Cathy Liska Wcoach experiencehen a client hires a coach, one of the factors in choosing that coach is their experience in similar situations. The client wants to know about the education and experience of the coach, and their coach specific training.
Coaches talk about niche areas and target demographics as a way of promoting their services. From the perspective of the client, this provides information on the coach’s knowledge base. When a client is seeking a coach because they are starting or expanding a business, and the coach has no background or experience in either the industry or business start-up and expansion, then the ability of the coach to provide perspective and serve as a sounding board is limited.
Both the coach and the client are best served when it is a good match. The client benefits because in addition to a skilled coach, they access experience and knowledge that applies in their planning and goals. The coach benefits because they are providing value and developing their reputation as a coach.
Now consider how a coach utilizes their knowledge and experience in a coaching relationship as compared to perhaps a consultant or a friend. A consultant or friend is happy to give information, make suggestions, or offer advice. A coach recognizes that the client is their own best expert, so the coach uses their experience to:
* Understand what the client is facing.
* Ask effective questions to open thinking and move the client forward.
* Provide perspective by giving multiple examples and scenarios, then the coach will ask the client about what they want to do moving forward.
When the coach empowers the client to be their own best expert, the client owns and buys in to their action plan and experiences success.
What niche areas do you think are growing for coaches?
