5 Steps to Becoming a Life Coach

Take a foundational course

Currently there are no coaching requirements for you to be a coach, however, if you want to fully understand the ethics of coaching, what coaches do/do not (this is not therapy!), learn how to structure a coaching session and market, then a foundational course is your ticket.

I found my school through a combination of word of mouth and by utilizing the International Coaching Federation’s website. The ICF has a Training Program Search tool that allows you to filter schools by the criteria that is important to you.

I wanted to get my board certified coaching (BCC) certificate so I looked for schools that were ACTP (accredited coach training program) accredited.

(https://coachfederation.org/icf-credential/find-a-training-program )

Identify your ideal client

What sort of life coach do you want to be: professional, executive, spiritual, all the above? It’s a daunting question in the beginning but a few easy exercises will help you figure out where to start. I began by running through my LinkedIn Contacts. First, I wrote down the names of my connections that I pictured as my ideal client. I was very selective, only about 15% of my contacts made the cut. Second, next to their name, I listed their key characteristics. For example: intelligent, go-getter, powerful, intuitive, time-strapped. Lastly, I sorted through my entire list and circled the characteristics that repeatedly popped-up. This very quickly formed a clear picture of my most ideal client.

Create your marketing strategy

Now that you identified your ideal client, you can create your “elevator pitch.” This is a brief statement that creates interest in what you do.

What qualities do your clients need from their coach? What goals do your clients have? Identify the gap between where they are now and where they want to go. Speak to that gap. An easy way to start writing your pitch is to answer the following five questions:

Who are you (your name)?
What do you do?
Who do you work with?
What is your client’s gap/challenge/pain point?
What do you create with your clients?

Next, you should create a welcome packet. Google is massively helpful here. Lastly, start to think about how you will network. Will you use social media? Local networking groups? Speak at events?

Start coaching

No time like the present! Get started right away. You chose this vocation for a reason so don’t let perfectionism cause you to freeze. Ask your clients to write reviews for you and post these on your social media sites.

Hire a coach

What kind of coach doesn’t believe in coaching? Find a coach who can help you take your business to the next level. The rewards are two fold here – you will improve your business and better understand the coaching process by going through it yourself!

Impact. Income. Prosperity.

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