A client of mine went home for a family reunion and was relentlessly picked on for becoming a coach.
People she loves who love her said things like:
“Coaching is not a real profession. It’s a pyramid scheme—an unethical line of business.”
“You’ve gone to the dark side.”
“There are a lot of dodgy coaches out there taking advantage of people and stealing their money.”
Brutal!
I’ve heard similar things from other coaches and experienced some of that myself early on.
People love to poke fun a life coaches, especially. And coaching is often the butt of TV jokes.
In the last few months I’ve heard snide comments about coaching in a few audiobooks I’ve listened to.
That’s ONE of the reasons I say:
Don’t sell coaching session packages.
Yes, use the skill for good in your business but don’t call yourself a coach.
I realize this is controversial. How can a coach think about this dispassionately? Let’s talk about it and I’ll share some creative personal titles coaches use that help them attract and enroll ideal clients.
Episode #229, one of my all time most popular episodes, is called Why Is It Hard to Sell Coaching? Listen to that one after you listen to this to help you fully understand why I say…Don’t sell coaching.
In a nutshell, I want to be clear:
- I LOVE coaching and believe in its value with all my heart.
- And, yet it is misunderstood by many.
- So, when you use that word to describe yourself and what you do, it can become an instant barrier to enrolling clients.
- That’s why I teach coaches how to narrow to a profitable niche and create a high-ticket Signature Program customized to that audience that showcases your genius.
- You WILL use your coaching skills with clients but won’t sell your offer as coaching sessions.
Coaches tell me that, when they hear this different approach to their business, they are so relieved because they’ve repeatedly hit that barrier of misunderstanding about coaching and it’s been very painful.
I understand that pain. And it is important not to take it personally.
Afterall, coaching IS a bit difficult to understand if you haven’t been trained in it or experienced it before.
Why not avoid the misunderstanding with language that relates to your audience?
There’s no duplicity here.
Your coaching skills are in your toolbox but you don’t have to sell your toolbox. You offer something that people can understand—a path to where they want to go and with specific language that articulates that well.
So, where does that leave you? What can you call yourself and how do you articulate what you do?
That’s a little journey of discovery centered around your target audience—the people you serve, WHO they are and WHAT is in the way of what they really want.
What Can Coaches Call Themselves?
First, know that your personal title is not remotely the most important decision you need to make for your business. The most important decision is your niche.
And, it’s unlikely that people will linger long or analyze your personal title choice. Instead, it will wash over them and make an impression.
It is helpful if that decision is congruent with other messaging choices you make.
If you received certification as a life coach, wellness coach, relationship coach or something like that, you don’t have to keep that title. You can get creative and stand out in the crowd with your title as you should with all of your messaging.
Your Coaching Audience is a Clue to Your Personal Title
I had the pleasure of working with a coach recently who targeted single Christian women to help them find their life partner. She calls herself:
- Faith-Based Relationship Guide
A moniker that specific helps attract ideal clients.
The specific BIG problems you solve with your coaching could be a clue to your personal title.
Notice how clear it is exactly WHAT these coaches do for their clients:
- Stepparenting Mentor
- Midlife Success Strategist
I lean toward titles that are more descriptive than fanciful. And I truly admire coaches who break out of the norm and get creative with their titles.
A coach who works with people whose spouses have dementia has the title:
- Dementia Hopeologist
A coach who helps women at 50 escape the daily grind and live on their own terms had the title
- Escape Artist
So, if you’ve got that out-of-the-box style, flaunt it!
One of the wonderful things about your business is you get to do what you want. You can change things as you evolve.
Does your personal title help you attract your ideal clients? If not, it’s an easy change.