I completed some major technical things for each coach as well:

set up an auto-responder account
wrote free report to give away on each coach’s website, plus two follow-up autoresponder messages
set up websites and blogs (see an example here)

Later this month the coaches will receive the participant workbook and facilitator’s manual for the six week group coaching program. I’ll be training and mentoring the coaches and how to market and deliver the group coaching.

That’s a lot of progress in one month for coaches who have been trying to get their coaching business going for years.

So why am I feeling discouraged?

To get these coaches to this point I’ve done a lot of hand-holding. As I mentioned in a previous post, I have no problem with this. For one thing, I think it’s absolutely necessary for new business owners to have someone to ask these questions of. It’s precisely the lack of this type of support that causes many coaches to abandon their dream of having a successful coaching practice.

In addition, it’s useful for me to experience first-hand the types of questions and difficulties the coaches run into. That way, if I decide to proceed with the Readymade Coaching Business service, I will know what kind of support I need to set up .

But there’s the rub

The level of support required is time-consuming and therefore expensive.

Basically I am providing a “done for you” package that includes:

mentor coaching
business set-up consultation
marketing consultation
website design and implementation
virtual assistant services
curriculum development
professional writing services

The question I have to ask myself is: will coaches recognize what they are getting and be willing/able to pay what it is going to cost?

What it typically costs to set up a coaching practice

Let’s take a step back and talk about what coaches normally pay to set up a coaching practice.

In my early years, I spent about $10,000 on coach training, website development, business cards, memberships, training, and mentoring.

If I take out the $4000 I spent on coach training, and just looked at what I spent on business development and mentoring, that’s still $6000.

Not to mention literally thousands of hours of self-study, learning how to set up and use automated services for my newsletter, auto-responder, shopping cart, teleconferencing, audio recording and editing, and much more.

So what makes me think that I can boil all this down into a $1200 or even $1800 package for coaches?

My original goal

My goal in starting the pilot program was to give coaches “everything they need to hit the ground running” as a habit change coach.

It’s becoming abundantly clear to me that this is a tall order.

I remember early on in this project, Julia Stewart commented on my blog that she was skeptical that I would be able to do this:

… as you well know, many coaches have an unrealistic expectation about what it will look like to have their own business and that’s one of the main causes of their lack of success.

And it’s not just the new coaches. Recently, a master coach told me that she’s tired of everything she has to do to get clients. I asked her what she was doing and she said, ‘Nothing!’ Some coaches seem to be looking for a coaching practice that is more like a job with a guaranteed paycheck (aka ‘clients’), but no boss!

At the time Julia’s comments only served to galvanize me. I thought “I know exactly how to do it – I’ll show her!”

Now I’m beginning to wonder

Julia has been in the coach training business as long as I have. Like me, she has mentored hundreds of new coaches. Over the years, she and I have talked a lot about the joys and challenges of helping coaches get going.

One of the observations we’ve often made is that not only do most coaches resist the business side of coaching, they also don’t budget for what it costs to set up a business. That’s the “unrealistic expectations” that Julia mentions above.

Maybe that’s why so many coaches complete their training but never get a business going.

But I’m getting ahead of myself

To put things in perspective, the pilot program coaches are making fantastic progress. That’s not in question. Whether they get clients within the next few months remains to be seen.

What’s troubling me is the cost. Can I provide coaches with “everything they need to hit the ground running” at a cost they are willing and able to pay?

Or do I need to take a hard look at what I’m offering, and downsize it to fit coach’s budgets?

What do you think? If the results from the pilot program prove my system works (i.e. each coach is moving confidently forward with a website, blog, autoresponder, business cards, a program to deliver, and paying clients by the end of the program), what do you think is the dollar value? And more to the point, do you think coaches will recognize the value and pay it?

A Video Message from Barbra – Announcements!

Barbra — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 21:22:18 +0000

Announcement #1 – Introducing new instructors Nina East and Doris Helge

Nina East, IAC-CC: Nina is our newest instructor in the BACC program. She brings a wealth of experience to coaching, coach training, and coach certification. Nina was one of the first coaches to become certified by the IAC and was immediately asked to become a certifying examiner. She has been certifying for 6 years, and for the last 3 has also been the lead certifier for the IAC. Nina can be reached at PersonalGrowthPrincess.com.

Here is a 7 minute snippet of Nina teaching a BACC class: Click here to listen…

Doris Helge, Ph.D, IAC-CC: Doris is a BACC graduate and an IAC Certified Coach. Not only is Doris a masterful coach, she is also a masterful teacher. I’m thrilled to have her teaching in the BACC program. Reach her at SuperSalesConfidenceForCoaches.com.

Listen as Doris coaches a BACC class participant, and then draws out the teaching points for the listeners.
Click here to listen…

Announcement #2 – More classes each month

BACC has expanded to 4 classes a month. With the increased teaching capacity we are now able to offer three different instructors, and 4 classes a month.

Announcement #3 – Lock-in before the price increase

BACC price is increasing from $99 a month to $149 a month on September 15, 2009. Anyone who joins BACC prior to the price increase will be “grandfathered in” at the old price for the duration of their uninterrupted membership. So if you’ve been thinking of joining, now is the time.

Note: the BACC program is now closed. We recommend the Coaching By Example CD series as it covers all the material previously offered in the BACC program.

How much practice to become a masterful coach?

Barbra — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:11:45 +0000

A member wrote this on the BACC forum today:

My goal this month is to find 5 ‘clients’ or classmates, to do more audio recordings. I’m offering free 30 minute coaching sessions in exchange for permission to record the session. My goal is to have 100 audio recordings to learn from.

I applaud her dedication and realistic assessment of how much practice is necessary to become a masterful coach. This is what I like to hear!

I’m surprised at how little practice some people think is necessary to become a masterful coach. I’ve had people bemoaning the fact that their coaching is not yet masterful, and when I ask them how many coaching sessions they’ve done they say 10 or 20. Sometimes even fewer.

Would any of us entrust our well-being to a professional practitioner (e.g. doctor, accountant) who has only 10 or 20 hours of experience? I don’t think so!

Beginner’s Guide to Become a Life Coach

Barbra — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 22:55:27 +0000

Are you interested in becoming a life coach? If so, this article is for you. I’ll be sharing what I tell people when they ask “how do I become a life coach?”

Keep in mind that this is not a comprehensive guide to becoming a life coach. Rather, it’s practical advice based on my experience over the past eight years as a professional coach, mentor coach and coach certifier. The advice offered here is my educated opinion, not necessarily “the truth”.

How do I become a life coach?

That’s a question I hear often. It’s usually asked by people who love helping other people, who are interested in personal and professional development, and who are looking for a rewarding career. This type of person often has a wide range of interests and life experiences. All these things provide a good foundation for becoming a life coach, but as you might imagine, there’s more to it than that.

Do I need special training to become a life coach?

Yes and no. Yes, you do need training. No, it does not have to be a particular course or degree.

You could compare the training requirements to be a life coach to that required to be a consultant. A consultant needs to have a high level of skills in her area of consulting, but there is not a “consulting degree”. Similarly, a coach does not need a degree or certification to begin coaching.

So what kind of training do I need to become a life coach?

Many people who enter the coaching field come from careers that already involve people skills – such as teaching, counseling, personal training, human resource management, business consulting, sales, health care, journalism, ministry, parenting, and social work, to name just a few.

These people can build on their existing skill base with additional coach-specific training. Depending on how well their background has prepared them for coaching, they may need anything from a weekend workshop to a 2 year program to bring them up to a professional coach skill level.

In addition to learning new coaching skills, some people will need to “unlearn” certain habitual ways of responding. For example, consultants often have great questioning and problem-solving skills but tend to jump into “fix-it” mode right away. They will need to learn how to back off and let the client develop their own solutions. Similarly, parents may have lots of experience dealing with their own family dynamics, but need to learn how to keep an open mind when dealing with other people’s family situations.

How do I know how much more training I need?

The best way to determine how much and what kind of additional training you need to be a professional coach is to get an assessment of your present level of coaching skill. You can get that assessment in some coach training programs (surprisingly, not all training programs provide personal assessment. Always ask for details before registering).

Where can I get an assessment of my coaching skills?

Julia Stewart’s School of Coaching Mastery is one highly reputable school that provides assessments.

Doris Helge and Nina East are two excellent coach mentors who are well-versed in the IAC exam requirements. They will do a consultation with you for a reasonable fee (probably $150 – $200) to assess your current level of coaching skill, and provide you with feedback on what you need to work on.

All three of the afore-mentioned resources are directed towards IAC (International Association of Coaching) certification. If you are interested in ICF (International Coach Federation) certification, I recommend you contact mentor coach Marion Franklin.

Do I need to be certified to be a life coach?

At present, there is no legal requirement that coaches be certified. Personally, I think working towards IAC or ICF certification is important because it shows commitment to the profession. But not all coaches agree with this, and there are many good coaches with successful practices who are not certified.

Here is a link to a 10 minute audio recording called “Straight Talk on Coach Certification” where I explain more about coach certification.

Click link to listen…
http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/WxvykqvK

What’s the difference between ICF and IAC certification?

IAC stands for the International Association of Coaching. I used to be a Certifying Examiner for the IAC, and my 9 CD Coaching by Example coach training program prepares coaches for IAC certification. ICF stands for International Coach Federation. Both are well-respected independent coach certification bodies.

The main difference between them are:
1) ICF certification is based on education completed and number of paid coaching hours
2) IAC certification is based solely on passing a series of exams. The IAC certification does not require completion of any particular training program or number of hours of coaching.

ICF website www.coachfederation.org
IAC website www.certifiedcoach.org

Which certification, ICF or IAC, would be best for me?

It depends on your needs and your client group. Right now ICF certification is more recognized than IAC certification, because the ICF has been around longer. For coaches wanting to work with corporate clients, ICF may be better because corporate clients are more familiar with that designation. For coaches wanting to work with private individuals or groups, certification does not seem to be as much of an issue.

The appeal of the IAC certification is that if you already have the skills, you don’t need to complete more schooling to get your coach certification. The IAC certification is based solely on demonstrated skill, and is well-suited to people who want to be recognized for prior training and ability.

What’s involved with passing the IAC exams?

The IAC certification based on demonstrating knowledge and ability in The Coaching Masteries™. A workbook describing the 9 Coaching Masteries™ is available at www.certifiedcoach.org. The test involves an on-line exam and evaluation of two taped client calls.

Although it may seem that the IAC certification is a faster or easier way to become certified compared to the ICF, the reality is that achieving the level of mastery required to pass the IAC exam requires a great deal of coaching skill and experience. My 9-CD coach training program covers what you need to know to pass the IAC exam.

I’ve been “coaching” all my life but I just haven’t called it that. Would being certified benefit me?

You don’t necessarily need to be certified, but you do need to be trained. When people say they “have been coaching all their life” they usually mean they’ve been a good and caring listener all their life. Or they’ve been the one people turn to for advice. There’s much more to coaching than this (and in fact, giving advice is a very small part of coaching).

Can I really make a living as a life coach?

I’m going to be frank: it’s not easy to make a living as a life coach.

Why is this? Well, there are a number of factors. In my opinion, the most significant factor is that in its traditional form (i.e. client meets the coach each week in-person or on the telephone for 30 – 60 minutes, for a typical fee of $300 a month), it’s just too expensive for most potential clients.

Many coaches will argue that the fee is not at all expensive when you consider the progress that the client will make in terms of career satisfaction, meeting life-long goals and possibly even making a higher salary. I don’t disagree with that. Nonetheless, it’s hard for most coaches to get clients.

I want to be really clear about this, because when you start searching for information on the Internet about becoming a coach, you’re going to come across all sorts of sites that promise you the moon (maybe you’ve already encountered that). That’s because they want to raise your expectations about how easy it is to become a professional coach and how much money you’re going to make.

Keep in mind that most Internet websites exist to sell you something. The coaching field is no different. The exceptions are sites from independent certification bodies such as the ICF and the IAC, and discussion forums such as the New Coach Connection.

Do any coaches make a good living from coaching?

Yes, certainly! There are many successful coaches with a full practice. And there are many coaches who prefer to make a part-time or supplemental income from coaching. But there are also a lot of coaches who struggle financially.

From what I have observed, there are three factors that make for a financially successful coach. To be successful as a self-employed coach you need:

1) A niche or specialty that is in demand. When I say “in demand”, I mean something that clients are willing to pay their hard-earned money for. Examples include career transition coaching, divorce recovery coaching, stress management coaching, and small business marketing coaching. Each of these examples provides a very tangible benefit or solves a pressing problem for the client.
2) Masterful coaching skills. This is where training and assessment comes in. It’s not enough to be a good listener, or be able to provide advice (in fact, most untrained coaches provide too much advice). Masterful coaching sounds easy but it’s not. It requires highly developed and nuanced communication skills.
3) Business and marketing skills. If you choose to be a self-employed, private practice coach, you will spend at least 60% (in the beginning, probably more) of your work time running your business. This means administration, computer stuff, networking, billing, professional development, and most importantly, marketing.

How much money could I make as a coach?

If you fall into the small percentage of coaches that meet all three of the criteria above, you could anticipate making as much as $80,000 a year working full-time as a coach.

I’ve arrived at this figure like this:

40 hours a week x 50 weeks = 2000 hours a year

40% of those hours are paid (60% is administration and marketing)

800 hours x $100 an hour* = $80,000

That means that in a typical work day you might coach 4 – 6 clients for 30 – 60 minutes each. The remaining time would be spent in administration and marketing.

I do want to stress that only a small percentage of coaches make this kind of income. The ones who do are the ones who:

1) meet all three of the criteria above, and

2) want to work full-time (many people prefer coaching as a part-time or supplemental income).

*I’m using the rate of $100 an hour as an example only. Coaching fees typically range from $40 – $100 an hour for new coaches, and $100 – $200 or more for experienced or in-demand coaches.

What are the different ways to be a coach?

Public awareness of coaching as a profession has really increased in recent years. When I started coaching eight years ago, the typical response to “I’m a coach” was “what sport?” Now, people are likely to respond “Cool! I’ve heard of that”, or “I know someone who does that.”

As public awareness of coaching has changed there has been a parallel evolution in the profession’s concept of service delivery.

The traditional way to be a life coach was modeled on the counseling model. You signed up a client with a “client agreement” and agreed on a day and time to meet for “sessions” each week. These sessions might be in-person or over the telephone (the majority of life coaches meet with clients on the telephone). This is still a popular and viable way to deliver coaching services, but there are many other ways. For example:

• Group coaching
• Coaching franchise
• Workshops and retreats
• Print, audio or video courses
• Email coaching
• Instant messaging coaching
• Coaching membership site
• Teleclasses
• Writing and speaking

In addition, there are lots of ways to coach without actually having the title “Coach”. Many people get coaching skills training in order to be more effective in their main job – whether that is as a parent, mentor, manager, or even something as seemingly unrelated as a doctor or a salesperson.

I think the future of coaching lies in less expensive service delivery models. As an analogy, think of the fitness industry. There are so many people who want to get fit, but how many of them invest $40 – $100 an hour in a personal trainer? A pretty small percentage. Much more popular are group fitness classes that cost perhaps $10 – $15 dollars a session.

The same applies for coaching – there are a small percentage of clients who invest in individual coaching, and a much larger group that invests in less expensive options such as group coaching, workshops, products and courses. It’s important for coaches to keep this in mind when planning their marketing and service offerings.