Cathy Liska This is 24 in a series of 24 blog posts on Business and Marketing.
Credibility as a coach encompasses many areas: how you present yourself, your website and business card, the information you provide, and most significantly the quality of your coaching services. In this blog series, posts on starting a coaching business, setting up a coaching business, and marketing yourself as a coach included the basic how-to steps. Throughout each of these steps, it is essential that you are consistently professional and provide valuable information.
Ensuring that others view you as a professional includes your look, your language, your manners, and your message. This starts with your own level of confidence in who you are and what you offer as a Certified Professional Coach. It does mean being yourself. For some coaches, there is value in working with an image consultant on your speaking, appearance, and manners. A great resource for this is www.AICI.org.
As a coach, when you develop your website, design business cards, and create other promotional materials, consistency and overall look support being recognizable and your credibility. Consider how your ideal client will perceive each in finalizing your design.
When you speak, write, or train it is a reflection on you and your coaching. Ensuring that you provide value and motivate an interest in more creates a positive impression. The content you provide demonstrates your expertise which is key to your credibility.
Most important of all when you coach, ensuring you provide a quality process is essential. Coaching is client-focused. The role of the coach includes your preparation with training, a Code of Ethics, and developing the Core Competencies of a coach as published by the International Coaching Federation. The quality of the coaching relationship is based on establishing a clear agreement, understanding the client, developing rapport, communicating effectively, creating the opportunity for exploration, and ensuring focus for the client to develop their strategy and move toward their success. When you provide quality coaching services, you are credible and earn future coaching business.
