Within the coaching sessions themselves, the use of note-taking and powerful questions was discussed. Several coaches indicated that they have given up taking notes, remarking, for example, “If it is important to the client, he will bring it up”, or “Taking notes breaks your listening.” For most, however, they do take briefs notes, jotting down key words or key phrases that come up repetitively or to take note of particular action commitments. These notes are often referred to as a ‘refresher’ before the following session, and may serve as a starting point for the next coaching conversation. One coach mentioned that he electronically records the sessions (with the fore knowledge and approval of the client) and provides this record to the client following each meeting. The general emphasis, however, was on the importance of really listening to your client, being in the moment, rather than succumbing to the distraction of having to write.
The coaches were also asked to reflect upon the ‘most powerful questions you use with clients’. A general response was along the lines that “powerful questions are a by-product of listening and come from the client’s agenda”. However, when pressed for an answer, the following represent some of the questions they provided:
Finally, the coaches were asked to reflect on what they learned from their most difficult or challenging client. Their answers encompassed powerful reminders for all coaches: “the importance of clarity in setting forth expectation in advance (both for client and coach); “I learned to trust my intuition”; “I learned the importance of being myself”; and, “That as much as I think I can remain neutral, judgement can sneak in”.
Looking Back – Advice and Learnings
Arguably, some of the most valuable information stemming from this research came in the form of reflections from each of the coaches – reflections on what they had learned (often the ‘hard way’) both about building their business and about working with clients, as well as advice (based on their experience) for those just starting out. The questions eliciting some of the ‘richest’ insights were closely related:
1) Looking back, what do you wish you had known before starting your business?
2) What have been the three most challenging aspects of building your practice?
3) In what areas do you think new coaches struggle most?
4) What advice would you give someone starting a coaching business today?
For the first two questions, the answers were assimilated into three categories: personal, professional and practical. From a personal perspective, there were remarks such as, “I wish I had had a better understanding of my own strengths”; “ Looking back, I can see now that everything I did, in the way that I did it, led me on to the next thing”; and “In the beginning, I would chase any opportunity and grow very frustrated. I realise now that if I had just trusted myself and trusted the process, that everything was going to be okay.” Another challenge noted was “staying inspired to show up excited to coach each client; if I am down, I turn to those things that I know inspire me” to re-energise me. There were several comments about the need to maintain some distance, “It is critical to empathise with your client, but it can be quicksand if you jump in too deep”; “It is easy to become overly-invested in your client’s problems”.
From a professional standpoint, there were multiple comments made about the challenge of developing a clear niche, and the need to stay focused on one’s goals for building the business.
For one, there was the challenge of a marketplace that did not really understand what coaching was and the realisation that trying to ‘educate’ others did not work very effectively; in the end, the coach had to connect directly to the ultimate client. For another, unethical business practices in the local marketplace emphasised the importance of “maintaining my own values and integrity in the face of this”. Marketing, and the need to focus on that constantly, was a significant topic for some, “I wish I had known how to market better, how to define my niche better. But experience (trial and error) may have been my best teacher”; “Remember, it IS a business and has to be marketed”; “the marketing never ends, but now I am having fun with it”. Getting clients was a challenge that most had faced, but as one coach remarked, “it was a challenge finding and getting clients, but for me, if clients are not showing up, I look at myself and what I am doing” (or not doing).
Practically speaking, coaches remarked on the challenge of creating a website, of managing their time effectively and, importantly, the need to “develop workable structures that support and are right for me”. There were several who wished they had understood better financial management and the costs of doing business. In a related comment, one remarked, “it was a challenge to become comfortable in charging what I am worth. You have to be willing to let people walk away because of the cost”. Finally, one coach noted, “you need to detach from outcomes. It has been a slower build than I expected, but I needed to keep trying things without expectation.”
In the aspect of where new coaches struggle most, in large measure, there was strong agreement — they felt that new coaches struggled with trusting themselves, that there was a lack (to varying degrees) of self-confidence and confidence / comfort in following one’s own intuition (be that in developing their business or in working with clients). One coach noted that new coaches struggle particularly with ‘letting go’, that they can try too hard to control the questions and the process. Marketing and getting clients were also challenges they felt new coaches struggled with, though even some of the experienced coaches continue to find the marketing aspect of their business an on-going effort. In a related note, being ‘accepted’ as a coach and charging what one truly believes one is worth was mentioned several times.
For new coaches embarking on setting up their own business / coaching practice, the advice emanating from the final question provided considerable value, and food for thought, for both new and seasoned coaches:
Today and Looking Forward
At the end of the interviews, the coaches were asked to reflect on: a) how, and in what ways, had their coaching careers exceeded and / or fallen short of expectations; b) what they hoped to do better in their businesses; and c) what they saw as the future challenges for the profession as a whole.
Interestingly, in terms unmet expectations, few were noted, but those were focused exclusively in business terms — harder work and slower growth than expected and business revenue not yet being at a level they had anticipated. But in terms of ‘exceeding expectations’ the comments, centred exclusively in the realm of personal satisfaction and personal growth: “The smiles on people’s faces (or in their voices) and knowing I’ve made a difference in their lives”; “it has provided moments of profound connection with other human beings”; “it has provided incredible personal growth, given much greater self-awareness and led to all kinds of unexpected opportunities”; “I could not imagine the impact I have had on others, both students and clients”; “I am deeply honoured by the trust people place in me”; “Being part of training and influencing so many different coaches has been much more satisfying than I could have imagined”; “I have awakened to what I am capable of doing to support another person”.
Considering where they are today and what the future holds for them, the coaches were first asked what they would like to do better in their businesses; their answers tended to concentrate around practical business targets: more effective marketing (both improved and different forms) was mentioned several times, along with a desire to focus more on organising and diversifying the overall business offering (as noted earlier, many of the coaches interviewed offer services beyond just 1:1 coaching). As one coach stated, “I want to make sure that every day I am doing one thing to improve the business, to have the discipline to take ‘a swing’ (an action) to build the business.” Another oft-mentioned response was a desire simply to become a better practitioner and broaden one’s ability to support people. Broadening the menu of choices for clients also involved, for some, moving some resources on-line, so that potential clients in other time zones could also benefit.
Looking to the future for the profession as a whole, and what they see as upcoming challenges for the profession and individual coaches, many expect the internet to have an impact on the ‘what and how’ of their service offerings, though it was hard for them to define exactly what that might look like. Almost all noted that they anticipate greater regulation of some form. There was a sense that the word ‘coach’ was becoming “commoditized” with many “calling themselves coaches”, which was causing increased confusion in the marketplace, and perhaps a need for coaches to differentiate themselves better. There is an expectation that some form of licensing may be introduced, “many corporate clients want to see (and may demand) credentials, your bona fides. This will raise coaching to a higher level of acceptability”. Niche training and more specialisation are also predicted. But as one put it, “the profession is still in its formative years. The challenges are there, but there are lots of opportunities”.
Summary / Conclusion
The information gathered through these interviews is substantial, but certainly not exhaustive. Moreover, given the relatively small sample size, it is not a statistically valid reflection of ‘reality’. However, there is much value to be gained from considering the comments and reflections of these coaches. One of the ‘going-in’ assumptions was that the research would yield some ‘absolute truths’ or some common ‘must do’s’. What was surprising to the researcher was that there were so few of these –pricing was the area in which there was perhaps the most agreement. There was also clear agreement in terms of ‘how one should show up’, the need to be true to one’s value and beliefs and maintain the integrity of the coaching process.
If there is one message to take from this research, I would hazard to say that it is this: there is no ONE ‘right answer’. As these coaches demonstrate, there are many, many paths to a successful business and finding the one that is best suited to each new coach may require patience, as well as trial and error. New coaches should, as was often mentioned, trust their gut and their intuition to know what is best for them.
Starting & Building a Coaching Business Research Questionnaire
Why, When, How?
1. What drew you to coaching in the first place?
2. How long have you had your coaching business?
3. What training did you undergo?
4. What training do you do on an on-going basis? What have you found to be most valuable? Why?
The Coaching Business:
I. Defining the Business:
1. When people ask you, ‘what is coaching?’ how do you respond?
2. Do you specialise? If so, why and in what area(s)? If not, why not?
3. Do you conduct any other business besides just coaching? If so what, and why?
II. Marketing & Getting Clients
1. What marketing tools have you used to build your business? What has worked and what has not worked?
2. Assuming you have a website, what, in your opinion, are the critical components of a strong website for a coach / coaching practice? If you don’t have a website, please explain your reasoning.
3. Under what circumstances do you turn down a coaching client?
4. What cultural issues, if any, have you encountered in building your practice? How did you deal with these issues?
5. Please describe the client composition of your practice (e.g. gender, corporate vs. personal)
III. Doing the Business
1. In terms of the ‘mechanics’ of your business (e.g. fee levels, billing, accounting, etc.), what has been the most difficult and why? How do you take payments from your clients and how often?
2. What is your pricing? How did you determine ‘the right level’? Do you have a different pricing structure for different client types?
3. What business challenges have you encountered with your clients (e.g. scheduling, paying, cancellations, etc.)?
4. For you, what is the maximum number of clients you feel you can effectively serve at any one time?
a. What have you found to be the optimal time between coaching sessions for a client? Why?
5. What, if any, are the most effective coaching tools you use with your clients? (e.g. Strengths Finder or other outside tools)
6. Do you take notes during / after client calls; if so, how do you use them? If not, why not?
7. What are the three most powerful questions you use with clients?
8. What did you learn from your most challenging / difficult client?
Looking Back– Learnings and Advice
1. Looking back, what do you wish you had known before starting your business? What would you have done differently?
2. What have been the three most challenging aspects of building your practice?
a. How did you tackle these challenges?
3. In what areas do you think new coaches struggle most?
4. What are the three pieces of advice you would give someone starting a coaching practice today?
Today and Looking Forward
1. In what ways has your coaching business a) exceeded your expectations; b) not met your expectations?
2. What do you want to do better within your business?
3. What future challenges do you foresee for coaching as a profession that you expect to impact on your business?