The world is in turmoil and I believe that good coaching can change that turmoil into peace, one person at a time.
Coaching Is Transformational
Good, professional coaching is transformational. Honestly, it’s a superpower. Good coaching allows individuals the space they need to think and talk about what they really want in life. Good coaching is often a pivotal point in an individual’s life. It enables people to see what would bring joy to their lives and then decide if they’re willing to make the changes to attain that joy. There’s no obligation to make those changes, coaching simply gives the client the knowledge that change is possible, and the ability to choose to change – or not.
Why Doesn’t Everyone Have A Coach?
Most people know exactly what a coach does, and because coaching is a word that has many definitions, it’s a rare thing to find people who understand what this kind of coaching is. If potential clients don’t know what coaching is, they’re hardly going to seek it out, are they?
In order for the average person to understand what coaching is, and what it can do for them, the way we coaches describe coaching and what it can do needs to change.
Coach-Speak
Currently, when coaches talk about coaching, they use phrases like ‘goal setting’ and ‘removing limiting beliefs’, about ‘thought-partnership’ and ‘holding space’. Those terms are part of the lexicon that is ‘coach-speak’. We coaches love coach-speak, it ticks all our boxes. it makes us feel part of a tribe that could change the world. In truth, we are part of that tribe, but in order to go from being able to change the world, to actually changing the world, we need to use a new language.
People who are not coaches don’t care about the terms that coach-speak contains. Honestly, they don’t even think that those terms apply to them. After all, until the moment one realises that something is actually a limiting belief, the belief is simply our reality.
The secret to being able to engage clients who want to pay you to help them make changes for the better in their lives, is to speak their language.
Let’s call that language ‘client-speak’.
Client-Speak
Client-speak is different depending upon the type of client, and the changes they want to make. Someone who wants to change career, but can’t see a way forward uses different language to describe their problem than someone who is struggling with anxiety, yet both of these people could see profound, positive changes if they were coached.
Learning to speak client-speak isn’t impossible, in fact, it’s actually a simple process. The process is this:
- Define the kind of client you want to work with. Specifically, what problem does that kind of client have, that they want resolved? This work is known as defining your ideal client.
- Describe that problem, in their terms and (more importantly) describe how they will feel once that problem is gone. Be clear that you can help them to make the journey from problem to solution. This work is known as creating your marketing message.
- Be where this kind of person, with this kind of problem is. The best marketing message in the world can’t work if the person it’s designed for can’t hear it.
Coaches Can’t Change The World If They Can’t Find Clients
Coaching can change the world, one person at a time. However, if 80% of coaches can’t manage to find clients, then this change isn’t going to happen. Let’s be honest, there is more need for positive change now than at any other point in global history – coaches are needed now more than ever!
The other crucial factor in finding clients, is that these clients need to be able to pay you for your services. If you as a coach are not able to cover your financial bases, you won’t be able to coach, will you? It’s important that you are paid for your work, so that you can help more people to implement positive changes in their lives.
Pro-Bono Work
Pro-bono coaching work has it’s place. That place is after the individual coach has their financial bases covered.
There’s a reason that airlines tell you to fix your own oxygen mask before helping others. That reason is that unless you’re ok, you’re not much help to others. The same goes for pro-bono coaching. Unless you can afford to do it, it’s not good for you or your client. You’re not at your best if you’re worrying about money.
Conclusion
As coaches, we need to up our game business-wise. We have the skills we need for the half of the business that is coaching sorted; that’s the delivery half.
The other half of a coaching business is the client-generating half, and this is where coaches are lacking in skills. The skills we need to gain are those which create the opportunity to do the delivery and those are business development skills.
Until the day that all coaches have honed their business development skills, my plan for coaches to change the world is simply a dream.