The following is taken from David’s interview with Philip Cohen in 10 Super Coaches.
Would you advise coaches to pursue certification? If so, at what stage in their practice, and through which accrediting body?
I believe strongly in certification. Having a certification or being on the path to one, sends a strong message to my prospects and clients. It says I’m serious about what I bring to our relationship because I’ve gone through training and been willing to prove myself. I believe certification gives me a competitive edge over other people who call themselves coaches, but they are that in name only. I also believe certification is important to give credibility to the profession in the eyes of the public.
The certification process starts on the day a person decides to become a coach. The process starts with a mental attitude. A person who decides to purse certification is saying this is a serious process and they are committed to being the best they can be.
The following is taken from David’s interview with Philip Cohen in 10 Super Coaches.
I believe the certification offered by the International Coach Federation is the most rigorous and the most widely respected. Certification is more than a certificate. The value of a certification lies in the credibility of the certification process. ICF requires a candidate to have formal training, document the number of hours they have coached, and to demonstrate their competency as a coach through live and taped coaching sessions. The assessors are all senior level coaches who know how to administer the exams. The certificate isn’t for just completing a program, the candidate must be able to use the skills. Numerous coaching schools around the world have created their programs based on ICF’s Core Coaching Competencies.
The following is taken from David’s interview with Philip Cohen in 10 Super Coaches.
What advice would you give coaches about charging clients?
Often new coaches undervalue their services. I believe in charging clients what you are worth. However, when starting a coaching business, there are two reasons to have clients: to make money and to have someone who can help you expand your skills. I like the idea of having a set fee and being willing to reduce it for a period of time to make it easy for someone to become a client. As they work with you, they will see your value and be willing to pay more.
The following is taken from David’s interview with Philip Cohen in 10 Super Coaches.
Do you recommend offering free coaching?
Offering free coaching is one of the best techniques a new coach has to fill their practice. I suggest offering a free coaching session to anyone who is willing to take advantage of it. It’s a great way for a prospect to experience coaching and for the coach to get practice.
After the first session, I suggest the coach does what ever is necessary to fill their practice. Sometimes that means offering free coaching for several weeks or months, however I prefer the coach offers coaching at a reduced rate instead of coaching for free.
It’s important that the coach tell the client at the beginning of the relationship the amount of their usual fee and how long the reduced coaching will last.
The following is taken from David’s interview with Philip Cohen in 10 Super Coaches.
What method did you find most effective in getting your initial clients, and what advice would you give to coaches trying this method?
Use your database. However, one important lesson I had to learn was to not prejudge the people I contacted. People who I thought couldn’t afford coaching, found a way to pay for it. “Ask and ye shall receive.” If you don’t ask, you have said “no” for the other person.
Did you coach your friends and colleagues? If so, what invitation did you use that worked best and felt good for you?
I had no problem coaching colleagues. However, I made a distinction between friends and acquaintances. I don’t like coaching friends because it’s too easy to have the relationships blend into one. I didn’t want to take the chance of losing both a client and a friend. My current coach is a close friend, however, we’ve both been coaching for a lot of years and know how to set up the relationship so there’s no problem.
The following is taken from David’s interview with Philip Cohen in 10 Super Coaches.
How would you suggest coaches find their niche?
I usually suggest letting a niche find the coach, instead of looking for one. Open yourself up to coach anyone and then look for patterns. This has several advantages: you might find yourself in a niche you never anticipated; you can build your business more quickly; you have an opportunity to coach a more diverse group of clients, which will add to your skill base.
When I started my coaching practice, I got a call from a person with a network marketing business. Before long, I had 6 or 8 clients in the same business. If I had decided to pursue it, I could have created a niche from there.
However, if someone comes to coaching with strong conections to a niche, then I would suggest they pursue it. For example, I had a client who was a new coach. Her previous job was executive director of a professional organization. She was on first name basis with all the significant people in her industry. She didn’t have to go through a gatekeeper because she had everyone’s direct phone number. I firmly supported her intent to create a niche in the market immediately.
