It’s time to think about your coaching practice. To focus on why you are a coach and what it is you want to achieve for others. What do you wish to give to people, as a coach. Don’t worry if the answers to these questions aren’t crystal clear yet. In fact, you may not have an answer to some questions. That is fine. Your answers will evolve over time and even change. They will evolve during your education program and throughout your coaching career. So relax and enjoy. Consider this section an exploratory exercise.

The more clients you have the better Clients are like “gold” for your coaching practice, no matter what the fee may be. Don’t let your pricing, or lack of confidence, stand in the way between you and your coaching practice. You and your client. Allow coaching as many people as possible to become a learning ground for you. This will help you build the foundation of your business. Overtime, it will become more focused too.

The more clients you have the better Clients are like “gold” for your coaching practice, no matter what the fee may be. Don’t let your pricing, or lack of confidence, stand in the way between you and your coaching practice. You and your client. Allow coaching as many people as possible to become a learning ground for you. This will help you build the foundation of your business. Overtime, it will become more focused too.

A client can benefit you in a number of ways. Here are some examples:

1. You will feel like a professional coach, not a fraud.
2. Your practice will pick up to the point of “you get busy.” You may have to say to someone: “Sorry, that time slot is not available.”
3. The potential for referrals and other business opportunities will unfold.
4. You will be able to ask for testimonials to advertise your effectiveness!
5. You can practice “how to coach someone” by offering a free pilot session and possibly sign a client on who likes your style.

Sometimes people fall into a cycle which is hard to get out of unless the right action propels them to move forward. Doubt can sometimes lock us into inaction

like the following example: Michael had six months of training with a major coach training school. He had no clients, and had done only one initial trial session. No practical experience led to a reluctance to invite people to receive a free trial session. Which, in turn, led to no clients, which led to no experience. He had to BREAK this cycle. Five weeks after a mentor coach pointed this out, he extended several invitations. He did three trial sessions and got his first client, at full fee. Michael broke the cycle. With increased confidence, he was able to invite more people to try coaching, and confidently got paid for his services.

The more clients you coach, either for free or for a fee, the better you will feel about your abilities as a coach. As your confidence level increases, so will your ability to attract paying clients.

How do you set your fees? What do you think is the right price to charge for your services? We suggest you don’t let pricing stand in the way of getting clients. You may be able to afford to lose a client when you have at least 10, or even, 20 clients. For now, experience coaching and watch the benefits!

Meanwhile, we suggested you begin to think of pricing as a value of worth. Begin to value your services. (Why is your coaching so important to others?) Also, do some research to find out what is the maximum amount a client would be willing to pay in your region. Is there a range?

People value what they pay for, and clients are no exception. Even if you do not charge a full fee, it is best to charge something. You might even consider doing a barter agreement, exchanging your coaching for something you need.

We suggest you first set up a “Regular Coaching Fee” from which you can discount your price. When a client pays you, they are really saying “thank you.” As they value your service, so will you even more.

Besides gratitude there is commitment. The act of paying money is a great way to demonstrate commitment. It also shows that the client is willing to take the coaching seriously. If you offer the coaching session for free – aside from it not sounding attractive – you may have problems with a client who wants to “stick” to the free coaching sessions forever. (How do you get out of the situation now?) Basically, payment is as much a value of worth as it is of respect.

You might suggest to a potential client – even if it’s a friend – that they will get more out of the coaching if they pay a nominal amount. For example, “I’m happy to waive my fee for the first two months. However, I think you’ll get a lot more out of the coaching sessions if you can pay a nominal amount. It’s like when you pay for the gym up front, there is a higher commitment of using it. So what would you feel comfortable with as a token amount? Does £50 per month sound okay to you? Fine, that will be £100 for the next two months.”

Now take the perspective of being a client. If Bill approached you and said: “I really want you to be my client. Please be my client, I won’t charge you anything but you need to spend 30 minutes a week with me so I can coach you.” How attractive does this sound to you? There is no sense of value in this for you because the value is one-sided: it’s all for Bill.

However, if Bill were to say: “My regular coaching fee is £300 per month, but my coach has asked me to take five people on at a big discount price for my own training and development. How would you feel if I charge you only 50 percent of my fee for the first two months?”

Do you see how this example is more balanced? It is clear, honest and has a sense of value for both parties, the client and the coach, to benefit from the transaction. Both are committed at a price that best suits them the most.

You really don’t have a service called coaching until you have designed it. And until you do, it’s hard to get someone excited about using or buying your service.

How long are your sessions? Is it a face-to-face conversation, or over the telephone?

How do they pay? How much do they pay? What business standards will you commit to for your clients? What do you require of your clients? Finally, how can you powerfully hold them accountable for their decisions and actions?

In order to be a coach, we must have clients, but to get clients we must make ourselves visible. Clients must know how and when to find us. Start with the network that knows and trusts you. Ask them for referrals and demonstrate how coaching works and can benefit them and others. Once you finish with a client ask them for a testimonial and referral. You know the saying: “If you don’t ask you will NOT get”