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Be more than a Life Coach—a guide to Life Coach Certification

Becoming a successful Life Coach isn’t easy and it’s often not enough to succeed.

How do you find a program that gives you everything you need? Should you even call yourself a Life Coach? This detailed Life Coach Certification guide contains examples, best ICF practices, mistakes to avoid and loads of inspiration. 

InnerLifeSkills Life Coach Certification
Life Coach Certification

Don’t call yourself a Life Coach.

Yes you may have natural skills, and feel inspired to become a life coach, but in an ocean of so many life coaches, it’s best to build a brand (even around your name) and have a multi-niched toolbox of services to offer beyond only life coaching.

3 Examples of unique to InnerLifeSkills Processes you learn:

  • ABCs Intuition Coaching—Use a simple somatic intuition technique to guide clients to be centered enough to tune in to deeper clarity.
  • 4 STEP SYSTEMIC Family Coaching—Help clients claim their belonging and be free of family baggage.
  • EQUAL TO BRIDGE Relationship Coaching—Facilitate teams and couples to end power struggles and button pushing to build strong whole relationships.

Offer life-changing life coaching, with 6 unique toolboxes: Intuition, Personal Power, Relationships, Family Systemic, Purpose and Dream Builder coaching.

YOUR DOOR-OPENING CERTIFICATE
Get door-opening Internationally Accredited ICF 30 hours for ACC PCC MCC.

YOUR
CLASSES

Join 6 Live Zoom Practical Classes (learn-by-doing) with an expert instructor & small group.

YOUR
2024 DATES 

FEB or

JUNE or

OCT

YOUR
CLIENT-TOOL-KIT

Unique life coaching tools to Guide individuals or teams.

"

Offer Professional Life Coaching to groups & individuals.

WITH CONFIDENCE + CREDIBILITY + COMPETENCIES + CERTIFICATION

"

Here’s how it works…

 

6 ONLINE LIVE CLASSES

Join us for Life Coaching Certification Zoom Classes.

TIMES USA-CANADA mornings, UK-AFRICA evenings. See all Certification Dates and Times.
Plus, receive access to our extensive library of online resources—PDF ready-to-coach professional-client worksheets + quick reference manuals + tutorial videos, + Virtual Coaching Demonstrations.

Life Coach Live Certification

6 Live Zoom Life Coach ClassesCurriculum

Intuition Coaching Certification

CLASS #1 Coach clients and teams to tune in to their deeper intuitive wisdom.

Personal Power Life Coaching

CLASS #2 Empower clients to reclaim their inner strength and wholeness.

Relationship Life Coaching Certification

CLASS #3 Guide powerful relationship coaching for couples and teams.

Systemic Tools Life Coach Certification

CLASS #4 Guide clients to belong and hand back family burdens.

Purpose Coaching Life Coach toolbox

CLASS #5 Coach the finding and living of a natural inspired purpose.

DREAM BUILDER Life Coach Certification

CLASS #6 Facilitate a 7-step dream builder coached journey.

YOUR INTERNATIONAL CERTIFICATE

After your classes (80% attendance needed for certification) and passing a theory assessment, receive your ICF Accredited Life Coach Certificate to open doors and feel confident in your skills.

Your certificate displays your 30 ICF Partial Level 2 and CCE (previously ACSTH) accredited training hours to use for an ACC, PCC, or MCC sought-after credential and towards your InnerLifeSkills full Master Coach Level 2 Certification.
This includes 30 hours ICF Core Competencies

Certificate Life Coach ICF CCE

Life Coach Certification Bundled Programs

Life Coach Certification

SHORT COURSE
6 weeks

N

Life Coach, a Big 4 Course includes: Intuition + Personal Power + Systemic + Purpose + Dream Builder Coaching

N

Qualify as InnerLifeSkills Life Coach

N

ICF 30 Hours CCE + Partial Level 2

N

6 Zoom Classes

N

Online Resources + Tutorials

N

CCE 30 for ACC PCC MCC renewal

M

Global Skills Certification

M

10 Mentor Hours

Global Coach Certification

LEVEL 1 ACC
2 or 3 months

N

Choose any 1 of the Big 4 Certifications: Life Coach or Enneagram Coach or Business Coach or Executive Coach

N

Qualify as InnerLifeSkills Global Coach

N

ICF 60 Hours CCE + Partial Level 2

N

12 Zoom Classes

N

Online Resources + Tutorials

N

Everything needed for ACC

N

Global Skills Certification

N

10 Mentor Hours

Master Coach Certification

LEVEL 2 ACC-PCC
3 or 10 Months

N

Master Coach includes all of the Big 4: Life Coach + Enneagram Coach + Business Coach + Executive Coach

N

Qualify as InnerLifeSkills Master Coach

N

ICF 150 Hours CCE + Complete Level 2

N

30 Zoom Classes

N

Online Resources + Tutorials

N

Everything needed for ACC or PCC

N

Global Skills Certification

N

10 Mentor Hours

Welcome to my “everything you need to know” created-with-love life coach certification guide!

If you’re searching for deep, decluttered guidance to 1. make it easier to compare coaching training programs, 2. understand why a multi-niche big toolbox is so important and 3. make sure you’ve found an accredited life coach certification that provides everything you need to succeed in today’s worldthen this guide is for you.

Whether you want to:

  • Grow a rewarding life coaching business.
  • Add life coaching to your existing services.

May this guide give you everything you need.

What is Life Coach Certification?

The simplest definition for life coaching certification is that it’s a qualification that first teaches and then verifies that you have the current global best practice skills and knowledge to work as a professional life coach. If you want to know what life coaching is, read this article.

Because the coaching industry has exploded into a $3 billion global industry and is still growing, many free and cheap certification mills have popped up, making it more confusing and more important to be discerning when choosing a program.

According to the ICF (International Coaching Federation) 2020 Global Coaching Study, the number of professionally certified coaches increased by 33% from 2015 to 2019. The industry is maturing, so your potential clients are getting savvier. Clients are hiring coaches with trusted qualifications and are willing to pay more for them (especially companies).

What do you get from a quality life coach certification?

At the least, your quality certification should give you door-opening credibility, confidence and competencies to attract your ideal clients and serve them at the highest level.

I recommend that you also look for training that will equip you with:

  1. Flexible skills to custom-build coaching solutions for the client in front of you (as 3-12 month journeys, instead of selling 1 hour at a time).
  2. A multi-niche big coaching toolbox (so you’re not trapped).
  3. Conscious ethical business-building training (because without knowing how to find clients, even the best certification is wasted).

This 8-Factor Checklist will help you sort the quality certifications from the weaker ones.

Can you be a life coach without certification?

“Can’t I coach without certification?”

We’ve heard many ask. Short answer: “Yes, you can.”

Life experience and your natural ability to guide others are important—it makes you a natural coach and will give you a great foundation, but natural skills do not create a Master Coach. A talent for cooking at home is different from running a top-rated restaurant; the life coaching profession is no different.

Our industry is unregulated, so most countries don’t restrict anyone from using the job title “Life Coach.” After all, the title “coach” is even used in sports.

Coaching falls outside mental health professions and is closer to consulting, giving us much more freedom than psychologists. But it also means anyone can call themselves a life coach without training.

Taking the leap - learn about life coach certification

This infographic shows some things to consider when weighing the pros and cons of no certification vs free or cheap certification vs ICF-accredited certification.

In our opinion, you’ll see very few cons associated with the path to an ICF-accredited certificate other than upfront investment.

free vs no vs accredited life coach certification

Do you need certification to coach?

Short answer: No, you don’t.

Yes, we could watch a few tutorial videos and launch our new coaching career the next day (many do). But when we sit in front of a client, feeling the pressure of wanting to help—not just coach on the surface, not just add to our client’s to-do lists—that’s when quality learning matters.

And when you help clients in profound ways because you have the competencies, toolbox and confidence, guess what? They send you referrals and wonderful reviews. That’s how we become a trusted ‘go-to coach.’

If it worries you that without proper training and feedback (from mentoring and assessments), you could cause more harm than good, you’re not alone. I feel we’re legally and morally liable for any advice we give. It’s a responsibility.

Many of us want to provide the highest service, truly help others, and make a difference, so we’re happy to work hard to get credible life coach certification.

And lastly, something I don’t say lightly is:

“We earn the privilege of changing lives.”

How?

By mastering our skills through attending live coach classes to practice with fellow students, getting expert feedback to improve daily, being assessed and earning our accredited certification.

Many InnerLifeSkills graduate coaches tell us how surprised they were to see how in-depth master coaching training can be. There’s so much more to mastering coaching than listening and sharing well.

Aren’t there too many life coaches already?

“Col, I want to be certified as a coach, but I’m concerned about committing to this path because aren’t there too many coaches to compete with?”

Yes and no (sorry, it’s just true).

  • Yes – there are probably too many pop-up overnight life coaches these days. But if you have the right training, skills and know-how, you’re not competing with them.

You’ll only be competing with certified coaches (approx. 70,000 in the world, according to an ICF 2020 study), which is very little for an entire profession. There are over 1 million psychologists globally, so we still have a long way to go (Stevens and Gielen, 2007).

  • No – life coaching is a plug-n-play professional skill set, which means you can easily add it to other services, adapt it to different niche markets and plug it in to help anyone to help themselves.

For example, my team and I equip many professionals with the same core life coaching skills, from financial planners to psychologists, Enneagram practitioners to school teachers, and CEOs to attorneys. These competencies (when trained at master levels) can empower you to empower others.

I suggest you consider creating a brand instead of calling yourself a ‘life coach’ to set yourself apart from the competition. Rather offer life coaching, among other services, than be a Life Coach.

How to Choose the Best Life Coach Certification

The best certification is the one that’s right for you.

Even my Master Coach Certification program (which I naturally love) is not for everyone; that’s why we chat with students before they enrol to see if our course is a good fit (we turn a potential student away if we know we are not suitable for them).

Before investing time, money and effort, use these 8 Factors to find the proper life coach certification. No education is a complete waste, but we’ve seen many aspiring coaches spend a fortune on training, with even years of study, to still not have what it takes to confidently coach and succeed in today’s market.

What does it take to succeed as a Life Coach?

You don’t need to guess—learn from those who’ve found a way. We don’t just teach wisdom-led Master Coaches—we learn from them.

In 2022, we interviewed dozens of our most successful coach graduates, who have been full-time professionals for 5-15 years and won 5-star reviews, 2-year coaching contracts, book deals and client referrals.

We asked them what was working and what was not. There were some big surprises. The industry has changed radically. What worked for life coaches from 2002-2012 (to learn the right skills, find clients and build a coaching business) isn’t working as well today. Clients are more discerning, the market is more competitive, and the standards of our profession have been raised.

Does that mean certifying as a life coach today is a waste?

No. Top certified coaches are more successful than ever, and quality training is critical to stand out from the fly-by-night coaches. 2022, coaching is estimated to be a $2.85 billion global industry.

Here are 8 Factors to help you find the path for you, but this approach to choosing a course is also not for everyone.

THIS 8-FACTOR APPROACH IS NOT FOR YOU IF:

  • You’re happy to stick to surface to-do-list style coaching, which has a place but only focuses on goal setting, action plans and accountability.
  • You only want a small toolbox of generic coaching processes to repeat and rinse again and again, regardless of what your client needs. This is easier to learn but severely limits earning potential.
  • You aren’t interested in striving for mastery, unwilling to UN-LEARN old listening and speaking habits or discovering new ways to improve your natural coaching skills.

THIS 8-FACTOR APPROACH IS FOR YOU IF:

  • You want to coach deeper than the surface, to see your clients light up with “Aha” clarity, transform their fears, find inner wisdom and fulfil their purposeful heart’s dreams.
  • You want an extensive toolbox of unique processes to be accessible to coach anyone, any niche, anywhere, custom-creating powerful transformative 3- 12 month journeys for your clients. This uncaps earning potential.
  •  You love learning and are striving for mastery, willing to UN-LEARN the old and discover new ways of listening and speaking to improve your natural coaching skills.

Naturally, if you resonate with this approach, we’d love you to add our certification program, “InnerLifeSkills Master Coach (ICF Accredited),” to your list of possible choices.

Let’s lead, coach and guide with wisdom together.

Use the 8 Factors below to help choose the proper life coach certification.

Check your understanding of what coaching is and isn't

3 Checks before you enrol in a coaching course

I’m sure you don’t want to invest time and money in a certification program without understanding what a coaching career is.

So here is a summary of what Life Coaching is and isn’t. Remember, people often use the word “Coach” as a synonym for other modalities like training, mentoring and teaching, but there is a marked difference.

What Life Coaching is and isn’t.

The word “coach” (mid-16th century) French ‘coche’, and Hungarian’ kocsi’ (wagon) from Kocs, means ‘coach’ or ‘carriage’ transport to take you to where you want to be.

In the 18th century, the word ‘coach’ started being used as a verb.

When we coach, we help people move, change, transform, and progress from where they are now to where they want to be.

What is PURE no-advise giving coaching vs BLENDED coaching?

“Blended” is a term we created to help coaches understand this key difference.

  • PURE COACHING = No advice. Full partnership, solution-focused exploration. Helping someone to help themselves. ICF International Coaching Federation gold standards.
  • BLENDED COACHING = Using Pure Coaching when needed. And also add other roles, e.g. we train Managers as Coaches and Consultants who BLEND coaching with giving advice (because it’s part of their job). We become more impactful leaders, consultants and trainers when we learn pure coaching. We create more buy-in and empowerment by not just “telling others what to do.”

If you want to be a BLENDED COACH, ensure your Life Coach certification supports this.

How is life coaching different from other types of coaching?

You may be surprised to learn that the foundation skills for Life Coaching are the same for Executive, Business, Career Coaching, etc.

Even the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Core Competencies are the same for all forms of professional coaching. It’s only when we BLEND coaching that specialist knowledge is needed. Successful Master Coaches don’t limit themselves to life coaching.

CASE STUDY:
Eduan Pieterse, a 2013 InnerLifeSkills graduate, became a go-to Master Coach for a client who told me, “Ed saved my marriage, got my business teams on track and helped my teenage son.” Ensure your certification doesn’t limit you to only life coaching; why not free yourself to be a multi-niche go-to coach?

How is life coaching different to therapy and training?

  • Picture a trainer (mentor) on the top of the mountain guiding and giving advice.
    Now, picture a therapist (counsellor) at base camp exploring the path and pain of the journey to the mountain.
    The coach walks beside their client to the summit, helping them to help themselves.

Blended coaches mix these roles depending on their skills and the client’s needs.

Ensure that you are clear on which role/s you are interested in and find a program to match.

Check the credibility of your certification

How to check if Coach Certification is Credible

According to the ICF Annual Surveys:
“Credentials are important to consumers. Among those who have been in a coaching relationship, 83% said certification/credential is important. For those aware of coaching but not yet been in coaching relationship, 76% considered certification/credential important.”

We usually look for a certification or brand’s credibility first through online testimonials. But understandably, we’re sceptical because of so many online scams and exaggerated claims.

Here are 3 quick ways to check the Credibility of a Certification.

Full disclosure: I am a big supporter of the ICF, a non-profit global organization that bench-marks the gold standards of professional coaching. There are others, but in my opinion, the ICF is the most trustworthy.

In 2012, when we had our Master Coach Certification program accredited as an Accredited Coach Training Program (ACTP), we were impressed because they put us through the mill checking every piece of training material, our assessments, policies and faculty. Plus, we must renew every 3 years with proof of continued integrity and quality.

1. Look for Social Proof.

Testimonials: Yes, read testimonials and case studies, but also look out for a few graduate coaches online to see if they’re real and what kind of work they’re doing. Why not pop a past graduate a polite, short DM on LinkedIn with “Hi, may I ask how you found your studies with…?”

Reviews: Remember that only 1-2% of graduates usually take the time to review, and people are more likely to post if they are unhappy. Also, ensure that the reviews are real with a DM or Google search of their name. Some people may not be reachable, but 1-2 should be enough.

Partners: A great place to look for credibility is among licensed partners, faculty and trainers—who are they, and are they credible? Most training providers hire freelance faculty, not full-time staff.

2. Look for Trademarks.

Trademarks: It’s expensive and can take years to register a trademark (® = registered, TM = pending), so this could say something about how established a brand is. Look in the footer of their website for the ®. It’s illegal in many countries to use ® without owning the trademark.

Copyright: Next to the copyright notice is a date, e.g. InnerLifeSkills 2002-2012. Often (but not always), companies who’ve invested in creating original materials (not copied or plagiarized) enforce copyright.

Original Intellectual Property: Even among ICF certification programs, you’ll find a lot of generic methods (which is understandable when they align with global standards). You can’t own an idea, only a methodology, design or way of expressing that idea. So look for what’s offered that’s not generic.

3. Look for ICF Accreditation.

ICF: In my opinion, ICF ACTP now Level 1, 2 and 3 is taught live online or on-site, instructor-led with a group to practice with, not 100% self-study) is the only way to go.

I am biased, and the courses I’ve authored are ICF Accredited. Our graduates win 1-2 year corporate coaching contracts because their certification is respected and their toolboxes are substantial.

If someone claims ICF Accreditation, you can review their site for a listing. Also, ensure that instructors have ICF PCC or MCC, not ACC (look for LinkedIn’s official ICF Credential badges).

How committed are you to this career path

Are you ready to commit to the time, money and effort?

This is an easier check, but I’m sure it’s important to you.

When students enrol, we often hear these reasons for it being time to commit:

  • “People already come to me for inspiration and guidance; I want to turn my natural coaching skills into a professional career path.
  • “I’m tired of not having a career that makes my heart sing; it’s time for a change.”
  • “I want to start coaching professionally within the next year.”
  • “I’m adding coaching services to my therapy practice to take my clients to another level of growth and to attract new clients.”
  • “I’m a manager who wants to empower my teams using coaching skills.”
  • “I retire in a few years; my dream is to have a consulting-coaching business.”

How much time does life coach certification take?

  • CLASSES (3-4 hours weekly): Tempted to opt for intensive training, a few days instead of weekly classes spread over months? This can work, but remember that the weekly gaps help you integrate your skills. The ICF considers 60 hours of dedicated coach training entry-level, 125 hours for professional and 200 hours for master levels. Weekly classes are often 3-4 hours each.
  • PRACTICAL (1-4 hours weekly): If you opt for weekly classes (recommended), count on at least 1 hour a week to practice your new skills and processes and 1-2 hours for supplementary materials. Check that your certification has a lot of in-class practice (not mostly theory) because coaching (like learning an instrument) is about mastering many SKILL SETS.
  • ASSESSMENTS: For professional certifications, usually a theory assessment plus submitting a recording of a 30-60 minute coaching session is required. It is often suggested that students practice 10-20 sessions before attempting a final assessment.

Read more about the 3 ICF credentials and milestones.

How much does a life coach certification cost?

LEVEL 2: We recommend comparing prices for a few ICF programs. Most providers offer payment plans. Usually, a Level 1 or 2 includes assessment and mentoring costs. With a Level 1 or 2 accredited program, if you apply to the ICF for a credential (ACC or PCC), you can use their most direct Level 1 or 2 path, which is the lowest cost, quickest option and does not require you to repeat your oral Performance Evaluation.

SHORT COURSE: If budget is a concern, some programs offer a module-by-module certification plan (like ours), credits and part of a Level 3. With partial Level 1 or 2, you could apply to the ICF for a credential using their PORTFOLIO paths, which cost more, take longer and would require you to submit an oral assessment to the ICF for them to mark.

How long does it take to make an ROI return on investment for your certification costs?

Limiting your niche, selling individual hours, and having a rigid coaching style and a small toolbox can take 1-3 years to recoup. If you un-niche, sell coaching journeys, build a silver business model, custom-build solutions and significantly if you also upgrade to train and teach, a good 6 months of business could bring a return and become profitable. See FACTORS 4, 6 + 7 for insight.

What can a Life Coach Earn?

Life coaches make between $100-$150/hour, but I strongly suggest you break free from selling 1-hour to 1 client at a time.

Coaches who include a multi-niche approach can double that. Think of coaching journeys rather than hours. Think “What value can I add?” instead of What is coaching worth?

I ask my coaching students, “Where does your coaching take clients? What is the change you facilitate? Now, what is that destination worth? How valuable is that change?”

Can you see the mindset change? See FACTOR 7 for important Business Model frameworks.

We make our investments back and much more in the long run.

According to the International Coaching Federation: “Compared to a peer without a credential, Credentialed coach practitioners command higher fees from coaching. Report more clients and greater annual revenue from coaching.”

Here is what an average Coach in the USA earned in 2020-2021. Average hourly fee/client type.”

  • Executive: $340
  • Business owner/entrepreneur: $240
  • Manager: $230 
  • Team leader: $170
  • Staff member: $130
  • Personal client: $120 

What energy and effort do I need to complete a coaching course?

PASSION + PURPOSE: Your love for building a purposeful career that makes a difference is vital. Motivation helps with commitment – so choose a course that inspires you.

Keep tapping into why you’re on this path.

Can you customize your coaching services

4 Biggest Life Coaching Certification Mistakes

Will your certification free you from 3 big coach traps?

Honestly, this is a SECRET to success. As I type these words, I feel my cringe meter rising because it sounds like a cheesy marketing line, except this is a massively important factor that’s hardly ever taught. Many coaches are told to do the exact opposite. So I’m pleased to share this ‘not-really-a-secret secret.’ I want you to be free to FULLY CUSTOM BUILD your coaching services EASILY and QUICKLY for the client in front of you.

Can you tell how passionate I am about this?

It saddens me when coaches are taught that to succeed, they need to first

  1. Choose a NICHE, then
  2. DESIGN a PRODUCT, then
  3. LAUNCH in some way.

This poor advice approach is why many coaching career dreams die.

There’s no need to be trapped in 1 niche or hands-tied by a generic (every-coach-does-the-same-thing) coaching style. We can co-create magic with our clients—free to customize intuitively so we can serve any niche at the highest level. But we earn this privilege.

We earn the privilege of falling asleep at night knowing we made a real difference and waking each day inspired to work because our unique, diverse master coach toolbox empowers us to empower others.

We can answer your questions

GOT QUESTIONS? WE CAN HELP.

Chat to us for guidance and no-strings advice about your certification journey.
Book a Zoom call with our advisor.

Will your certification build your confidence to coach

Do you have what it takes to be a Life Coach?

Does your program boost your confidence to be a life coach?

Make sure your certification is focused on hardwiring your practical skills, not theory.

Learning a skill set without feedback is missing out on so much. Nothing accelerates your coaching development like in-the-moment feedback when you need it most.

That’s why the ICF insists that coaches at the Professional and Master Levels receive 7 hours of group mentoring and 3 hours of individual mentoring, as well as written feedback for observed coaching sessions (all included in any Level 2, previously ACTP ICF Accredited Coach Training Program).

When you feel stuck or unsure, timely feedback can help you take that next step, get back into the flow, and replace doubt with confidence.

Why is mentoring so important for your confidence as a life coach?

Even if you don’t plan to reach master levels of coaching skills, mentoring and guidance from a Master Coach Instructor are invaluable.

Mentoring fast tracks your practical skills progress (picture a chef cooking while a master chef guides vs going alone). Ensure that you’ll receive personalized mentoring from Professional or Master-level coach instructors.

Also, watch out for certifications that sell big student groups, where you’d be drowned out in a massive online class; the smaller the class size, the better – less than 15 in a group is ideal.

Why is LIVE coach training with feedback critical?

Learning to coach is, ideally, a progressive learning path. It’s best to understand the big picture of where you are heading (what master coaching looks and sounds like) and then to steadily layer one skill onto the next, starting with foundation skills. Ensure your program helps you identify the priority skills for each progressive learning level and gives feedback to match.

As you grow and become more skilled, the feedback level must match. It’s no good only getting feedback at the final assessment when it’s too late to unlearn a foundation mistake.

How does Life Coach Certification work?

It’s natural to feel wary of assessments; they’re stressful. We’re being judged on our efforts so that can feel very personal.

Here are some essential questions to ask when selecting your life coach certification:

  • What assessment readiness does the certification offer? For E.g., a mock assessment and mentoring with detailed feedback are best.
  • What pass rate do they have on final assessments?
  • Will you have access to example assessments (audio) to learn from?
  • What happens if you don’t pass your first attempt?
  • Are the assessments aligned with the ICF standards and code of ethics?

This means assessors are trained to offer helpful feedback to find “evidence of demonstrated competencies” rather than judge the coach.

Will your training teach you how to find coaching clients

Will you be able to find clients?

Will you learn how to find clients (ethically in a non-cheesy way)?

Even with a credible, comprehensive certification, your dream of being captain of your career destiny, free to coach when and where you want, may end unless you find a steady stream of people to coach.

Aspiring coaches must realize they’ll need marketing (visibility) and sales skills (client conversions). And those who do know this feel stuck because many of us want to find clients ethically, naturally, refusing to sell our souls for sale.

Some coaching qualifications teach business building, but most teach a niche-first approach (see FACTOR 4), which explains why many certified coaches get lost in a client desert with little to no income. Factor 6 recommends that you check that your certification teaches ethical and proven (not outdated) heartful ways to find clients.

How to find multi-niche coaching clients.

I’m repeating myself (see FACTOR 4 Coaching Certification Mistakes). If you plant seeds that don’t grow well, it makes sense to try new soil and make adjustments. We can’t make natural learning adjustments if we must choose one niche upfront and stick to it.

What if instead of only growing organic herbs, you can grow veggies and fruit (metaphorically.) Can you tell I grow some food at home? It’s taught me a lot about natural business growth; the wisdom of first giving to the soil to get in return is inspiring.

If you have niche blinkers on, please take them off.

So many wonderful clients are waiting for you in different spaces. Remember, only our digital marketing messages must be “niche” focused on working well. Marketing should ideally happen later once you know what to put in your “shop window.” Until then, why not explore many markets by having natural conversations (online and offline) focused on learning a straightforward thing: “How best can I serve this person?”

You don’t need to sell coaching if you do this instead.

I used to cringe at the word “Sales” until I swapped it for “Share & Serve.” Sharing became far easier when I realized I could only find those who needed my services.

Your coaching skills also lend themselves to natural ‘consultative selling.’ Instead of trying to push off-the-shelf coaching offers (which feel unnatural and often fail)—I recommend custom-building coaching solutions for the person in front of you. To do this, your toolbox must be diverse and your skills flexible (Factor 4).

Find out where someone is stressed, struggling, stuck or suffering and co-create a solution—this approach makes excellent business sense and is the very definition of service.

What marketing methods do successful life coaches use?

Many of our top graduate coaches don’t need marketing; they’re busy enough using naturally conscious sales methods across many niche markets.

But for those who want to build a sustainable client-attracting business, marketing is vital. Instead of marketing systems, why not build eco-systems based on principles of slow, steady natural growth, giving to get and ethical, honest sharing?

Check what types of marketing methods your coaching certification teaches.

What coaching business model should you use

3 Life Coaching Business Models

What business-building skills do you need?

If you still need to do this, calculate how many hours of coaching you need to sell per month to:

1. Make ends meet.

2. Make your ideal living.

When coaches realize how many new clients they need to find every month to meet the quota of sold coaching hours, they’re often shocked.

It’s almost impossible for most new coaches to find 23-45 new clients monthly (you’d need a database of 3,000+ orbiting clients).

And even if you did this, it’s a recipe for burnout. But there is another way.

So please ensure your coaching course teaches you how to sell coaching journeys, add value, and offer you a level-up to natural income growth.

The selling individual coaching hours business trap.

It may seem like the low-risk, easy-entry approach to selling one client 1 hour at a time, and most newly certified coaches do start this way to gain confidence. But please consider breaking free of this as soon as possible.

Besides the financial limitation, more than 1 hour is needed to make a real impact. Seasoned coaches know that the “real coaching” (real issues and real change) happens a few sessions in.

The solution?

Package 3 options of short, mid to long duration coaching journeys, with lots of value, to walk the path with your client.

This doesn’t mean encouraging dependency; fortunately, you can coach unlimited topics and goals when you have master-level skills and a diverse, extensive coaching toolbox.

This way, 5-10 new clients every 6-12 months is usually enough. Whew! That’s far more realistic.

The 3 Life Coaching Business models and which one I recommend.

Picture an apple tree (my symbol for our true being-based natural purpose) with bronze apples at the base, silver mid and gold at the top. These represent three tiers of a business model.

Silver is often a coaching business model sweet spot.

Gold can take years to build well but can provide significant income from very few clients. Bronze is the toughest business model for coaches (yet most try it) because it requires a large database + lots of admin, + expensive marketing to work.

  • Gold clients have a larger disposable income and often want “done for me” complete bespoke solutions that save them time. You’d need massive credibility and value adds.
  • Silver clients have moderate disposable income and often want “done with me” semi-bespoke solutions with partial time savings. You’d need decent credibility and added value.
  • Bronze clients have limited disposable income and are often happy with “DIY”, more time-consuming off-the-shelf solutions. You’d need credibility and fair value.

Case Studies: Some of our most successful master coach graduates offer a consulting phase to ‘scope and advise,’ then a training phase to ‘transfer knowledge and skills,’ and finally, a long-term coaching phase of journeys to ‘integrate and sustain change.’

Ensure that the coaching certification provider offers a next-step level-up “train-the-trainer” license opportunities to maximize your long-term cash flow potential and positive impact.

What after certification support do you get

What to do after certification?

What post-certification support and growth is offered?

Does your training provider offer a community with post-certification support and ongoing development?

Building a coaching business can be an incredible long-term journey, especially if you are among visionaries who share your love for inspiring and empowering others.

Once you’ve established a proven coaching product, Joint Venture (JV) Partners can be a cross-pollination (yes, more nature metaphors) booster for your business.

A JV is someone who:

  • 1. Serves the same market you do but is not a competitor, e.g. you coach natural wellness, and they sell natural supplements.
  • 2. Has a broader service offering, e.g. you offer Enneagram coaching for relationships, and they provide general Enneagram coaching.
  • 3. Serves the same market at a different stage of their journey, e.g. You serve entrepreneurs who are already trading, and they serve start-ups still testing their business ideas.

JVs are opportunities to create free marketing or paid events (webinars, talks) and co-created products, which can be career boosters or divorce-scale legal disasters.

Does the certification teach and guide JV creation?

Here are some questions to possibly explore with your training providers:

  • After certification, what programs or partnerships do you offer?
  • What ongoing support can a graduate receive?
  • After certification, how can graduates continue to learn from each other?
  • What ongoing masterminds or workshops can a graduate opt for
  • After certification, what networking opportunities do you offer?
  • Would you be able to teach me how to create joint venture partnerships to scale my business?

FINAL MESSAGE

These are some of the top graduate InnerLifeSkills Master Coaches we interviewed to compile this guide; we had a wonderful Saturday together on my patio and in my garden (where organic vegetables do grow :-))

Thank you for taking the time to learn to coach.

May this checklist help you to become the coach you were born to be.

 

Successful Life Coaches InnerLifeSkills

We’d love to guide you step-by-step to become a certified in-demand Master Coach offering Life Coaching.

Join our next cohort to gain accredited Life Coach + Business Coach + Enneagram Coach + Executive Coach Certification.

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