Life Coaching Certification - Fact or Myth

So you have decided you join the ranks of the elite, you have decided to become a life coach.

Congratulations!

Now what!?

Well one of the first thoughts most coaches have is that they need to be certified as a coach. This happens to be one of the biggest misconceptions in the industry. First of all there is no governing body of life coaching, what that means is that all of the coaching certification programs out there all teach different things and none of them comply to a specific criteria.

Second potential life coaching clients are totally clueless about life coaching credentials. Unlike medicine or business where you can say you have a PHD from Harvard and your potential client will be impressed and more likely to work with you. Saying you have a coaching certification from any of the varies programs doesn't really mean anything to your potential client, they have no reference between any of the programs.

Most coaches feel they need to be certified out of a desire for self validation, they somehow need to have their skills and abilities acknowledged. This desire is rooted more in fear than a desire for credentials.

Interestingly the majority of coaches make the minority of the money, have have the smallest impact on the community at large, and are the most frustrated about how to move their coaching business forward. Ironically the minority of the coaches make the majority of the money, have the largest impact, and are not certified. This leads us to the final challenge which is growing a coaching business.

The bulk of the life coaching certification programs out there teach very little if any business building techniques. Yes you learn how to conduct a great coaching session, but let's face it the people who are destine to be coaches have a natural ability to coach people. That is not to say they cant benefit from learning new tools and strategies, however what they really need is serious training on two things.

#1 Have an entrepreneurial mindset

#2 How to effectively market their business

Let s look at the first one... Most coaches are naturals at helping people, however like the rest of the world they do not have an entrepreneurial mindset. It is by no means easy to be an entrepreneur that is why the majority of small business fail. It is not because they don't have good ideas or intentions, is mostly has to do with them not having the right ingredients to be wildly successful. So by not teaching new coaches the mindset and inner game tools required to succeed ultimately they are set up for failure.

To ad fuel to the fire, hard-core, working marketing strategies are not taught in these courses. Therefore upon graduation day the new coach is set out into the world with business cards, fliers, and no business mentality and no truly effective marketing abilities...Fail!

If the future of coaching is to survive, there must be a program that gives a coach EVERYTHING they need in order to be successful.

Are you thinking about being a coach? Are you a coach who wants to grow your business?

If so than hopefully the above information will help guide you.

My heart goes out to you, your work is need and meaningful!