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Establishing a Coaching Business
Today, internal
people developers or new external service providers (such as
coaches,
consultants, educators etc)
require total confidence not only in the services they deliver,
but
also in their ability to sell solutions to the decision
makers. There is no room for timidity in the
personal and professional development business and you
need to quickly show what you can bring to the table.
However, providers providing
coaching services initially cannot
be very specific about key issues and returns and nor should
they try to be. A coach can't profess to know the best
solutions so early in a new relationship.
The front-line
gatekeeper/decision maker needs to hear compelling reasons to
allow him/her to justify the investment. The decision
maker also needs to see the results of any initial coaching
program sooner rather than later. However, this is rarely
possible at the beginning of a typical coaching program. Hence
the dilemma of the new coaching provider.
The initial Client Proposal
Any initial coaching services proposal should; ideally enhance what the
client is already doing without challenging people, is
immediately cost-effective and has a verifiable track
record of success. The sooner the coaching provider can get
the go-ahead to implement such an ideal program, the
sooner the decision maker will pass through that awkward
early stage of "convince me or else". A general, educational
coaching program (such as Dr Skiffington's 'Manager as
Coach' Course) has
provided many coaching providers the ideal, "first-up" program to quickly
open the door.
Any new coaching practitioners first
needs time to understand the culture of the company, the
people dynamics and the strengths and weaknesses of the
management team etc. Without this inside
information/knowledge the practitioner is working in a dark room.
Gaining Support -necessary for
both the Internal and External 'Coach'
An educated client is one who understands the context and larger
significance--the why as well as the what. Educating employees
about coaching has a
dramatic effect on their receptiveness to it.
People can't support what they
don't comprehend. At best, without a first-up education coaching program
you'll get blind acceptance, as opposed to informed commitment.
Merely getting people to engage in the process isn't the same as
winning their full support. In any change initiative, people need a deep appreciation of what's transpiring
before they can help make it happen. Understanding also reduces
the element of any possible resistance.
Education is different from, and
complementary to, traditional training. Training emphasizes
"how" the coaching works etc. Education provides the
"why"--the reasons for the coaching. Both are necessary,
and neither is sufficient on its own.
The first few weeks of an introductory-level
engagement (such as with Dr
Skiffington's 'Manager as Coach' Course) should be
used as a discovery and networking process -allowing the coaching
practitioner
to meet as many Managers/Leaders as possible. In many cases
some of these Managers become the sponsors and drivers of future coaching initiatives.
These first exploratory steps need to be taken before the practitioner
can really prioritize the most critical issues and present a solid
case for follow-on specialist coaching services such as:
executive/leadership one-to-one or group coaching. This informed
proposal can then be submitted to either: a) the
initial gatekeeper/decision maker who has now established a
trusting, working relationship with the practitioner or, b) one of
the Managers/Leaders who has decided to become a sponsor and
introduce more advanced level 1-to-1 or specialist team
coaching initiatives into their workplace.
The traditional sales approach of "features and benefits,
overcoming objections, and closing" does not work for
coaches. Instead, the degree to which your introductory
services connect in the mind of the client with their
business, their people needs and the results they are trying to
achieve -the more likely they will want your coaching programs.
Summary
Given the above, coaching service providers first need to develop or
source proven course content material to educate the client.
Once the client has completed their 'education' they can then make
a qualified, informed decision as to what type of advanced-level
coaching program is best suited to their short and long term
needs. Dr Skiffington's 'Manager
as Coach' Course is an
internationally-proven educational program that provide service providers
the key to achieving long-term clients.
The Next Step >>
Dr
Skiffington's invitational,
fast-tracked, 4 Day, Very
Small Group Certified
Master Coach Course (conducted in N.Y., London,
Sydney etc) meets the critical needs for business and
executive coaches to be trained and mentored in the use of
validated, reliable psychology-based tools and techniques.
And, Dr Skiffington's 'Manager
as Coach' Training Program can be licensed by
graduates of her Master Coach Course.
Read More >....
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Quick Clicks
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-The Coaching Institute
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Resources
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Copyright
© 1998 - 2006.
Dr Skiffington
Behavioral Coaching Institute
New York, London & Sydney
All rights reserved.
Contact: info@mind-workouts.com
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed
Contents:
new coach and new clients, coaching business, coaching provider, business coaching,
new clients, coaching program, coaching proposal, manager as
coach, coaching client, coaching business, new coach, coaching
provider, business coaching, coaching client, coaching business, new
clients,
coaching program, coaching proposal, manager as coach, coaching
business,
new coach and new clients, coaching business, coaching provider, business coaching,
new clients, coaching program, coaching business, new
clients,
coaching program, coaching proposal, manager as coach, coaching
business, coaching proposal, manager as
coach, coaching client, coaching business, new coach, coaching
provider, business coaching, coaching client, |
