It’s easy to be a coach, but what you need to be a coach who earns a living as a coach is not quite as easy. To be a coach, you really only need to call yourself a coach. Yes, just say “I’m a coach” and you can be a coach.

Because there are no legal requirements to begin coaching, you might be inclined to believe that coaching is an easy business. You would be wrong…unprofitably wrong! What you need to be a coach who earns a living as a coach has nothing to do with legal requirements and everything to do with who you are as a person.

What you need to be a coach who earns a living as a coach is more than just claiming to be a coach. There are some character traits and skills that will help you move from wanna-be coach to real coach who has paying clients.

What You Need to Be a Coach Who Earns a Living as a Coach

The first characteristic is to be success-oriented. You have to think success at all times – whether you are working with a client or promoting your own business. Every step you take in running your business and every step you take in working with your clients, has to be a step toward success.

In the end, you will be measured by your success. If a client reaches their stated goals with your help, that is a success story. If enough clients reach their stated goals, you have offered and help them discover success, and your success is completely intertwined with their success.

The second trait you need to be a coach who earns a living as a coach is to have a hunger for knowledge. The pursuit of education is a constant during your coaching career. Whether you are a new coach, or you have been coaching for thirty years, education is absolutely essential. You need to refine and redefine your skills on a regular basis, you need to keep up with new trends in the coaching industry, and you need to continually learn new skills, exercises, and assessments to use in your coaching practice.

The third essential trait you need to be a successful coach is something you to do with your ears, and your eyes, your mouth, and your intuition. What you need to be a coaching expert above everything else is the ability to listen. Yes, listening involves your ears…and you eyes…and your intuition.

For a coach, listening means active listening. Active listening isn’t just normal conversation, it is what a coach should be doing to help their clients. To be an active listener:

•  Just listen. Not thinking of an answer while someone talks, but merely listening.
• Listening with more than just one sense. Most people listen with just their ears, but an active listener hears with their ears (the words and the tone), their eyes (the body language), and their mind (the intuition about what is being said).
• Listen to what is not being said. Sometimes what is not said is just as important as what is being said.
• Consider the client’s agenda and not your own agenda.
• Provide feedback by encouraging, accepting, and reinforcing the clients beliefs, perceptions, concerns and feelings.

What do you need to be a coach who earns a living as a coach? You have just learned three of the most important skills or character traits. Without these three, it might be difficult to get clients to shell out some of their hard-earned cash. In the long run, you need paying clients; possessing these three traits or skills will bring paying clients to your door…over and over…and over again!

By the way… you’re invited to claim your FREE step-by-step “30-Days to Become a Coach” video toolkit. Just go HERE now to get your 30-day coaching blueprint videos.

Fred Philips
Business Coach
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