There are a lot of life coaches out there, so how do you know which one to choose?
I have created a list of things to look for in a coach so that you can get the best experience possible!
1. What's their niche?
Most coaches have a niche, it's a way of narrowing down the client base to work more effectively. For example my niche is young women over 21 looking for affordable first time coaching [I often get graduates/uni leavers]. So, when searching for a coach, think about what you really want. Do you want a career change? Do you want motivation? Maybe you want to discover your life purpose or help with happiness or relationships. There's a coach for everything, so if you have an idea in mind of what you want to work on then search for those keywords, advertise the specific coaching you want!
2. Who do you want?
Really think about what kind of person you want to be your coach. For example, you may be more comfortable with a coach who is a similar age, or older, maybe even younger, you might want someone of the same or different gender, consider spirituality, religion, sexuality, attributes you see in yourself which you want to have in common with your coach, and things you wish to be different.
3. Tone and attitude
There are many types of coaching, sometimes you could get a more intense coach who is focused on making you achieve you goals no matter what, generally more strict and [although supportive] it can be a little overwhelming for some. Other coaches are more laid back or casual, you get very up beat or chilled out people. Every coach is different! Try and find a coach who does videos on Youtube to get a sense of their personality, if not - check whether they have cheap or free sessions for you to get to know each other.
4. Do not choose someone you look up to
If you have been watching/following someone for years and they seem super inspirational you wanna be just like them and have them coach you this may be the absolute worst person to be your coach. In this instance there's usually a massive power imbalance. A coaching relationship is meant to be equal.
5. Are they qualified?
Lots of coaches seem to think they can coach people because they have had lots of life experience, they're older and wiser, they've been through a lot, they have lots of advice to give etc. Wrong. A coach should not be giving you advice! Coaches should be trained in whatever service they are offering. For example, if a coach is not qualified they could be less likely to fully understand the boundaries which cannot be crossed when being a life coach. They may create client-coach dependency, offer advice and consulting or even counselling. Coaches are responsible for following ethical guidelines at all times.
6. Check their data protection regulations
Speaking of ethics, it is crucial for any stored data to follow the GDPR in the UK for example. Make sure you know how your data is being stored, why it is being stored and whether they have confirmation from the ICO to store your data. Some companies have to pay a fee to store data on computers [Bonus points if the coach has cyber security insurance]
7. Get a contract!!!
Contracts are there to protect both you and the coach. A contract should look professionally done and not like a copy pasted version from online. You should be able to read the contract before your first official full or paid session. This is important as requesting you complete a contract during paid time is immoral. This puts pressure on you to read it quickly and miss possible misleading elements]. Question the coach if you are unclear on any elements of the contract!
8. Insurance
A coach should be insured for personal liability/ professional indemnity/ data protection etc. Ask what insurance they have and research what that insurance covers.
9. Don't bother with reviews
We've all seen how basically every company has 4.5 starts certain review websites... I advise you watch Joe Lycett's video for more information on just how untrustworthy online reviews can be [I have personally been burned by a '5 star' company so I'm speaking from experience]. Reviews for larger businesses may be false or paid for. So watch out for those!
10. Negotiate
If there's a service which you think is crazy high in price, chances are you're not gonna get any lower, however, you could ask for 5 extra minutes, extra resources, other freebies on top to 'convince' you to work with them. Often coaches will have a trick or 2 to pull out for you.
Once you have decided what you want and checked for all the relevant information to make sure they're legit, go for it! This is the first day of the rest of your like. Make it a good one x
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