The one strategy you need to Level Up your Coaching Skills
Do you remember the day you got certified as a coach?
…I do.
I was ready to go out and share my gift and my new skills with the world. I wanted to provide massive value to my clients and help them crush their goals…now who will be my clients to practice and grow my skills on?? Self-doubt and imposter syndrome started crawling into my mind and I remember everyone I talked to gave me the same advice:
Relax, you will be ok, It takes time and practice... Practice makes “perfect”.
But hey, how do I practice my skills if I have only one or two people to coach?
I was hesitant to join yet another course on coaching skills, and my peer coaches were already done with coaching each other. Moreover, I found the ICF, the NBHWC, and other trainings or business organizations are pretty strict about the coaches they certify. They ask every new coach for a recording of one full session and a certain number of coaching hours...
I wanted to become the best coach I could be so only one thing was clear; there are no shortcuts and the only way to become a better coach is to practice with real clients.
After discussing this topic with my own Mentor Coach (every coach needs a Mentor Coach), we came up with a strategy that to this day keeps my business thriving. It can be summed up with this acronym:
A I M
Accelerate practice:
DISCLAIMER: As a new coach you do not have to take every opportunity to coach just for the sake of practicing. Especially when you consider how sometimes every person who crosses your path as a “guinea pig” can backfire.
You need as many real clients as you can get. Clients whom you can have a full session with and put into practice all the skills you learned. Find a time in your week to brainstorm ideas on all the ways you could be reaching new free and paid clients. I´ll give you a few ideas; join a peer-to-peer coaching practice group, volunteer hours, find non-profit organizations related to your expertise and interests, and offer to coach their leaders, team members, or sponsors.
These ideas will always lead you to:
Invest in Relationships:
To build a successful coaching practice you need to build a strong network, not only with potential clients but with business owners and other coaches as well. You have no idea how many clients I have referred to other coaches and how many of my dearest clients have been referred to me by other peers. Referring clients is a widespread healthy practice in the professional coaching environment. Therefore getting to know other coaches and professionals from different specialities immediately boosts your chances to thrive. I must say though, making new connections is as important as deepening your current ones.
Make it happen:
For a moment, put aside the paralysis by analysis that keeps you in imposter syndrome mode and take action. What's the best that can happen if you reach out to new people?
At the beginning of my career, I spent time, effort, and money building a solution for a corporation for months even before setting a step in their office to pitch a partnership. I researched their needs, talked to peers who were more experienced than me on business topics, met with the leaders as regular people with curiosity about their needs and not as a pushy coach who only wants to showcase how they need what I am selling. Step out of your comfort zone and make that call, send that invite on Linked In, connect with that coach or professional you admire!
Oh and always keep in mind the saying, “repetition is the mother of all skills”.
If you are looking for an ideal opportunity to improve your coaching skills with a real client under the guidance and support of a Mentor Coach who is on your side, you might want to join my program Level Up LIVE!
Sign up today to coach a real client and observe others do the same: https://www.shellyannemckay.com/coach-real-clients
