Tag: Understanding Coaching Models

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, teacher, or stay-at-home mom, active listening is the key to having more meaningful and impactful conversations.

Which is why, for coaches, it’s a must-have.

Active listening reinforces active participation in the coaching conversation, which leads to more effective communication.

Discover what active listening means and five practices that help you get better at it.

What Are Active Listening Skills?

Active listening is about giving your full attention to the person who’s talking to you and seeking to understand them fully before you jump in with a response. It requires you, as a coach, to be fully present, empathetic, and non-judgmental. This allows your clients to express themselves freely.

Coaches who practice this skill pay attention to not just the words but also what’s not being said. In other words, the client’s tone, body language, and even their silence.

Active listening allows coaches to understand their client’s perspectives deeper, uncover underlying issues, and foster a deeper connection.

Here are seven key listening skills coaches use in conversations:

1. Reflective responses. “It sounds like you’re feeling overwhelmed. Is that true?“

2. Clarifying questions. “Could you provide more details about the specific challenges you’re facing?“

3. Paraphrasing. “If I understand correctly, you’re saying that balancing work and personal life is a major stressor for you?“

4. Summarizing. “So, to recap, you’re dealing with work-related stress and finding it challenging to maintain a healthy work-life balance?“

5. Empathetic statements. “I can imagine that managing these responsibilities is quite demanding. How does that make you feel?“

6. Open-ended questions. “Can you tell me more about what led to that decision?“

7. Silence. Allowing brief pauses, giving the client time to collect their thoughts and share more.

Try these examples in your next session to dig deeper into the issue your client is facing.

How to Improve Active Listening Skills: 5 Techniques to Try

Try these active listening techniques to get better at this key coaching skill with every conversation.

1. Repeat

When you start to consciously practice active listening, you’ll discover just how hard it is to give your complete focus and attention to someone else. But here’s a clever hack you can try: The next time you talk to someone, boost your concentration by repeating some of their key words and phrases in your mind.

This is a discreet, yet, remarkably effective method to kick your focus up a notch.

You can also ask them an appropriate question or two to make sure you’ve understood their point.

Doing this will help you to stay in the moment and remember what’s being said. It’ll also help you come through with the right responses at the right time, which is a big part of this skill.

2. Clear

One of the biggest obstacles to active listening is the tendency to have a continuous “soundtrack” of your own thoughts and ideas playing in your head.

When you’re thinking about your response or what you’re going to have for lunch, you lose track of what’s being said.

Committing to a regular meditation practice is the perfect way to lessen unwanted mental chatter and practice bringing your focus back to what’s happening in front of you.

In just a few meditation sessions, you’ll find that it’s a lot easier to call on your full focus and attention when you need to practice active listening during a conversation.

3. Observe

Studies show that over 90% of communication takes place via non-verbal cues. What this means is that body language is far more important than words when you want to achieve true understanding in a conversation.

Learn about what different body postures and facial expressions mean. Alternatively, simply practice paying more attention to them.

Keep in mind that even experts often misread body language cues. So, if you pick up on something, ask your clients how they feel first before jumping to conclusions.

4. Acknowledge

Part of the magic of active listening happens when the other person feels heard and understood. So show them that you’re listening closely and following along with what they’re saying.

You can nod your head or acknowledge verbally that you’re listening by saying short phrases like “I see,” “yes,” and “right.” If you’d like to encourage your client to expand upon a topic, you can also ask them, “How so?” or say, “Tell me more.”

This shows that you’re immersed in the conversation and interested in your client’s message.

5. Compartmentalize

A coaching session is a space and time when nothing else should be catching your attention other than your client. Phone off, door closed, and all other issues temporarily put on hold.

Conduct your coaching sessions in a quiet space where there aren’t any distractions for either you or your client. Stay away from community offices with glass-door meeting rooms, and let any team members in your office know when a session is on and you want zero disruptions.

Develop a habit of single-tasking in your everyday work to teach your mind that once you’re in the zone, all other unfinished business can wait.

Practicing these techniques will help you improve your active listening skills until they become a natural part of every conversation. It’s one of the best things you can do for your clients and the people who matter to you.

Take the Next Step in Your Coaching Career

Active listening, just like any skill, takes practice. Apply these five approaches in your next coaching session to get better at it and help your clients achieve bigger breakthroughs.

Uncover the secret to turning your passion into a purposeful profession: Join us in the Become a Mindvalley Certified Life Coach free masterclass.

Imagine you just had coffee with one of your colleagues. It was one of the most wonderful conversations you ever had—you were able to help them overcome a problem they had been struggling with for the past two years.

Your colleague thanks you for the help and says, “You should be doing this for a living!”

You leave feeling like a million bucks and go straight home to Google everything there is about coaching. But the more you go down the rabbit hole, the more confusing it gets. You think, “Is it coaching that I’m really after? Or is it mentoring?”

Mentor vs. coach—what sets it apart? Understanding the differences can help you decide which path you want to pursue.

What Are Coaching and Mentoring?

Coaching is a purpose-driven journey that empowers individuals to tap into their potential and reach specific goals. As a coach, your role is to guide clients to discover their own solutions to challenges and foster personal growth in the process.

On the other hand, mentoring is about drawing from personal or professional experience and guiding a mentee who’s interested in the same field you specialize in. Usually, mentors are experts in the fields they’re offering advice on.

These famous quotes clearly define each approach:

“Coaching is unlocking people’s potential to maximize their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them.” — Tim Gallwey

“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” — John Crosby 

Now let’s dive deeper into understanding the key similarities and differences between coaching and mentoring.

Coach vs. Mentor: Key Similarities

Coaching and mentoring have a lot of similar elements, such as:

• Building rapport and connection with clients
• Supporting the client’s growth and development
• Exploring growth opportunities in their careers or business
• Being committed to the client’s success but not attached to it

They both aim to give the client direction through goal-oriented conversations. Yet, they know that it is the client’s responsibility to take the actions necessary to achieve the desired results.

So, what sets them apart?

What is The Difference Between a Mentor and a Coach?

Even though coaching and mentoring may sound similar in many ways, there are several aspects in which they differ.

Approach

The most significant difference between the two roles is the way information is given. 

A mentor’s primary approach is to give advice, while a coach rarely does so. A mentor gives direction and information, while a coach guides the client to discover that information.

A coach doesn’t need to have previous knowledge, skills, or experience on the subject of the session. On the other hand, a mentor is usually an expert in the field the client is interested in.

Training

Coaches are more likely to have previous training on coaching skills and methodology to guide clients through a clear process.

Mentors are less likely to be trained and more likely to rely on their professional background and experience.

Role

A coach asks powerful questions to elicit insights.

Coaches know that everyone has everything they need within themselves to create the life they really want. And they look for ways to elicit insights in their clients so they can see this as well.

On the other hand, a mentor’s focus is to share their own experience and give direct advice.

Mentors bring their knowledge, skills, and experience to the table to guide others. They have a more direct role in the conversation, and they’re able to bring specific case studies of issues they’ve worked on before.

Tools

Coaching facilitates awareness and self-directed learning, while mentors share their wisdom to provide insight and guidance.

This is why you might see a mentor speak most of the time during the session, while in a coaching session, the coach will be quiet for the most part, listening to what their client has to say.

Objectives

A mentor starts the relationship with a client who already knows what they want before starting the conversation.

A coach helps the person identify what they want and how to create it for themselves.

Which Approach Fits You Best?

Now that you have more clarity on the similarities and differences between a life coach vs. mentor, let’s go deeper into which of these two approaches is best for you.

Mark each statement in the list that resonates with you in terms of how you prefer to work with clients.

A coach…

1. Enjoys being curious about the way the other person sees their world.
2. Uses their client’s experience as a way for them to create the results that they want.
3. Encourages their client to be self-accountable for their actions.
4. Focuses on helping their clients get clear on what they want, reflect on different perspectives, and explore new possibilities.
5. Has a formal relationship with their clients, where there is a cadence of structured sessions to work toward their goals.

A mentor…

1. Enjoys sharing their knowledge and directing their clients to the best possible outcome for them.
2. Uses their personal experience to help their clients achieve their results.
3. Leads a more hand-holding process with their clients.
4. Works with their clients to give them detailed guidance to reach the goal that they have already identified.
5. Creates a relationship with clients that’s more informal and, depending on the mentor’s availability.

See whether you’ve marked more statements in the coach vs. mentor category. This can inform which methodology you prefer to follow when helping clients.

How Do I Find a Mentor or Coach?

As you navigate these career paths, you can benefit from working with a coach or a mentor yourself. Here’s how you can find the right one for you:

Finding the right mentor

1. You have to be clear on what you want to achieve professionally, both in the short and long term. The clearer you are on your goals, the easier it will be to find the right mentor for you, as you’ll know what background and experience you are looking for.

2. Think about someone you admire or look up to. Think about the person that you want to become in the next 5–10 years. That will describe what kind of mentor you are looking for. Once you define that, start looking around in your network.

3. Look for a person who has the time and disposition to help you in the process. This will offer consistency in your relationship with them.

4. Find someone who is a couple of steps ahead of you, so they understand the best ways to help you.

Finding the right coach

1. Get clear on the area of your life that you need support in. It may be related to your health, relationships, or career. You don’t need to have specific goals. You just need to know that you are ready for a shift and for growth in that specific area.

2. Look for a coach who specializes in the area that you want to work on. Decide whether credentials are important for you and see if you can find some client testimonials about them.

3. Find someone who resonates with you. Someone who allows you to be heard and seen without judgment. Someone who creates a safe space for you to explore new opportunities and perspectives.

4. Have a discovery session with your coach first to get familiar with their coaching process. This will set clear expectations for what it’s like to work with them.

Having someone to support you in this journey will not only help you grow but also allow you to experience first-hand what you can give to your own clients.

From Insights to Action

Knowing when to put on your coaching or mentoring hat can help you give your clients what they most need for their growth. And just like any committed professional, sometimes you need to put on your coachee hat as well.

“In 2022, I decided to be coached by one of the Mindvalley coaches, and I loved it!” says Patrizia Tammaro Silva, a CEO from Milan, Italy, who went through the Mindvalley Certified Coach program. “My life has improved, and that year has been my most profitable year ever. I decided then to take a step further and enroll in the program.”

Unlock the key to maximizing your impact, abundance, and freedom by joining us in the Become a Mindvalley Certified Life Coach free masterclass.

Coaches need to juggle endless responsibilities while fostering positive client connections. That’s where Client Relationship Management (CRM) software comes in handy.

It’s the unsung hero of coaches who handles their admin tasks so they can focus on what matters most—guiding clients toward optimal performance.

Discover the best CRM for coaches and how you can navigate it to run your business like a well-oiled machine.

What Is A CRM?

CRM is software that stores all the key information about your client communications. It collects insights into a centralized system so you can better understand your prospects and coaching clients and improve their experience working with you. 

It’s a business solution that’s proven to bring tangible benefits for small companies; businesses adopting CRM witness a staggering 29% surge in sales revenue.

Think of CRM as your coaching brain, capturing the progress, preferences, and pivotal moments of your clients in one central hub. No more drowning in scattered notes; your CRM ensures that every coaching session that you deliver counts.

It remembers your client’s:

• Contact information,
• Communication history,
• Purchase details,
• Preferences,
• And interactions with you.

You can use it to nurture leads, track your client acquisition goals, or fine-tune your marketing strategies.

How to choose a CRM for coaches

1. Opt for an intuitive interface to save you time and simplify your daily tasks
2. Choose a platform that allows personalization to align with your coaching style and specific business requirements
3. If HIPAA compliance is important for your business, choose CRMs with security features to safeguard sensitive client information
4. If you use other business tools, pick one that integrates with them to simplify your workflow
5. Consider other features, such as creating personalized meal plans or streaming your workout sessions

12 Best CRMs for Coaches

Here are 12 of the best CRMs for life coaches, consultants, and health professionals for client acquisition and management.

1. Profi

Profi is a strategic asset for coaches who want to methodically scale their businesses. It has great payment and communication features that let you manage clients and sessions seamlessly.

Coaches, consultants, trainers, and therapists find Profi invaluable for crafting customized packages and connecting easily with clients. It has diverse communication tools, including chats, calls, and video sessions, plus a community discussion area for some meaningful interaction.

Profi can also produce professional-looking landing pages and deliver courses. It’s a great tool if you want a streamlined approach to client management and business optimization.

Notable features include:

• SMS notifications for clients
• Easier communication with solutions like video conferencing
• Online coaching sessions in groups or one-on-one
• Co-authoring coaching programs with other professionals
• Simple, secure, and automated payments

2. HoneyBook

Another expandable and top-notch CRM software for coaching services is HoneyBook, an all-in-one system for customized training solutions. Health coaches, business coaches, and life coaches will all find this program versatile and useful.

With HoneyBook’s feature-packed suite, you can customize your brand and craft client-specific plans. It also has automated communication features to enhance your connection with clients without the need for manual work. Plus, it lets you schedule your meetings and flesh out your marketing strategies with contact forms and brochure templates.

The online payment software of HoneyBook makes it easier to manage revenue and boost sales. For example, by setting up recurring payments for clients.

Notable features include:

• Simple and secure invoicing and online payment options
• Built-in client proposals to support scalability
• Integrations with other systems like Zapier, Gmail, and QuickBooks
• Easy task management and program scheduling
• Automated features like customized emails, reminders, and questionnaires for improved client relationships

3. Coach Logix

Coach Logix is a free CRM for coaches, making it a rare gem for small-scale coaching businesses. It has a diverse array of features, like session scheduling, progress tracking, and an invoicing system.

While the free version is decent for solopreneurs, the paid versions unlock some pretty neat advanced benefits for scaling your coaching business.

Notable features include:

• Great analytics features
• Organized billing and invoice management
• Session scheduling
• An intuitive performance breakdown

4. Bitrix 24

Bitrix24 is an all-in-one business app for collaboration and customer management. It’s particularly handy if you have a bigger team running your coaching business. You can use it to add contacts, set up a sales pipeline, and generate reports. It’s a highly customizable app, allowing you to rearrange fields on the contacts page for a personalized experience.

It has some solid goal-setting features to help you work towards your objectives, and you can set up notifications to keep you on track with them. It also stands out in reporting, even on the free plan, offering great analytics options.

Beyond CRM, it’s a team collaboration hub with features like an activity stream, chat, calls, project management, file drive, and a website builder. With hundreds of integrations and Zapier compatibility, Bitrix24 lets you and your team automate many of your complex business processes.

Notable features include:

• Multi-account access
• Tracking progress on tasks
• Managing meetings
• Communication tools for customer relationship management
• Password-protected file sharing

5. Satori

Satori includes features like scheduling, client engagement, and business growth tools. It’s easy to use and won’t break the bank—perfect for coaches just starting out.

With a range of features, including CRM, automation, group coaching, and billing, it covers the essentials. It also integrates with all major business apps like Google Calendar, MailChimp, and PayPal.

Satori’s Discovery Questionnaires help you qualify clients and set the stage for meaningful discussions. You can set up multi-session packages for clients and keep track of their progress through easily accessible session notes. Satori is ideal for coaches looking for a simple, effective, and budget-friendly CRM solution.

Notable features include:

• Easy-to-use interface
• Sign agreements and onboard client management
• Manage all client accounts safely
• Simple meeting scheduling options
•  Create and send customized and detailed questionnaires

6. Nudge Coach

Nudge Coach, as the name says, is tailored for coaches specifically. You can use it to track the habits and action steps of your clients between sessions. You can also create customized plans for the people you work with based on their specific objectives. It’s perfect for health coaches and other professionals focusing on establishing better habits in their clients’ lives. 

Besides habit tracking, you can use Nudge Coach to send real-time messages and schedule notifications to clients. Detailed insights about their progress help you understand which one of them needs more attention and guidance.

Notable features include:

• Daily habit tracking
• Customized coaching journeys
• Individual client data and analytics
• Community forums 
• Challenges to boosting engagement in group coaching programs

7. Practice Better

Practice Better is an accountability tool mixed with a simple CRM system made for health coaches. It handles bookkeeping, recommendations, and payments in one neat system. Plus, it’s HIPAA compliant, making it an ideal choice for health professionals too.

Practice Better syncs with other systems in your client management workflow, like Dropbox or Google Drive. It’s a versatile business app that lets you develop coaching programs and scale your practice.

Notable features include:

• Video calls for sessions
• Client forms
• Easy schedule management
• Automated payment features and invoicing

8. MBody360

MBody360 is a go-to toolkit for health and wellness coaches that helps you streamline your practice effortlessly. It handles client data, health plans, and communication in one user-friendly interface.

You can create personalized lifestyle plans with supplementation, diet, sleep schedule, and other activities. This way, you can tailor each client’s journey to their personal objectives and track their progress as they go along. You can even sync their health data with apps like Google Fit and Apple Health.

Notable features include:

• Customized meal plans
• Easy session scheduling
• Sleep and exercise monitoring
• Easy-to-navigate interface with real-time data 
• Recipes for different diets

9. Quenza

This particular CRM software is a particularly great fit for mental health coaches. You can set up activities for better well-being, track your client’s progress, and send them additional resources tailored to their individual objectives.

Quenza is built in mind with the importance of keeping up the momentum during your coaching process. You can send motivational videos to your clients or schedule messages in advance to give them a little boost in motivation. You can also design their coaching exercises, reflection prompts, and meditations in advance and keep them engaged between sessions.

Notable features include:

• Proposal templates and quotes
• Sales reporting
• Automated workflow management
• Video, audio, and text scheduling

10. TrueCoach

TrueCoach is a great choice for fitness professionals, especially personal trainers. You use it to hold online training sessions, connect with your clients remotely, and share workout videos or guides with them.

What sets TrueCoach apart is its focus on accountability and engagement. Its features revolve around improving the coaching experience rather than managing your coaching business. 

If you’re in the fitness industry and want a platform that puts coaching first, TrueCoach has got your back.

Notable features include:

• Online training sessions
• Workout session management
• Tracking the nutrition intake of your clients
• Real-time messaging

11. CoachesConsole

CoachesConsole is a go-to CRM for business coaches and consultants. It handles contracts, payments, and invoices. 

You can also use it for scheduling both your discovery sessions with prospects and your coaching appointments.

Notable features include:

• Calendar and scheduling
• Payment processing
• Client information management
• Website templates

12. My Coach Office

My Coach Office simplifies your coaching business by handling all your client management tasks. You can use it for appointment scheduling, invoicing, and goal tracking.

Besides regular admin features, My Coach Office lets you create shared journals for pre- and post-session notes. You can also build online courses with it, allocate homework to your clients, and manage your group coaching cohorts.

Notable features include:

• Client management
• Goal tracking
• Appointment scheduling

Build a Thriving Coaching Business

CRM tools help you manage the admin tasks in your coaching business, turn prospects into paying clients, and customize their coaching journeys. Hopefully, this guide has given you the answer to what the best CRM is for coaches in your niche.

Master the most vital business skills to elevate your coaching business. Join us in the Become a Mindvalley Certified Business Coach free masterclass.

The foundation for helping people transform is to understand that we are all different. And in order to help other people know more about themselves, we have to understand more about different personality types.

This is where the Myers-Briggs Personality Assessment (MBTI), better known as the 16 personalities test, comes in.

Francesca Facio, the human optimization coach and head of certifications at Mindvalley Coach, breaks down this powerful coaching tool. And here’s all you should know about it.

How Does the 16 Personalities Test Work?

The 16 personalities test is a free assessment that categorizes individuals into one of 16 distinct personality types based on the Myers-Briggs® Type Indicator (MBTI®). Developed by Isabel Briggs Myers and Katharine Cook Briggs, this widely-used psychological tool evaluates various aspects of a person’s preferences, including:

• Extroversion and introversion,
• Sensing and intuition,
• Thinking and feeling,
• Judging and perceiving, and
• Assertivity and turbulence.

The test provides insight into behavioral patterns, communication styles, and decision-making processes. It tells you how someone interacts with the world and makes choices.

How Can I Use the 16 Personalities Test in My Coaching Practice?

Our personality is one of the many factors that drive our behavior. That’s why the 16 personalities test is so relevant in coaching.

As a coach, when you build that trust, it allows your coachee to get really honest with you. — @ajitna Click To Tweet

Your clients are going to have different personalities, which means they want to be motivated, influenced, and learn in different ways.

By understanding people’s personalities, you will understand them better and communicate with them more easily. As a result, they will get better insights and shift how they approach their lives.

Personality Aspects

The 16 personalities test talks about five different personality aspects: Mind, Energy, Nature, Tactics, and Identity.

1. Mind: How we interact with our surroundings

You will have Introverts who prefer solitary activities because they are sensitive to external stimulation. 

And you will have Extroverts, who get energized by social interactions. They also tend to be more enthusiastic and are easily excited.

2. Energy: How we see the world and process information

There are Sensing individuals, who are very practical and down-to-earth. They have strong habits and rely on data to predict future events. 

And there are Intuitives, who are very imaginative, open-minded, and curious. They prefer novelty over stability.

3. Nature: How we make decisions and manage our emotions

You’ll meet Thinking individuals in your practice who focus on objectivity and rationality, prioritizing logic over emotions. 

On the other hand, you’ll meet Feelers, who are very sensitive and open about expressing their emotions. They are more empathic and less competitive than Thinking types. They focus on social harmony and cooperation.

4. Tactics: Reflects our approach to work, planning and decision-making

You will have Judging individuals, who are decisive, thorough, and highly organized. They value clarity, predictability, and closure. They also prefer structure and planning to spontaneity.

Then you have Perceiving personalities, who are very good at improvising and spotting opportunities. They tend to be flexible, relaxed nonconformists who prefer keeping their options open.

5. Identity: How confident we are in our abilities and decisions

These are variants that apply to all the other personality aspects.

On one side, you have the Assertive ones, who are self-assured, even-tempered, and resistant to stress. They refuse to worry too much and do not push themselves too hard to achieve their goals. 

And then there are the Turbulent ones, who are self-conscious and sensitive to stress. They are likely to experience a wide range of emotions. They are success-driven, perfectionistic, and eager to improve.

Roles

Another important layer of the 16 personalities test is the role we fulfill in society based on how we’re wired internally. It’s the combination of our personality aspects that reveals our goals, interests, and preferred activities.

1. Analysts: Intuitive and Thinking [NT] type

They embrace rationality and impartiality, and they excel in the scientific or technological fields. 

Extremely independent, open-minded, and strong-willed, they question everything and never settle for what other people say is right.

They are also amazing strategic thinkers but often struggle with social and romantic relationships.

2. Diplomats: Intuitive and Feeling [NF] type

They focus on empathy and cooperation. Additionally, they’re great in diplomatic or counseling roles. 

They bring harmony, warmth, and empathy into all their relationships.

What’s more, they may face trouble when having to make a difficult decision, especially if it affects someone else.  

3. Sentinels: Sensing and Judging [SJ] type

Sentinels are highly cooperative and practical.

They embrace and create order, security, and stability in everything they do.

Meticulous, hard-working, and excelling in logistical or administrative fields, they always stick to their plan and don’t shy away from difficult tasks.

The challenge they face is that they tend to be inflexible and have a hard time accepting different opinions.

4. Explorers: Sensing and Perceiving [SP] type

The most spontaneous role of all, explorers easily connect with their surroundings.

They are practical and great at responding to situations that require a quick reaction. They excel at using tools and techniques in different ways to resolve any challenge.

They are also prone to taking risks. 

Strategies

Strategies show our preferred ways of doing things and achieving goals. There are four strategies talked about in the 16 personalities test.

1. Confident individualism: Introverted and Assertive [I-A] type

They prefer doing things alone without asking for help. They have high self-confidence and trust in themselves.

One of their biggest values is personal responsibility. They don’t pay much attention to what other people think or say.

2. People mastery: Extroverted and Assertive [E-A] type

They love social contact and tend to have very good communication skills. They easily rely on others for help and thrive in social settings.

They are self-confident and don’t hesitate to share their worldview. They actively seek roles to assist in their communities.

3. Constant improvement: Introverted and Turbulent [I-T] type

These are the quiet, individualistic people who tend to be perfectionist and success-driven. They often spend a lot of time and effort making sure that the result of their work is the best it can be. 

Known as high achievers in their field, they tend to worry too much about their performance.

4. Social engagement: Extraverted and Turbulent [E-T] type

The last strategy is adopted by sociable, energetic, and success-driven types.

They tend to be restless, perfectionistic individuals, prone to experiencing both very positive and very negative emotions. 

They’re usually high achievers, even if they’re quiet and sensitive. They tend to place a lot of importance on other people’s opinions. They value social status and are eager to succeed in everything they do.

Create More Powerful Breakthroughs for Your Clients

The 16 personalities assessment is a powerful coaching tool that helps you understand your clients more deeply. By identifying their characteristics, you gain more insights into how they think and why they do the things they do. 

Take the free personality test now, or share it with your clients.

If you want to dive deeper into the art of masterful coaching, join us in the free Become a Mindvalley Certified Life Coach masterclass.

Here’s what Mindvalley-certified coaches say about the program.

“As I near the end of this four-month program, I can confidently say that I am more in touch with who I am. I have learned to let go of things that were holding me back from becoming the best version of myself. That’s why I now consider myself an ‘Un-Coach,’ someone who unlearns, unleashes, and untames the expectations others impose on me.”
— Daphney Bossicot, transformation coach; Fall River, U.S.A.

“After this course, I have a clearer understanding of how to help myself and others with effective tools. They provide many methods and tools you can use in addition to your already existing expertise.”
— Daina Migliore, entrepreneur; Los Angeles, U.S.A.

Don’t just transform lives; become a catalyst for personal revolutions. And it all starts with the Become a Mindvalley Certified Life Coach masterclass.

Coaches help their clients find answers to their most burning questions in life and guide them to solve complex challenges. Becoming one gives you the chance to create a positive impact on people’s lives and help them reach their full potential.

Plus, you can earn a decent living doing it.

The coaching industry is estimated to reach $6.25 billion in 2024 in the U.S. alone. However, that money is made by approximately 145,500 active coaches.

You may wonder how to become a coach in this booming but fairly competitive industry. Discover what qualities set the best coaching professionals apart from the rest and how you can start your practice in three steps.

What Does It Take to Be a Good Coach?

The best coaches share the same core competencies and demonstrate certain attitudes towards their clients. If you’re wondering how to become a business coach or life coach, mastering these qualities will set you up for a great start.

1. Active listening

Using active listening as a coaching tool requires being present for your client and tuning in to both what they’re saying and their hidden body language cues.

It also means asking follow-up questions and digging deeper into the conversation to understand your client’s perspective.

2. Empathy

Effective coaching goes beyond words; it requires empathetic communication. Being attuned to your client’s emotions and personal experience fosters a supportive coaching environment. 

Expressing empathy means validating your client’s feelings, demonstrating your understanding, and creating a safe space for open dialogue.

3. Genuine concern

Do you care about your client’s problems, or are you more driven by the next paycheck hitting your account? Powerful coaches are genuinely concerned about their clients, and their coachees can feel this.

Showing concern isn’t about a lack of boundaries; it’s about going the extra mile for your clients. And when you do, their progress will show it.

4. A knack for goal-setting

Goal-setting skills are a fundamental trait of a good coach. You’ll need them to establish clear and achievable objectives for your clients in a variety of real-life situations.

Much of your progress with clients will stem from finding goals worth working towards and breaking them down into manageable action steps.

5. Creativity

Outdated perspectives and solutions that your clients have heard a dozen times are not going to help them get ahead in their lives and careers. To stand out in the coaching field, you need to constantly seek out out-of-the-box ideas and apply them to your client’s unique situation.

Staying creative also takes life-long learning as well as staying open to new trends and methodologies emerging in the industry.

6. Constructive feedback skills

Without constructive feedback, your clients will stagnate. You need to have the courage to challenge them and call them out on their limiting beliefs to inspire growth in them.

To deliver feedback effectively, you need to address areas for improvement, all while maintaining a positive and empowering tone. Being able to strike a balance in this will tell whether you’re made for a coaching career path.

How Much Can I Earn as a Coach?

In the U.S., life coaches make $67,800 a year on average. However, this number doesn’t necessarily determine how much you’ll make as a coach.

It depends on factors such as:

• Your individual qualifications and skills
• Your business location
• The number of people you reach with your marketing campaigns
• Your ability to retain clients
• The overall success of your coaching programs
• Your hourly and package rates
• The level of competition within your coaching niche
• The number of active clients you work with within a given year

Some coaching niches, like executive coaching, are more profitable on average than others. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be an outstanding coach with a different specialty. Many coaches set their hourly rate to a few hundred dollars and earn six figures outside of the business world.

If you feel this is your calling, concerns about your income should not stop you from building the coaching business of your dreams.

How to Become a Coach in 3 Steps

Here’s how to become a life coach in 2024 and start serving clients:

1. Get trained

Coaching is one of the least regulated professions. You don’t have to earn a coaching license or get a permit to start practicing. However, that doesn’t mean you don’t need any qualifications to coach clients.

Let’s look at how to become a certified life coach and start practicing.

There are several coaching certifications and training programs that can arm you with the necessary skills and methodology for a career in this field.

• Mindvalley’s certification programs in six different coaching specialties
• Coach certifications at The Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC)
• Programs at the International Coaching Federation (ICF)
• Training Programs at the CoActive Training Institute

A few ways you can expand your toolbox and horizons as a coach are:

• Joining mastermind groups
• Taking specialized courses
• Visiting coaching events
• Following free educational resources, such as the Mindvalley Coach YouTube channel

2. Get in some practice

Just like in any other field, practice makes perfect. Some certifications require hundreds of hours of coaching to be completed. Even if your training doesn’t, coaching clients is what builds your expertise.

In the beginning, it’s worth throwing yourself into as many different coaching situations as you can. Try taking sessions both in-person and online. Seek out clients with distinct challenges and backgrounds so you can try out a variety of coaching tools.

When you’re starting out, it’s perfectly okay to offer a few free sessions to clients as a part of your practice. Be transparent about where you are in your coaching journey, but treat these sessions the exact same as you would paid ones.

3. Start a coaching business

Before you start coaching clients and earning an income doing it, there are a few things you need to set up first.

1. Register a business (if you’re a solopreneur without employees, a sole proprietorship will do)
2. Define your coaching niche
3. Design a coaching package
4. Set up a website with your coaching services
5. Consider getting on LinkedIn and other social media channels to grow your reach

At the dawn of your business, you can reach out to your personal and professional network (previous coworkers and friends) to find your first few clients. Providing a great experience to your first coachees can earn you referrals down the line to keep those clients coming.

Turn Your Passion for Coaching Into a Business

The road to becoming a coach is neither short nor easy, but it’s absolutely rewarding.

If you want to dive deeper into the art of masterful coaching, join us in the Become a Mindvalley Certified Life Coach free masterclass to learn how to transform your passion into a purposeful profession.

Here’s what students of Mindvalley’s Certified Life program say:

“Before this program, I was still looking to clarify the direction that I wanted to take my coaching practice. With the training that I have received, the robust curriculum, and the 6 Phase Meditation Trainer Certification that was part of this course, I believe that I will be able to add more value to my clients’ lives and help them realize incredible results.”
— Marvin Rucker, coach; Bridgeport, U.S.A.

“Within three weeks, I had my first $10,000 week. Ajit is fantastic, and I would recommend this certification course to any new or experienced coach. I would also recommend it to all leaders.”
— Sandy L. Smith, executive coach; Calgary, Canada

A coaching training program is a great start to your career, but your education doesn’t stop there. Continuous learning about new coaching tools and methodologies is a lifetime endeavor that can help you deliver more results for your clients.