After spending hours talking to friends on the phone to help them find new career options, you may ask, 'Why am I not being paid to do this?'. While you think so, know that you may indeed be able to get paid. In fact, a career in this field is very legal and promising, U. S. News and World Report mentions that life coaching is the second largest consulting business among similar businesses. If you want to help others by becoming a life coach, here are some steps to take:
Step
Part 1 of 4: Qualifying
Step 1. Study
Fifty years ago, you could live life with just a high school diploma, but times have changed. At the very least, nowadays, you should have a degree that was earned by studying for four years at a university. While you don't really need a college education to become a life coach, you will certainly be competing with those with masters or even doctorates. So you better go to college.
Although "life coaching" doesn't have its own major, you can take counseling and psychology education. Also, just because the field has no specialization, it doesn't mean that there aren't classes available– several universities in the US, such as Harvard, Yale, Duke, NYU, Georgetown, UC Berkeley, Penn State, University of Texas at Dallas, and George Washington, have started coaching programs
Step 2. Take coaching classes through an accredited program
If you've dropped out of college and don't want to repeat it, another option is to take life coaching classes through an accredited school or program. The ICF and IAC (International Coaching Federation and International Association of Coaching, respectively), have established partner relationships with several schools and consider coaches graduating from these schools deserving of their certificates.
Both organizations are well qualified in the field of life coaching. Make sure any school you join is affiliated with one of these organizations. Otherwise, the school may be deceptive, not worth the money and time you invest, or even both
Step 3. Get a certificate
After you complete a training program from your school, you can receive a certificate (either through the ICF or IAC, depending on the organization your school is working with). With this certificate, you are career ready. Instead of announcing that you're a life coach and hoping they don't ask further questions, you'll have backing credibility.
This certificate will be the most important thing. No life coach can really be successful without it. If you are educated in this, you will become even better. Remember, write this fact down on your business card
Step 4. Take the seminar
Since there is no life coach education equivalent to medical school, seminars are very common. To stay competitive in the field of life coaching, get to know the big names, and network through seminars everywhere. The school should be able to help inform the time and place of the seminar that is relevant to you.
Take advantage of seminars for profit. Don't just go home and try to absorb everything that's being said (every seminar has a different topic). You should also talk to the people there. Having a mentor (or at least a few friends in the same field) can be very beneficial when you are facing challenges. They will help get you on the right track
Part 2 of 4: Preparing for Business
Step 1. Keep your part time job
Let's be realistic: even though being a life coach doesn't cost much (as compared to years of medical school, for example), your income may still be delayed. Therefore, you will still have to go through life while you are in training, and need savings when you are just starting out in your career. After four months of studying, people won't just start coming to you for paid advice. This takes time.
It may take you years to build a stable and established client base. This business is not a get-rich-quick scheme. While some life coaches charge high rates for just a short phone call, most aren't so lucky. With less experience, your rates should also be cheaper (as well as, of course, fewer clients). You may also have to start by working for free. So don't just resign from your current job
Step 2. Work independently
While some life coaches are hired by companies and other businesses looking to improve the tenure of their employees, most of them are self-employed. This means you have to take care of the paperwork as well as get directly involved in managing the business. However, this also means that you can set your own schedule.
You'll need to pay self-employment taxes by personally billing clients, as well as developing payment methods and schedules (these are just a few examples among all the things you'll have to do yourself). If you're not sure what to take care of, talk to someone who is self-employed, or another life coach! This trick will prepare you for the next step
Step 3. Learn from an established life coach
Just as therapists go through hours of counseling sessions in their training, new life coaches also need to be mentored by those with more experience to increase their knowledge. This tutoring can be done in groups or individually, over the phone (if this facility is provided by the school), or you may have to find it yourself. You've run errands to build a network, right?
- The flip side is that you have to look at what a life coach actually does. You might think they're just saying, "You're ruining your life, do this…". However, it's really much more than that (at least if you're a good life coach). To become more proficient at what you are about to do, learn from other life coaches.
- If the school doesn't provide it for you (or at least provides a few names to call), look it up through friends – whether at school or outside the study area – or teachers, or through the telephone list. These are also ways future clients will find you.
Step 4. Register in various coaching directories
There are several online directories to follow so internet adventurers can find you if they want help with life. There are a lot of people out there that you wouldn't be able to reach with word of mouth – advertising yourself on the internet is the only way to find them.
Most sites charge a fee to post images and information. Make sure the site you want is not a hoax / just a waste of time before you give credit card or money information to someone else. There are a lot of scams out there, so be careful
Step 5. Find your niche
Some life coaches specialize in training people to define a vision for their lives, as well as find ways to improve their quality. Others focus on helping clients choose and develop careers, while others teach executives how to run a business. Others train clients to manage interpersonal relationships. Decide which areas of life training you would like to specialize in (hint: these areas should be mastered by you personally). Here's a list of possibilities to get started:
- Business training
- Carbon training (helping people to reduce their carbon footprint)
- Career training
- Company training
- Executive training
- Relationship training
- Retirement training
- Spiritual training and Christianity
- Time management training
- Body image and weight training
- Work-life balance training
Step 6. Market yourself
Once you have a "Certified Life Coach" title behind your name, it's time to hand out business cards, place advertisements in cyberspace, newspapers, community media and journals, create a Facebook page, tweet, and even put your name sticker on the side of the car. The more your name is known, the better. People can't come to you if they don't know you exist!
- Consider marketing yourself as a specialist. You already have a niche, right? What might your clients listen to, watch or read? If you're looking to reach the executive level, don't advertise on local childcare services – this is perfect if you want to reach young mothers or women trying to balance career and family life.
- Studies show that coaching is also good for employees, in addition to employers. A company that spends $1 (approximately $13,000) on its employees will save $3 (approximately $39,000) because of reduced turnover and the processes that go with it. If you are considering visiting a business and suggesting they hire you, arm yourself with these facts.
Step 7. Get a trial client
Once you get certified, you will need clients. However, because you have no experience, clients will be hard to find. So that you can say you have experience working for real people, ask friends and family members to hire you for free. You'll get hours of work and they'll get a personal consultation (and hopefully, a bit of good guidance and a dose of real life).
How much and how long you want to do it depends on a personal decision. The correct answer is "until you feel comfortable charging for your services and believe you can help others enrich their lives". This time can be weeks or months. Fortunately, nothing went wrong here. However, waiting until you really feel "ready" will put off helping other people, especially if your personality is a perfectionist. At some point, you have to act quickly and make the decision that you are running a real business
Step 8. Get real clients
After a few months working for your fellow sister and friend of your pizza delivery friend, word of mouth will finally take place. You will get the first call that makes you happy. Safe! It's time to make money. *Word of mouth promotion is not something that can be relied on. You need to learn to market your business and prepare a plan, not just wait for people to talk about you. Hire a business coach if you really want to run a business and not just do a side hobby that doesn't make much money.
But, how much does your service cost? Honestly, it's up to you. Do you want to charge a daily rate? Monthly rate? And how much? Consider how tough the challenge is for the client and yourself. How much can they afford? What can you offer? What is the demographic state of most of your potential clients? When in doubt – ask about the competition! * You must learn to charge for results, not on an hourly or daily basis. Worrying about the fees that rivals charge and trying to offer them at a lower price is the reason why so few coaches make money. You'll need to hire a business coach to learn the right way to set up services and charge fees, so you can live a decent life and eventually quit your job. Also establish a long-term program, not just meeting one client at a time or having them hire you every month
Part 3 of 4: Working with Clients
Step 1. Start with an in-depth interview
When it comes to life coaching, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. When a client arrives, prepare for the first session to be complete and cover all the basic interview topics. What do clients want from you? What part of their life do they want to change? What are their goals?
Most people have ideas – very specific (this is why the majority of life coaches have their own specialty) about what they want to achieve. Whether it's losing weight, focusing on their growing business, or dealing with relationship issues, your clients know this. Let them lead you at first and listen to their complaints
Step 2. Keep it tidy
Once you have many clients, it will be easy for you to refer to someone as “the guy who is addicted to coffee and is still suffering from narcolepsy”. Do not do it. He won't like it. Create a portfolio for all your clients, write down the details, and keep this portfolio normal. If you're untidy, you'll miss a call with client number 14, who might just walk away from you the next day.
You also have to make them feel as if they are your most important client. Remember every little detail they tell you, and consider those details when you meet them. Not only will they impress and trust you more, but you will also be able to make more accurate decisions about what will help them if the facts you remember are true
Step 3. Set a reasonable schedule
You'll soon find out what works best for you, but most coaches say they usually see clients about 3 times a month. Some clients require extra effort, while others require less effort, however, three times a month is the average. The length of each session depends on you and the client.
You don't really have to meet the client in person in these sessions, although it's the most personal way. You can also run sessions over the phone or even a Skype-like program. If your client is corporate or executive, he or she may be traveling a lot and a phone session is the only way. If you really want to be successful, open your business to clients all over the world. Skype is not a good choice in many countries and areas as the connection drops frequently. Learn to use other systems like Google Hangouts as a place to meet face-to-face without getting frustrated with bad technology like Skype
Step 4. Don't just give instructions
Life coaches aren't just high-priced advice givers. If so, this is a bad thing. Life coaches talk about helping other people explore options and determine what's best for them. Only bad life coaches ignore advice and hang up the phone. You have to work on changing your behavior – it's a million times more valuable than simply telling clients what to do.
No one needs someone else (especially if it's a virtual presence) to tell them what to do in life – all this we can get from in-laws, siblings, and schoolmates who think they know everything. You must answer the question "how," not what. You can still pass the process on to them
Step 5. Give homework
You have to be a teacher or guide to some extent. When you hang up with a client, your work doesn't end there. Make sure they do what you have discussed. Give assignments. Whether exploring different business plans or talking to your ex-husband, take action that triggers change. What would be the best solution for them? And how do you make sure they do it?
You will meet clients who do not want to cooperate. You will have clients who disagree with you. Apart from that, there are also clients who think you are wasting their valuable time. These things are natural. Accept these bad situations as you would good ones, and know when to stop losing. If a client doesn't like your style, he or she may quickly shut down and get scared. Don't accept clients that don't suit you and you won't have any problems. As the number of clients grows, you'll be able to find out whether or not they're a good match for you – through getting to know each other. If you don't know how to run this session yet (it's NOT a training session), learn how. See your coach or business group for help
Step 6. Help the client reach the goal
In the end, this is what matters. We all struggle with life, and a life coach is there to help shine a light on the dark and scary tunnels we walk through. If you've done your best to reach the client's goals and show him the various options, your job is done. They will be better off for working with you.
Part 4 of 4: Developing Specific Coaching Skills
Step 1. Be an empathetic and caring individual
A big part of a life coach's job is to help people set goals and encourage them to achieve them. This requires an attitude of wanting to relate to others in a friendly manner. If you are someone who has a negative or sad outlook, the client will quickly run away.
Face-to-face contact is not always necessary as a life coach, as many coaches work with their clients over the phone. However, this direct contact has many advantages: it is less restrictive and makes it easier to develop trust. Direct contact is also convenient because it is global and flexible
Step 2. Make sure you sincerely want the best for everyone
Some of us (99%0 are not always kind and understanding. Even if we think we have these qualities, sometimes we still fail. This can happen to one personality type more often than others. Our very beautiful coworker may make us feel envious, or our very stupid friend may really upset us that we are cold and indifferent. Whether it's your smarts, looks, or annoying laugh that affects you, put all that aside and act like you want to help everyone.
You may find clients you don't want to meet for 5 minutes of coffee with in your next life. It does not matter. We can't fit in with everyone. This is natural – you don't have to drink coffee with them. You just have to help them. Help them and make sure you want them to be successful. Even if their personality sucks, always put their interests first
Step 3. Understand that you are not a friend of the client
Just like the previous step, you won't be drinking coffee with them. You won't be grabbing a drink in the cheap hours before the game starts. You are there to encourage them, not to help them do something like a friend. Keep these clear boundaries to maintain a professional relationship. When you befriend them, they will stop paying.
When you cross the line from coach to friend, clients will feel a weaker urge to do what you suggest. You'll also feel less motivated to be honest with them – one day, you may have to be tough and they'll be offended if they feel like you're friends. Keep boundaries clear as a general good logical practice
Step 4. Be flexible
Life is sometimes unpredictable. You may get a call at 9pm on a Friday, from a client who wants to schedule a consultation for the next day. If possible, accept it! This client is not being disrespectful – he will be as surprised as you are. Your work schedule may not be constant but it certainly won't be a standard 9am-5pm desk job. * You must make an appointment with a client beforehand, don't wait until the last minute like this. Only by helping them make long-term plans will they begin to be able to better manage their lives and make lasting changes. Allowing them to make changes or reschedule appointments at the last minute only supports their bad behavior. This is not conducive to achieving positive results. Emergencies are special situations, but a good coach should prepare a 2-4 week schedule based on the client's call beforehand.
In addition to being flexible with hours, be flexible by being open-minded. What works for one person may not really work in general. In the end, everything is relative. If someone doesn't like something, you should probably respect their wishes. You are always working with someone unique. Tailor your program to your needs as specifically as possible, but leave little room for improvement
Step 5. Be creative
To help people reach their potential, you must be able to think creatively. Chances are they've considered paths A and B, and they're not good enough at doing it (for one reason or another) – you should also provide paths C, D, and E. These paths are certainly not very obvious (or your client's) must have thought about it). To be a successful life coach, you need to be smart, creative, and imaginative.
This doesn't mean you shouldn't think logically. No – you have to be able to do it. In essence, you must be embedded in the path of success. A balance between reality and a good “have you ever thought this way” attitude will help you in the client's eyes. And if they're happy, you'll be happy too – besides, clients might promote you to their friends
Tips
- Keep a list of satisfied clients to use as a reference for potential future clients.
- Offer prospective clients sample training sessions so they can see if your training style fits their goals and needs and tastes.
Warning
- The life coach must work as the client's partner, and the client must be the person setting the direction of the partner.
- Currently, there are no external life coaching regulatory agencies, unlike for psychiatrists and psychologists.
