How to Prepare or Master being a Digital Coach
This article is for you if:
>> You are trying to figure out if you can work as a coach, but don’t want to commit to opening a new business right away
>> You have been working as a coach already, but want to see if digital coaching is something you can learn and use to get more clients
>> You have no clue what to do for your life right now, love encouraging people, have done well in achieving new habits/goals, and are open to coach people for free until you get paid for it (hey, you have to begin somewhere. I have coached 8 people for free and now carry a caseload of 8 clients most months. But coaching is not my only source of income at the moment)
What is digital coaching?
For the purpose of this article, Digital coaching refers to coaching that happens between 2 people with written communication. I know some people also include the category of phone coaching as digital coaching, but for the purpose of this article, I will focus on chat coaching. We can also refer to this as coaching done through writing:
Benefits of digital coaching: (main ones are listed here, for more info, visit HERE)
- You can do so at any time, which means you can coach people who are on different timezones. And are able to coach people while you take a break or finish your other responsibilities or get off from your current job. All you need is access to the internet on a smartphone and/or a computer (you can log on both smartphone or computer/laptop).
- If you want to sign up to become a coach at COACH.ME, they will give you 1 month to receive free chat coaching with an expert coach (you can choose me by going: HERE). There is a membership yearly fee to pay, but it’s worth it.
- Once you become a member with coach.me, you will receive training material to study for a certification, a network group where you can get support as a coach, and a list of requirements such as coaching your first 4 clients.
- You could coach people as secondary source of income when you start, and then if you get more clients it can one day become your main source of income.
A Bit of a Challenge (Go to the Tips section below where these will be addressed):
- You will have to learn (by doing) how to read emotions by words written, and by asking detailed questions (The training provided by COACH.ME will help).
- It’s easier to work on one goal at a time when doing written communication. This can be a challenge to some clients who want to do a lot of things at the same time.
Introduction to digital coaching training and membership with the app COACH.ME:
Want to go big? then go Digital! Here is the training video that the Founder and CEO of Coach.me created:
Tips to help you with future clients and retention:
Yes, there are ways you can currently prepare for your future clients, trust me.
- Be mentally prepared for feelings of rejection: Feelings of rejection may happen when clients finish coaching with you after few interactions, few days, or few weeks. This may not apply to all of you, especially if you are a tough cookie who has a lot of experience with people coming and leaving in both your professional and personal life. But, this may happen more often to coaches who help clients in short-term goals. This may also happen when coaching a person to learn to master habit formation. Since habit formation takes about 21 to 30 days. By the end of the month, you will see your client wanting to work on another habit or wanting to cancel coaching with you, if it has been successful. Sometimes, this happens without notice. So the way to get used to it now, is by seeing digital coaching as a fast track form of coaching. The perfect fit for the microwave kind of society we live in, where we want all to happen now and fast. Another way to deal with possible feelings of rejection is to look back at times when you were rejected in the past, or when people whom you helped had to go, did you get over it? Of course! So, you will be okay when clients who receive digital coaching cancel services, it’s part of life. There will still be some clients who will stick with you for many months, those who love working with you on all the areas of their lives.
- Develop the habit of writing in a concise and clear manner: This can be done by using shorter sentences and bullet points with symbols (*, -, <, >, ==, |, [x], o, #, ~~). If you decide to be a digital coach, you will have to excel in writing as your form of communication. (Even if some of your clients will hire you to receive phone coaching, some of the communication will still be done in writing).
- Start or continue networking often with the digital world: Some of the platforms to consider are the ones that offer groups or a community of forums where people post discussions, questions, answers, and share tips. Some of the ones you can start with joining groups: Facebook, Linkedin, etc.
- You can go to coach.me and start being involved with the community: work on tracking your own goals, giving props to people, asking questions in the goals you join, and answer questions to encourage someone. When you have a challenging goal or habit to work on, try to just work on that as priority, don’t worry too much about the other ones.
- Learn to ask detailed questions: Once you start digital coaching your first clients, you will have to practice asking detailed questions, and follow-up questions. Since digital coaching doesn’t have access to face to face cues, you will have to read between the lines, or ask the right questions. You will learn this in the training at COACH.ME. And you can also practice the skill of asking the right questions with friends, loved ones and family.
- Research what is available in the marketplace. You can do this by becoming aware of who is considered an expert in your niche (or niches). Learn about what they offer by reading their books, visiting their social media platforms, reading magazines about your niche. Also, you are to figure out if there is something unique you can solve in your niche, that hasn’t been offered. The uniqueness can be in your approach, the value your bring, the amount of information the client would have access through you, style, language, your price, your location, etc.
- Work on avoiding the comparison trap. From past experience, my best advice is to stay thankful. Learn to appreciate that there are people who have gone before you, who have worked super hard to learn everything they could to be where they are today. So, don’t compare yourself. You will have to network with other coaches, you will also get support from them, but at the same time, it’s important to value others while blessing others with your input. Your input and encouragement is also important, so don’t hide your areas of expertise.
- Start/Continue writing blog posts about your coaching specialties. This is how many prospective clients will get to know you. In addition, by having a blogging schedule, you are improving the practice of communicating through writing.
- Once you write some blog posts, post the ones that get most viewed on your Facebook business page. If you don’t have that yet, make sure you start one and make sure to put on your business page your name. If you have written something else as your Facebook business name, it’s better if your Facebook business page has your name, that way people will find you easier. As a coach, is best to market who you are and your lifestyle, rather than the name of your business. If you can do so, try to put yourself as *public figure.* VISIT MY FACEBOOK BUSINESS PAGE
- Whenever you feel ready, go ahead and sign up to become a coach on www.coach.me/apply don’t forget the code in the above video for your discount! If you have any questions (especially those related to certification and billing), go ahead and send them here: http://support.coach.me
- I have coached and continue to coach coaches. I enjoy equipping them, click HERE if you would like to have access to the latest resources, and creative productivity strategies. Most of the people who have subscribed to my mailing list are coaches, so some of the strategies I plan to send you will expand on what I wrote on this article.
- Need extra encouragement in growing your business?? listen to my my free audio training:
I’m a Productivity, Depression & ADHD Coach on COACH.ME as well as on The Path. I enjoy my job because I get to interact and serve people worldwide. I enjoy bringing out the best in people, including new coaches. If you are thinking about becoming a digital coach, don’t think too long. Give it a try!
