Key takeaways
- Don’t let the “life coach” label box you in. Flexibility and authenticity are what help you stand out and build a coaching brand that lasts.
- Sell the destination, not the vehicle. Clients care far more about where they can get to than about your coaching process, so position the outcome first.
- Don’t niche, unleash. Build a big toolbox and custom-create for each person in front of you, rather than limiting yourself to one kind of client.
- Blend your styles as it serves the client: pure coaching to help them find their own answers, then consulting, teaching and mentoring to help them implement.
- Build your brand around your whole self, and listen for your clients’ exact words. Speak their language back to them and weave it into your messaging.
Aspiring coaches often feel bound by the label “life coach,” as if it were the only path. It isn’t. Flexibility and authenticity are what help you stand out and build a coaching brand that lasts. Here are seven reasons to think twice before you box yourself in.
1. Sell the destination, not the vehicle
Remember where the word coach comes from: a vehicle that carries you from where you are to where you want to be. Coaching is about the journey to a destination. Many trained coaches struggle to find clients because they’ve fallen in love with the coaching process and forgotten that their clients care far more about where they can get to. Put the destination first when you position yourself.
2. Don’t niche, unleash
Many coaches believe they must niche to succeed. That’s like saying you can only take one kind of person to one kind of destination. It limits you. Instead, build a big toolbox and custom-create for each person in front of you. That range is exactly what sets you apart and draws a wider variety of clients.
3. Rise above the competition
In an ocean of coaches, you stand out through your value and your ability to tailor solutions. Offer the right blend of coaching, consulting, mentoring and training for each client’s needs, and you become the go-to person, trusted for your expertise and your adaptability.
4. Blend your coaching styles
When it serves the client, move between pure coaching, where you give no advice, and consulting, teaching and mentoring. Pure coaching empowers people to find their own solutions. The advising phases help them implement those solutions and succeed long term. Knowing which one you naturally lean toward matters, and if you’re not sure, our free quiz will tell you: what kind of coach are you?
5. Build your brand first
Your brand is your personal magic: your values, your authenticity, your uniqueness. People are drawn to brands they can relate to and trust. Show your whole self, your passions and interests included, and you create a deeper connection than any niche label could.
6. Experiment and stay agile
Rather than forcing yourself into the life-coach box, explore the Big 4: life, business, executive and Enneagram coaching. A large toolbox lets you adapt to different needs and stay relevant as the profession keeps changing.
7. Listen to your clients’ language
Listen closely to the exact words people use for their challenges and desires. Capture that language and weave it into your messaging and your programmes. Speak their words back to them, and you connect at a deeper level and meet their real needs.
Don’t limit yourself by the label. Unleash your skills, custom-build for your clients, and let your brand and your range set you apart. If finding those clients is the part you’re wrestling with, our free course on how to find coaching clients is a good next step.